Back on track

Bounced back with a $135 winning night last night but first a wee story that made me laugh.

A guy at my work ordered "Titanic" via Amazon as a present for his Dad this Christmas and paid £15 for it.He must have ordered via the "used" section because it arrived in a cardboard sleeve with a post-it note stuck to it thanking him for his order and best of all it was the dvd given away free by The Sun newspaper a few weeks ago and says "Free" all over it.He's raging about it and has complained to Amazon and phoned The Sun to report it to them.Look out for a picture of an unhappy wee bloke called Charlie in the paper beside the headline "Sunk"!


To the poker and after a tentative start I had a good night two tabling $1nl and earning more player points towards my $96 bonus.

It would have been more profitable if I hadn't made a crying call with a pair of Aces I just knew had been busted.Obviously not quite back playing my best game yet or they would have hit the muck.I reraised a $4 bet to $15 and got 2 callers.Board came a 9 Q K rainbow and I immediately thought I was behind to QQ or KK or even QK.I called a $45 bet and when another K hit on the turn I just couldn't fold to a further $30 ( all in) bet despite being almost certain I was beaten.I was beaten by a villan with AK which means I was actually ahead post flop and should probably have been the one making the raises at that point.

My heart sunk a bit and all thoughts of posting my happy comeback news evaporated as I checked and found I was only $25 up.Then I calmed down and told myself that after a bad losing night any win should be welcome and whilst in that frame of mind I won a few nice pots.

My night started well when I called a $40 preflop bet by accident when calling on another table.I had KK and had already raised to $4 and luckily the villan had 99 and I was the only caller.Not sure if I would have called such a big raise fearing Aces but I'm glad the villan made the move because another villan said they had AJ and the Ace on the flop which I thought had killed me would have done if he'd stayed in.

Curious but do any other NL players bluff pre-flop and follow it through with a continuation bet ? I've heard of players making random bluffs like that at preset times or with specific cards.I suppose despite The Hammers secret powers most people raising preflop and then following through are bluffing when they miss the flop.

On the subject of bluffs I decided last night I'm too honest sometimes and need to take better advantage of my postion and stop worrying about people slow playing monsters.In 6 max I don't mind looking weak and honest by checking from the button when its checked round to me ( not always) as I can use that "honest" image to steal later but at a full ring table I'm going to try and be more aggressive if its check folded to me in late postion and the board looks a bit scary.

An example of scary would be a flop of Kd 7d 4c.Anyone holding a King would have bet out on this flop to prevent giving a free card to someone on a flush draw so if its checked round and I'm on the button I'll take pot sized stab at it.Of course you could gamble that everyone missed the flop no matter what it looks like but with 2 suited cards or a possible straight if everyone checks then its worth taking a shot at.I would say it has to be a decent sized shot otherwise you tempt lower pairs etc to take a shot at you if they put you on a draw.

Oh while its in my head pop over and say congrats to Tan at Ornatepush for winning over $3k last night at an MTT 'Stars tourney. He's in the ROW team.Be afraid USA.Be very afraid!

On the subject of the blogger Stars ROW v USA tourney is anyone up for it this Sunday 10pm GMT/5 pm EST? I know its getting close to Christmas and people are busy so let me know your thoughts and whether you can make it. Its the 2nd most fun indoor money orientated activity in the world besides making your own porn movies...( see PSW).

On other news my Mum is now playing for real money having made her first deposit at Pokerroom.She has just turned 60 so if your playing there and wonder whose behind the little old lady avator then watch out as it could be my little old mother! I've tried to help and advise but she is as stuborn as me and insists she is playing for fun and will do it her own way.Every time I try and talk basic pot odds she shoots me down! Ah well at least if she blows her bankroll she's getting a $50 pokeroom gift certificate from me for Xmas.I mentioned before having a ruthless streak at the tables.I think I'll give the her the cert for Xmas then hunt her down at the tables to win it back.Nah just kidding...hmmm.

Ok here's a wee hand below which helped me realise I had my confidence back last night.Its not all abc poker you know!


Texas Hold'em $1-$1 NL (real money), hand #1,585,503,853
Table Belem, 13 Dec 2005 11:07 PM
View Previous hand for this table.
Seat 1: Zagga [KH,6C] ($100 in chips)
Seat 2: I Gotta Push ($95.95 in chips)
Seat 3: piscator21 ($123 in chips)
Seat 4: collinmalc13 ($43.60 in chips)
Seat 5: limpkin0 ($99 in chips)
Seat 6: Irishod ($100.90 in chips)
Seat 7: paddy_o_dour ($100.60 in chips)
Seat 8: Addexx1 ($101.90 in chips)
Seat 9: Bri3 ($113 in chips)
Seat 10: suurholkeri ($98.50 in chips)

ANTES/BLINDSsuurholkeri posts blind ($0.50), Zagga posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOPI Gotta Push folds, piscator21 folds, collinmalc13 calls $1, limpkin0 folds, Irishod folds, paddy_o_dour folds, Addexx1 calls $1, Bri3 folds, suurholkeri calls $0.50, Zagga checks.

FLOP [board cards 3D,5S,KD ] suurholkeri checks, Zagga bets $4, collinmalc13 calls $4, Addexx1 calls $4, suurholkeri folds.

TURN [board cards 3D,5S,KD,8C ]

Zagga bets $5, collinmalc13 folds, Addexx1 calls $5.

RIVER [board cards 3D,5S,KD,8C,AS ]Zagga bets $12, Addexx1 folds.

SHOWDOWNZagga wins $37.

SUMMARYDealer: Bri3Pot: $38, (including rake: $1)Zagga, bets $22, collects $37, net $15I Gotta Push, loses $0piscator21, loses $0collinmalc13, loses $5limpkin0, loses $0Irishod, loses $0paddy_o_dour, loses $0Addexx1, loses $10Bri3, loses $0suurholkeri, loses $1


Hump day nearly over.Its all downhill to the weekend from here...