Bye Eck

Party $ 285 , Pokerroom $ 819, Interpoker $857 ,Ladbrokes $ 1668 .Total $3630 ( - $207 for week )

Inter total includes a $90 bonus which I finally cleared.

I probably shouldn't have been playing at all last night due to my hungover state but began by coming 14th from 80 in a player points Wsop qualifier at Inter.Top 7 qualified for the next stage ( where top 2 get Wsop package).My AQ running into a fish with Q8 soooted who spiked his 8 sent me to the rail.The standard of play was pretty poor all round.

Sat down for some 6 max at £.50-£1 and got into trouble with A10 on J 10 10 flop.I bet into the preflop raiser who called with AQ and took my stack when a K hit on the turn.He had a 65% vip figure and although him holding AQ crossed my mind as plausible I wasn't able to lay down my trips.There's a fine line to walk between always fearing monsters and not being able to accept my hand was beaten.I'm going to have to learn to respect my opponents a little more at the higher than usual ( for me) buy in levels without playing scared and only committing with the nuts.

Read an interesting post at This is not a poker blog ( check April 24th for it) which was about sittin down at a $100 nl table( no reads or info) ,getting 1010 in the bb and calling the small blinds all in after raising the sb's initial $3 bet to $8.

Most people said folding to the all in was the best option but the number 1 reason given for making the call was due to the poor quality of play Chris has witnessed at $100nl and while I can understand that reason I think that's the kind of thinking that's got me into trouble over the last week.I think with no read/info folding 1010 is probably the best move.

Moved from Inter to Party and won about $70 there at $50 nl before heading to Laddys to take on the late night loonies.Found myself down $200 after more marginal calls from me when my opponents had twice flopped the nuts.QJ on a Q J 10 board lost to K9.I wrote recently about putting opponents on a range of hands rather than just one but I had the loose villan pegged for J10 on that hand and lost another buy in.

I logged out of Laddys after that and sat with my weary eyes closed for a while before telling myself to cut out the pathetic self pity,get a grip and get back to playing my best game.Went back to Laddys and through decent plays and my luck holding ( my KK held up v JJ for one buy in) I managed to pull back most of that $200 loss.

I've been playing more often at $100 and $200 6 max in the last week or two.I did promise myself I'd wait until I had a $5k roll first but have begun testing the water at these levels.( its hot!).

Part of my problem in moving up is that I don't do change well and I'm not sure what I should be changing or adjusting at the higher level.Go ahead and bluff me this week though because I'm promising myself I need to make more laydowns as that seems to be the first area for improvement.

Ok time to put a pish week's figures behind me and focus on the week ahead on the poker front.

Got a bit of toothache and a very noisy exhaust to get sorted this week aswell as taking Tues afternoon off for Mrs A's Mums' funeral.

Rangers beat Hearts 2-0 today in the last game of the season at Ibrox.
Also great to see Graham Dott show off his World Snooker trophy at half-time.He must have got one of the loudest cheers of the day and he fully deserved it.A true champion indeed and not afraid to wear his colours on his sleeve.I think that win means he's now ranked in worlds top 5 which is some achievement for a wee guy from just down the road.

Goodbye big Eck,hello hello Paul Le Guen.Eck should have gone last November but is a good guy and a blue nose and I wish him all the best.His son also works with my sister and presented her with a framed signed Gers top when she came back to work after her illness last year which was a touch of class.( especially as she has passed it on to me as a present for doing a reading at her wedding!).

Thanks for 7 trophies and Helicopter Sunday last season in particular and good luck wherever you end up.

Can't wait for Le Gaffer to get started though.

Vive La Revolution!