Pow...Zagga Wins Again

Off to a decent start at the tables since my return.Began by winning a $5 sng at Pokerroom.Decided I was King of the $5 sng and I'd play a few more.I did and I never placed higher than 6th in my next four so back to the cash games I toddled.

I've been watching the Champions league coverage on tv so I've only played a couple of hours for a $70 profit.Arsenal played well to beat Juventus last night and the team Rangers new manager built ( Lyon) is currently holding its own V A C Milan.

Last nights was most satisfying.I was at a £.15-.30 6 max nl game and while I only won £15 I really felt on top of my game,keeping it tight but aggressive and also bluffing a decent player out of a pot when I detected weakness.( not hard when his river bet was .25 into a £6 pot!).

I think the only pot I lost was the last one I played when I made a weak call with bottom pair.A bit of the old last hand syndrome creeping in again which I'll have to keep an eye on.The best part of losing that hand though was that just before the showdown one of the other players wrote "Pow...Zagga wins again" in the chat.I didn't of course but it was a real boost for my confidence that the one of the other players recognised I was dominating the table.

I appreciate that to the online poker pro I'm way down the food chain however when my friend Sandy was over the other week and I was talking him through some of my thinking in a cash game I realised that maybe I know a little more than I give myself credit for sometimes.He said he'd read that only 15% of players win at online poker.I thought it was nearer a 60/40 split.Nice to be in that 15% and while I'm no superstar whizzkid I have been a consistent low stakes winner since I started playing for real money.

I do think I may be brain damaged though! A section in "Blink" mentions damage to the ventromedial part of the brain which affects judgement.Gladwell mentions a card game and gives and example of how a patient may know intellectually what is the right way to play it but that knowledge didn't change the way they played the game.

Actually although I was joking about the brain damage I feel I was so tired and jaded before my week off that I could recognise me knowing what move I should make yet not actually following through and clicking the right option at the tables.Almost like a few losses had made me weak/tight and afraid to feel the hurt of losing a pot.

This time round I'm going to try and be more disciplined.If I feel tired or jaded with the game then I will take a break.The game and the blog almost seem like a combined addiction at times.One follows the other and the circle continues until all else is shut out and that can't be right.I suppose I use my weeks break ( no internet at all) to convince myself that as I'm not craving the game and coming out in a rash then I'm not addicted but reading some other great blog posts ( see Tripjax's blogger spotlight ) symptoms like playing at 5am on weekends did seem to hit home.

Anyway this wasn't a post about poker addiction! Hell I'm back,feeling fresh, winning money and loving the way my heart thumps and the adrenalaine flows when there's a big pot at stake!

Also finally got to see some main event WSOP '05 coverage.Mr Hachem is certainly one cool customer.Loved Mike Matusow's verbals.First time I'd seen him play.Great tv.

Mrs A has given up work on a Monday so Mark will be up mostly on Wednesdays from now on for our Playstation fest.He's due up soon so thats all for now....


Other quick thoughts.Burnout Legends on the PSP is amazing.EK Thistle are top of the league with 4 games to go.