Vegas Update 1

Arrived in Vegas last night. Managed to have some sleep though i woke up early a bit jet-lagged!

Going for breakfast and then to the Rio to register for this afternoons PL Omaha event.

Will do some more updates tomorrow.

Vegas countdown

Decided rather than have a break from online i'd have a crack at the 25/50 PL Omaha games on Betfair, which have been crazy in the last few weeks with 3/4 6 handed tables going sometimes. Turned out to be a good decision as i won $80000 on the day. I was up $105000 at $25/$50 at one point which must be my best ever day at those levels.... then i lost a bit back and some at $50/$100 and quit. Loads of hands... here are some of the bigger ones:

Didn’t think the sevens were outs

Spiked the river

Set over set

First real big pot of the day

Chase the Aces

Pair of nines wins $9k

Dominating hand

If this call had happened live in a $16k pot may have mucked before he showed

First of a few losses to quads

Running pretty good

I thought I had lost this one

Top two are good

Outdrawn

Nice turn

Stack over $50k

Last hand of the first session which I played like a DONK

Quads over quads to tilt me

Trying some $50/$100

More $50/$100 … six outered of the river

Just four days to go now till Las Vegas.... bring it on!

Blog Cull

I was taking a look through all my links and noticed a load of blogs seem to have been retired... so i will deleting them off in the next few days if they haven't been updated in the last 6 weeks. I added a few new ones as well. Having a break from online before the WSOP as i don't want to be on tilt before i even start playing tournaments...... i have never cashed in America so that will be the first thing to put right!

Big Stakes

I blogged a while ago asking if anyone was interested in backing me to play the big Omaha games online.... 50/100 and bigger. There were a few people very interested but i never got round to meeting them and sorting something out. I feel like i really want to get involved in those big games again as they bring out my best game, and i reckon i can beat them if i am bankrolled properly. So if anyone is interested drop me an email (bengrundy@hotmail.com)

Vegas

Well i busted out the Betfair masters of Poker with a bit of a dodgy move. Tried bluffing Ram who had a made straight.

Its Vegas soon. Just about two weeks till i fly. Having looked through the schedule i'll be playing most of the following events:

4 June $5,000 pot-limit Omaha with rebuys (2 day event)

6 June $2,000 no-limit hold’em (3 day event)

7 June $1,500 no-limit hold’em six handed (3 day event)

8 June $5,000 pot-limit hold’em (3 day event)

11 June $2,500 no-limit hold’em (3 day event)

12 June $1,500 no-limit hold’em shootout (2 day event)

13 June $5,000 no-limit hold’em (3 day event)

14 June $1,500 pot-limit Omaha (2 day event)

15 June $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. (3 day event)

17 June $3,000 no-limit hold’em (3 day event)

19 June $5,000 no-limit hold’em heads-up (3 day event)

21 June $1,500 no-limit hold’em (3 day event)

1 July $10,000 pot-limit Omaha (2 day event)

6 July $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event (11 day event)

I'll update my blog as often as possible.

One other thing. I can't play on Betfair whilst in the States. Anyone know any way around this?

Stuff

I have another televised tournament this weekend. The Betfair Masters of Europe. Looks like i found myself in an interesting heat. Here it is:

Ben Grundy
Roland De Wolfe
Marc Goodwin
Ram Vaswani
Jan Olav Sjavik
Peter Smyth

It should make for a good heat. Its definitely the toughest one i think!

I haven't posted any hands for a while so here are a few:

Its nice to run good part 1

Its nice to run good part 2

Firing three bullets that worked

Firing three bullets that didn't work

Heads Up sick beat

Heads Up the very next hand FFS

A cold deck

Moderate Tilt

Still running pretty sick though i am not losing which is a consolation. Earlier i was up £20000 and playing good, and then lost two really brutal pots where i was over 85% in both of them when the money went in. These things happen but these came in consecutive hands. I quickly had to switch the computer off.

I had a very good rakeback spin up though :-) .... I turned my rakeback from £1000 to about £40000, before going backwards just over £10000 and cashing out. Felt good though as i didn't have to deposit!

Its not long to go till the WSOP. Less than a month till my flight anyway. Hoping to play in around 10-15 events in my first stint between June 3rd-23rd! Will definitely be taking a well deserved break from cash games in that period!

Man Utd lost as well which was pretty sick. Should win the league though maybe this weekend!!

Betfair Poker Plus

Betfair are launching Betfair Poker Plus tomorrow with loads of changes to the software. You can see full details if you click here. You can also email me (bengrundy@hotmail.com) if you are interested in rakeback. A few of the details are below as well:

Betfair Poker Plus is a new version of Betfair's poker software that allows you to generate multiple tables in separate windows and then stretch, shrink and arrange them around your screen to suit you.

This break from the rigid display options of earlier versions of our software will give you much more freedom over how you want to play your poker. If you like to focus on one table then you can choose to fill your screen by playing at 200% standard size, alternatively you could shrink down to the smallest 70% size and get on with other things on your PC at the same time.

And for those of you who like to multi-table, it's a real treat as you can now "comfortably" operate up to 15 windows at the same time with quick and easy layered table formatting.

On top of all these developments, there are also additional usability changes such as being able to scroll the lobby with your mouse "track wheel" which will make finding your desired game even easier.

Grafting ish!

Been playing a load since my last post and managed to have had a decent recovery. Decided not to go to the Bellagio because i needed to concentrate on the games online, and also the WSOP is just six weeks away so i can look forward to playing a load of tournaments there..... and hopefully a final table or two.

Haven't been playing any bigger than $25/$50 apart from the odd short stack attack at $50/$100. More than anything i just hate to lose at the bigger games, because i know i am not properly bankrolled to play them yet. It probably makes me play differently as well becuase i know i play too tight compared to my usual game.

My next tournament is the Betfair.com Poker Masters which is an invite only 36 player field which is going to be at Hammersmith studios down the road. I haven't played too many TV tournaments but i hope to start playing some more soon. Betfair also have a news blog now which is here.

I stumbled across Brian Townsend's blog as well which shows some of the monster swings and wins in the biggest games online.

Sick March

January was my worst ever losing month online, followed by my best ever month in February... followed by a new record worst month in March. I won't bore anyone with hand history's but it got to a point where i couldn't even look at the screen, because i knew i was going to lose every big pot i played whether my opponent had a 70% or 5% chance.

Bankroll has taking a bit of a battering. So i'm going to avoid playing so big for a while. Definitely no $100/$200 kind of stakes. I had a nearly 10 days off playing because i needed it.

I am meant to be going to play the bellagio WPT Championship next week...but its 50/50 because i'm not sure whether to concentrate on recovering online, or take a shot at a huge prize pool.

Monte Carlo

I busted towards the end of Day 1 with KK v KK v AA. The other KK won lol. Really nothing i could have done as i didnt have huge chips before the hand anyway. Having a few weeks break from poker including a non poker holiday (must leave the laptop behind!) :-D

William Hill Grand Prix final

Its on tonight on Skysports 2. Off to Monte Carlo to play the EPT final today. Prize pool is going to be a cool 6 million euros. I play tomorrow (Day 1a) ... hopefully i can play well!

William Hill Grand Prix Semi Final

Its on tonight at 10pm on Skysports 2.

I played Warsaw EPT a few days ago. got through Day 1 with above average chip count. Near the start f Day 2 i raised to 3800 with JsKs in the cut off (blinds 600/1200) with my stack at 34000. A player with 19000 pushed all in from the small blind. I called because i felt before the hand he was looking to reraise with any two, as he had just about the right stack to make the move. He had Q7 and hit and i didn't recover!

EPT Dortmund - part 2

I'll try and remember some interesting hands if i can. I played like 19 hours so will see what the memory bank can pull up.

I got off to a good start and my table seemed quite tight with not much action. I managed to get my stack up to about 13000 when i moved tables. I got seated next to Fabrice Soullier and he took most of my chips of me in level 3 when i held KK v 56 (thats what he told me he had) on a 55QT6 board. The interesting thing about the hand was that after i had already commited about 8000 of my stack, Fabrice bet out 4000 on the river when the flush arrived as well, after earlier just calling my bets. After thinking for about two minutes if i could beat any hand, the dealer told me to hurry up. I have never had that happen in a big event before. His reasoning? Well... the other tables had played a few hands whilst i was thinking. He called the clock on me. By this time i already knew i was folding, and did so. I was a bit annoyed and asked him to find out after if he can ask me to hurry up and call the clock on me. He later came back and apologised.... and said he was wrong which was good of him.

I went to the dinner break after 5 levels with just 3600 chips after dropping as low as 2000. For some reason though i still had a good feeling about coming back from such a low chip stack. I built up to about 6000 when i doubled through of Christer Johannson. Blinds were 150/300 and i limped in late position with QK after another limper. Christer limped as well. It flopped 69T.. and i bet 1200 when it was checked to me. Christer called. The turn was the J to give me the nuts. I counted my chips as if i was about to bet and at the last minute checked as if i had changed my mind. Christer put me all in and i got my double through as he had a pair and a straight draw.

I managed to bluff someone of Aces a bit later with J4. He had limped UTG and it flopped 259. I bet out and he called. Turn was a 3 i bet again and he called. River paired the 3 and i bet again he folded AA. That got me up to about 25000.

I had QQ v JJ for for another 10000 chips and was on about 35000 when i got a big double through towards the end of Day 1. Blinds were 600/1200 and i raised in late position with JJ to 4000. The small blind reraised me to 15000 and i pushed for my stack. He thought for a while and i knew my hand was ahead, at worst he had two overs. He eventually called with TT and i finished Day 1 with 63000 and average was about 42000.

I felt pretty good going in to Day 2 about my chances given my stack size and i felt i was playing good. Had a horrendous start to Day 2 though. I doubled up two short stacks when they both 3 outered me, which put me back down to about 37000. I remember looking at the clock and realising i hadn't won a hand and we had played 53 minutes. Time for some action... i like this hand. I am UTG and decide to make it 5000 to play without looking just to try and win a hand and pick up some much needed blinds/antes. Late position pushes in for about 12000. I probably have to call any two cards. I squeeze my cards and find AA amazingly, and he has AQ and i get back to my starting stack.

As much as i have always enjoyed playing EPT events the blind structure seemed to go wrong from about Level 13/14. I had remained on about average stack and found that i had just about 12/13 big blinds. This for me meant i was not putting a raise into the pot, and leaving it behind. So i played all in poker from there on. From my memory when i have been average stacked at a similar position in EPT events before, i have always had 18-25 big blinds which is fine. There was very little flop play or limping for the rest of the tournament.

There was also a problem around the bubble. We played about 7/8 hands in 80 minutes due to the dwell ups occurring on the 7 tables we were playing hand for hand on. This was very frustrating for most of the players. We entered a new level during the bubble and it was 10-12 minutes before the first hand was even dealt in the new level.

After the bubble finally broke i continued my all in or fold poker. I was totally card dead so most of my all ins were with marginal hands/rags that i didn't want to be called with anyway. I got my only double up of day 2 luckily with about 30 left. Blinds were 4000/8000 and i had 80000 and pushed all in with 57 off. The big blind called after a while with AT after saying i was going to push with any two (which was correct). We both flopped a pair but i turned two pair to get back to about average stack again.

I wanted to keep my stack at a level where if i reraised preflop, i had enough to push players off the first raise without them being pot committed. I did it once with T4 when the button raised, and again with QQ which was the only time i wanted a call in the last 3/4 levels.

I kept going as i was never called when i pushed all in.... but this gave me no chance of a much needed double up either. I moved in three hands on the trot when we were 7 handed with 21 left to try and get something going with AJ, 47 suited and JQ. That got me back to an ok stack. I had to pass to a reraise all in though, when i opened with AT suited and the small blind pushed all in.

When we broke down to two tables i had 150000 and the average was 300000. Blinds were 8000/16000 with a running 2000 ante. So there was 40000 if i could push and not get called. I decided to push in the cut off with Kh2h and the button woke up with AK. I actually flopped a flush draw and was dreaming of a double up but it wasn't to be.

Wasn't too disappointed compared to other big tournaments when i have come close. I never held the kind of stack i needed to have a real shot at winning. I don't think there was anything else i could have done considering how Day 2 went. I always try and win, so often in the late stages i will be very busy trying to accumulate chips and may get caught ;-)

I am trying to get registered for EPT Poland but it may be too late. I have just booked flights for Bellagio WPT in April as well, and am planning on playing three warm up events plus the main. With Monte carlo and perhaps Cardiff in between the next 6 weeks look very busy!

EPT Dortmund

I busted 16th out of 493 runners after playing for 19 hours for €16,500 . A few breaks and it could have been a really big result. Felt i played as well as i have for a while in a tournament, so not too disappointed. Will write some more when i am not so tired.

Will Hill Grand Prix

Just watched my heat. As it was a fair few months since i played it i had forgotten most of the action on the table. Keith was really unlucky in the hand against me but it played itself. Once Yusuf had minimum raised by mistake after a ruling from Thomas Kremser. I don't think i had any option but to push because Keith hadn't showed any particular strength, and Yusuf clearly didn't want to raise in the first place.

I didn't seem to get involved in too much bluffing, and played a bit too tight. It was my first TV tournament, other than final tables in multis, so i was probably not at my best.

If i had won the final hand with the KK v Q2 on a 239 flop against Antonio, i would have had 20000 chips to 60000, which would have given me at least a chance. Overall though the player who played the best won though, simple as that!

Both of the articles i have written for Cardplayer Europe are here if anyone is interested.

William Hill Grand Prix

My heat is on Skysports 2 at 10pm this Tuesday!! Still in Goa... no good in the tournament. Off to Dortmund for the EPT event a day after i get home. Maybe i will run better in that one.

Ground Zero

Finally i made it to the break even point for the year. Feels pretty good considering i was massively down at one point. Hopefully i can kick on from here and actually start winning :-)

I arrived in Goa a few days ago. Hotel is nice and the weather is scorching. A few drinks in the bar which you can swim up to isn't a bad way to spend a week. Tournament kicks off tomorrow. Looking forward to it. I have only played one tournament in the last three months.

Anyway just a quick update. The pool is calling......

Badda badda boom

Well things haven't changed that much since the last post. Things haven't got worse though which i guess is ok. I keep having alternate winning/losing days. Had a couple of massive losing days last week when i did a few buy ins on the 100/200 PL Omaha on Betfair. I am actually feeling more positive and have been playing alot better (i think).

This year i have played the biggest pots of my life. Here are the biggest winning and losing ones.

- $100/$200 6 handed NL Hold'em on Betfair. I have $60000 stack. I make it $700 to go with AK. One caller in small blind. Loose aggressive player with big stack. Flop AAK. How does this become a $120000 pot? Ridiculous. He checks... i check. Turn 5. He checks... i bet $1600 he calls. River a Q. He leads for $2000. I make it $8000. He makes it $24000. I push all in expecting a split pot. He calls and mucks. Yikes.

- $100/$200 PLO Heads Up. I have $55000 stack. Opponent has me covered. He raises his button to $600. I reraise to $1800 with 6677 double suited. He re re raises to $5400. I call. Flop 6s8s5d. I check he bets $10000 i go all in he calls with AAxx and the ace flush draw. Turn 3. River Ace. That was $110000 pot.

I decided a few weeks ago to go to Goa next Tuesday for the Asian Poker Classic. There is $250000 added minimum and the resort looks cool. I'll do an update from there....

January sucks

Yuck January ended very badly. I got back from Australia ready to go for it online, not realising i was about to encounter my biggest streak of losing sessions in my life. Played around 10 sessions 25/50 50/100 and 100/200 and lost every time. Some of them more brutal than others. Losses ranging from $10000-$80000 each time. I ended up losing something like 35% of my bankroll which was not good. I lost two Hold'em pots of $80000 when i had over 80% chance when the money went in. If i'd won those the figures would have been nowhere near as bad.

I've since staged a mini recovery reducing the loss to a more manageable figure, and have won 7 out of the last 10 sessions which has made me feel a bit better. I now know what it is like to run badly... i don't think i did before lol.

I'm giving 100/200 a miss at the moment because my bankroll and sanity cannot take the swings.

I am NEVER playing online in January again. The same thing happened last year....

My William Hill grand Prix heat is on Skysports in a couple of weeks. I'll post when i know the exact time/date.