Another fine night

Popped up to my Mum and Dads for dinner last night hoping it wasn't chicken on the menu.I've had chicken kiev,Southern fried chicken and chicken tikka since Mrs A went away. First thing my Mum says is "Breast or leg" and she wasn't asking my favourite female body part.Still the roast chicken was clucking lovely.My sis is staying with them till Friday and she's getting better by the day.Glad she's out of hospital.

Headed home afterwards and stopped off to buy a bunch of flowers to welcome back Mrs A and Step A. Easy you would think but with a queue a mile long at the 9 items or less till I went round to the bit where they sell the papers/cigarettes etc but the girl refused to serve me despite there being no queue.A quick chat with the manager soon resolved that but I didn't need the hassle.

Gave the house a good clean ( well I vaccumed and did the dishes) and then hit the tables.My poor run at 5 player $5 sng turbos continued as I flunked 4 only managing 3rd twice.Moved to a $.50nl 5 max table.I left $10 up after 1/2 hour.I'd forgotten how much I like playing 5 max cash games.In many ways it seems much more like real poker and not just a game of waiting for a monster hand and hoping it holds up.Much more bluffing and the weak players have no hiding place.

From there I went to $1 nl and won a few $$ and the bankroll sits at £745.I've still not got the hand converter to work ( I'm gonna email the guy for help) but my biggest 2 winning hands were when I called a $3 raise with JJ and the flop came K J 5 rainbow.Only me and the original raiser left and he raised £10 on flop.I put him on AK and just called as the board wasn't too scary and the way he'd been playing he would have raised more if he had KK in the hole.I called the same £10 on the turn before forcing him to fold to my $40 on the river.I think I was too greedy on the river.He may have called a $20 or $25 on river with AK but $40 was too much.Nice wee pot though.

On the other hand I got very lucky and felt like adding some fins to my back for the rest of the session however my justification was that he was called AKAONTILT and had been acting that way losing a few pots before this one.I had AQ two off the button and limped in.Flop came A K 9 rainbow.I bet $5 and all folded to Mr Tilt who re-reraised me.I decided he didn't have AK as he would have raised pf but probably had AJ A10 or was semi bluffing with QJ or 10 J.I considered
K9 but thought that if I was ahead I wanted to take it down or make him pay to draw so I bet the pot and he re-raised me $42 putting himself all in.
He did have K9 but my fishier than a fishy thing thats very fishy runner runner straight came when I called his all in for a board of A K 9 J 10 rainbow.

Got to my bed around 1am and woke up when Mrs A and Step A arrived back at 6am from Cyprus.The flowers went down well and Mrs A said they both had a great time.

Wee Stu is coming round tonight instead of tomorrow night.We'll probably watch the Brazil v Argentina Conferation cup game.

Smokin' poker

Enjoyed last night.Spent most of it playing project sno-blind on the pS2 with Mark.I was never a big gamer as a kid although I did like Daley Thomsons decathalon on the Spectrum 48k!! I was
off work for 3 months a few years ago and my friend Wee Stu ( got another friend called Stu who's 6ft5) lent me his ps2 and Medal of Honor and until I discovered online poker I did quite a bit of game playing.I only like FPS games though and even after hours of gameplay I'm still not much use at them.I think they should have more settings.Hard,Medium,Easy and Simpleton mode where the bad guys ask permission to shoot at you and swearing loudly results in instant death for all enemies in the vicinity.

Played a bit of poker after Mark left at 12am and after my usual bad start I ended up about even after 1/2hr of play. No big hands to report but I did enjoy one move I made where I bluffed a player who had just been bluffed in the hand before.I was all in for a $7 ( only .25nl) and he folded and I showed him my crap hand.Don't often do that but its fun.
One guy was telling another how badly he was playing which to me is pretty daft.I mean its.25nl not the WSOP and interestingly the guy getting the abuse said he was just playing for fun and to get off his case.This may be one of the reasons .25nl is more lucrative than .50nl.Plenty of fish just playing for fun and happy to call raises with only a couple of outs.I mean I play for fun too
but its no fun losing money and I play to win.I'd love to build the bankroll and play $2nl then $4nl etc.I already feel comfortable at $1nl but I need to be patient enough to build a bankroll that can cope with the swings there.

I googled Standard deviation and its pretty complicated stuff.Way too complicated for my simple brain. Apparently the lower the better and mine is 56 bb ( big bets) per hour which is very high.I'm not a maniac!!!!

Got a great sleep last night for the first time in weeks.Mrs A and Step A are back early tomorrow morning and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.We'll get Nacho tomorrow night and I'll have my wee family back!

Going to book a holiday very soon.16 nights in Gran Canaria from Sept 17th.This will be our 6th trip there.I nearly killed myself in a car accident in Feb 2000 not long after meeting Mrs A ( at a millenium party) and after that I decided I was going to live life to the full.( so now I sit on my ass playing poker all night....lol). Been to Tenerife,Majorca,Ibiza,Turkey,Egypt and even a caravan park in Bonny Scotland since then as well as countless trips to Amsterdam.
Not been to the USA since I went with my Mum,Dad,Gran and sister in '99 but would love to go back.Got friends who've just moved from the Dam to Florida so hopefully next year we can go
and visit.I remember going to the Mcdonald drive thru and the poor girl having to get the manager because she couldn't understand my accent.Has she never seen Sean Connery as Bond? I won't mentions Mel Gibsons accent in Braveheart.Hilarious. "Ahhh luv yooooooo".


Now to my smokin' poker theory that explains my poor starts in sessions.I smoke spliffs during most of my sessions and I think it helps be play more patiently and make sit easier to tune into betting patterns and get reads on players.When I begin my session I'm far too eager to see some action and get off to a good start.What sort of frame of mind is best to start a game in anyway?
I used to think an agressive "Going to war" frame of mind was best but after 6 months of play maybe "Going to fold" would be better.In the only live game I played in I never smoked and went out with a crying call when my 2 pair was obviously beaten by the old rock who'd made his straight but my curiousity got the better of me and out I went.
When I make the final table of the WSOP I hope they let me roll one up! "You let me light this and its gonna be all over baby".....

Best news of the century

My sister needs no further treatment for her cancer!!!!

I had written a whole post but lost it before posting and I aint typing it all again but the main thing today is that life is looking up again.My sis is going to be ok.
It was a fist clenching,air punching moment of joy when I my Mum called me and told me and I really feel a big black cloud has been lifted from me and my family.

I'm not even very annoyed that I spent 45 minutes typing up a blog entry only for it to vanish with the touch of one wrong button!( ok I'm a wee bit annoyed!).

On the pokerfront the BR is at $687 after a few failed sng's last night.$5 5max turbos are usually fairly easy but last night nothing held up.Not complaining though because I wasn't at the top of my game either.

Right Mark will be up soon to shoot the breeze and some aliens as we do on a Monday night so I'll try and recreate some of the wonder of the lost post in my next one....standby for ground breaking stuff on why I reckon I'm much better player after a few spliffs,details of my next holiday and a roundup of any poker played.
Its going to be emotional.......

Healthy bankroll

Bankroll proudly sits at $712 which after blowing nearly $400 when on tilt 2 weeks ago has got to be good.Getting some luck too.Had 44 last night.Flop came 5 4 5 rainbow and I called the $44 all in from the poor player with A5.

I mentioned before that I have a strange problem in starting a game and being in the right frame of mind.I this is why I started playing about 8 pm last night and finished at 4am! A quick look at Pokertracker and I think its obvious why.Most of my big losing sessions seem to last about 10 minutes! I sit down,play a few hands then get a semi decent one and decide that its going to pay me off.At least now I know I can be extra careful and start very tightly till I have an idea how the table plays and not be too keen to throw my money in the pot.

I'm still not sure what limit I should be playing at.I've only played 4500 hands at $1nl and I'm winning ( $476 so far) but my bankroll probably isn't big enough for the down swings which are gonna come my way.In many ways though and not just because I'm winning I find it easier than
.25 and .50nl. I've had to adapt big time.My ave flop seen % is probably nearer 30% at $1nl whereas I'm much looser at the lower level.( but still not as loose as the players per flop %).

PT has me as a LAP player over 25k hands,9k of which were shorthanded.I do feel I'm playing more as a TAG when I'm at $1 but the truth is that even after 25 k hands I 'm still learning what style suits me best.Its strange I'm loose because I don't see myself as much of a gambler.A bet on the football every now and then but haven't played slots since I was a kid and learned that rocking the 10p falls machine causes an alarm to sound,releasing a haggard old crow from her counting booth to give chase...

Part of the increase in bankroll came from Pokerrooms new player points promo.( $30 so far).Just a pity its going to end on 22/8 but its certainly the best bonus they've run during my short ( a year) time there.

Watched Floyd Maywether dance rings round Arturi Gatti as well last night.I don't follow every fight but I do like boxing and he put on a masterclass.Watched Ricky Hatton beat Kosta Tszu( sp) and I while I'd love to think his body punches could get to "Pretty boy" I don't think he could live with the Americans sheer hand speed which was amazing to watch.Best fight I've ever seen was Benn V Mclelland and sadly it was the one where Mclleland ended up in a wheelchair afterwards.Probably for that reason I've never seen it repeated but respect to both boxers because it was just an all out war of a fight.

Visited my sister today and recovery is still going well.The big day is tomorrow when we find out if theres any cancer in her lymph nodes.If so then radio/chemo would be needed but I'm hoping that wont be the case because although she is recovering well she's been through a helluva an op and I just want this nightmare to be over for her and the family.

Mrs A still away till Wed so another microwave dinner tonight.Another meal which looks great in the picture on the box but resembles nothing like it when cooked.I 'd like to pay the factory a vist Michael Douglas style.I loved "Falling Down".Great film.

Ok time to get the dinner on ( ping!) and then hit the tables....

Gaun yersel Maw!

Came up the road from work,had my pizza and settled down to play in a couple of tourneys.Pokerrooms $5k freeroll ( regulars got a ticket due to their site problems a month or so back) and pokerstars metro Wsop freeroll sat.No great showing in either.338th from 2400 in the PR tourney but I was never really in the hunt.

I may have mentioned before that I taught my Mum the basics of the game a couple of months ago and she's been playing with play money most days and enjoying it.Well she played the pokerstars tourney tonight and came an amazing 49th from 773 and was unlucky to go out.She doesn't seem very keen on a live game but one day I'm gonna take her to Vegas. lol.


Still missing the rest of the acorns who are still sunning it up in Cyprus.Mrs A called tonight and they're having a great time,weather hot and the wee one luvin' it.Definitely too quiet round here!

Well thats about to change because the sound of chips hittin' the table is about to permeate my brain once more.

Winning night!

Played 28 minutes of poker tonight and I'm up $190.Would have been more if my 2 pair of KQ hadn't been beaten by a set for $35.
Whats interesting is that I wouldn't have played the next hand as I did if it hadn't been against the player who also held KQ and would have split the last hand with me if it wasn't for that pesky set of sixes.I knew exactly how he felt and when I hit my 2 pair I just knew he'd call a big bet with his TopPairTopKicker.I suppose without that information it looks like a large overbet but I'm also sure that he thought I was on tilt and bluffing at it.


Hand 1011963190, Started at 06/24/2005 10:28 PMTable 'Beijing': $1-$1 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 0: JPOLREIS ($70.50 in chips) Seat 1: el-Duderieno ($36 in chips) Seat 2: steelerfanz ($79 in chips) Seat 3: Zagga ($58 in chips) Seat 4: paesar ($97 in chips) (on the button)Seat 5: mister_nfg ($20 in chips) Seat 6: UMTERP60 ($57 in chips) Seat 7: dgwump ($102 in chips) Seat 8: Arek99 ($183.75 in chips) Seat 9: michmatt1 ($171.50 in chips) *** Blind Bet Round *** :

Dealt to Zagga: 8d10d

mister_nfg : Post Blind ($0.50)UMTERP60 : Post Blind ($1)***

Pre-Flop *** : dgwump : Call ($1)Arek99 : Call ($1)michmatt1 : FoldJPOLREIS : Call ($1)el-Duderieno : Foldsteelerfanz : FoldZagga : Call ($1)paesar : Call ($1)mister_nfg : Call ($0.50)UMTERP60 : Raise ($3)dgwump : FoldArek99 : FoldJPOLREIS : Call ($3)Zagga : Call ($3)paesar : Call ($3)mister_nfg : Fold***

Flop *** : 5c 10h Qc

UMTERP60 : Bet ($4)JPOLREIS : Call ($4)Zagga : Call ($4)paesar : Fold***

Turn *** : [ 5c 10h Qc ] 8h

UMTERP60 : Bet ($6)JPOLREIS : Call ($6)Zagga : Raise ($40)UMTERP60 : Raise ($43)UMTERP60 : All InJPOLREIS : FoldZagga : Call ($9)***

River *** : [ 5c 10h Qc 8h ] 9s ***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $132 Rake: $3Board: [ 5c 10h Qc 8h 9s ]JPOLREIS lost $14 el-Duderieno lost $0 steelerfanz lost $0 Zagga bet $57, collected $132, net $75 Shows [ 8d 10d ] (two pairs, tens and eights.)paesar lost $4 mister_nfg lost $1 UMTERP60 lost $57 Shows [ Ad Qh ] (a pair of Queens.)dgwump lost $1 Arek99 lost $1 michmatt1 lost $0


This must be one of the biggest pots I've ever won. ( below)Couldn't really go wrong.More luck than skill but I think I played it correctly.Very glad for the all in raise after me though which meant I could raise it even more!


Hand 1011987985, Started at 06/24/2005 10:38 PMTable 'Beijing': $1-$1 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 0: JPOLREIS ($68.25 in chips) Seat 1: Detvasomfan ($108.25 in chips) Seat 2: steelerfanz ($70.50 in chips) Seat 3: Zagga ($131.50 in chips) Seat 4: paesar ($83 in chips) (on the button)Seat 6: cojo26 ($7.75 in chips) Seat 7: dgwump ($111 in chips) Seat 8: izzurp ($37 in chips) Seat 9: michmatt1 ($168 in chips) ***

Dealt to Zagga: AcAd

Blind bet round: cojo26 : Post Blind ($0.50) dgwump : Post Blind ($1)***

Pre-Flop *** : izzurp : Fold michmatt1 : Fold JPOLREIS : Fold Detvasomfan : Fold steelerfanz : Call ($1)Zagga : Raise ($3)paesar : Call ($3)cojo26 : Raise ($7.25)cojo26 : All In dgwump : Foldsteelerfanz : Call ($6.75)Zagga : Raise ($20)paesar : Call ($20)steelerfanz : Call ($15.25)***

Flop *** : 3d 4s 5h

steelerfanz : Check,Zagga : Bet ($60),paesar : Call ($60),paesar : All Insteelerfanz : Call ($47.50)steelerfanz : All In***

Turn *** : [ 3d 4s 5h ] 9s **

River : [ 3d 4s 5h 9s ] 9c ***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $242.25 Rake: $3Board: [ 3d 4s 5h 9s 9c ]JPOLREIS lost $0 Detvasomfan lost $0 steelerfanz lost $70.50

Zagga bet $83, collected $242.25, net $159.25 Shows [ Ac Ad ] ( with two pairs, Aces and nines.)paesar lost $83 cojo26 lost $7.75 dgwump lost $1 izzurp lost $0 michmatt1 lost $0

I was up against pairs.1010,JJ and QQ.



Got the bankroll back up to $571 and feelin' good about my poker.Pokertracker says my standard deviation is $74 per hour which for someone playing very low limit NL seems fairly high to me.First poker book I read said "Bet big or go home".I think I need to remember I'm already at home :-)

Ok Pokerrooms $5k Decca freeroll has just started.Another pair of Rockets would be nice...

I've read a few blogs and just had to play this hand.Apologies for not raising pre-flop.Hammertime!

Seat 1: rsg6969 ($2,205 in chips)
Seat 2: z214mint ($1,050 in chips)
Seat 3: Zagga [7D,2D] ($1,315 in chips)
Seat 4: rodiesh ($1,070 in chips)
Seat 5: bluejean21 ($1,425 in chips)
Seat 6: lisaxxx ($2,365 in chips)
Seat 7: logain33 ($1,730 in chips)
Seat 9: tritops x ($1,550 in chips)
Seat 10: Dattie85 ($2,290 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDSlogain33 posts blind ($15), tritops x posts blind ($30).PRE-FLOPDattie85 folds, rsg6969 folds, z214mint folds, Zagga calls $30, rodiesh calls $30, bluejean21 folds, lisaxxx calls $30, logain33 folds, tritops x checks.

FLOP [board cards 7H,JC,2S ]tritops x checks, Zagga bets $50, rodiesh folds, lisaxxx folds, tritops x folds.SHOWDOWNZagga wins $185.

SUMMARYDealer: lisaxxxPot: $185rsg6969, loses $0z214mint, loses $0Zagga, bets $80, collects $185, net $105rodiesh, loses $30bluejean21, loses $0lisaxxx, loses $30logain33, loses $15tritops x, loses $30Dattie85, loses $0

Quick update

I was in a much better mood last night after visiting my sis though the house seemed quiet without Mrs A ,Wee A and Nacho.

Hit the tables and played some solid poker.Won a $5.50 10 seat sng then won $62 playing $.50 nl.Heres my best hand of the night.Still not got the hand converter to work though...

and 1006962670, Started at 06/23/2005 12:59 AMTable 'Wels': $0.50-$0.50 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)

Seat 0: 2fast4ya ($32 in chips) Seat 1: esto88 ($37.25 in chips) Seat 2: plumberbutt ($6.30 in chips) Seat 3: Cnidarian34 ($45.60 in chips) Seat 4: HairyGibbon ($22.75 in chips) Seat 5: Zagga ($55.90 in chips) Seat 6: Pkr_aprntice ($21.95 in chips) Seat 7: lexus128 ($30.75 in chips) Seat 8: SLOLeo ($40.40 in chips) (on the button)Seat 9: xGus69 ($21.70 in chips) ***

Dealt to Zagga: Qs Qh

Blind Bet Round *** : xGus69 : Post Blind ($0.25)2fast4ya : Post Blind ($0.50)***

Pre-Flop *** : esto88 : Call ($0.50)plumberbutt : FoldCnidarian34 : Call ($0.50)HairyGibbon : Call ($0.50)Zagga : Raise ($2.50)Pkr_aprntice : Foldlexus128 : FoldSLOLeo : FoldxGus69 : Call ($2.25)2fast4ya : Foldesto88 : Call ($2)Cnidarian34 : Call ($2)HairyGibbon : Fold***

Flop *** : 6d 5c 10h

xGus69 : Checkesto88 : CheckCnidarian34 : CheckZagga : Check***

Turn *** : [ 6d 5c 10h ] 9h
xGus69 : Checkesto88 : Bet ($3)Cnidarian34 : Call ($3)Zagga : Raise ($15)xGus69 : Foldesto88 : FoldCnidarian34 : Call ($12)***

River *** : [ 6d 5c 10h 9h ] Kc

Cnidarian34 : CheckZagga : Bet ($20)Cnidarian34 : Call ($20)***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $81 Rake: $3Board: [ 6d 5c 10h 9h Kc ]2fast4ya lost $0.50 esto88 lost $5.50 plumberbutt lost $0 Cnidarian34 lost $37.50 HairyGibbon lost $0.50 Zagga bet $37.50, collected $81, net $43.50 Shows [ Qs Qh ] (a pair of Queens.)Pkr_aprntice lost $0 lexus128 lost $0 SLOLeo lost $0 xGus69 lost $2.50

Played the Metro WSOP freeroll on Pokerstars tonight.617 starters and I came a respectable but no good to anyone ,48th. Went out with a $10k stack when ( sitting 32/56) when I raised the button with AdKd and got raised all in by the big stack who'd been playing fairly fast n loose for a while.He turned over 99 which held up and twas goodnight Vienna.Already registered for tomorrow nights game...

Ok its 0.30 am.My mates just left after a heavy session on the PS2 using my bio-augmentation powers to blast the hell out of my hapless opponents.All of which puts me in the mood to do exactly the same in the Gladatorial arena that is Pokerrooms hotbed of world class Holdem..... $.50 nl ............

Good news

My sister had her op today and it went well.No immediate signs of any more cancer but we'll know for sure by next Monday so I'm very relieved but still looking forward to her hopefully getting the full all clear.Visited her today after work and she is doing ok considering the op she's just had.I'll be back up again tomorrow.

Didn't sleep well last night at all and probably shouldn't have been playing poker.I made a right mess of this hand but couldn't let it go.I'd played 9 and this was the 10th and last before watching the dvd we had rented.

Hand 1003450486, Started at 06/21/2005 9:09 PMTable 'Grand Rapids': $1-$1 No Limit

Texas Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 0: Terpsfan690 ($46.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 1: rookie_ ($174.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: Cosmic003 ($98.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: hustla611 ($68.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: balipshous1 ($140.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: kirelenko x ($13.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: Zagga ($102.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: jjhoops23 ($305.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 8: cosmicabyss ($118.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: fb1002 ($49.25 in chips) $(POSITION)***

Blind Bet Round *** : balipshous1 : Post Blind ($0.50)kirelenko x : Post Blind ($1.00)***

Pre-Flop *** : Zagga : Call ($1.00)jjhoops23 : Foldcosmicabyss : Foldfb1002 : Raise ($4.00)Terpsfan690 : Call ($4.00)rookie_ : FoldCosmic003 : Foldhustla611 : Foldbalipshous1 : Foldkirelenko x : FoldZagga : Call ($3.00)***

Flop *** : 9h Ah 6d

Zagga : Checkfb1002 : Bet ($4.00)Terpsfan690 : FoldZagga : Raise ($15.00)fb1002 : Call ($11.00)***

Turn *** : [ 9h Ah 6d ] Jh Zagga : Bet ($30.00)fb1002 : Raise ($30.25)fb1002 : All InZagga : Call ($0.25)***

River *** : [ 9h Ah 6d Jh ] 7d ***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $101.00 Rake: $3.00Board: [ 9h Ah 6d Jh 7d ]Terpsfan690 lost $4.00 rookie_ lost $0.00 Cosmic003 lost $0.00 hustla611 lost $0.00 balipshous1 lost $0.50 kirelenko x lost $1.00 Zagga lost $49.25 Shows [ 9c 9s ] (three nines.)jjhoops23 lost $0.00 cosmicabyss lost $0.00 fb1002 bet $49.25, collected $101.00, net $51.75 Shows [ Qh Kh ] (a flush, Ace high.)

Glad we got Meet the Fockers out though.I was feeling like shit and it gave me and Mrs A a good laugh which was well needed.Mrs A went off to bed afterwards and I hit the tables.I'd been awake till past 3am the night before so I decided to play some hands and make sure I thought I would sleep before hitting the sack.

Took my time calling on the end with this hand.Probably an easy laydown for a better player but my finely tuned poker instinct told me he had trip J's or the same hand and once again I couldn't lay it down. This may have something to do with me feeling my Pokertracker "Went to showdown" stat of 24% is low and that I must be giving up when I'm ahead too often.Judging by results in the last few days I think I thinked too much! Heres the hand...


Hand 1004021454, Started at 06/22/2005 12:32 AMTable 'Bauang': $1-$1 No Limit Texas

Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 0: Detvasomfan ($161.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 1: captinJ ($77.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: lilbigj ($42.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: djanzz ($207.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: Zagga ($67.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: Jord4n ($104.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: laxdunnuck ($99.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 8: Seastep ($99.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: Alien Mind ($114.00 in chips) $(POSITION)***

: Dealt to Zagga: 9d8hd

janzz : Post Blind ($0.50)Zagga : Post Blind ($1.00)***

Pre-Flop *** : Jord4n : Foldlaxdunnuck : FoldSeastep : FoldAlien Mind : Call ($1.00)Detvasomfan : FoldcaptinJ : Raise ($4.00)lilbigj : Folddjanzz : Fold Zagga : Call ($3.00)Alien Mind : Call ($3.00)***

Flop *** : Jd Js 10d

Zagga : Check Alien Mind : Check captinJ : Bet ($3.00)Zagga : Call ($3.00)Alien Mind : Call ($3.00)***

Turn *** : [ Jd Js 10d ] 9s
Zagga : Check Alien Mind : CheckcaptinJ : Check***

River *** : [ Jd Js 10d 9s ] 7h
Zagga : Bet ($10.00)Alien Mind : Raise ($50.00)captinJ : Fold Zagga : Call ($40.00)***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $118.50 Rake: $3.00Board: [ Jd Js 10d 9s 7h ]Detvasomfan lost $0.00 captinJ lost $7.00 lilbigj lost $0.00 djanzz lost $0.50 Zagga lost $57.00 Jord4n lost $0.00 laxdunnuck lost $0.00 Seastep lost $0.00 Alien Mind bet $57.00, collected $118.50, net $61.50 Shows [ 9c Jc ] ( with a full house, Jacks full of nines.)


Of course the best solution to feeling very tired and very stuck is to move on up to try and make back the losses! Ok its not but here's a couple of the hands that saved me finishing the night with the bankroll in a dire state.First was a stunning bluff ( well I thought so at the time!) and the second I beat the same guy only I had a hand this time.On the second I would have gone all in but for the flush possibilty.


Hand 1004211129, Started at 06/22/2005 1:40 AMTable 'Remscheid': $2-$2 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)
Seat 0: Zagga ($190.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 1: kronickb ($195.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: bulletzzz ($289.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: Schneida ($227.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: II_trice_II ($162.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: fatboy1965x ($189.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: FreeATMcash ($132.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 8: mikecason ($188.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: clarkm1 ($184.00 in chips) $(POSITION)

Dealt to Zagga: 7s 6c

_trice_II : Post Blind ($1.00)fatboy1965x : Post Blind ($2.00)***

Pre-Flop *** : FreeATMcash : Foldmikecason : Foldclarkm1 : Fold Zagga : Call ($2.00)kronickb : Foldbulletzzz : Raise ($6.00)Schneida : FoldII_trice_II : Foldfatboy1965x : Call ($4.00)Zagga : Call ($4.00)***

Flop *** : 6s 10h 3d
fatboy1965x : CheckZagga : Checkbulletzzz : Bet ($14.00)fatboy1965x : FoldZagga : Call ($14.00)***

Turn *** : [ 6s 10h 3d ] 5s
Zagga : Checkbulletzzz : Check***

River *** : [ 6s 10h 3d 5s ] 9c
Zagga : Bet ($35.00)bulletzzz : Fold***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $79.75 Rake: $2.25Board: [ 6s 10h 3d 5s 9c ]Zagga bet $55.00, collected $79.75, net $24.75 kronickb lost $0.00 bulletzzz lost $20.00 Schneida lost $0.00 II_trice_II lost $1.00 fatboy1965x lost $6.00 FreeATMcash lost $0.00 mikecason lost $0.00 clarkm1 lost $0.00

He asked if I had trips after the hand.I kept quiet but did apologise to him for beating him with a higher kicker in this hand ( as I was leaving!),

Hand 1004233589, Started at 06/22/2005 1:48 AMTable 'Remscheid': $2-$2 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 0: Zagga ($200.75 in chips)
$(POSITION)Seat 1: kronickb ($208.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: bulletzzz ($264.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: Schneida ($234.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: nicky80 ($181.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: II_trice_II ($161.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: giacamo ($70.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: FreeATMcash ($122.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 8: mikecason ($185.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: clarkm1 ($184.75 in chips) $(POSITION)***

Blind Bet Round *** : nicky80 : Post Blind ($1.00)II_trice_II : Post Blind ($2.00)giacamo : Post Blind ($2.00)***

Pre-Flop *** : giacamo : CheckFreeATMcash : Foldmikecason : Foldclarkm1 : Fold Zagga : Raise ($6.00)kronickb : Foldbulletzzz : Call ($6.00)Schneida : Foldnicky80 : FoldII_trice_II : Foldgiacamo : Call ($4.00)***

Flop *** : 6d As Ad
giacamo : CheckZagga : Bet ($5.00)bulletzzz : Raise ($20.00)giacamo : FoldZagga : Call ($15.00)***
Turn *** : [ 6d As Ad ] 7d Zagga : Check bulletzzz : Check***

River *** : [ 6d As Ad 7d ] Jc Zagga : Bet ($40.00)bulletzzz : Call ($40.00)***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $138.00 Rake: $3.00Board: [ 6d As Ad 7d Jc ]Zagga bet $66.00, collected $138.00, net $72.00 kronickb lost $0.00 bulletzzz lost $66.00 Schneida lost $0.00 nicky80 lost $1.00 II_trice_II lost $2.00 giacamo lost $6.00 FreeATMcash lost $0.00 mikecason lost $0.00 clarkm1 lost $0.00

That was last night.Tonight the house is quiet and I played a WSOP freeroll on Pokerstars. Never caught a hand and ended up all in with 425 chips with Ks10s.All folded round to one player who thought for ages then called with Qs7s leaving me a happy bunny until the flop came 77J rainbow and with no more help I was out.

Ok my after dinner herbal intake is ready so time to hit the tables...

Last hand syndrome

I was doing ok and about even for the night and had meant to stop playing.Thats the truth but I obviously wasn't paying attention and kept posting the BB by mistake so ended up playing the table orbit.Nothing to do with chair glue....
I mentioned before that I always seem to take ages to start playing.I think I like to be sure I'm in the right frame of mind.Well now I've recognised another occasional leak that seems to make me play like a complete muppet on the last hand I'm in of the session.What a stupid way to throw away $29.


Hand 1001376533, Started at 06/21/2005 1:12 AMTable 'Montpellier': $1-$1 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)

Seat 0: agent_alwin ($67.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 1: PLYT ($66.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: Zagga ($67.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: serg7 ($24.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: ravi ruuna ($42.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: Lofvendahl ($95.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: Wahreez ($116.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: Pocket Crabs ($40.00 in chips) $(POSITION)***
Blind Bet Round ***

: Dealt to Zagga: 4d sK :

Zagga Post Blind ($0.50)ravi ruuna : Post Blind ($1.00)***

Pre-Flop *** : Lofvendahl : FoldWahreez : FoldPocket Crabs : Call ($1.00)agent_alwin : FoldPLYT : Fold

Zagga : Call ($1.00)serg7 : Call ($0.50)ravi ruuna : Check*** Flop *** : 3h 8c Kc serg7 : Checkravi ruuna : Bet ($3.00)Pocket Crabs : Call ($3.00)Zagga : Call ($3.00)serg7 : Fold***

Turn *** : [ 3h 8c Kc ] 6d ravi ruuna : Bet ($12.00)Pocket Crabs : FoldZagga : Call ($12.00)***

River *** : [ 3h 8c Kc 6d ] 6h ravi ruuna : Bet ($13.00)Zagga : Call ($13.00)***

SUMMARY
***Pot: $60.00 Rake: $3.00Board: [ 3h 8c Kc 6d 6h ]agent_alwin lost $0.00 PLYT lost $0.00 Zagga lost $29.00 serg7 lost $1.00 ravi ruuna bet $29.00, collected $60.00, net $31.00 Shows [ 6c 3c ] (a full house, sixes full of threes.)Lofvendahl lost $0.00 Wahreez lost $0.00 Pocket Crabs lost $4.00

Another habit I've noticed is that when I lose a big hand I leave the table right away regardless of wether I've played it badly or been sucked out on.Possibly helps stop any immediate tilting and I do like a strong table image but obviously the rest of the time I leave just before the blinds so I must be losing money ( not a lot but it all adds up) by leaving mid orbit.

So the bankroll stands at $353.Mrs A and StepAcorn are away tomorrow for a week so we've rented "Meet the Fockers" for tonight.I wanted Oceans 12 because I liked the first one but Mrs called my bluff,came over the top and now the dvd is all in and ready to go.

Didn't sleep much last night for worrying about my sister.She goes into hospital tonight and the op is Tues am.The first thing is that the op goes ok and the second is waiting up to a week to confirm that the cancers not spread.The Doc has said its not life threatening and I'm going with that but obviously they need to do tests after the op to say that for certain.My mum texted me to say that she had won her first play money tourney.I mention that in the same paragraph as news on my sister because I think my Mum,like me,has been using the poker as an escape.I found it hard to play at first because it all seemed so meaningless and it probably hasn't helped my bankroll but I do enjoy the all encompassing nature of the game and it does allow my brain a wee holiday from worrying about my sister.


Well don't know if I'll squeeze in any hands tonight ( really must devote my attention to the soon departing Mrs A!) but I think I better go and meet some Fockers....

Sunday update

Took Mrs A our for dinner on Sat night as she ( n stepacorn) are off to Cyprus for a week on Tuesday.Fine meal.I had the scampi and she has the steak n ale pie.On the way back we were going to rent a dvd but Mrs A forgot her membership card so it was straight to the tables for me!

Pokerroom were running a promo for those involved in their Billionth hand and had estimated it to be about 3am UK time.Well i stopped playing at 4am and there were still a lot of hands to go.I think it came around 9.30am and at a .25-.50nl table.Free trip to Vegas for all invloved in the hand.I see a load of dickheads in the pokah forum moaning about the prize going to such a low limit table."Theres no .25-.50nl cash games in Vegas". Well done to the winners I say.

There seems to me to be a lot of snobbery about limits played at and a lot of sneering at those only playing with play money.Poker is not an easy game!I've been playing just over a year and
I know just how true the "minute to learn,lifetime to master" statement is.I'd love to build a bankroll and keep moving up whilst crushing limits on my way.However I'm not ashamed to have played with play money for 5 months or that the highest level I play at is $2nl. I read somewhere that a couple of thousand hours at a level before moving up is about right.I've only played 322 hours since January and I feel my progress is steady rather than spectacular.

Ok speaking of spectacular heres one of my best $$ wins in a while.I needed it too as I was down $60 at the time.I'm Zagga as usual....


Hand 999502230, Started at 06/20/2005 12:28 AMTable 'Bristol': $1-$1 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)Seat 1: RMCCURDY ($238.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: Lowrider1029 ($37.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 3: jacknebraska ($84.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: PAUCOIN8 ($130.25 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 5: wetdefeck ($75.50 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: Zagga ($99.00 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: machined01 ($97.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: Persia23 ($65.75 in chips) $(POSITION)*** *** :
Dealt to Zagga: 7d 7s

RMCCURDY : Post Blind ($0.50)Lowrider1029 : Post Blind ($1.00)

*** Pre-Flop *** : jacknebraska : FoldPAUCOIN8 : Call ($1.00)wetdefeck : Call ($1.00)Zagga : Call ($1.00)machined01 : FoldPersia23 : FoldRMCCURDY : Call ($0.50)Lowrider1029 : Check***

Flop *** : 7c 3s 9h

RMCCURDY : CheckLowrider1029 : CheckPAUCOIN8 : Bet ($6.00)wetdefeck : Call ($6.00)Zagga : Call ($6.00)RMCCURDY : FoldLowrider1029 : Call ($6.00)***

Turn *** : [ 7c 3s 9h ] 3h Lowrider1029 : CheckPAUCOIN8 : Bet ($5.00)wetdefeck : Raise ($15.00)Zagga : Call ($15.00)Lowrider1029 : Call ($15.00)PAUCOIN8 : Call ($10.00)***

River *** : [ 7c 3s 9h 3h ] Ac Lowrider1029 : CheckPAUCOIN8 : Checkwetdefeck : Bet ($35.00)Zagga : Raise ($70.00)Lowrider1029 : FoldPAUCOIN8 : Foldwetdefeck : Fold***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $191.00 Rake: $3.00Board: [ 7c 3s 9h 3h Ac ]RMCCURDY lost $1.00 Lowrider1029 lost $22.00 jacknebraska lost $0.00 PAUCOIN8 lost $22.00 wetdefeck lost $57.00 Zagga bet $92.00, collected $191.00, net $99.00 machined01 lost $0.00 Persia23 lost $0.00

I was worried I may be up against 99 but had to go for it and was glad I did.

At an earlier table I made a poor play when I couldn't lay down my trip J's to an all in bet when the flop came Jd6d4d and I bet $5 and was put all in by somebody I just knew had flopped the flush.I told myself that it was 123-1 to flop a made flush but I still knew he had it when I called.Doh!

Balance sitting at $391.The tables await....

Well I managed to lose a quick $15 before going to bed the other night when I got into a raising war pf against someone holding AA when I held KK.
Still I was playing last night and have brought the bankroll up to $394 which is a big improvement after my mega tilting session.

Also played a WSOP free qualifier on Pokerstars.My highest position was 17th ( from 450) but I blew it when I had AcQc and the flop came 8c,8s,4c.I had raised it pf and been called by a player who went all in on the flop.I put him on a pp like 77's and thought I had 14 outs.He had KK and I never hit and out I went.Maybe I was a bit hasty but winning that hand would have taken me into the top 10 and given me a chance to make the top 3 and to play at the final table the next night.Looks like the WSOP will just have to get by without my supreme talent....lol.

Going to play in Pokerrooms Major player points qualifier this afternoon.Played in a few recently and not made the cut for the main tourney but hopefully that'll change today.The major player points tourney is one of my favourites after placing 3rd and 4th for $500 in the past.

Oh I also played a $5 sng 5 max turbo last night.I really enjoy these tourneys and managed to bounce back from being down to almost a chip and a chair to come second for a whopping $2 net! I must have gone all in 8 or 9 times and got accused of stealing but most times I had something worth going in on.I actually lost when my AJ lost to the chip leaders 74os when he rivered a 4. Now some people might lose the plot over that kind of beat but I just said "well done gg" and left.Now somtimes I do curse to myself about what a fcking fish a player is but i would never give away my frustration by mouthing off at the table.

My Mum just texted me to say she came 2nd in a play money tournrey and the final 3 battled for 45 minutes! Glad my Mums getting into Holdem.Hopefully she'll be playing for real in a few months and kickin' butt!

Ok its tourney time!

The Road back

Ok just a short one.Pulled back $60 last night playing $1 nl and tonight I'm $105 up in 26 minutes so maybe the poker gods are back on my side.Still a long way to go but I'm feeling more confident about playing well and more importantly I want to play well. Flopping a straight helped.


Texas Hold'em $0.50-$0.50 NL (real money), hand #991,750,374
Table Solingen, 15 Jun 2005 11:15 PM
View Previous hand for this table.
Seat 1: silvertoad ($88.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Caponeite ($55.85 in chips)
Seat 4: score4fun ($23.30 in chips)
Seat 5: TheMurph44 ($45.10 in chips)
Seat 6: balgame03 ($20.35 in chips)
Seat 7: justmenval ($16.75 in chips)
Seat 8: sirus3 ($9 in chips)

Seat 9: Zagga [8S,JS] ($26.50 in chips)

Seat 10: surfnstien ($51.35 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDSZagga posts blind ($0.25), surfnstien posts blind ($0.50).
PRE-FLOPsilvertoad folds, Caponeite folds, score4fun bets $1, TheMurph44 calls $1, balgame03 calls $1, justmenval folds, sirus3 folds, Zagga calls $0.75, surfnstien calls $0.50.

FLOP [board cards QH,9S,10C ]

Zagga checks, surfnstien checks, score4fun checks, TheMurph44 bets $4, balgame03 calls $4, Zagga calls $4, surfnstien folds, score4fun calls $4.

TURN [board cards QH,9S,10C,4H ]

Zagga checks, score4fun bets $5, TheMurph44 calls $5, balgame03 bets $15.35 and is all-in, Zagga calls $15.35, score4fun calls $10.35, TheMurph44 calls $10.35.

RIVER [board cards QH,9S,10C,4H,2C ]

Zagga bets $6.15 and is all-in, score4fun calls $2.95 and is all-in, TheMurph44 calls $6.15.

SHOWDOWNZagga shows [ 8S,JS ]score4fun shows [ KC,AH ]TheMurph44 shows [ QC,10D ]balgame03 shows [ 4S,4D ]Zagga wins $6.40, Zagga wins $8.85, Zagga wins $79.40.

SUMMARYDealer: sirus3Pot: $97.65, (including rake: $3)silvertoad, loses $0Caponeite, loses $0score4fun, loses $23.30TheMurph44, loses $26.50balgame03, loses $20.35justmenval, loses $0sirus3, loses $0
Zagga, bets $26.50, collected $94.65, net $68.15 Shows [ Js 8s ] ( with a straight, Queen high.)surfnstien lost $1.00

And on the very next hand this happens...



Hand 991757301, Started at 06/16/2005 11:16 PMTable 'Solingen': $0.50-$0.50 No Limit Texas Hold'em (Real Money)

Seat 0: guardian1 ($73.35 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 2: Caponeite ($55.85 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 4: TheMurph44 ($13.60 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 6: justmenval ($16.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 7: sirus3 ($8.75 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 8: Zagga ($94.65 in chips) $(POSITION)Seat 9: surfnstien ($49.35 in chips) $(POSITION)***

Blind Bet Round *** : surfnstien : Post Blind ($0.25)guardian1 : Post Blind ($0.50)***

Pre-Flop *** : Caponeite : FoldTheMurph44 : Foldjustmenval : Call ($0.50)sirus3 : Fold Zagga : Call ($0.50)surfnstien : Call ($0.25)guardian1 : Check***

Flop*** Js Jd Qd

*** Turn *** : [ Js Jd Ks ] Qd surfnstien : Bet ($4.00)guardian1 : Foldjustmenval : Call ($4.00)Zagga : Call ($4.00)***

River *** : [ Js Jd Ks Qd ] 3h

surfnstien : Bet ($7.00)justmenval : Call ($7.00)Zagga : Raise ($14.00)surfnstien : Call ($7.00)justmenval : Call ($5.25)justmenval : All In***

SUMMARY ***Pot: $51.60 Rake: $2.65Board: [ Js Jd Ks Qd 3h ]guardian1 lost $0.50 Caponeite lost $0.00 TheMurph44 lost $0.00 justmenval lost $16.75 sirus3 lost $0.00 Zagga bet $18.50, collected $51.60, net $33.10 Shows [ 10d Ac ] ( with a straight, Ace high.)surfnstien lost $18.50 Shows [ Jc 4d ] (three Jacks.)

I would have raised more if I hadn't been worried about the full house but those 2 hands certainly brightened up my poker night!

Righty back to the tables....


1/2 later ...Was playing tight at a .25nl table when I went all in for $20 preflop with KK.No prizes for guessing the villians hand...

Righty one last doob under construction then gonna hit the tables...Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls?

Pink Floyd back together and playing the Live 8 gig in London.Its going to be magical! Not got a ticket ( saw them '94 Paris ) but I can't wait to watch it.

Back n Down...

Back from Amsterdam jaunt.Left Tues pm and got back Sat pm.3 1/2 days of smoking fine weed and staying up late meant I was very tired when I got back on Sat.Mrs A is having a few kidney problems so we had to miss a night out in the town for my sisters engagement which was a pity.

Despite being so tired and my head feeling it was full of big mushroom clouds I decided of course that this would be an ideal time to get back online and play some poker.Bad idea.I lost $200 on Sat night and the same on Sunday and I've got to admit I was on tilt big time.I have a sign next to my pc that says "Have I passed the point of pain?" but even that didn't work its magic.I was past that point.I was feeling really down about my sister and I think I was trying too hard to win big to make myself feel better.I did suffer a couple of bad beats ( usual losing with AA to rags etc) but no excuses.I just played very poorly.I still can't get the hand converter to work so luckily I can't show just how badly but it really was car crash stuff for the last 2 nights.On a positive note I don't usually play like that so maybe I'll get a chance to suprise the people who now have me in their notes as a whopping big fish!

Part of my problem comes from the boredom factor.I mean having over $600 in the account and playing $25nl makes it hard to keep focussed because I knew I could afford to take a hit on the bankroll.( Wasn't planning on it being so dramatic though!).I have played the $.50 nl but as i said before I make more money at $.25 nl so thats why I went back to it.It may be time to go back to $.25nl and look for 10 player max tables with only 5 or 6 players.Ripe pickings before and I'm sure can be again.

Another small problem I've had is getting started strangely enough.I do wonder if playing poker for so many hours every day does wear a person down a bit.( Don't know why I'm wondering that when I've just come back from a 4 day break and lost 2/3 of my roll!). Even at weekends when I play my longest sessions I usually spend hours reading football and poker forums before I actually feel ready to play.Other times I jump in and wonder why I didn't start playing sooner.

Went up to my Mum n Dads yesterday to meet my sisters fiancees family who were all very nice.My wee sis is being so strong about this cancer thing it makes me feel very humble.She gave me a big hug and told me not to worry about her.I know she's going through a lot of highs and lows though and I just wish there was something more I could do instead of just feeling upset and angry that it should happen to my sister.Got to be positive though and they have said its not life threatening and that the hysterectomy should remove the tumour but there are no promises and I don't just want to think she'll be ok.I want to know for sure.

Ok its 9.22pm.Time to skin up,TIGHTEN up and hit the tables...

Great poker night!

Up $163 over a 10 hour session.I'm a bit unsure what level I want to be playing at though.The highest level earning big $$$ is where I'd love to be but I'm being realistic.I'm up $397 over only 3297 hands at $1nl mostly full ring,up $111 at $.50nl 5max,9288 hands ( which I probably enjoy the most) but I'm up $575 over at.25nl from 6931 hands.
Obviously I make more more at the lowest level ( esp 2 0r 3 tabling) but its a fairly poor standard and probably isn't teaching me much.

The bankroll sits proudly at $665 and I need to be careful.Been here before and blew it.This is not going to be a blog about bad beats and I'm not even sure it would count as one but the one that set me off on the downward streak happened when I was playing $5-$10 and with the river to come I had the straight flush draw.
A 9c on the river would have won me a $1400 pot.There were 2 others in the pot and one guy at tptk and the other the Ac giving him the A flush if he hit a club on the river.He bet $700,I knew he had the Ac,the other guy called and I folded.The river brought the 9c which would given me a straight flush and a huge ( well for me) pot.
I was in complete and utter shock.I kept trying to tell myself that I was right to fold ( an 11-1 shot) but my poker soul was temporarily destroyed.
Something I've learned since which helps stop me tilting is that the programmes pokerroom etc use are continually shuffling so in the example above if I had called the 9c probably wouldn't have come anyway as I would have hit the call button after a longer pause.Hope that makes sense.It certainly helps when you fold 62o/s from the sb and the flop comes 66A.Cuts out all the "If onlys".

Anyway last night was probably ( apart from my $350 tourney money for a 3rd Mtt pl) the most I've made in a night so no more sorry tales of blowing bankrolls.( I hope!).
I'm going to stick to 2 0r 3 tabling the .25nl tables and stay focussed on building the bankroll before stepping up.The problem is that with only a $25 buy in and a $665 roll its easy to get complacent and over confident.I read somewhere that even if I'm a much better player than the 9 others at my table I've still maybe only got a 55% to 45% edge over the worst of them ( taking luck into account) so it never serves to be too brash about it.

Not much on today.Watched Scotland beat those footballing aristocrats of Moldova 2-0 which gives a us a small chance of making the World cup next year in Germany.Crap game but good result I suppose.
Thats the league season over now.Already paid for my season ticket to see the Champions in action next year.Had one for about 10 years now ever since I stopped working weekends and became an Mon-Fri 9-5 monkey.I want to get a "The helicopter is changing direction" t-shirt for my Dam trip.For one thing the mate I'm going with supports TGU ( The Great Unwashed) from across the city and it'll wind him up.The phrase is in honour of the commentator saying it when the goal went in 2 minutes from the end and the helicopter carrying the league trophy had to change course pdq.Great stuff.
TGU had brought a banner to our ground in April when they beat us reading " We won the league at Ibrox ,5points clear".No you didn't you fuds.lol. Must be the sweetest win since we did 9 in a row a few years back. Ah the Blue sea of Ibrox.Its the greatest sight that I have ever seen!


Went out to the health shop and boughy some Royal jelly and honey for my sister.Mrs A read an article about cancer fighting properties in them and it can't do any harm.Dropped them off at my Mum and Dads and am now waiting on my pizza cooking.( smells great).Ok I'm back I'm fulla pizza,got a joint rolled and I'm gonna hit da tables...

Sister update n other stuff

Still off work today.Mum called to say that my sister needs a full hysterectomy to get rid of her cervical cancer.I'm really just happy that she's going to be ok but at the same time not being able to have kids is very very tough.I'm in a smilar position because Mrs A is 45 ( looks 21!) and has had her sterlisation reversed to give us a chance but its still only a chance.I'm lucky I've got my stepacorn (10 going on 18!) living with us.We've got a lot closer over the last year since I took the plunge and moved in a year ago.
On the poker front its probably not that shocking a revelation that the books were right about not playing when you feel like shit.Went down as low as $350 before a player points bonus and some generous fish helped me back up to $519.Pokertracker says I've played 19723 hands and I'm up $395.95 plus my $500 from tourney placings.That obviously doesn't include bonuses which have totalled a few hundred more.Not bad imo for a newbie who never plays without a joint in his hand! Would be up $414 more if I hadn't stepped up to $5-$10 nl whilst tilting a while back.I coulda been a contender...

Some stats: 676 sessions,244 hrs,19723 hands,BB/hr 4.27,BB/100 5.89,Win rate $2.02 per 100 hands.
Alternating between 2 tabling .25nl,.50nl full ring and $1 nl full ring with a bit of .50 5 max thrown in.PT has me as a LAP player.My PF raise % is only 6.28 and I know I've got a long long way to go to be any kind of player at this wonderful game.

Off to Amsterdam on Tuesday till Saturday.Looking forward to getting away and sampling the Dam's finest weed again.Been a few times and had friends living over there for a few years which was handy!Staying in a hotel just by the station so nice and close to all da coffeeshops and I do like my coffee :-) .I'll be taking a deck of cards in case I bump into any stoner players who fancy a game.

Ok time to hit the tables...

Up n Down

Went to the tables and broke the $500 mark.( by $2)
I've had a sore throat since Friday and since last night I've had a cold.Course I've read a few poker books and they all say if your not feeling well then don't play...So I hit the tables and lost $79 pdq.( pretty damn quick). Played like a monkey but at least had the sense to go to bed after I realised that I was tilting a bit by the way I played the 2nd hand.Yep 2 badly played hands and off to bed where I sneezed so hard my eyeballs squeaked.

Went to work and came home at lunchtime after dropping off a video of Rangers winning the league at my Mum n Dads to pass on to my sister.Spoke to her on the phone last night and she's sounding positive which is good.

Watched "White Noise" with Mrs A tonight.The main noise came from my nose though as I blew it on a regular basis.

Remortgage bank transfer has been made and the credit cards paid off which is nice.Car insurance due this week and my 2.5l Alfa isn't the cheapest to insure.Looking to get away to the Canary Islands again this Sept so I'll need to keep the cards on a short leash this time.

Back to the ring and up $11 tonight.No work tomorrow.Going to hunt down the crazy frog from that damn advert and ram his ringtone where the sun don't shine.
Ok its 12.30am,Mrs A is watching Big Brother ( a bigger collection of freaks than a .25nl table) and I'm tired and stuffed up with the cold.
Time to roll up a number and hit the tables...