Mini Cash

Just came fifth in a 180 man $4.40 on PokerStars for the much lower than anticipated sum of $45. Not bad you may say, but given the time taken, it isn't even minimum wage. I definitely should have placed higher but a few things happened along the way;

1) For the first hour and a half the best hand i had was AJ suited. No pairs.

2) When I picked up aces in the bb and everyone folded to me

3) I called a pre flop raise from an intelligent player, who check folded his QQ on an A high flop when i had pocket aces. I should have reraised him pre flop or played it slower on the flop. I just assumed, wrongly that he was slow playing his Ax hand.

4) I got shafted at the final table when we were down to about 7, i lost a lot of chips. I just thought fuck it, i might finish 7th or i could turn on the aggression and place higher. This worked a treat and by the time someone decided to call i actually had a decent hand and doubled up. Eventually going from 7th to 1st.

5) The button raised and i reraised all in from the BB, after moving in about 50 billion times on the bounce. He said he folded pocket Jax. I doubt it. I told him i had deuces and that it was a weirdly conservative laydown against the table mentalist. The whole table agreed saying they would have called - a shame i wasn't playing any if those morons then because i actually had pocket Kings. Bollox

6) I raised with KK and was called by the player on my left. Flop AQQ - poop! I check raise the flop and am reraised. I fold

7) I called a raise out of position with J8 suited. The flop gave me the 4 flush and rather than check and allow him to bet, I moved all in with the flush draw on the flop. My opponent insta called with AK on the A high flop. No draw for him but i missed.

8) There was a player 2 to my left (so always in the bb when i'm stealing from the button) who i insulted early on at the final table. He said nothing but just became the thorn in my side. He called all my raises and made moves on me at good times or times when i wasnt wiling to do all my chips on a marginal hand. Tough when the blinds are high.

9) This continued and was my demise. He had just moved all in pre flop and won with his A2 spades against AQ. I called his all in with A8 - convinced i had a better hand - i did, but i lost anyway against his monster K7 when he hit running kings on the turn and river. I moved all in now short with A2 and he had no problems calling me with "Pro Players Favourite" Q8 clubs.

I'm sure he just wanted to bust me. He did. Bravo.

Today was pretty weird for another reason too. After writing the words "naked children" in the past couple of posts i have seen my hit rates increase. I know my writing is good but is this really what it takes to capture an audience these days? Anyway today i got comments from the following players and bloggers - Yorkshire Pudding, Cadmunkey, Cell 1919, and Amatay. All in 1 day...? Is this purely coincidence? How come they all came today? How come 3 of them are from Yorkshire, where i am originally from? Do they know this? Its as if they were all out having a drink and said "have you seen that blog" and they agreed to come over and say hi today. I just called Molder and Scully anyway, and they have assured me they will have answers by the end of the week.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime my little ones, sleep well, and as my mum used to say, "Don't stay up all night on that thing". (I mean your computer playing poker, not your ladder)