Bought New Car!

Not long back from the Arnold Clark carshowroom where I've just purchased myself a silver 2005 Ford Focus ST170 like the one pictured! I absolutely love my black Alfa 156 2.5 v6 but it's a 1999 model with 77k on the clock and the repairs were getting more and more expensive.The Focus looks great, drives like a dream and I can't wait to get the loan and plate transfers etc sorted. ( my "Acorn 1" number plate *)

It's still got a year left on the Ford warranty and will hopefully cost a bit less to run too.I spend about £150 ( $300) per month on petrol alone just now for my Alfa.
The Focus ST is just about as quick as the Alfa,has full traction control option and half leather sports seats.I can't wait to get it now!



Poker bit back last night at the tables after a decent start at 'Stars.I was $30 up at my cash table when my Kings were busted by some donkey calling pot size bets with 910 on a 10 high flop and hitting his 9 on the river.

I moved to a Party $100 nl 6 max table and suffered another suckout, which led to me making a daft tilty bluff ( I had Q10c and was on a failed flush draw) against the tables resident fishy calling station, who called my river bet with his 3rd pair.I realised I was tired and had had enough so I watched some of the Party Poker open on Ch4 before heading to bed $80 down.

On reflection I wished I'd shown the character to stay at that last table,tighten up my game and try and take out the fish using my failed bluff to hopefully get me action.Perhaps though, after that nasty combination of suckouts and card deadness, my bed was the best place for me.

I could also blame the bloggers curse for my woes last night.It seems everytime I read about another bloggers poor night at the tables I go and have one myself! More success stories please!

Righty that's all for today.Thanks for reading...

* ok my private plate isn't "Acorn 1" but maybe one day....

How The West Was Won

I came 2nd in a Full Tilt $11 turbo last night before winning an 18 player $15 turbo at Stars, and
I had a rough plan to go through some key hands along the way in todays post.I'd requested a 'Stars tourney history email but unlike Party it only gives a dull stats summary so I'm screwed for content today! Here they are anyway for anyone seeking an insomnia cure...

109 hands played and saw flop: - 2 times out of 23 while in small blind (8%) - 8 times out of 24 while in big blind (33%) - 5 times out of 62 in other positions (8%) - a total of 15 times out of 109 (13%) Pots won at showdown - 6 out of 7 (85%) Pots won without showdown - 27

I think the number of pots won without showdown reflects the fact it was one of those dream sng's where I built a big lead at just the right time and then stole just enough to make that lead almost insurmountable.I say almost because I'm always wary that one steal gone wrong and a bad beat or two can soon cripple a big stack.

The Full Tilt sng 2nd place was fairly non eventful apart from the last two hands where I sucked out with 95 v AJ and then went out on the next hand when my AQ sooooted was busted by 107.The villian and I both managed a "lol" about that.Oh and I did catch him out when he limped for the first time in the whole game and gave me free cards until the turn.Something smelled shady and when I folded to his bet he showed KK.I think the reason I sussed him was that it's the kind of mixing it up play I make myself sometimes ,especially Heads-up where a bet usually only takes the blinds.

Setting up later plays by limping with rubbish and then folding to reraises from aggressive players before finally catching a hand and playing the same way ( apart from the folding part obv) is one way I'll sometimes play my monsters.

Mrs A is out tonight and we have the grandkids staying tomorrow night so there should be plenty of time to play.Dropped my car off this morning to get a repair quote due to the knocking noise when I turn left.£275 to fix it and she goes in next Friday.Cue the emptying of my paypal account to pay for it.Having paid a fortune to fix her up last September at the MOT I'm hoping this will be the last expense for a while.I reckon it's the speed bumps on our street which is causing most of the suspension/linkage type problems rather than it simply being down to the age of the car.

My car loan is up in July and my Dad reckons I should trade it in soon but it's the best car I've ever owned ( Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 v6) and I'm really hoping to get another year of motoring from her.

Thanks for reading.Back soon...