Mrs A ok

Leaving the poker club in Glasgow last night I got a text from Mrs A to say she'd called herself an ambulance ( always said she looked like one) as she was really ill.I rushed straight to the hospital and she's ok but they couldn't find anything wrong.She was having breathing difficulties and upper body pain. She'd been taken to the Accident and Emergency department and though the staff are excellent they are way overworked and she didn't get out till 11pm ( in at 6.30) after the usual tests didn't show anything untoward.She's taking it easy this week before we go away on Saturday.The break should do her good as she's one of these people whose always on the go.It could be simple exhaustion thats caused her to feel so unwell.

As her loving and generous partner I said she could leave the washing of the dishes and I would..........supervise the wee one as she did them!

I can joke now but the land speed breaking drive to the hospital was no fun.I was out my mind with worry about my good lady.I love her to bits and she means the world to me and life without her just doesn't bear thinking about.

Ok to the poker and another fine weekend at the tables.I still had a ton of points to clear at Pokerroom to get my $80 reload bonus so I multi-tabled at three full $1nl ring games and left 40cents down after 3 hours of play but having cleared my bonus.I should have been $66 up but No Limit is an unforgiving beast.466 hands and 465 of them played to my satisfaction.The one I screwed up was when I raised JJ by $4 and then called a reraise ( $7.5) and then on a board of 2 4 9 9 10 rainbow I called an $8,$15 and finally a $30 river bet to see a pair of Queens.One of those crazy lapses of concentration and judgement than can lose a player a lot of money.I notice when I looked at the session browser that I'd lost $15 with JJ 35 mins previously so maybe I'd stubbornly and stupidly decided they were going to be good this time.( Why? Cos I say so!)

Over to Interpoker after an hours break watching some of Hellraiser with Mrs A and I hit the tables and raised some hell of my own.Actually I played 2 tables of 6 max £1 nl and hardly saw a flop as I played a very tight game.After a while this meant I could start stealing pots and open my game up a little. $94 profit for 4 hours play and I hit my bed at 4.30 am.An early night in preparation for my live game on Sunday.( well it wasn't 7am!)

The game at the Wabash club started at 3pm with 40 entrants into the £5 rebuy No Limit tourney and I really enjoyed myself.They've done the place up since we ( me my cousin Ross) were last there and its a really cosy wee place now.

1 hour 45 before the rebuy period ended with 2000 strating chips and blinds staying at 100-200 for that time.I rebought once and bought the add on for another £5 too.Cutting to the chase I came 7th for £25 prize.Top 8 got paid and it was nice to reach the final table and the money.Only £5 profit for 5 hours play ( £10 door entry) but I felt much more at ease this time.They had an electronic timer on the wall showing blind level,average stack etc and this plus playing No limit instead of Pot Limit meant I soon settled into my game.

While I agree not looking at your hand until its your turn doesn't give as much away I looked as soon as they were dealt and preferred to have time to think through my plays better rather than rush them.

Played some stinkers though! I'm ashamed to admit that I limped in with my first ever live Pocket Rockets.Doh!! I was hoping for a bet from a couple of the loose gooses but I think all 7 of us saw the flop and 44 made quads to win.

On another hand I had K 6 in the sb and checked on a board of K 9 4 and then folded to a steal bet.I was worried about my kicker and the stealer was the big stack but I did play it weakly by checking and should have bet it.

I was always the shortstack at the final table despite a couple of steals.I tried to steal with QJ but the BB raised enough to put me all in and I folded.He showed 1010.Good fold? I didn't think so after considering it later but I'm still not sure.It was 56% v 44% in his favour but calling with my last 10k to win 40k is 3-1 and good odds to call.But this was my tournament survival and I decided to wait for a better chance.

Now to a hand that really pissed me off.I 'd been watching for tells ( not that I was sure what I was looking for) and had picked a couple up.Basic stuff like the guy to my left showing obvious displeasure with his hand meaning I could steal if folded round to me and he was the bb.

Ok I'm a very shortstack and I have 22 in my hand and I watch the table fold round and catch the guy to my left grimace at his hand and go to muck before realising everyone else had folded and he only has me to get through. He asked how much I had and asked if I'd like him to raise.Being totally new to this live play stuff I kinda shrugged unsure if I did want to make a stand with my 22. He bet 6k and after thinking I folded and he showed 73 o/s. I had my read on him,knew he was weak but still folded!!! I'm sure he'd have folded if I'd pushed all in with my last 10k so why didn't I?

I told him I knew he was weak but that I didn't want to go out on a coinflip which with him having 2 overcards it effectively was. As I said I was fairly sure I was right about the odds but it wouldn't have mattered as he would probably have folded to my 10k all in if I'd played it correctly.

Went out one off the BB which would have been my last hand when my K9 ran into A10. I was hopeful when the flop came K 5 Q but a blank then a J for his straight on the river saw me offski.

I did play a few good hands quite well too but it always the bad ones that stick out.I actually played a K 10 v another player with K but who I'd worked out didn't worry about kickers.That felt good.

Overall a fine experience.My cousin enjoyed himself too building a large stack before getting his AA cracked by someone with an even larger stack.

Played an hour at Pokerroom last night after I'd got Mrs A tucked up on the couch.Only played at .25nl one table because I was so damn tired.I won $1.75 which is 7bb.I have to put it that way to make it look good.Funny moment when a player folded with only .25c left and a pot of $12. To be fair he built that .25c to $7 before losing it but the table was winding him up about his fold.I asked if he was a bot and one or two others must have suspected but when he left and came back he replied "thanks" when someone tested him by saying "welcome back".

I certainly don't believe Online Poker is rigged in any way but I've read about Bots being used at low levels and folding for 25c with $6 invested in the pot did seem strange.Just a very fishy player.Maybe a newbie.The kind that limps with AA preflop and doesn't act on any blatant reads he gets........

Ok Mrs A is upstairs taking it easy and Marks due round shortly to help me take Stalingrad.

Oh congrats to the English on winning the ashes from Australia for the first time in years.I don't follow cricket at all.Along with golf I find it very boring but well done to 'em anyway.

Howzat?!