Thursday, May 31, 2007

WSOP 2007

It's only a few short months until the 2007 WSOP in Vegas and I've not even tried to qualify yet! My workplace recently implemented new software for planning holidays and it has been a nightmare,meaning I was grateful to get my time off booked for September, never mind being able to be off work to attend the WSOP.The good news ( is it fate?!) is that the system failed and we're back to manually filling out a diary for leave, so I may have a pop at a couple of late sats for the main event.

Afterall who wouldn't want to compete in pokers biggest tournament?!

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Thus Update

I hit the tables last night around 11pm and as usual I couldn't decide where to start.I settled on a 'Stars $50nl table and once it again it seemed to be one of those nights where nothing works.

When I finally hit a set with 1010 the flop came 10d Jh Qh with another heart on the turn and a King on the river.I had been making my usual decent sized bets on every street but had to fold to the villains river bet as I was sure he had me beaten.

I called a small raise with KQ and lost to AK on a King high board.I wouldn't normally call a raise with KQ and by the river I was almost certain I was behind.I did make one decent move in that hand and made a blocking bet of $3 on the river rather than checking to the villain and thankfully he only called rather than reraising.

I then moved to Laddies and was dealt Aces on my first hand at a full ring $50nl table.Maybe I'm just starting to get long in the tooth when it comes to poker, but I didn't feel any excitement at being dealt Aces.I was just thinking about how I would play different possible flops and in light of my crappy play at 'Stars ,I was asking myself if I would fold if I bet the pot on the flop and the villain came over the top.I had raised $3.70 preflop, ( in error,I meant to bet $2.50)and ended up winning with an almost pot sized bet on a ragged board.( the villain showed his AK).

Righty that's all for now...

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Fish for afters...

I didn't play too much poker on Monday night,just long enough in fact to go out of a couple of $16 turbos with the best hand and drop about $20 at Laddys due to being absolutely card dead for the 1/2hr I played.

As it was my usual high ave pot table with a lot of loose maniac play ,I couldn't make many moves without getting called down.At one point two villains were all in after the flop and one showed Ace high at showdown and the other Queen high! Ahhh Laddies,still one of the biggest fishbowls in poker.

Last night I didn't play any poker at all and watched the box with Mrs A after taking her out for a ( trouble free) driving lesson.I did log on to the net briefly to see if my mate,the Big Chap,was online at Pokerroom but logged off ( after checking Juices blog!) afterwards.

I did have a laugh last night when I went into Step A's room to see what she was up to on her pc and she asked me if she was allowed to start a blog.She's only 12 and too young (imo) to be on myspace or anything like that so I've bought her a 2007 diary and written "myspace" on it.Just as good eh!

Mrs A is working tonight so I'm looking forward to hitting the tables if I can tear myself away from the launch of Big Brother 8.Hmmm shouldn't be too hard!

Just arrived back from Mother Acorns where I had a fine chille for dinner followed by a large helping of fish for desert.The fish were of course at Pokerstars and my Mum was pleased as we managed to win an 18 player $1.75 turbo and then a 10 player $1.75 game.That should help her Sharky stats a bit!


Oh before I go I read a wee snippet in the paper that made me think of Katitude out there in Canada.I know Kat is attached but this guy sounds the perfect partner for any poker player,especially after a badbeat or two.

"Police are trying to trace a man approaching women and begging to be kicked in the groin.Three women have said he approached them in the past two months to make the odd request on the streets of Guelph in Ontario,Canada.

While no criminal offence has been committed ,police fear the women may be at risk themselves of sexual assualt"

Be careful out there.....

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Monday, May 28, 2007

Declaration of Britbloggerment!

"For so long as a hundred of us remain alive. We never will in any degree be subject to the Dominion of the English. Since it is not for glory, riches or honour we fight, but for liberty alone which no good man loses but with his life"

Wha's like us? Damn few and they're a' deid!


Congrats to Daleroxxu for playing an excellent game last night and taking down the Britblogger game.Four Scottish wins from ten is not a bad record and with the San Jose Salmon( Al Eleven) taking down the 2nd chance game it was a tartan whitewash at the tables last night!

Well done to Wee Gem ( another Scot) for making the top three and thanks to all who were generous enough to allow the Burnley Milkman to make the top 3.( Just kidding,good work BM!)

I managed to avoid the walk of shame as Res Evil ( Dudley) took that particular honour, however I didn't avoid an early exit,crashing out when my Kings were crushed by Amatays Aces.The Trout is not getting any credit for taking my last 10 chips when his A9 beat my 77!! Not a chance!


Thanks to Mark for his comment on me taking the ICM plunge,especially as his site is mainly responsible for arousing my interest.Unfortunately, I'm a stubborn donkey and in my only $16 turbo last night I reraised with AJ to isolate the shortstack and ran into another villains QQ and even the shortstack had me dominated with AQ.Lesson learned this time I hope!

Miami Mark suffered a nightmare 2 outer bad beat in the same tourney when his Aces were cracked and after he retired to lick his wounds I hit the cash tables.
I won a couple of $$ at Stars before moving to the fish bowl that is Party poker.

I noticed a ( solid) player at my table from The Peoples Republic of China and I wonder if this is the start of a poker boom there.If so then I would guess the tables are about to become very busy indeed.( Still not sure what would happen if all one Billion of 'em jumped off a chair at the one time!)

I managed to win $20 there overall mainly after getting all in preflop with KK v a fishy shortstacks 1010 which was ...nice.

Ok,thanks for reading.Back soon...

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Sunday, May 27, 2007

I Call Mofo! ( + stats)

Apologies for yesterdays whiney woolly post.I should have listened to my Mum who says that if you don't have anything good to say,don't say anything at all!

I spent part of yesterday afternoon learning that ICM isn't an abbreviation for my post title but actually stands for Independent Chip Model and is a maths based method of deducting if a call/push at a sng has a positive or negative effect on overall tournament equity.I'd looked at it before, however this was the first time it really seemed to sink in a bit.Between that and reading Jennifears ( shark at $16 turbo level on Stars) breakdown of a tourney she played and the follow up destruction of her post by a 2+2'r and I realised just how much I have still to learn.( a ton!)

I'm not a maths guy at all and can only hope that my feel and intution lead me to make the right ICM moves more often than not.I did learn that it's not really practical to do ICM calculations during hands and it's more of a tool to be used to go back over hands and work out if the best move was made.This is unlike basic tools like Poker indicator and Sharkscope which I use to help me put players on pushing/calling ranges.

I did find it amusing to note on one article that the author dismissed us one tablers as recreational players.I became rather annoyed at that until I realised it was true!I think it was the implication that one table hobby players are just playing for entertainment.Sure,at $2 per game profit I can hardly claim to be semi-pro but I can assure such posters that while I'm no ICM genius ,I put in enough effort to not be overly bothered about playing with a 12 tabling "pro" tighty push or fold merchant!.


I did pick up one quote from a chap called Kajun on a Pocket fives post which I found interesting.He wrote " You also see alot of people isolating against an all in shortstack player with Ace rag. It's like wtf".

I made exactly that move in an sng and felt I'd played it well! The shortstacked player had just lost a big hand and pushed around 400 in chips on the next hand.I made a large reraise with A7 and beat the shorties 47o/s to win the pot.I had a tight image and didn't feel I would get any other callers unless I ran into a monster.I was going to ask if anyone out there had an idea why Kajun would question my type of play.I think the reasons are that a)I risk the risk of running into a better hand from any of the other players still to act and b)with A7 v 74 I totally dominated but if the villain had 64 then I'd only be slightly over 60/40% favourite and would lose too much overall tournement equity by playing this way.Any other suggestions welcome!

It all sounds very complicated and in some respects it is ( to me anyway!).I think the basic premise seems to be to simply enforce the old adage that the difference between what you can call with and what you can raise with is often huge and to reconsider making calls near/on the bubble when moving up one place can make a big difference to roi ( return on investment)over the longer term.

To the poker and I began by winning a wee 18 player $1.75 turbo I only entered because I thought my Mum was joining the same one.I came 9th in my first $16 game of the night and won the next one after taking the lead quite early and never looking back.

The cash tables beckoned and I had another decent night at Party and then Ladbrokes 6 max tables.I was even lucky enough to join a $100 nl 6 max table at Laddies and win a buy-in with AA v KK after only a few hands.It was a close call though because I'd bet out 5bb preflop and decided to flat call the villains raise to $10 instead of trying to get the money in at that point.I've been learning that slowplaying can be a bad idea not because it always lets the villain catch up or overtake in the hand but because a scare card ( villain has KK for example and flop comes low,I hit a set and check,the turn brings an Ace and action dries up) can halt the action.

Anyway the flop came Q J 3 and he pushed all in.With his action preflop a set of Queens or Jacks seemed possible and although I knew the table was loose ( highest average pot of all open $100 nl tables) I ended up reasoning that with a hand as strong as a set he wouldn't go all in and I made the call hoping he was on an KK,AQ,AJ,A10 type hand.

It was certainly a nice way to end my night!

Ok,don't forget to register for tonights Britblogger game on 'Stars at 9pm bst.Password is Donkament and it can be found under the "Private" tab.

There are eight in already including the current PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker winner,Daleroxxu!!( a fellow Scot) Be careful out there as this lad can play a bit! Are you up to the challenge?

Ok,here are my latest bankroll stats. Pokerstars $175,Party $859,Ladbrokes $1358,Full Tilt $1287,Pokerroom $567. Total $4246 ( + $362 since 13/5 )

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Saturday, May 26, 2007

Sat Ramble

I didn't make a great start at the tables last night,managing to go out of two $16 turbo's at 'Stars before the server froze at the beginning of the third one.The law of sod meant that I'd had time to blow a $50 buy-in at a Stars cash table a few minutes before the crash, when my AQ was beaten by a flopped two pair.It was a bit of a awfuckit call, however I didn't beat myself up too much and moved to Full Tilt where I won an $11 turbo to recover most of that buy-in loss.Meantime Miami Mark and I swapped $50 transfers with me giving him $50 at Full Tilt and me getting $50 at Stars.

Kats Friday night donkament was up next and I used it to donk it up a little and have some fun before finally getting a little bored and donking off my stack to Tripjax when my shiney A7d fell to his AJ.

It was 4am by this point and as Mrs A had gone on to a house party and didn't have a key meaning I couldn't lock the front door, so I rolled up another one and joined the biggest party in the world...Party poker.It's all a bit blurry from then on but I did win a buy-in with KK and then headed to Ladbrokes where I also made a nice wee profit from a juicy full ring game which had become shorthanded.I did save a few hand histories for pokerhand.org but that site seems to have vanished.Hmmm!

I have a few more thoughts buzzing around but my brain feels too woolly to get them out properly! I started a comment in reply to Rosie's latest post and then deleted it as it made no real sense at all!

The Clouds recent post where he mentioned getting far more comments on a bacon sarnie post than for his poker stuff hit a cord too.Hours are spent fine tuning a strategy post of some sort and nobody bothers and yet ( and yes the pain has gone now)stubb your toes running back to the laptop to play a hand and people demmand to see the x rays!


I like to post as often as I can, or else I feel that I'll gradually let more and more time pass and run out of enthusiasm for the whole idea.My poker recaps generally seem to be quite dry and fairly repetitive, but I suppose as a poker blog they are the building blocks from which other witterings usually emerge.Like The Cloud I also have the additional one outer of calling this a poker and life blog which gives me an excuse to ramble about non pokery stuff too.

On the subject of rambling I reckon that's enough for one day.Pop over and say hello to Riveredpho3nix who is the latest addition to my blogroll.

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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Britbloggerment 10. Stars May 27th 9pm

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Playing to get in the money

I'm in love again.Thanks to Cadmunkey for the link to the Audi website and the new r8 car they've produced.What an absolute stunner of a car.The good news is that it may be £76000, but I can afford it with my poker profits!

At my current profit level in only 34 years that beautiful car will be all mine! Oh yes!

In fact I won a $6 ,18 player turbo last night and if I could just keep winning them, I'd only need another 3534 victories before I claim my new vehicle!

Back to the poker and I also won a quick $20 at a full ring $50nl table with QK on a King high board.The flop brought a flush draw and two players called my pot sized bet.Even although the flush didn't arrive on the turn, I still checked which was possibly a little weak however I was trying to keep the pot size down and not go broke with Top pair,decent kicker.I reckoned one villain was flushing and the other could have a better hand than me and be trapping.

My river bet was a fairly lowly $5 and I was surprised to see both players muck and the chips come my way.Who says tpgk ( top pair,good kicker) 'aint golden?!

I think I mentioned that Mark from Planet Gong is now doing a weekly link to some of the best poker forum posts and articles.A very welcome addition to his blog and I'd recommend following his selected links.One in particular which I found interesting was one which strongly advocated playing to make the money first in a sng around bubble time rather than go for first place.

An example was made of a hand where someone held QQ and bubbled after getting the money in v the big stacks A8 and losing to a flopped Ace.Mr QQ felt hard done by but replies suggested he should have reconsidered playing his QQ in this situation, pointing out that even making a 20% profit for 3rd place is far better than losing 100% of your investment if you go out on the bubble.

3rd or 4th ( in the 18 player turbo's 1st-4th pays) always feels like an opportunity missed in those 18 player games when in reality it's all adding to the roi.( return on investment)

Righty that's almost enough for today.Mrs A is working tonight and Step A is having friends over for a sleepover so Im expecting a noisy night.Tomorrow night Mrs A and I are going out to her nephews engagement party for a couple of hours.I consider myself a fairly outgoing guy but sometimes these type of events involving all that inane small talk with strangers really makes my toes curl!( which isn't good when dem toes are still suffering from my recent poker injury!)

Oh and for anyone who remembers my post about me seeking an arrangement fee from my mortgage co to return the £5k they overpaid to my account,they have now credited the £75 directlty into my bank account as promised.Acornman 1 Big Bank 0.....

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Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Motoring on

Mrs A and I thoroughly enjoyed the Roy Chubby Brown show the other night.I'm still on the lookout for a new car and spotted a sexy looking Mazda rx8 in the car park afterwards.( Mrs A's hotwiring skills need working on!)

A real looker, however it apparently eats fuel ( much like my Alfa) and goes through a ton of oil, aswell as being generally expensive to maintain.I'm also looking at the Focus St170 as a compromise.Still reasonably quick but cheaper to run and insure.

At the tables I played a couple of $6 turbos with Juice last night, bubbled in the first one and took down the 2nd.The standard was fairly poor as Juice will confirm after going out when his KK was busted by 107.( not even sooooted!)

I moved to a $50 nl 6 max table afterwards and was lucky enough to be at quite a weak table.Mark from Planet Gong mentioned players who play weak Aces ( Ace rag hands) and there were a couple at my table who were easy to exploit.AJ v A5 on an Ace board won me one pot and a set of sevens on a scary board were my main winners and I left with a small profit for my 1/2hours play.

Looking forward to watching the Champions League final tonight between Liverpool and Ac Milan.I reckon Milan will be too strong for 'Pool and will win by a goal or two.It'll be interesting if it goes to penalties again as the Liverpool keeper specialises in saving them and Liverpools record in shootouts is excellent,especially considering English players tend to bottle it when it comes to pens. :-))) ( cue comments about how a nation with a tenth of the population of England never win anything either!)

I'm in trouble with Step A as she has been late for school twice this week due to me not being able to get out of bed.I offered to lean out the car window and use a megaphone to shout that "I would like to apologise for Pipsqueaks lateness this week" which raised a reluctant smile but if I'm not around after the game tonight to play poker it's because I'm completing my one hundred lines of "I must be on time for school every morning".

Righty just back after meeting Father Acorn for a damn fine ruby murray.( curry).
Time to watch the fitba'...

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Monday, May 21, 2007

Looks like I've lost an anon reader...

And the world has what it has been crying out for...another ghey poker blogger!Pop over and welcome Blantyres numero uno blogger,Dudley!


Congrats to three time winner Tan Orpheus for once again winning the Britblogger game,taking me out in 6th place along the way.Tan had been making regular raises with his big stack and I came back over the top with my 55 ( who said Presto was gold?!),only for Tan to call with A9 sooted,hit a 9 and send me packing.I'm glad he put my chips to good use!

A fine game and a lively chatbox as usual, marred only by my ( still hurting) poker injury, incurred by stubbing my little toes on the flippin' vaccum cleaner as I sprinted back into the living room whilst making a cup of tea between hands.I was also fielding phone calls from Mrs A and helping Step A with her homework so apologies if I failed to respond to anyone in the chat.

Overall I was quite pleased with my play as I think I always got my chips in when I had the best of it and when I didn't,I won without showdown.Good to see my good mate ,Al Eleven,back playing again and even better to see him exit nice and early.( that'll keep him quiet this week!)

After the game I hit a Laddies full ring $100nl table where the average pot was $54 and it played more like $25nl.There were a few of TAG's ( Tight Aggressives)
including myself and more than a few loose fishy types.I played very few hands indeed and the only raise I made with AK took the blinds and a limpers money.

I dropped about $10 overall but it could have been a lot more.I was tempted to play 76 from late position just to see a flop as the pot odds were good and I kicked myself when the table went to war on a Kd 7d 6H flop until the villain showed his 66 at showdown.

On another hand I folded Q2 in the small blind and would have lost to trip Queens on a Q 2 8 board.

No poker planned for tonight as the Mrs and I are heading out to see comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown at the Secc.

Oh,just off the phone to my Mum who told me I should tell everyone I know about her badbeat.Dealt JJ V 55.Jack on the flop followed by a 5 on the turn and another 5 on the river.Ouch! Maybe presto is gold afterall.....

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Sunday, May 20, 2007

Britbloggerment 9



I'm not sure what happened to the comments section on yesterdays post.Hmmm.Anyway, I had late night at the tables last night and I'm too tired to do a full boring write up of my play.I did play three very soft $11 turbo's at Party and came nowhere,won one and was 3rd in the other.My Stars roll bounced around all night before being nearly wiped out by some fishy fecker and his A5 sooted hitting his flush on the river v TPTK.It was a fishy table with four waiting to join ( it was so juicy) so I can't complain too much when the fish bite.I would however like to withdraw last weeks cursed remark about being scared of the Pokerstars river card.I love that site! ( are you reading 'Stars poker gods?)

I did a quick check before crashing out and I reckon I'm about even for my weeks play which after the previous weeks tilt fest is an improvement.I think part of my tilt issue the other week was that I was simply pushing too hard and trying to force things to happen at the tables,instead of relaxing and just playing my game.

Ok,that's it for today.Don't forget to register for Britbloggerment 9 tonight on 'Stars.All welcome!

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Sat update

Mrs A and I were out for dinner last night again.We arrived back, Mrs A grabbed the tv remote and I fired up the laptop for some pokery fun.Did I say fun? Well I managed a 3rd place from three $15 turbos although I would have made the money in the other two if Holdem was only played until the turn card was dealt.I remember licking my lips at the prospect of the game starting after checking out the sharky stats.At least I didn't bust out my Stars roll as was looking likely at one point as I started the game I came 3rd in with just $11 left!

A wee 3rd place ( after yet another suckout) at a Full Tilt $11 turbo followed before I took a break and hit then hit the cash tables.

I was rivered in my last hand of the night at Party when the tables resident fishy tilter hit his gutshot and cost me $30.

I thought I'd get that nasty river out there first as I'd rather dwell on the $34 ave pot,$50nl table I played at Laddys where I made a nice wee $80 profit by playing the patient waiting game at a very loose fishy table.Eventually my patience was rewarded when I was allowed to see a cheap flop with my KhJh and the flop came a perfect 9 10 Q.See here for hand.

Now all the stacks at the table were far larger than the $50 buy-in thanks to Ridgers tilting big time and reloading so when the big stack led out I was happy to just call and see the pot build as there was nothing to scare me about that flop.

The turn was a different matter as another 10 fell and for a moment I felt it would be just typical of my recent luck if one of the villains had just made their full house.When the big stack led out for $10 I was confident he may have trips but no boat, and the tiltboys all in bet for $36 didn't worry me too much either.I was still relieved to see a 2h on the river and the chips come my way.

Re the Britbloggerment game and I'm hoping my partner in crime ,The Milkman,will be able to set it up shortly.( I dont have enough player points).I hope so as I'm looking forward to the weekly donkfest!

Just watching the end of the first FA Cup final from Wembley with my favourite English team,Chelsea,winning 1-0 thanks to a Drogba goal.It's been a fairly crap game and certainly no classic.One minute to go.Sorry Miasdad but come on the Chels!

Righty Mrs A is working again tonight so it's a quiet one with perhaps a wee game of poker on the agenda...

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Friday, May 18, 2007

Driven poker potty...

My gambling addiction rages on as I played yet more poker last night :-))).Not too much joy in my first $15 turbo as I was totally card dead until I picked up Kings and took the blinds with my first bet.My second bet was a steal with QJ and I ran into KK and hit the rail.

During my second game I realised I didn't have my poker potty handy ( every poker degenerate has one) and went on "need a pee" tilt ( combined with Mrs A arrives home and wants to chat tilt) and after raising with AK,I called a solid players all in and went out to ....KK again!

Now I like AK as a hand and I don't mind it as an all in hand, however the crucial point is that it's power comes from being the one betting first and not being the caller.

I tried hard to get that concept over to my Mum when we played.Betting with relative garbage is ok if a)it's been folded to me b) I have the right image c) the villain is solid enough to respect the raise and to have noticed my tight image d)the blinds are worth stealing e)I have position

Mrs A made the sandwiches for my work and I hit Laddies for a wee while before bed.I called a raise with 66 at a full ring $50nl game with the intention of hitting a set or getting out.The flop was a 3 4 5 rainbow and suddenly I saw possibilities opening up with my small overpair ( esp if villain had an AK/AQ
type hand) and straight draw.

The villain bet out and I called hoping to hit my draw or another 6.An Ace on the turn made me stop and think, as the villain seemed to slow down with a much smaller bet.If,as I suspected later,he had JJ/QQ/KK then this was my chance to raise his bet up and represent the Ace with outs to draw to the nuts.I wasn't worried about him drawing to the straight because I had two of the sixes and his preflop raise seemed to big to be a 67 type hand.

In the end I decided I hadn't been at the table long enough to know the villain and that even if I was right about his hand ,I may not be able to push him off.Of course he could well have hit that Ace on the turn but was proceeding carefully in case I was calling with a better hand than his TPTK.

The river was a blank and he bet out $5 into the pot of around $20.I was tempted again to go for a large reraise but for the reasons above I folded as I suspected he may call with JJ/QQ/KK even with the Ace on board especially as I'd done nothing up until that point to represent it.

Ok,just how much can one person slever on about a hand? Quite a lot...see above!

I did finish the night with a well timed bluff at a 6 max table.Yep,I don't just make donkey moves!

I raised to steal with K7d and bet out on the Ace high flop.The flush draw was also out and the villain called my continuation bet.I fired another bullet on the turn and he also called.With the flush draw failing by the river and another Ace falling I tried to make it look like I wanted a call and bet $6 of his remaining $9.He folded.Whooooooo!


Righty,the milkman and I are kicking around a few ideas re the bloggerment game.In some respects I'm of the keep it simple ,if it aint broke don't fix it school, but any ideas to keep things fresh are welcome.Some kind of league perhaps with a monthly prize? A midweek game alongside the Sunday one?A monthly $10 or even $20 mtt??
Thoughts welcome...

One last mini-rant before I go.If I see "methinks" written in any more comment sections of online newspapers there's going to be a cyber killing!
I think I'm not feckin' joking!

Edit: Just read this at Iggys blog.Pure quality man! ( flux capacitor indeed!)

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Good Laydown?

It's been a fairly uneventful couple of nights at the tables.I bubbled at a wee $6 turbo on Tuesday and came 7th last night at a $16 sng after my QQ was busted by big slick.The $6 game was an interesting experience and I had to adjust my mindset hugely to deal with people calling raises with almost any two cards.

I did play one interesting hand I thought I'd post here.

We were twelve ( unplayable and folded) hands into the game when I was dealt KcJc in the big blind.I checked my option preflop and six of us saw a 3 J 9 rainbow flop.I was first to act and would quite often bet out there, however with five others in the pot, I was hoping someone with a Jack and weaker kicker would lead out and I could then check-raise and take it down ,giving me more profit.

A player who has played 5.5k games and won $6k bet 120 into the pot and I dutifully raised by 360 and made it 480.I was fairly sure I wasn't behind to AJ as I think it would have been raised preflop so I was feeling quite confident as I made my bet.

The villain waited until the very last second of the clock before going all in over the top.Call or fold?

I took nearly the full clock too and eventually folded putting the villain on a set or two pair.I nearly discounted the set because the board wasn't too scary and it would have been easy for him to try and trap me for more by flat calling my flop bet.I reckon I had made my bet so strong though that he thought I would probably call with TPTK or similar and that's why he went all in.

I also gave him credit for a big hand because I'd represented such strength myself.If I was saying "I'm very strong" with my bet then I think that makes it all the harder for him to consider a bluff reraise as he would expect me to call.Unless of course he put me on almost exactly what I had and reraised all in knowing it was unlikely I had a set because I would have bet less and tried to trap him.

I hope that makes sense! I did recover from that laydown and that was the game I mentioned above where I came 7th after my QQ got busted, but I was very curious as to the villains hand.I nearly asked him, but I would have replied "pay to see" in his shoes so I didn't bother.If you see bigdad4187 at the table ask him what he was all in with v Zagga in that hand!

Here it is here and note the "zzzzzz" from one bored player!


Not long back from my Mum and Dads where my Mum and I played a couple of unsuccessful turbos before winning a slow play 18 player $1.20 game.We were paying so much attention we never realised it wasn't a turbo until the final table! Great fun and hopefully one day my Mum will lose the "wee marine creature" she has next to her name at Sharkscope!

Righty time to go hit the tables...

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Gambling Man

I read an excellent quote from Layne Flack interview at Pokerworks where he says that many players simply can't handle the losses and failures due to their pride getting in the way.I expect that's why so many fish are convinced poker is rigged.It can't possibly be that they don't have the skills or emotional strength ,therefore it must be fixed in some way.

I've no doubt I need to be stronger too in the face of repeated beats and crappy cards and in truth it's a factor which has probably prevented me attempting to move up to $100 nl and beyond on a more permanent basis.

I think sometimes I also need to be less critical of myself and accept that sometimes there are no sure things in poker.It may be a calculated gambling but it's still gambling none the less.

Last night for example I won a buy-in at Party with QQ v JJ.The flop was low and ragged and I kept firing until the chips came my way.If he had flopped trips does that mean I'm a donkey for my play?

I suppose it's never as simple as above as I've not mentioned that the villain had lost a few big pots and had rebought.He also seemed the fishiest player at the table and seemed likely to be overplaying a pair lower than mine or AQ/AK.

I am a donkey (ok just a little one seeing as I'm being less harsh on myself!)for losing a buy-in at a 'Stars cash table a short time later after a blind steal went wrong.

I raised with A4 in the small blind and the bb called.The flop came 4 Q Q and I led out thinking I may be ahead anyway.He called and I fired again after a 10 on the turn.When the Ace came on the river I reckoned that I was good and as only KJ or any hand with a Queen beat me that I would bet out again.I was put all in for my last $17 and despite taking time to consider it, and despite the villains actions screaming "I have a queen", I talked myself into the call and he showed Q10 for the boat.

I went back to Party and won another $15 to give me a tiny profit for my nights play.I'm now down to $97 at 'Stars and will probably gamble ( that word again!) on a few $16 turbos and see how they go.

My biggest gamble of the day will be away from the tables though.I've promised Mrs A another driving lesson.....

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Monday, May 14, 2007

Dudley Does Right!

Thanks to all 19 people who turned out last night for the Britbloggerment game and congrats to man of many names,Dudley,for taking it down.( dD,Res Evil,Anon,Scotlands own Dragon slayer)

Well played to The Cloud and Pokermunk3y for making the money and to Juice for saving everyones blushes and taking the walk of shame!

He was closely followed by the milkman, although he was unlucky to have his hammer cracked by Tan's fishy play with QQ! I noticed Tan suffered his own hammer failure later on which was equally harsh!

Incidentally I reckon anyone who crashes out first from now on should be spared from having to post the monkey if they go out with the hammer.Any thoughts?

I came a respectable 7th and as usual I can only recall a few hands.I won a biggy v Rosie with QQ v her AK,knocked out louisaban when she was unlucky enough to push her shortstack into my Aces and I gambled by calling Mr Edges all in with my AK and lost to his 1010.

I'm not sure I'd make that AK call again, as I was fairly sure I was lagging behind in a race.Mauzj tends to only play solid hands.I reasoned with 4.4k in chips and with Mauz on 2.5k ,that I wouldn't be crippled if I lost and that I would be in a great postition if my AK had hit, hence the call.

I hadn't crippled my stack, although I didn't have much room for movement after that.When Dudley raised it to 1200 and it folded to me I was hoping he wasn't looking for a call and had a big Ace or low pair.I wouldn't have called with 66 had my stack been bigger but with 800 chips,I felt it was time to take a stand.QQ and a Q on the flop soon sent me to the rail.

Mrs A arrived home from work a short time later and I switched off the laptop ( $5 up at Party) to devote some quality time to my good lady.

Ok,here's a wee funny from the paper before I go.It's a bit more relevant as he is my favourite author and Mother Acorns too.( she attended the talk)

If your looking for a good read I'd highly recommend any of his stuff...( or his US equivalent,Carl Hiassen.


AWARD-WINNING Scottish writer Christopher Brookmyre told the Conversation Pieces audience at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall that when he was at Glasgow University to do Film and Television Studies they combined it with the Drama department and called it the Drama And Film and Television Department. But as everyone knew it by the acronym Daft Department, they quickly changed it to Theatre Studies.

Chris, famed for his long, quirky titles, knows his own books by their acronyms, but is worried that his latest, due out in August, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, gives critics too much ammunition with its acronym AO Turd.

Terms of endearment
INCIDENTALLY, Chris's last book, A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil, is now out in paperback with a glossary the publishers wanted, explaining Scottish terms. St Mirren- supporting Chris may not have taken the glossary entirely seriously as it includes:

Crabbit. Of foul humour. See certain Scottish broadsheet literary critics.


Diddies. Protuberant milk-producing glandular organs situated on the chest of the human female and certain other mammals. See also Greenock Morton FC.


Honking. Emitting a foul odour; poorly thought of. See St Mirren 2001-2004.


Jammy. Enjoying extreme good fortune. See Rangers 1 St Mirren 0, Scottish Cup semi-final replay 1983.


All quite funny apart from the last one as Rangers only ever win through great skill and hard work.I've never seen a jammy Gers win yet!!

Just back after surviving another driving lesson with Mrs A.Got an email from Pokerroom to say that my dreams of playing poker on my new Fusion wi-fi enabled mobile have been dashed because the PR software doesn't work on the Motorola A910,however they have sent me a $5 tourney voucher to ease my frustration.( I didn't ask for it,honest!).

I'm off to see how quickly I can blow it....

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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Better times ahead + stats

At least there had better be, or I'm off to start Acornmans tiddly winks n life blog.

Miami Mark persuaded me to play an $11 ,$35k gtd rebuy tourney on 'Stars last night.I hate rebuys and I hate MTT's.Last nights experience has done nothing to change my mind!

I played decent solid poker and made moves at the right times.I rebought a couple of times and took the add on too.After seeing off 1100 others and with the money in sight, I made a move with KK and was busted by Mr AJ, hitting a Jack on the flop and another on the river.Three hours play for nothing.TY Riverstars!

Miami Mark at least made the money and then went out when some muppet flopped a straight after calling with Q9 v MM's premium hand.


I then moved to Laddys and after a decent start I hit a poker wall at $100 nl and lost a buy-in heads up against a lucky idiot who had sucked out to win a huge pot ( $550) and who lucked out again against me, by hitting his gutshot on the river after calling my large bets on every street( I had QQ ).It was obvious he was over confident and his stack was there for the taking, but that as they say is poker and there's no point in moaning about it.

A few more smallish $15-$20 pots also cost me and I went to bed around 5am more than a little hacked off at the game and myself.I wasn't so much annoyed at myself for any donk moves ,however I was sitting around $40 up at one point at Laddys and I should have left and gone to bed.

With all this gloom and doom I almost forgot I did finish up over a buy-in at a Party $50nl table and I spent 3/4 hour at a juicy Full Tilt table too where I won just under a buy-in.

Righty here are my up to date ( and not so pretty looking ) stats.

Pokerstars $147,Pokerroom $572( includes $200 cashout today towards bills),Party $669,Ladbrokes $1206,Full Tilt $1290.Total $3884. ( - $709 since May 1st).

I may cashout some more this week.After a rough two weeks at the tables it's nice to be able to use some of my roll for bills,treats and ( after Mrs A has just called to tell me) a new washing machine.

I intend to keep at least $2-$3k online.

Ok, that's all for now.Don't forget to register for Britbloggerment 8 tonight at 'Stars 9pm bst ( 4pm est start time in lobby under Private).Password is Donkament,it's only $5.50 to enter and all bloggers and readers will be made more than welcome....

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Mind Preparation

Mrs A and I went out for dinner last night and I hit the tables later on when she'd gone to bed.Her huff is over and things are running smoothly again which is great news for us as a couple and also for my poker bankroll.( after last weekends moody tiltfest)

The tables were kinder to me too as I managed to come 3rd in my first $15 turbo and
then take down the next one. I won $10 at the Stars 6 max $50 nl too,lost $20 at Laddys and won $20 at Party.

Once again every time I lose I could replay the hand easily in my head ( usually on a repeat loop) but after my two ITM's last night I can barely recall a single winning hand!( but I'm sure my money went in as favourite every time!!)

It's strange how I can have a vague idea for a blog post floating around my head and within a few days Dr Pauly mentions he does it and quotes Andy Black ( on his Wednesday post) as stating he's also at it for up to two hours per day to prepare his mind for poker.I'm on about meditation and the only plan I had was to start my post with "I'm not into mumbo jumbo type nonsense but....".

I did include it on my 7 unknown facts about me yesterday and would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a clear and uncluttered mind.I first tried it over 10 years ago when I'd being feeling really low after the end of a long term relationship and was surprised at how such a simple technique could leave me feeling so fresh and invigorated.

The truth is that I stopped attending the Buddhist centre because I'd progressed from the beginners class to the advanced class, and I felt that although I was interested in the Buddhism side of it,I didn't want to take that interest further,and really wished to simply concentrate on meditating for my own spirtual wellbeing rather than as a route to religious enlightenment of any kind.

The other idea I've been meaning to mention here is using the power of visualisation to focus the mind at the poker tables.Once again, it would be easy to dismiss it as new age nonsense, or more mumbo jumbo, ( and feel free to do so and head over to the links on the right!)but I feel that as confidence is such a huge part of doing well at any sport/interest, then any potential edge shouldn't be ignored without trying it, or at least giving it some thought.

I've read about athletes who visualise the whole race ahead of them and I'm sure there are loads of books on the subject of using visualisation in business and commerce.At the poker table ( or before the game begins) I think it's a matter of simply closing my eyes for a moment and focusing on the fact that I will play strong, tight agressive poker and will not be mentally drained by any beats that come my way.

I tried it and imagined I was the big stack at the table, making confident decisions based on logic,experience and player reads.This was the other week and I left that $50nl table with $241.

Adapt as required but remember you can't fool yourself.I tried it again at a later date but I was already tired and playing quite poorly and it done with half assed conviction and soon came back to bite me.

Ok if there's anyone left still reading, then here's a basic starter for ten on how to meditate taken ( didn't see any copyright on the site so I hope simply linking and giving credit is ok)from here.No humming involved!



The most basic form of meditation involves attending to one's breath.

Begin by sitting in a simple chair, keeping your back erect if you can. The more traditional postures are the lotus position, sitting on a pillow with each foot upon the opposite thigh, and variations such as the half lotus (one foot on the opposite thigh, the other out in front of the opposite knee). This is difficult for many people. Some people kneel, sitting back on their legs or on a pillow between their legs. Many use a meditation bench: kneel, then place a little bench beneath your behind. But meditation is also done while standing, slowly walking, lying on the floor, or even in a recliner!

Traditionally, the hands are placed loosely, palms up, one on top of the other, and with the thumbs lightly touching. This is called the cosmic mudra, one of a large number of symbolic hand positions. You may prefer to lay them flat on your thighs, or any other way that you find comfortable.

Your head should be upright, but not rigid. The eyes may be closed, or focussed on a spot on the ground a couple of feet ahead of you, or looking down at your hands. If you find yourself getting sleepy, keep your eyes open!

Beginning meditators are often asked to count their breath, on the exhale, up to ten. Then you begin back at one. If you loose track, simply go back to one. Your breath should be slow and regular, but not forced or artificially controlled. Just breathe naturally and count.

A few weeks later, you may forego the counting and try to simply follow your breath. Concentrate on it entering you and exiting you. Best is to be aware as fully as possible of the entire process of breathing, but most people focus on one aspect or another: the sensation of coolness followed by warmth at the nostrils, or the rise and fall of the diaphragm. Many meditators suggest imagining the air entering and exiting a small hole an inch or two below your navel. Keeping your mind lower on the body tends to lead to deeper meditation. If you are sleepy, then focus higher, such as at the nostrils.

You will inevitably find yourself distracted by sounds around you and thoughts within. The way to handle them is to acknowledge them, but do not attach yourself to them. Do not get involved with them. Just let them be, let them go, and focus again on the breath. At first, it might be wise to scratch when you itch and wiggle when you get uncomfortable. Later, you will find that the same scant attention that you use for thoughts and sounds will work with physical feelings as well.

A more advanced form of meditation is shikantaza, or emptiness meditation. Here, you don't follow anything at all. There is no concentration -- only quiet mindfulness. You hold your mind as if you were ready for things to happen, but don't allow your mind to become attached to anything. Things -- sounds, smells, aches, thoughts, images -- just drift in and out, like clouds in a light breeze. This is my own favorite.

Many people have a hard time with their thoughts. We are so used to our hyperactive minds, that we barely notice the fact that they are usually roaring with activity. So, when we first sit and meditate, we are caught off guard by all the activity. So some people find it helpful to use a little imagination to help them meditate. For example, instead of counting or following your breath, you might prefer to imagine a peaceful scene, perhaps floating in a warm lagoon, until the noise of your mind quiets down.

Meditate for fifteen minutes a day, perhaps early in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up, or late at night when everything has quieted down. If that's too much, do it once a week if you like. If you want, do more. Don't get frustrated. And don't get competitive, either. Don't start looking forward to some grand explosion of enlightenment. If you have great thoughts, fine. Write them down, if you like. Then go back to breathing. If you feel powerful emotions, wonderful. Then go back to breathing. The breathing is enlightenment.

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Friday, May 11, 2007

Poster



Madeleine McCann has been missing for a week after being abducted from a resort in Praia da Luz in Portugal. Her family have distributed a poster to be seen by as many people as possible on the internet. I have placed the poster on my blog.
Please feel free to copy and paste it onto your own blog.

Tagged!

Riverstars struck again last night as I played two turbo sngs and crashed out of both.Trip Aces getting busted by a flush at Laddys cost me $18 and my last hand at Party robbed me of the whopping $20 I had won earlier.

I now have only $132 left at 'Stars and reckon I may just take a shot at giving that part of my roll a wee boost by playing four $27 turbos.Hmmmm.

Looks like I've been tagged by the Kat and now require to post seven unknown facts about myself.Don't all leave at once!

1) I used to eat 8-12 weetabix for breakfast every morning.

2) I can wiggle my ears and flare my nostrils.

3) I once encouraged everyone in my office to buy penny shares in Orchard furniture after a tip off.Most did and the share price crashed soon after!

4) The first single I bought was "The Chicken Song" from the Spitting Image tv series.It's still a classic today...

5) I'm learned the mindfulness of breath meditation at a Buddhist centre in Glasgow a few years back and still practice it on occasion.

6)I've always wanted to ride across the USA on a Harley.The closest I've come is driving down the East Kilbride expressway on a 100cc Kawasaki hairdryer.

7)I was scared of the dark as a youngster.Now I'm only scared of the Pokerstars river card...

Ok,If they read this then I tag...

Mias Dad ( Spid)
Cell 1919
Chipper
Yorkshire Pud
Planet Gong
The Edge ( Mauz)
Ornate Push

Don't forget Britbloggerment 8 on Sunday...

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Thursday, May 10, 2007

Thanks Sharky

After a couple more out of the money Sng's it was a relief to finally come 2nd in an $16 turbo last night.This was after visiting my Mum and bubbling at a $6 turbo on her account.

I used Sharkscope to make one call with 1010 in a $15 game after I'd raised,two players called and the third went all in.The all in player was a complete fish on super tilt according to Sharkscope and that fact, combined with his bet looking like a squeeze bet persuaded me to call.The others folded,he showed AQ and my hand actually held up!


When the sng got heads up I felt I should have won but I blew it by trying to get too fancy.Once again I started the HU with the shortstack and once again I managed to get even mainly by aggressive play.There wasn't much limping by either of us so I decided to test the villain by limping in to see how he played it.He made a large reraise and I folded my Q9.

I planned to do the same when I actually had a hand but this time I would play it the same way and come back over the top.Instead I mistook KQ for a decent hand,limped as planned and once again he raised me.I dutifully went all in and then realised the story I had told was all wrong and that I was in effect trying to trap with a fairly weak hand.If I had a decent hand then my plan would have worked as the villain dutifully called with his monster A5 soooted and knocked me out.Hmmmm.

Ok,that's all for today.Don't forget to register for Britbloggerment 8 on Stars under private tourneys.9pm BST start time ( 4 pm est in Pokerstars lobby).Password is donkament and everyone who blogs or reads blogs is welcome to play....

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Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Wed Update

After Sunday nights tiltorama fun I jumped back on the horse and played a few turbo (18 player)$15 sng's with Miami Mark on Monday night.The good news was that my poker mind had calmed down and my tilt monster seems to have retreated grumpily back to his lair.

The bad news was that I bubbled twice and came 6th in the last game.My first bubble came when my JJ was busted by A5.As the Ace fell on the turn I thought of Rosie the Rottie and her Ace rag donkey rants.

A wee "please kneecap" button on her site with a space to fill in the donkeys username may be the way forward.Yes, money is made against donkeys playing Ace rag like that, but it would be much more satisfying to know that Rosie and her sturdy mallet were paying the donkey a visit.

Knock,knock:

"Evening Sir,Called a raise with A5 for your full stack on the bubble did we?"

Swing mallet.....cue screams......



The next one was a close one as I was the smallest stack, pushed against a big winner with 33 and was eventually called after the clock had almost timed out by the villain and his AJ.( rivered his Ace).

It was an interesting one because I only pushed because the villain was a big winner and I didn't expect him to call me unless he really had a hand.I wonder if he had checked Sharkscope too, realised that I'm profitable overall at these sng's and that I may be pushing with a less than premium hand, because I knew he wouldn't play back at me without something.He had me covered and although I was annoyed to get rivered I could understand the call.

Of course I may be over thinking it and he just thought "awfuckit I'm calling"!!

After the sng's I moved to Laddys and got back on the cash game horse by two tabling $50nl full ring.The play was incredibly loose and juicy with high average pots and 6-7 players playing in raised pots.I kept it tight ,got into a few pots with speculative hands from late position and eventually won nearly a buy-in
when I raised with AK and flopped my Ace and the nut flush draw.The flush draw never came in and I didn't get to see what the villain had but I was happy to see the cash slide over to me.

Last night I read a few blogs whilst Mrs A took her bath and then watched my Mum bubble in a $1.50 turbo at 'Stars before switching off and watching Casino Royale with the Mrs.I didn't play any poker at all and my hands didn't start shaking and no cold sweats were detected!

Tonight I'm heading over to Mother Acorns for a while before picking up Step A heading home to chill....

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Monday, May 07, 2007

Britbloggerment 8!

Uber tilt......

I managed 2nd again in the Britblogger game ( congrats to Tan for taking it down)after I played a reasonably solid game until the heads up end game with Tan.On the last hand ( my Q10 V Q8) I nearly pushed preflop again,but decided to limp and when Tan bet into me after flopping his 8, I felt I had such a short stack I had to call, and was hoping I had at least two live overcards( Doh!).I had begun the HU as the shorter stack although once again I did manage to get things going in my favour before overplaying a hand,KJ V AJ, to leave me short again.

The chatbox was buzzing and hopefully everyone who played enjoyed themselves.Next week I want to go one better!

During the game Mrs A had called from work and mentioned watching a film together when she came home, as I'd suggested the same on Sat night but she was tired and went off to bed when she came home.I agreed, however when she arrived back I'd just crashed out of a tourney I was playing with Miami Mark and Mrs A said I could play another before the movie.Well I lasted about 5 mins in the new one and opened a cash table before Mrs A stormed off upstairs saying it was now too late to watch a film and to just get on with the poker.I knew there was no point running after her to try and make ammends but I also knew I'd become a leading candidate for the worst boyfriend of the year award and if I won then I'd deserve the title.

I was now very tired,more than a little herbed up ( !!) and feeling guilty and annoyed at myself for being such an idiot.

Anyway the next part is more toe curlingly embarrasing than even this...



I joined Miami Mark at a $100 nl 6 max table and lost a buy-in when a villain called my preflop raise with 97 and flopped a straight v my AA.I'd led out post flop and the villain didn't mess about and put me all in.I was new to the table and had no read at all so calling for the rest of my buy-in with my pocket pair was weak.

Not long later I tried the villains trick and called a preflop raise with 910sooted.The flop was 8 9 10 and it makes me squirm to think the money went in after an 7 came on the turn, as I was sure he had a larger pair than the board (JJ did worry me but not enough to get me to fold).He had KJ and I never paired my 9 or 10.

I then moved to Party $200nl and lost $140 all in preflop with KK v AA.I'd raised and after three players called, the fourth villain raised it to $42.Instead of that screaming Aces at me it screamed AK/AQ.Next time I'll cover my ears to prevent me from hearing any damn screaming!( especially my own!)


It was then back to 'Stars $200nl ( after a brief fiasco at Laddys which thankfully only cost me $35) for the tiltiest most horrible hand I think I've ever played.I used to have a post it note stuck to my pc which said "Am I past the point of pain?".In this instance I had well and truly passed that fateful stage.

It is a thin line though.On most occasions I can absorb the beats or accept I've played a hand poorly,deal with the consequences and move on.I always tell myself that if I can cope better than my opponents by not falling apart in those situations, then that will help give me an edge over those who may be better players but who have severe tilt issues.

Ok,I raised with A6,the flop was an A 5 3 rainbow,I led out and was reraised at which point I got into a raising war and ended up all in, as you do when you're in bonkers,mad, why didn't I just watch the film?,Why am I so stuck?,Why me?, Whiney whine mode.Even as another Ace came on the river I still knew it hadn't helped and I was beaten.The villain showed his A5 and I saw sense at last and went to bed.

I'm not seeking sympathy or "ouches".I'm not going to over analyse it either.I was in a crap, grumpy ,tired mood and got greedy chasing losses.I reckon last nights nonsense cost me almost $650 which wipes out my profits for last month.Looking over the longer term and at the bigger picture and I'm still over $300 up since the beginning of March and to be fair to myself I don't go on mega tilt very often.

It's also another reminder of why I have a bankroll and how useful it is to have one large enough to provide a cushion for occasions like last night.I have enough faith in myself and have experienced enough variance to know that it's unlikely that I really need a $4k roll for $50nl but as a hobby player it's great to know I can play like a total donkey,spew some $$$ on tilt and still have plenty left over to do it again.( he jokes!)

Righty I'm off to put last night behind me and to make things up with Mrs A.....

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Lets get ready to rumble!


Maybe it was one of those "you had to be there" moments but just as the big fight was about to start and the words "and this is it,the moment the whole world has been waiting for" had just left the ring announcers lips, this happened....


It wasn't even a big pot but the timing was spot on!
Big thanks to Hoyazo for the tip left on the lowlimit grinders blog recommending screenhunter.


I had warmed up with a couple of 18 player $15 turbos and managed 3rd in one of them before moving to th cash tables and making a poor start.I wasn't losing big pots but a few $20 ones got away from me and it felt like I was in leaky bankroll mode.I was also very tired after a late night on Friday night and at that point my plan was to play just a wee bit more before hitting the sack.

I took a wee break,read a few blogs and followed a few links.I found The Surly poker gnome via a link on fellow britbloggerment player Stephens blog and really enjoyed the articles on continuation bets and blind stealing in particular.I like the bet big philosophy at the low levels, however I used the info from the first article to slow down a little and take the occasional free card ( when drawing)after betting into the initial aggressor post flop.Here is one example.( note the overbet for value after I hit on the river!)

Here's the hand which I think formed the basis for a solid nights work at the tables.I know I post so many "awfuckit calls" that anyone reading must wonder if I ever lay down a hand at all, but on occasion it has been known!I was two tabling and actually checked the flop by mistake which allowed the villain to catch his flush.I did almost let the clock run out on me but thankfully folded in the end.

I then went on a wee bit of a tear at $50nl and left one table ( after the fish had gone) after reaching $241 ,thanks mostly to a couple of sets paying off against high pocket pairs.It wasn't one way traffic all night but that cash table run means the week has been a profitable one and I'm edging my bankroll closer to the $5k mark.

Table selection was key again last night and if a table toughened up or didn't have at least a couple of donators then I was soon on the move looking for those juicy high average pot games.It is frustrating to sit down at a cash table,spend 1/2 hour getting to know the villains and then have to move and start all over because nobody is getting out of line, but it's worth the effort.Sure I may miss out on a load of bonus opportunities however I gain by not restricting myself to one site and being free to scan the lobbies of Stars,Ladbrokes,Party and Full Tilt and choosing the very best table available.

Feeling very tired again today after staying up to watch Floyd Mayweather win a split decision over De La Hoya after a hig quailty fight.No clinching or spoiling tactics made it a fascinating encounter and although for a while it looked like De la Hoya had the power to do the damage, I thought Pretty boy Floyd did just enough to win overall.I just hope there's a rematch.

Ok, now that I can do screenshots I promise not to go overboard with gratuitous shots just for the hell of it...but err here's a nice flop!



Righty that's all for today.Don't forget to register and play in....

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Saturday, May 05, 2007

Gers win 2-0 !

We may have lost the league title but at least we have won the last two Old Firm games and todays win was even more convincing than our win at their place last month.Boyd scored first and Charlie Adam sealed it with a peach of a freekick.It should have been more!Now I just need to get my voice back again....

Not much to shout about on the poker front.I won a $15 turbo ( 18 player) last night but never made the money in six others to leave me about even.I've also realised that if I'm going to play cash tables, then I need to have enough time to devote to it, and not be in a hit and run type mode, where I take chances when I don't really know my table.I lost $20 at Stars with 88 v A6, after the villain hit a 6 on the turn and river.Yes that was maybe unlucky, but it was a lowish ( lower than 8) ragged board and after he had called my 5bb preflop ( and he was also the big stack)I didn't push it hard enough post flop as I was worried about betting into an overpair.Maybe I should stick to limp calling with my pairs....( set mining!)

I moved to Full Tilt as the s-man was there and managed to blow a buy-in at a cash table when once again I just couldn't lay a losing hand down.My awfuckit calls are usually made instantly and at least this time I managed to force myself to slow down and consider the situation a little more.Unfortunately my thought process went like this..I have QQ and have made a decent preflop raise and the villain has check called my increasingly larger bets on the flop and turn.The flush and straight draws have both come in and after my river bet he has raised me all in for a further $26.If I'd watched someone else play this hand I'd be screaming fold but something told me he didn't have the flush or straight and could be making a move with tptk.( flop was 7 high so an A7 type hand was in my mind).I made the call and he's been ahead with a set of sevens since the flop had come.Grrrrrr!

The good news is that I kept my head and won the $11 turbo I played with the s-man to leave me only down a little at FT.

Ok,that's it for todays witterings.Don't forget to register for tomorrows Britbloggerment 7 game on Stars at 9pm bst.Password is donkament and anyone and everyone is welcome to play.

Mrs A is working tonight so I'm off to roll a large one and watch the rerun of todays victory before hitting the tables later...

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Friday, May 04, 2007

Life Shortening weekend....

Congrats to The Cloud for his excellent recent Mtt finish.Nice one Sir!

I've had a fairly non eventful couple of nights at the tables.I was frustrated to come 2nd in a $15 ,18 player turbo on Wednesday night after my 66 was rivered by the villains A2 when he hit his Ace.I then slow played my QQ a few hands later ( he had hit auto check/fold) and crashed when that allowed him to hit with his 95 off on a 996 flop.Doh!

I went 0/4 last night after running into Queens twice with mid pairs and suffering a couple of suckouts.I did try an all in bet from UTG with KK not long into one game, as I'd done something similar with AK and won a big pot a couple of hands previously.I was hoping that anyone with a pair may fancy a race if they put me on a similar hand again.They all folded!

All good fun and I'm looking forward to more poker tonight if I survive another driving lesson with Mrs A.

I can't be up too late tonight as I've got the final Old Firm game of the season at 12.30pm tomorrow at Ibrox.We lost the league ages ago but won the last Old Firm game and winning this one would be a good way to lay down a marker for next season.

Perhaps I should be careful as America's Esquire magazine http://www.esquire.com/dont-miss/better-man-07/60things0507 has an article titled "60 things worth shortening your life for" and attending a Rangers v Celt*c game comes in at number 40 on the list!

"Preferably in the Scottish Cup final. Imagine: Red Sox versus Yankees, if the ALCS involved sectarian hatred, hooligan rioting, and the occasional death threat."

There I was thinking it was going to be like a Sunday school picnic....


I'm also looking forward to the De La Hoya v Mayweather fight on Sat.It's the biggest fight for years ( since Tyson lost to Lewis in 2002)and I can't wait to see the Golden boy and Pretty boy get it on.I reckon Mayweather's boxing skills will see him win on points but ideally I'd like to see De La Hoya knock Mayweather out sparko!

All that and I'm off on bank holiday Monday! Smokin'!

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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Britbloggerment 7 + Fee War Victory!



I posted the other day about my mortgage company refusing to pay the £75 arrangement fee I decided was due in order that I return the £5000 they overpaid into my account when I recently remortgaged.I received the letter since then backing up their position of "respectfully declining" ( I like that phrase btw!)my request and asking for their money to be returned to them.

I called yesterday and said I'd like the matter escalated to a manager and if no agreement could be reached with him/her, then I wished to receive a deadlock letter, which I could then take to the ombudsman for the industry for an independent review of my case.I'd also be requiring the full reasoning behind their decision aswell as an explanation for the error and the details of the process changes they were planning to ensure it didn't happen again.

A while later I received an email containing the following words:

"Thank you for your fax received 01/05/07 regarding your request for £75 as a good will gesture to return the £5000.00 sent to you in error.

I am happy to agree to your request of £75 on condition that the funds have been returned to us in full within 7days."

Reeeeesult! When I consider that I've already been paid £12 interest as the funds have been in my account for nearly a month too then it's not a bad outcome at all.


On the poker front last night after watching the football I managed a 2nd place and a donk out from two $15 turbos to boost my 'Stars roll slightly.

More football on the box tonight ( Man Utd 2-0 down after 34 mins)before I hit the tables...

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Pushing the envelope + Monthly stats

Thanks to all who took the time to leave the emminently sensible comments I received on yesterdays post and for that long overdue confession Juice :-)))

I agree with the general consensus that although it's probably better to keep this wee ghey poker blog outwith my family,it's not a "panic,hit blog delete key" issue if it doesn't remain that way.

After Sunday evenings tomfoolery last night seemed a bit tame.I did find it quite amusing that I wrote about why I'd rather be all in when shorthanded with 56off than A7, because 56 is less likely to be dominated by a bigger Ace.( AQ,AK etc) Amusing because I came 3rd in an 18 player $16 turbo last night at 'Stars after pushing with A7 and running into the solid players AQ.The poker gods do like their fun.Two more turbo's out of the money meant a tiny profit for the night.

On the subject of fun I've mentioned my somewhat frugal nature on this blog and my workmates took advantage of that last week.I detest the "put money in an envelope" office practice which seems to see an envelope go round the office for everything from engagements to somebodys flippin cat sneezing.I've been here twelve years and have never been the beneficiary of such an envelope.( despite trying to start one for my own birthday a couple of years back!)

Well last week a colleagues house was burgled and as she was off dealing with the insurance and police I came back to my desk to find yet another collection taking place for her.I was staggered that we now have to donate our hard earned cash for such an event, but reluctantly added my generous ( £2!) donation to my colleagues before the bassa's told me the next day they were winding me up.

To the stats and here's the update for the month ending April 30th....

Pokerstars $532,Pokerroom $772,Party $812,Ladbrokes $1429,Full Tilt $1248.Total $4793(+ $160 since 15/4) Monthly profit since 31st March = +$575

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