Youpaymycaroff....

I thought I'd start todays post with a couple of links for anyone wanting to improve their Karma and suffer less bad beats at the poker tables! ( ok,no promises!). This first link is to a breastcancer site and simply requires you to "click" to donate towards free Mammograms to help detect breast cancer.Bookmark the site and click daily!

I've added this link to Colinhowe.org after reading his story here.Bottom line is that Colin has terminal kidney cancer and requires a £3500 per month treatment to give him a good chance of doubling the time he has left.The local hospital trust have refused to fund it.I'm not going to debate that decision,but to help,please follow the link and make a donation.

Back to the poker and I've finally requested a withdrawl of $1400 from my Full Tilt poker bankroll.This will go towards paying off the flat decorating costs I've run up on my credit card.

I crashed out of one and came second in another $16 ( 18 player) turbo last night.I lost about $30 at a $100nl Party 6 max table and logged onto Bet 365,only to discover they have have new software and require me to register a new username.I use Zagga and Acornman at most sites but I'd like something a bit more original this time.

Prime candidates include Stinky Finger,youpaymycaroff,curtains4u,dontcallmeplze,Ismellfear,livetobluff or even a girly name.If anyone has any suggestions please leave me a comment!

No poker tonight as I'm back at CW's to look after Step A as CW is working until midnight.I'll finish reading Christopher Brookmyres "Attack of the unsinkable rubber ducks" and watch a bit of tv.The book took a bit of getting into, but has turned out to be up to his usual high standard.

I'm still looking at new laptops.Last nights Party poker chatbox message that they were not allowing chip animations etc because of a lack of memory in my computer has further convinced me my laptop is the reason for the occasional disconnects and slow/freezing screens.

I recommended Amy Macdonalds cd "This is the Life" in a recent post and Mr Cloud mentioned how much he loved it too.I don't think I made it clear just what a truly outstanding album it is.If your going to buy/download one album this year then I'd highly recommend you make it this one.Nearly fifty minutes of music which will blow your socks off.Don't miss it!


Ok,don't forget to register for the Bloggerment on Pokerstars this Sunday.9pm bst or 4pm est under "Private" in the lobby and only $5.50! All welcome!

Caledonia

I didn't play much poker on Tuesday after the game and none at all on Wed night when I was up at the ex's looking after Step A.It was great to see her, although I must remember her hair is "crimped" and not curled.( apparently!)

I usually ask her what subjects she is doing at school that day and when she said she had PE ( physical education) first thing on Thursday morning I said "well that'll wake you up" to which she replied "you always say that".I do?!!

I probably repeat myself just as often in this blog and I'm surprised I don't get more "you always say that" type comments!

Last night after giving Nacho a good run out at the local football pitches I eventually hit the tables,running KK into AA in my first $16 turbo and crashing out of the second.I fired up a third one and was doing fine until I ran 88 into QQ.The flop was all clubs and also brought me my 8!

Although I was happy with my set ,the villain held the Queen of clubs and after the turn brought a blank ,the river delivered.....another blank and I actually felt stunned that for once I had sucked out and inflicted a beat on someone!

Of course normal service resumed when I went out fourth ( in the money at least as it was an 18 player)after having my KK busted by AK when an Ace flopped.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend.I have Nacho again tonight and after a dinner and a long walk it's the raisetheriver league game.

Tomorrow I'm off to Ibrox to watch the Gers play Hibs and around 7 ish The Big Chap,Dudley and Hammerheid are meeting at my place.My cousin will be driving us down to the S-mans place where we'll meet up with the San Jose Salmon,have a few drinks n smokes and play some poker.

Ok, before I go I posted an youtube clip of the amazing Amy Macdonald the other day and Mr Cloud and I agreed on what a great album she has out.I didn't realise though, until last night, that at the end of the last track ( if you leave it running), she does a cover version of Frankie Millers "Caledonia", which is one of my favourite songs.In fact it's the only song I've ever attempted to sing Karaoke style.( and even that was thousands of miles away in Gran Canaria!)

Here's Frankies original version..

The Losers

When I began playing poker online for real money nearly 3 years ago after becoming a play money zillionaire,I had no grand plans or ideas above my station.I worried about becoming an addicted losing gambler and gave myself a £50 per month budget for my hobby.I actually only started playing for real money because Pokerroom withdrew their play money tables and ran a "real money isn't scary" type Halloween promo back in '05.

I've always been aware that the vast majority of players lose money online and although I've been stunned by the extent of those losses at times, ( usually when checking Sharkscope for info on tourney opponents) I've never given it too much thought.I always assumed that these guys/gals were probably earning a lot more than me in their daytime jobs and could afford large losses at poker.

Last night though I read a few poker blogs ( no names and they are not linked by me) where the blogger is posting about losing at poker, constantly feeding more money in and losing that too.Poker was a priority over food and the basics of life for this blogger and it did make for a very sad read.

Maybe the guy who shoved his KJ v my Aces the other night preflop ( I was genuinely surprised as I expected him to flip QQ/KK)is one of those players chasing the thrill of winning that big pot.Perhaps he gets his money in as huge underdog to punish himself in some psychological self-loathing way.

I've played plenty of turbos won by very poor players who don't know where the fold button is and are involved in every hand.Sure,I shake my head as they suck out time after time and run up huge stacks and maybe that's the rush they play for.The stats don't lie and though every dog ( or fish) has his day ,on most days these guys lose and lose again.

I've never been one to get angry with guys like Mr KJ.( even after he busted my rockets!) It's my own bad luck that I curse and I always remember I want to have players with weak hands calling my big bets when my holding is strong.Maybe now though I can understand better why they would make such a play.

On another point this blogger also mentioned how boring the blogs of small-time winners can be and to some extent I agree. I sometimes look at my blog and reckon my daily posts detailing every small profit/loss would induce sleep in even the worst insomniac.I named the blog "poker and life" to give myself the chance to bore people to death with life stories too and to avoid repetitive hand histories and bad beat tales becoming all I post.

No bad beats last night though!I entered a $12 slow speed 6 max sng on Stars by mistake and donked out of it before managing 4th ( for $27) in a $16 turbo.

Nacho was staying last night and I was really looking forward to runninng Step A to school this morning until CW texted me to say the wee one was at her Grans and didn't need a lift when I dropped Nacho off.I really miss having her around and I'm looking forward to going over to CW's ( the ex) and looking after her tomorrow night while CW is working.

I've not missed CW as much as I expected since I've moved out, which is a good thing, but it does worry me that I don't seem to know my own mind very well at times.I did tell my sister I was unhappy back in Feb and maybe I'm just such a creature of habit and routine that I just accepted the situation I was in.

Righty I'm watching the Lyon v Rangers Champions league game tonight followed by some pokery fun.We're in the toughest group and I'd be delighted with a draw against the six in a row French Champions.

Back later in the week.Until then here's the fantastic Amy Macdonald.....