Slacking

Happy Tuesday everyone, apologies for the lack of updates but with other blogs, forums, playing poker and occasionally speaking to my girlfriend (joke) its getting tough to post.

As its Tuesday don't forget that the 5th episode of High Stakes Poker is now available to view on Youtube/pokertube. Enjoy. I WISH that programme was longer i love it so much.

I have just been ooooop north for the weekend (and so missed the RTR league game - see the Raise the River link on the right and get signed up if you are not already) it was my girlfriends parents 30th wedding anniversary, plus my Dad and his wife are over from Canada and we met some old friends and basically ate all weekend. Fantastic.

Poker wise- after placing second in another 4/180 (yawn- lol) on PokerStars just before the weekend i had a nice $170 in my account and played a $10 - 27 man sng and finished 4th when i moved all in on a 7Q9J board with 77 and was called by AT - he hit the king on the river which was pretty sick. Still i cashed in 4th place. Last night i played a $10 18 man sng which i won for $70ish. That meant i could cash out 100 and still leave 130 in the account which is all good. I'd love to keep the bankroll, such as it is, rolling up but i just need the money. One big cash, thats all we need!

I looked at my Sharkscope and have something like $1300 profit over 1200 games or so, current ROI 20%. I am pretty happy with this for a few reasons. First just cos its in the black which after ages of feeling like i was never gonna make any headway in this game is great news. Secondly - out of the $1300 profit 800 has come in the last 400 games. This may not seem like a lot but it means that i am becoming a more profitable player when over 60% of my profit has come in the last 30% of my games. Also since discovering Sharkscope and Official Poker Rankings (http://www.officialpokerrankings.com/) i have had to realise my true statistics and this has really helped me focus my game and have stronger ambitions to be better. There is also something in the fact that they are publc statistics that makes me want to do better as well. I don't want to be a fish at a table and hated having a goldfish symbol on Sharkscope! Its long gone now though and will never return. I have my sights set on a shark!!

Playing these $10 sngs over the last couple of days i was shocked at the truly awful standard of play. There were a couple of really good plays but most of the time i was honestly appalled. I was just sat patiently waiting for hands and flops. Once i had a stack i was seeing every cheap flop i could with any 2 cards and just folding or cashing in on the maniacs. I tend to not play at the $10 level as i don't really have the money to support my losses. However i am definitely gonna mix it up a bit and try and play a bit more selectively ie/ not just instantly rebuying after i bust repeatedly, which for me is probably the biggest leak in my game, not recognising or logging off when i am not truly focused to play.

I wish you all the best of luck and fingers crossed for more $$ for everyone

Subhuman Scum

I have just busted out of a 180 with the following hand. The villian was in the last 180 i played and i busted him after he limped to my bb - me with T8 - the flop was TT7 - he bet - i called - turn 6 - bets i raise - he calls - river 4 - he checks i bet half the pot and he calls with J7. Basically with that and other plays i have him pegged as a donkey and then he makes this classic play.....

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (9 handed)
Button (t7420)SB (t14250)Hero (t10698)UTG (t8070)UTG+1 (t26037)MP1 (t20433)MP2 (t2435)MP3 (t10035)CO (t8433)
Hero is BB with JA
MP3 raises to t1200
Hero calls t800.
Flop (t2200) 84J
Hero checks
MP3 bets t1200
Hero raises to t3473
MP3 raises to t8810 and is all in
Hero calls t5337.
Turn 9
River T
Hero has Jh Ac (one pair, jacks).
MP3 has 7h 7c (straight, jack high).
Outcome: MP3 wins t19820


I was soooo mad. Especially as i have been playing bad recently and unable to cash for sht. I knew i was on my way to my second final table in the day having come fifth earlier when my QQ couldn't hold to AK. I hadn't played a hand in 28 hands and then this...

I berated the fool who remained silent. I know i shoudn't but i couldn't help it. People at the table joined in the converstaion being complete fk wits. One clown said its only 4 dollars. But actually to me it isn't. It obvioulsy cost 4 to enter, but when it has taken 2 hours to get to this point plus i was on my way to cash that is how much it cost me.


Buy in + time spent + potential money won = what it ACTUALLY cost me you CUNT

Am i the sort of person that should be playing poker?

Here is the thought. I just wonder if i really have the patience to play this game properly and if i will ever get awa from the level that i am currently playing at. I know that i cam beat certain levels i am just not properly bankrolled for them. I have an ability to gather a huge amount of chips in tournaments but cant hold onto them for the hours that i need to. I seem to know a lot of theory and can often spot good or bad plays and players and yet i am still missing a decent cash.

I think that 2 things may really be holding me back. First is patience, the second is the love of the action. Both quite connected actually. I cannot just sit in a tourney with 1 chip or a million chips and just wait for decent hands. This often leaves me shafted somewhere down the line but i love to play a pot. If i have any sort hand i will often be in the pot, especially if i have the chipolatas. And more commonly if the opponent has a lot of juicy chipolatas that i could win given the correct flop.

I guess this has just come as i busted 12th/11th/15th/ and 3rd in 4 of the last 8 - $4.40 /180's i have entered. Talk about close but no cigar. These things are obviously only played by me as they are in my bankroll range and have a potentially decent 1st/2nd place payout. Any other position especially 10th - 18th is not even worth playing for.

I am not really sure what to do. The bubble usually comes around the second break and with 10k you can make it towards the FT. Perhaps i will try accumuating this (not hard) and then just play top starting hands. That is something i have not tried really. What i have tried is playing looser when i have a stack but to be honest, these bully boy tactics rarely work at this level in my opinion as most of these retards look on any ace or suited cards as goldedn. It doesnt matter if you raise in late or limp reraise UTG, if these clowns like a hand it will be played. I guess i am a bit like that too really. However i believe that i can make better judgements then them as to how strong i hit the flop against a possible range of hands and lay down strong hands if i have to.

Like they say "if you don't lay down the best hand once in a while, you are calling too much"

Just read the last few posts of Rosies blog - Link over there ---------> I'm a fan. Wonder what she looks like........

Who's next to read. I'm off to read more from Brian Townsend and will probably look at Andy Wards next. He is the player that was runner up to Ram in the WSOP and he runs a strategy bloge here http://www.secretsoftheamateurs.blogspot.com/

Enjoy friends, good luck and thanks for coming. Please help yourselves to a biscuit.