Monthly Stats + Hats off to Pokerstars!

As much as I try and focus on volume and not short-term results I do still check the Cashier on a regular basis during my sessions and last night when I logged on I did seem to have a slightly higher balance than I remembered.Now considering I was remembering the balance I'd last viewed at 3am after many many smokes,I didn't think much of it.

I've just checked my emails and found one from Stars support letting me know I've been refunded $67 as I played against other players who were breaking Stars terms and conditions.The nature of the rule breaking is confidential ( I'd love to know!) but well done to Stars for picking up on it and issuing refunds.

Now all they need to do is create a $15 6 max hyper turbo level as the jump from $7 to $30 is too much.

Stats for Dec 1st-31st: Pokerstars $4736 ( + $749) Party $604 ( =)
Volume = 1127 games.( mostly 6 max hyper turbos) Total Profit $749
Total Bankroll $5340.

Managed to come close to my record last night,playing 106 sngs over the course of the evening.It gets a bit fast and furious but I can now 8 table the 6 max hyper games ( in one stack) and if I can 8 table those games I reckon I could probably play 10-12 full ring turbo's/Mtts.

I'm only 246 vpps from Goldstar status this month and with an exciting Hogmanay at the tables planned I may just achieve that by midnight.

Thanks to everyone who has read my witterings over the last 12 months and especially to those who take the time to comment.This blog may not be read by millions but with an aging population and the number one spot on google for the phrase "senile old bassa" the only way is up.

Enjoy your Hogmanay and may you have a healthy and happy 2012 with plenty of run good at the tables.Back soon....

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....

Keeping Mum?

Thanks to all who played in last nights Britbloggerment game and congrats to Spid ( Mias dad) for beating me heads up to take the title!

As usual please see the links on the right for some quality write ups as the dog ate my extensive notes...

I do recall AK winning v 1010 and I also remember making a couple of decent laydowns too.When we got heads up Spid had nearly double my stack and I tried to keep plugging away to close the gap.I got lucky when I went all in on a steal with "The Doyle" 102 off and beat Spids better hand ( soz I don't remember what it was) when I spiked my 10.

That gave me the lead and when we got it all in on the next hand with my 88 v QK I'd like to say I could taste the glory, but I've been playing long enough to know that chickens should never be counted in this game, and sure enough Spid hit his King on the flop to give him a big lead again.

A few hands later I pushed with 56 ,hoping if he called I would have 2 live cards and not be totally dominated.Spid called with AK and even hit his King for good measure.( I'd rather have been all in with 56 then an A7 type hand).No complaints from me at all and a big well done again to Spid for taking it down.

I think an early dinner and the fact I'd warmed up with a $75 profit at a $50nl cash table ( my 55 made trips v slow played AA)helped get me in the right mood for the game and hopefully I can go one better someday soon.

I also bubbled in the 2nd chance game although to be fair I did sit out for a while due to the ongoing main game.Congrats to Dudley ( res evil) for taking it down.Next time though it has to be a turbo format or not all for the 2nd chance game as the play was so competitive even with just 7 players that it could have gone on all night!

Now onto todays other hot topic...my poker playing Mother! Yes that was the observer who told me "nh" at one point and who mentioned to me in the IM that the table "all seem to know each other".She also wrote that "that Milk bloke is going out soon I think" at one point which made me laugh.

Sorry to bore any non blogging readers ( errr that's you Dudley,S-man and Miami Mark)but do my fellow online ghey poker dairy writers give their blog addys to the family to read?

For the most part I'm fairly sure there's not much to be ashamed of here, but if I want to write about my feelings ( ok,so maybe that's a rare occasion)about Mrs A,Step A or my parents etc ,then I'd like to feel I'm free to do so, without having to feel constrained by knowing who is reading.

Having said that it's only a poker blog and I felt gulity about not fully explaining the connection ( which she may guess at anyway,she's not daft)and inviting her along for the fun.

Don't get me wrong as I love my Mum to bits and love the fact that she loves poker as much as I do.We didn't get on during my teens at all due to us being so alike but we get on like a house on fire these days.( 99.9% of the time anyway!)

All thoughts and comments welcome....( quick boring stats post to follow)