Going to have a completely chilled out Saturday night on the sofa, with lovely company and a bottle of wine, watching top quality tv. Ok, actually I'll be watching the X Factor, but the company and the wine are great.
I spent a grand total of one day unemployed. Didn't get the job in Chester I previously wrote about, but am now working in Workington, in north-west Cumbria. Had a meeting there on Monday 3rd November, and was asked to start the following day! Only got a 6 month contract initially, but if all goes well it will be permanent.
I had a reasonable night at the Bloggerment last night, finishing in the money in third place, for my second ever cash in the tournament. I also managed to drop the hammer twice!
I had some good fortune just before the break, when Spid went all in and I called with 66. Spid showed 77, but a 6 on the turn doubled me up, and left Spid down on 775 in chips. However, only two hands later he saw 77 again, and doubled up with a full house.
Down to the last three, and I went to war with AJo, against simonjjj's TT. A Jack on the flop and an Ace on the turn were great for me, but the Ten on the river certainly wasn't, and my stack was decimated. 5 hands later and I was out.
Spid recovered in fine style to win the whole thing, with Simon taking second.
It was a good night, with some good natured banter in the chat box, and some familiar names playing. A turnout of 13 isn't great, but I quite like a short-handed table to start. Hope to make it again next week.
Tonight I played in the inaugural Euroblogger tourney on Pokerstars. Unfortunately there was only five of us!
Along with the familiar names of Zagga, Cloud and Hammerheid was Copa1982 from Darmstadt.
It all went horribly wrong for me when very early on I was dealt AK. With only 5 of us I went all-in. Unfortunately I ran straight into AA!
The final two were Zagga and Cloud. There was talk of a chop, but I urged Cloud to take it down for England, which he duly did, taking down the massive first prize of $25.
Just done a little tidying up of my blog roll. Taken off a few blogs that either don´t interest me any more, or just aren´t being updated. One new one to point out to you - Dudley has moved his blog over to Raise the River - check out it out here.
Also, for great coverage of the WSOP, head over to Tao of Poker.
Last night was the 53rd Britbloggerment on Pokerstars. So these have been running over a year now? Still lots of the same names there that were there at the start - BurnleyMik and Acorn of course, Rosie, AlEleven and Quixote8. Oh, and me too, but playing much less regularly than I was.
Congratulations to Acorn for taking it down; I came 5th, outside the money again, as my AJ went down to Cell's AK, as neither of us improved.
Things had started really well as, early on my pair of sixes met a flop of 633, and then, to my delight, two players went all in before me! That gave me the chip lead for quite a while, but it dribbled away over the next two hours.
I did manage one success last night, as I BurnleyMik put a $5 bounty on AlEleven. I took that as I rivered a straight to beat Al's pair. So I can afford to play again next week, as long as I don't donk it off at the cash tables before then!
Played tonight, and things were going pretty well. Down to the last 6, and getting a bit low on chips. I limped with A9c, and, with a flop of Ad 3h Kh, I pushed. After some thought the big stack, PhillyStein, called, and showed A6s. The inevitable 6 on the river sent me to the rail.
Congratulations to the winner, jjay2005. The final table finished like this:
1: jjay2005 (watford), $47.50 (50%)
2: Oenone (Scotland), $28.50 (30%)
3: Cell 1919 (Leeds), $19.00 (20%)
4: PhillyStein (Elkins Park),
5: simonjjj (watford),
6: stephenrhall (Blackburn),
7: jd8119 (Bristol),
8: zagga (East Kilbride),
9: lisam8319 (Bristol)
Come and play pot limit omaha with the good doctor, tonight at 9:20 GMT. If you've never played PLO before, all the better, I need someone worse than me!
Pauly has restarted his Saturday tourneys on Pokerstars, and the name of the game is Pot Limit Omaha.
Now I have a big problem with Omaha; intellectually I know only two out of the four hole cards count, but, emotionally, I see all those cards and get over-excited, leading to big mistakes.
Last night things were going pretty well, I was well up with the leaders in chips, not making too many donkey calls, and had outlasted a few players I know, such as ResdentEvil and Katitude. Then this hand comes along -
I am dealt:
Qh 8c 8s Qd.
I raise pre-flop and get one caller.
Flop is
Qc 9s Jd
The internal donkey shouts "Full House" and I push all in.
One caller.
Of course I haven't got a boat, because I can only use two hole cards. In fact I only had a set of queens.
The villain shows
Kh Kc 2c Th
I am ahead. He has a pair and is drawing to a straight.
Turn is 4h. No help for him.
River is Ac and he hits his straight, and I bust out.
Oops.
I might try again next time. Note to self - count to 5 before shoving!
Hello once again loyal reader. After a gap of 6 weeks I've summoned up the energy for a post.
In the news -
1. I didn't get the job. In fact, no one was appointed, and the position has been re-advertised. I am officially not better than nothing.
2. Christmas was a nice, calm family affair. Excessive quantities of alcohol were not consumed.
3. Poker playing is, as usual, up and down. My attempt to build my bankroll from almost nothing on Mansion is stalled. I've been as high as $120, and back down to $70.
4. My wife has been back to the consultant neurosurgeon, who is the most obnoxious, arrogant member of the medical profession it has ever been my misfortune to meet. As far as he is concerned because he has fixed the slipped disc, there can't be anything wrong with her. Obviously she is just using that wheelchair for fun..... Back to the GP if I can ever persuade her to visit a doctor again after this experience.
Continuing my efforts at bank roll building on Mansion, I've got stuck in the $60-$70 region. I'm playing $0.05/$0.10 cash games. The problem I'm having at the moment is the idiots who chase their draws to the river. However, it does sometimes work to my advantage. The following hand is an example. I know the guy will see a flop with any rubbish (having previously been beaten by his 8 3o!
| ANTES/BLINDS Hero posts blind ($0.05), .jackrymer68 posts blind ($0.10). PRE-FLOP Mejram folds, IceManQQQ folds, sebequino calls $0.10, xrajka calls $0.10, Hibachi13 folds, joza111 folds, Baggers59 folds, Hero bets $0.35, .jackrymer68 calls $0.30, sebequino calls $0.30, xrajka calls $0.30. FLOP [board cards: QS,7S,9C ] Hero bets $1.50, .jackrymer68 folds, sebequino calls $1.50, xrajka folds. TURN [board cards: QS,7S,9C,7C ] Hero bets $2.95 and is all-in, sebequino calls $2.95. RIVER [board cards: QS,7S,9C,7C,5D ] SHOWDOWN Hero shows [ QC,KC ] sebequino shows [ 8C,TC ] Hero wins $10. | |
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| SUMMARY Dealer: Baggers59 Pot: $10.50, (including rake: $0.50) Hero. bets $4.85, collects $10, net $5.15 .jackrymer68, loses $0.40 Mejram, loses $0 IceManQQQ, loses $0 sebequino, loses $4.85 xrajka, loses $0.40 Hibachi13, loses $0 joza111, loses $0 Baggers59, loses $0 | |
Played in tonights Brit Bloggerment for the first time for a while. And, for the first time ever, I made it to the money, finishing third.
I certainly had my share of luck along the way, but I don't think I made too many donkey calls. I managed to practice some of the restraint I've been learning in the cash games; I only saw 12% of flops.
I left HullJimi and BrainMc fighting it out for victory.
Update: Congratulations to HullJimi, who took the tourney down after 2 hours 44 minutes.
My free $20 is now up to $65. Shortly after my previous post on the subject, my bankroll started dribbling away alarmingly - I couldn't hit a flop, and my bluffs weren't coming off. However, over the last week things have changed.
It started, strangely enough, with me losing a full $10 buy-in at the 0.05/.10 cash tables within 5 minutes of sitting down. Now, normally if I lose a buy-in I stop playing, to limit my losses, however, this time, I didn't. I bought straight back in again, and with half an hour I had won my $10 back plus another 10. Most of it came from two people. The table nearly broke up, and for quite a long time there was only 3 of us playing. One guy kept buying in with just $1, I presume to minimise risk, but I just kept taking that dollar off him, and he'd buy in again. I think that happened at least 6 times. The other guy at the table had around $15 at the start of this session, and I took most of that.
I am staying away from the SNGs. I just can't seem to make any headway there at all. The cash games, whilst providing less opportunity for one big win, allow me to steadily grind away, taking two steps forward, one back, without the tilt provoking bad beats which finish you off in a tourney.
If I get the bank roll up to $100, I'll probably step up a level. At the level I am playing now it is a matter of playing ABC poker. Don't get too clever, because it can go straight over the heads of a lot of the people at the table, They just keep calling, and they'll catch something on the river. Of course whenever you get dealt AA in the big blind, everyone folds pre-flop.
Kat and Burnley Mik both been on the wrong end of a bad beat (Mik have you upset someone in another life, that is one hell of a run?).
Meanwhile, things have been going well for me over at Mansion. The $20 the gave me a few days ago is now $46, just from playing the $0.05/0.10 no limit cash tables. Hands like this certainly help!
*** Blind Bet Round *** :
rastaralle2 : Post Blind ($0.05)
-tordy- : Post Blind ($0.10)
TonyV1885 : Post Blind ($0.10)
Dealt to Hero: Ah
Dealt to Hero: Jh
*** Pre-Flop *** :
david-jr : Call ($0.10)
LECSO7373 : Fold
Lisa_K38 : Fold
jonna92 : Fold
TonyV1885 : Check
PeTiKe22 : Call ($0.10)
Hero: Bet ($0.35)
nmseg72 : Call ($0.35)
rastaralle2 : Fold
-tordy- : Fold
david-jr : Call ($0.25)
TonyV1885 : Fold
PeTiKe22 : Call ($0.25)
*** Flop *** : Qh 10h 8d
david-jr : Check
PeTiKe22 : Bet ($0.25)
Hero: Raise ($1.50)
nmseg72 : Call ($1.50)
david-jr : Call ($1.50)
PeTiKe22 : Fold
*** Turn *** : [ Qh 10h 8d ] Ks
david-jr : Check
Hero: Bet ($7.35)
Hero: All In ($7.35)
nmseg72 : Call ($5.65)
nmseg72 : All In ($5.65)
david-jr : Call ($3.70)
david-jr : All In ($3.70)
Dealt to Hero: Ah
Dealt to Hero: Jh
Dealt to nmseg72: 10s
Dealt to nmseg72: 4s
Dealt to david-jr: 6h
Dealt to david-jr: Kh
*** River *** : [ Qh 10h 8d Ks ] Ac
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $22.10 | Rake: $1
Board: [ Qh 10h 8d Ks Ac ]
LECSO7373 lost $0
Lisa_K38 lost $0
jonna92 lost $0
TonyV1885 lost $0.10
PeTiKe22 lost $0.60
Hero bet $9.20, collected $22.10, net $12.90 Shows [ Ah Jh ] (a straight, Ace high)
nmseg72 lost $7.50 Shows [ 10s 4s ] (a pair of tens)
rastaralle2 lost $0.05
-tordy- lost $0.10
david-jr lost $5.55 Shows [ 6h Kh ] (a pair of Kings)
It's a lovely feeling when you're all in on the turn, the cards show, and everyone else is drawing dead. Of course, the decision to go all-in would have been much less stressful if the King on the turn had been a heart but, as that was in one of the other guy's hands, that wasn't to be.
I looked back at my history on Mansion from last time I played here, and I did well then too. For some strange reason I withdrew my roll and moved it all to Pokerstars! I think I'll see how far I can take my free $20. Next stop $100!
.. but no chicks ;)
Mansion have given me $20 to go back and play on their site. It's probably 12 months since I last played there. I had a reasonable amout of success, but I eventually withdrew my roll and moved it to 'Stars.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I've re-installed the Mansion software, and am giving it a try.
There's a new, clean looking user interface, but, unlike Pokerstars, the size seems to be fixed. The range of games is also more limited than 'Stars. Anyway, I'll give it a go, and see if I can turn a profit.
A lesson I've learnt the hard way - beware of the paired board!
sparkie545: posts small blind $0.02
conngent: posts big blind $0.05
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to stephenrhall [9d 9s]
000'>J: folds
marquelyn: folds
FlitzeAAA: raises $0.10 to $0.15
TheOne2006: calls $0.15
astralfunk: calls $0.15
ionut_steaua: folds
stephenrhall: calls $0.15
sparkie545: folds
conngent: folds
*** FLOP *** [3h 8h 8d]
FlitzeAAA: checks
TheOne2006: checks
astralfunk: checks
stephenrhall: bets $0.35
FlitzeAAA: folds
TheOne2006: calls $0.35
astralfunk: folds
*** TURN *** [3h 8h 8d] [4c]
TheOne2006: checks
stephenrhall: checks
*** RIVER *** [3h 8h 8d 4c] [9h]
TheOne2006: bets $13.19 and is all-in
stephenrhall: calls $3.57 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TheOne2006: shows [Ah Th] (a flush, Ace high)
stephenrhall: shows [9d 9s] (a full house, Nines full of Eights)
stephenrhall collected $8.11 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $8.51 | Rake $0.40
Board [3h 8h 8d 4c 9h]
Seat 1: ionut_steaua folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: stephenrhall (button) showed [9d 9s] and won ($8.11) with a full house, Nines full of Eights
The big event has started. I was sharing a table with Lou Saban, but got moved after one hand. Rosie has an interesting seat - left of Dr Pauly.
13 minutes in, 32 out.
Update 1
Looks like I gave Rosie kiss of death - she's out in 1311th place.
Wil Wheaton is sharing a table with BurnleyJoe. Any relation Mik?
Otis has shown up as commentator, under name of Blogger Brad!
Playing steady so far. Not taking any risks. Slightly up on starting chips.
Update 2
Playing hardly any hands. I've seen two flops, won 3 hands!
Dropped in on Acorn. He's about level too. BM Similar.
Update 3
Just had a double up on my table, AA takes down KK.
Burnley Mik down to 7000.
Update 4
AQh and I make my first raise for ages. No takers.
Limped with A3h and flop AA3! Only BB in hand. I can't get him to raise, and he folds to my raise on turn.
Update 5
ResdentEvil was all in with a flopped straight and he doubles up.
Wil Wheaton has just dropped the HAMMER!
Update 6
Pauly is out. SuffolkPunch is down at around 8000, as is BM. I'm down to 8800. Nothing I can make anything of.
Two big stacks at table. I've pushed with JJ. One big stack calls with 99. Flop gives him a 10 high straight draw. Turn and river are blank and I double up.
Update 7
BM up to 14000 as he rakes in the chips with AA and another rocket on the flop.
Update 8
First break over, back to folding. I'm being a bit of a masochist, I'm playing Britbloggerment too.
Update 9
This time its me with 99. KK on the flop. I put a couple of small raises in. One person limps along, and I take the pot. Next hand 77 not so lucky, and I lose a few.
Update 10
I raise pre flop with TT. Two callers. Flop is AK4. One instant all in. Must be AK. One instant fold from me. One insane call with AQ. It was AK. It holds up.
Dealt 84 in BB. One limper. flop is 824. Limper pushes. I easily have him covered, so I call. A 9 on the turn and another on the river, counterfeiting my hand and giving him the higher two pair. Down to 11000.
Update 11
Now outlasted half the field, but low on chips.
Last update.
Out in 655th place.
Here are the fateful hands.
Dealt to stephenrhall [Qc Jc]
biobakje: folds
IAMB67: folds
PanamaStone: folds
stephenrhall: calls 600
bbmart60: folds
bighair83: calls 600
Catalina_Day: folds
Leraner: calls 300
quintiliano: checks
*** FLOP *** [3h Jh 4s]
Leraner: checks
quintiliano: checks
stephenrhall: bets 4925
bighair83: raises 4925 to 9850
Leraner: folds
quintiliano: folds
stephenrhall: raises 721 to 10571 and is all-in
bighair83: calls 608 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [3h Jh 4s] [Ad]
*** RIVER *** [3h Jh 4s Ad] [5c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
stephenrhall: shows [Qc Jc] (a pair of Jacks)
bighair83: shows [6h Ah] (a pair of Aces)
bighair83 collected 23316 from pot
quintiliano: posts small blind 400
biobakje: posts big blind 800
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to stephenrhall [Ks Ts]
IAMB67: folds
PanamaStone: folds
stephenrhall: calls 113 and is all-in
bbmart60: folds
bighair83: folds
Catalina_Day: calls 800
Leraner: raises 4125 to 4925 and is all-in
quintiliano: folds
biobakje: folds
Catalina_Day: folds
*** FLOP *** [Td 5d 2d]
*** TURN *** [Td 5d 2d] [6d]
*** RIVER *** [Td 5d 2d 6d] [3s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Leraner: shows [Kd Tc] (a flush, King high)
Leraner collected 2348 from side pot
stephenrhall: shows [Ks Ts] (a pair of Tens)
Leraner collected 565 from main pot
The event starts in less than three hours now. Registration is open, and entries are passed 400 and climbing rapidly.
Plenty of familiar names signed up - Dr Pauly, Mookie99, Kronsdat, ResdentEvil, Mike and Lou Saban, Hammerheid, Kattitude...... No sign of BurnleyMik, Acorn or Cloud yet. I presume they'll be along later.
