Yuck

Busted out of Monte Carlo with a set of Jacks all in on a 4TJ7 turn... and found 89. Sick cooler...

The next month i'm going to play a bunch online before Vegas, hopefully i'll go on a heater like i did this time last year. I also intend on playing some 500/1000 soonish as well.

Time for a graph to make me feel better. My lifetime PLO... well since Jan 2006 anyway.

On to Monte Carlo

I busted out in San Remo in the last level of day one. I was about average stacked and after just calling a raise preflop with QQ, i couldn't find a pass to a check raise on a J64 flop. My opponent had JJ, so even if i'd played my hand faster preflop i would have gone out anyway, as he wouldn't have folded it pre against me.

There was one amusing hand from earlier in the day. I called a bet of 600 when blinds were 100/200 with 7cTc and the flop came 4cQcQd. I checked to the Italian guy who opened, and he bet 1200. I had an 8k stack and didn't want to just call, so made it 4000. Obviously i'm committed now, and he shoves and i call. Expecting to see like 77-AA or maybe a higher flush draw, or a Q. He slams A8 off on the table and looks really pleased with his play, even though i'm a 54/46 favorite. The T peels of on the turn to leave him drawing to 2 outs, and he goes mad and storms off outside for like 15 minutes to cool off.

Apart from that Remo was ok. After an opening night out i managed to think i'd lost the 10k euro cash in a bar i had on me as we had a fairly heavy night. After turning my room upside down i gave up, only to return a few hours later and it was sat on top of my laptop. My cleaner got a nice tip!

Looking forward to Monte Carlo in a few days, the venue is my favorite place for playing poker anywhere, and i expect a huge field of 800+ runners. Hopefully i'll at least make day 2. I'll stay around anyway as there is some decent side events including a 5k euro PLO.

Remo

I'm off to San Remo in a couple of days for my first EPT event of the year, be nice to break the online grind anyway. I've been doing alot better lately, and am finally up a decent chunk on the year... been playing about 6 different sites and its good to mix it about. Must get some money back on Full Tilt soon!

I missed the two SCOOP events that i was going to play. Had uni mates down for the weekend, and was too knackered/hungover to even contemplate an all night tournament.

SCOOOP

I played my first NL Hold'em tourney in about 6 months, the $3k event on Pokerstars. I managed to cash, coming like 98/900 or something like that, going out with AK to Timex's AJ.... my key pot was losing AdQd v 99 all in pre for me to be top 5 in chips with 150 left.

It was so gruelling though staying awake to 8am, and playing for 10 hours, i'm not sure how the tournament pros can do it.

I'll probably play the $10k NL main event and the $2.5k NL HU, and depending on how my Omaha spin up goes on Stars, the $25k HU.

I just don't get Pokerstars sometimes. My deposit limit is set at $2k a day, and the hassle i have to go through just to get it increased by a few thousand $$ just isn't worth it. I'd probably play on there alot if i could deposit/withdraw $25k a day, like i can on every other site i play.

Finally, i can't get into the Royal Hotel in San Remo, as its full of Stars qualifiers, if anyone wants to sell me there room drop me a message here :-)

Its April

Wow this year has gone fast, and judging by my results so far i've got no chance of matching my $2.5 million+ year that i had last year, though i had a month off so it makes it even harder. Especially if i stick around the 25 50 and 50 100 level that i've been playing....

Obviously when i'm running good its all easy blah blah blah. My main problem is that i just don't have the patience anymore when i play these stakes. There isn't too much pain when i lose, and i don't give my opponents enough respect and try and beat them way too quickly, rather than wait for good spots. Probably playing my A game 30% of the time, then straight to D/E game oops.

Anyway i'm pretty excited about the next couple of months. I'm off to San Remo in a couple of weeks, then on to Monte Carlo for the EPT championship, then i'm going for my longest stint in Vegas for three weeks.

Next time i'll post some hands. I've got some fun 500bb pots, but i'm on my laptop so i'll have to search for them on my main computer.

Monthly Update :-)

Not much has been happening in terms of winning and losing... i've been playing 25/50 and 50/100 PLO when i've had chance, and had some time off to go skiing in Zermatt which was awsome.

I'm still on a pretty indifferent run, mainly due to not playing so good and running terribly in big pots. I think i've played 10 pots over $50k this year and lost 8. I was favorite in like 7 of them so if i'd won 5 or 6 of them i'd be having a decent year.

I'm pretty excited about the next few months anyway. I'm coming out of tournament retirement to play EPT San Remo and Monte Carlo. At Monte Carlo there is a 5000 Euro PLO tournament and a 25000 Euro high stakes event, so there will be some big money to play for.

I've also decided pretty much on my dates for the WSOP. I'm going to go for the middle bit (like the 8th-23rd) as there are a bunch of events that i want to play then, and i'm too lazy to hang around for the main event. Two weeks is enough time in Vegas anyway.

Lack of Updates

Hmmm well not that much has been happening lately. I'm running bad, but breaking even which i guess is ok. Its really frustrating to have a spell like this... but i guess i normally run good so its to be expected.

As soon as i start to do better i'm going to play some higher stakes, so hopefully the blog will become more interesting then.

Full Tilt is really tilting me at the moment. All the regulars sit out against me at 25/50 and 50/100 HU PLO which is kind of boring, because i give action to anyone. The Americans seem to have the tightest game selection ever....

Back

I've been back playing for about a week, and my year has started pretty good. I'm mainly playing 25 50 and 50 100, just till i get a decent chunk up on the year, then i'll play bigger... :-)

I've been four betting alot preflop lately, and its alot of fun and creates great action. I've had a $24k stack at 10/20, a $38k stack at 25/50, and a $50k stack at 50 100... though not much profit because it took me alot of buy ins to get them.

I see the schedule for my yearly donation at the WSOP has come out. I'll book to go out in the middle section for a few weeks as thats when most of the events i want to play are, i'll probably miss the $40k opening NL Hold'em event and the main event.

A few of the hands/luckboxes that i've played this year so far:

Couldn't put AKxx in his range so jammed river rather than called

oops

Not sure what i was doing, maybe it was jetlag

I also got randomly sent a link from the London Review of books here, which mentions me and Dave "Dubai" Shallow.....

New Year

Its been a while since i've posted and i've hardly played at all. Its been a long break from poker (maybe the longest since i started playing for a living), but i'm looking forward to starting again in the next week or so....

Hopefully i will get a lot of action at Heads Up and no one sits out against me :-)

I've also booked my hotels for EPT Copenhagen and Monte Carlo, so they will be my only tournaments in the first few months of the year!

End of Year stuff

I have virtually retired from playing for 2008, so thought i'd do my usual end of year review.

Here were my aims for 2008 that i blogged at the end 2007:

- Number one aim to practice better bankroll management and game selection. I will not allow myself to make the same mistakes that I did this year
- Play some high stakes cash games in Bobby’s room at the Bellagio

- Get luckier in tournaments fail
- Crush the big PL Omaha games online

- Have a winning year at NL Hold’em cash

- Play less poker fail
- Don’t lose over 50% of my bankroll in January as I have for the last two years.

Well 5/7 isn't too bad... Its been a really amazing year overall. I had just one small losing month. I lost over $50k a day 4/5 times this year. Whereas in 2007 it must have been around 10 times.

Tourneys sucked in 2008. I didn’t play many but i ran/played bad for most of the ones i played. Bubbling in the $25k Full Tilt Omaha tournament and coming 3rd in my Poker Million heat were the worst days.

Anyway here are some stats/graphs of my year.

25/50 in 2008

50/100 in 2008

I'm going to set myself some tough targets for 2009:

- Win $2 million+ online

- Win $500k+ in tourneys

- Cash in a WSOP event in Vegas

- Get involved in some 500/1000 action

- Have a winning year staking

- Play 25000 hands minimum at 100/200+

Meh 200 400

I took a small shot at 200/400. I did four bullets of $20k over the last week or so. I only have two of the hands, as the others were on my laptop but i lose all four of the big pots i played, i was over 40% on three and one cooler. Doh.

Second nuts goes down in flames

Two Pair v Draw

Here is my 200/400 graph for 2008 anyway.

I have virtually quit playing online for the year. I'm just going to enjoy December and Xmas, i'm playing Prague EPT which i'm looking forward too as well....

A few hands

I haven't posted any for a while so i will post some below. Not much has been happening, i've haven't been playing so much in the last couple of weeks. I did an "In the Well" on 2+2 which can be seen here.

Run good

Running even better

A hand against The_Houdini

Another hand v The_Houdini

A non believer

My 2 was winning

Couldn’t fold here

sbsjqsqjb why the Queen on the turn

Funny one this. I floated the flop, and three bet blockers on the river and got called :-(

I'm also playing my heat of the Ladbrokes Poker Million on Skysports this Tuesday...

Run

Well my post about being bored and playing bad obviously did the trick. I didn't blog during the run, as i would obvious bok myself, but i managed to play from October 7th - November 3rd without having a losing day. Think i played on 21 of those days, i had a sick run back in 2006 but that must be a new record for me. I won just over $500,000 in the period ($400k at 50/100), i haven't even been at all tempted to play bigger which is good i think.....

I think towards the end of the year i'll set aside a decent amount to have a crack at bigger games, and see if i can have some ridiculous spin up.

Anyway if i break even for the rest of the year thats cool. Next years targets will be weird, as i'd probably settle for winning half what i've won this year. Or i could decide to stop being such a nit and play 200/400 :-)

Budaaaaa

Well EPT budapest was very short and not so sweet. Busted with AA v a donks AQ on a JKA3 board when the T fell on the river. He did very well getting 100bb in on the flop and turn.....

Wasn't so tilted as usual probably because it was a cheaper buy in than most EPT events, and what else can i do other than get it in as a 91% favourite.

The hotel i stayed in the Four Seasons Gresham Palace is stunning, and i'd recommend it to anyone for a few days break...

Buda

I'm off to Budapest tomorrow for an EPT event. Its the first one to be held in Budapest, and i'm sticking to my rule to only travel to cities to play poker that i really like. The only other tournaments i have planned for the rest of 2008 are the GUKPT final and EPT Prague.

Things have been going well in October so far. I'm up around $250k at 25/50 and 50/100. I don't even think i've played 200/400 this month. Got bored of running bad every time i took a shot. The games are also playing bigger because of the pound crashing against the dollar.

I decided to treat myself to a decent car as well. I bought a Daytona Grey Audi R8. Definitely my best ever purchase :-)

Bored

I recovered from my slight downswing i had in August and September. Kind of a bit bored of playing right now. There are quite a few reasons why i've been playing bad lately. After winning so much in June and July, its been really tough to focus on beating my usual games. I've also run really bad at 200/400 in the last month or so. I've lost like the last ten shots i've taken at about $20,000 a time.

Alot of the time i'm just trying to tear apart any player i face at 25/50 and 50/100. I've been making more bad plays than ever. When i was far more focused earlier in the year, i didn't mind playing someone for ages, if it increased the possibility of me beating them. Recently i'm trying to crush people in no time at all, even when i know i'm picking bad spots to play big pots.

Going to have some decent time off poker in Dec/Jan and Feb to party, go to Australia and then skiing!

I'll try and some interesting hands and post them in my next entry!

WSOPE Main

Well i busted late on Day 2. I never once doubled up in the whole tournament, and it was a real grind. I really was card extinct on Day 2, i think i had just one situation where i bet, and actually wanted a caller. I eventually busted shoving the button after i'd squeezed an Ace and only had about 10 big blinds, and lost to AK.

I also, missed the EPT London and High Roller Showdown too because of a wedding! Think i have only on tournament left that i'm going to play this year, EPT Prague.

Had sickest 20 minutes last time i played online. I had 11 all in showdown pots, and lost all 11. I wander what the odds were, don't think thats ever happened to me before. TILT.

WSOPE - Events 2 + 3

I played event 2 a few days ago, the £5000 PLO. I lasted about four hours or so, i decided to gamble with 66xx on a 642 board in a three way pot when i knew at least one of my opponents had 35xx. I figured i'd have far more chance in the tourney with 45000 chips rather than 15000.

I'm through to Day 2 of the £10000 NL main event. I probably played the tightest i have done for ages in a big tournament, and i was never all in during the day. I'm like 20th in chips of the players that played Day1A, hopefully i can get a decent table draw for day 2, and run good.

WSOPE - Event 1

I was the first person to cash at this year's WSOPE. Well it meant i was first to bust out in the money of the £1500 NL Holdem. Had ok chips going in to day 2, but just couldn't get anything going. I chopped a big pot when i was all in pre with AQ v A4, then i lost a big pot with 44v 66. You need to run good in these fast structured events.

I'll be playing the £5k PL Omaha and the £10k main event in the next week and a half. I also may play the £20k EPT high rollers event, if i am doing ok online. Haven't been playing so much since my last update.

Blog

Just been looking through some stats and my blog has had over 500,000 hits since i started tracking it a few years ago. Thats alot of people that have read bad beat stories :-)

I skipped EPT Barcelona, wasn't feeling so good on the morning of the tourney, so thought i'd chill out and enjoy Barcelona. Its definitely in the top three cities in Europe IMO.

Its the WSOPE starting this Friday. Its good to have some decent tournaments just a few miles from home, and i'm sure its an advantage not living out of a hotel room.

Still running at about break even for 5/6 weeks online. If my running bad means breaking even for a while, thats cool. I'm playing a bit smaller just to take it easy for a while.

I also came across somthing funny from theASHMAN103 blog, to quote:

I continue all through the morning very tired and in the mood to just keep running it up. Unfortunately I get stuck $100k in Omaha for the day and lose a ton to this mega clown named Ben Grundy. This hand tilted me to no end just for the sole fact that he wins my stack for playing the hand how he did. Rare monkey species. A hybrid if you will.

FullTiltPoker Game #7864146346: Table Pantheon (6 max) - $200/$400 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 14:16:07 ET - 2008/08/30
Seat 1: Phil Ivey ($40,000), is sitting out
Seat 2: Urindanger ($19,855.50)
Seat 3: Ben Grundy ($45,927)
Seat 4: theASHMAN103 ($39,984)
Seat 5: Brian Hastings ($67,895)
Seat 6: howisitfeellike ($12,669.50)
Urindanger posts the small blind of $200
Ben Grundy posts the big blind of $400
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Ben Grundy [5d 7c 6h 8c]
theASHMAN103 raises to $1,400
Brian Hastings folds
howisitfeellike folds
Urindanger has 15 seconds left to act
Urindanger folds
Ben Grundy raises to $2,900
theASHMAN103 has 15 seconds left to act
theASHMAN103 raises to $8,900
Ben Grundy raises to $26,900
theASHMAN103 calls $18,000
*** FLOP *** [As 6d Qs]
Ben Grundy bets $19,027, and is all in
theASHMAN103 calls $13,084, and is all in
Ben Grundy shows [5d 7c 6h 8c]
theASHMAN103 shows [Qh 9d Jc Ac]
Uncalled bet of $5,943 returned to Ben Grundy
*** TURN *** [As 6d Qs] [6c]
*** RIVER *** [As 6d Qs 6c] [8d]
Ben Grundy shows a full house, Sixes full of Eights
theASHMAN103 shows two pair, Aces and Queens
Ben Grundy wins the pot ($80,166) with a full house, Sixes full of Eights

LOL whilst i may have got lucky in the hand, his call preflop is so dumb i can see why he is on a close to $1 million downswing. In a six handed game my four bet preflop is nearly always a hand that totally dominates his like AAxx, AKKQ, AKQJ ... if i four bet preflop his AQJ9 hand is ahead less than 10% of the time, and is often completely dominated. As it happened he caught a rare time when he was a slight favourite, but he would rarely have over 30% chance given the action.

Ashman if you think i'm a clown i will play you any day you like $50/$100 Heads Up PLO....