Fitz Scalps - €50 + €50 21/4/2006

After a few days off from live poker, I ventured down to my favourite game, the €50+€10 scalps game in the Fitz, with one rebuy or topup available for an additional €50. I haven't played in months as my social life interfered - it looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future, most of my Fridays are booked up until the start of June!

Anyhow, starting stack was 2400, rebuy or topup was 3000...and this will be a very short report! I have never been so card dead in my entire life. I was seated at table 1, with a number of very experienced and wily opponents, so much options to make moves without cards were limited at best. I won ONE pot all night, and that was during level 1...limped in mid-position with KJo, no-one else went with me bar the two blinds, flop came down JJx rainbow, checked around to me, I see check. Turn was another rag, checked to me, I throw out 100 (pot of 125) to try to build it a little, both blinds fold. W00t! 75 chips profit. And that was it for the night.

Took the topup at the break, I had about 4k in total after this. Tried to play a little in the first level after the break, blinds of 100/200, but only found cards out of position, and missed every damn flop. I finally pushed with A7o during the 150/300 level (I had 2.5k left at this point), was called by a big stack with AKs, no 7, no help and out I go. Awful night but at least I was home at 10:30 to continue my enjoyable time watching The Shield: Series 1 on DVD, this show ROCKS!

On a more positive note, my online play has picked up a bit, I am playing more STTs than at any other time over the past 6 months and finally have broken out of a bad slump. I am still down $300 online for the YTD, but am confident I will be back in positive territory by the end of June, when I am leaving my job. Live, I haven't had a result in a few weeks but am still more than €3,500 to the good YTD. Hope to make it to the SE for the €75 DC tonight :)

Irish Open Side Event - €150 rebuy 17/4/2006

Played in the SE twice last week, I'll be succinct and give them each a one-liner review!

SE €75 DC 12/4/2006 - 6 tables, some good play, card dead after the break, knocked out in 18th when I ran my A10 into AA and 99

SE €50 DC 13/4/2006 - 10 tables, huge crowd in town for Irish Open, played far too passively, out at 11pm, shouldn't have played as friends were out in the Barge and it was full of fine women supposedly!

Ok, on to real deal: I played in the €150 rebuy Irish Open side event last night, along with 160+ others. Started at 6pm, 2k starting stack, unlimited rebuys for 90 minutes, rebuys and add-on were both 2k. Sat down on table 2, with at least 2 professionals in attendance, one was scottish pro Tony Chessa (sponsored by Littlewoods Poker), the other was a Scandie. Most of the other players were English, all willing and able to rebuy multiple times. Within the first five hands there had been 3 multi all-in pre-flop car crashes and many many rebuys! It would be fair to say I was on the maniac table and out of my depth. I had budgeted to spend €600 at most, and hoped to get by for less if possible. Very tough to play, therefore, with players willing to push all-in blind, and who would call multiple all-ins blind for 'value'! They just wanted as many chips as possible on the table and could easily afford the cost of the rebuys.

So basically I had to hang tight and make my stand with decent hands. I was forced to rebuy mid way through the 2nd level, when I got short stacked and pushed with KQ, was called with A5, villian hit a 5 on the flop. Towards the end of the 3rd level, I more than doubled up with I found AA pre-flop and raised to 700 (blinds 100/200, I had 1500), which in retrospect was a bad move, very suspicious, should have pushed. Two callers, including Tony, T56o flop, Tony pushed, BB folded, I called, he flipped 34o but didn't improve. I was up to almost 4k and was moved to a less maniac table. Took the add on at the break to bring my spend to €450 for the night.

Things really quietened down after the break, but the structure was quiet steep so you couldn't hang around for too long. I made a bad mistake (again, playing much too passively) during the 200/400 level, I was on the SB with J6o, one limper (good Irish player), I complete and BB checks, flop of J87 rainbow. I check, BB checks, limper bets 600. I should have pushed my remaining 4k at this point, I had just enough to scare him and was probably in front anyway, but folded like a deckchair. Ughhh. Tripled up a while later, pushed with AJs after the same player min-raised from MP, BB calls, Irish guy calls, flop was AT6 rainbow, BB checks, Irish guy pushes, BB tells him 'you better have him beat', Irish guy looks confident, I reach for my coat but he flips A9o and I am in much better shape. Won a pot or two to stay near 10k.

Moved again, down to 60 players, blinds now 600/1.2k, getting desperate again. Top 18 getting paid, winner gets €28k, 18th gets €625. Onto a very tough table, a few professionals, EP raiser, I find AKh and push, folded around to villain who has a big stack and has to call, he flips 88, so a race it is, about 15k in the pot...here's the flop, a K, woohoo!....with a Q and...damn it, an 8 :( Only one heart, so running kings? Aces? or hearts? No luck, home I go. Fun night but quitetough and I needed a much bigger bankroll to play in that tournament.` Think I'll take a few days off poker, maybe play the SE on Wednesday but that's it for a while.

SE Double Chance - €150 8/4/2006

After a very late and hardcore night out on the town on Friday, I was completely unable to face another night out so decided to wander into the SE to chance my arm at a STT or two for their monthly €300+20 game. I played one 7-handed STT (€45 buyin) but was knocked out in 5th - should just forget about these STTs, there is no value for me in the structure. Went downstairs to the casino floor and proceeded to throw away €50 on blackjack (I'm up a bit on blackjack for the year after a +€200 night in the SE before, but rarely stake €50 in a single session), then headed out the door at 9pm as I didn't fancy buying-in for €300. However, half way up the road towards my car I ran into someone who mentioned the management had changed the game to a €150 double chance due to lack of interest in the monthly game...I continued towards my car, thinking I wasn't in the mood and still had a bit of a hangover to deal with...but then decided that I was running too well to miss this game on a night when I had nothing else to do and the ability to sleep in the next morning. That's the spirit, right?!

I was the final entry to the tournament, two full tables, either 18 or 19 players. Many of the usual regulars were playing, ocallagh (Niall) was on my immediate right on table 1. Starting stack was 2.5k, with your top up available after the first hand. I played the first two levels without calling for it, but decided to take it after a few players had doubled up. Our table was relatively quiet and passive, while the table 2 seemed the opposite, full of speech play and big pots. I was very quiet for the first few levels and couldn't seem to get moving at all. During level 3, I had KJo on the SB and, along with 3 limpes, saw a flop of JJx rainbow. I checked, hoping for a bet, checked around to a player in LP, who made it 300. I called, the other two folded. Turn was another rag, this time I bet 500 and he quickly folded. By the time the break rolled around, I had a little less than my starting stack, around 4,700 or so.

Soon after the break I was moved to table 2, which had all the big stacks. Alex came around to announce there would be 4 paid, so it was imperative to get moving at this point. I took down a nice big pot when I was dealt QQ on the BB, a raise and a call came in that were snapped off by my all in. It is always pleasing to win a nice sized pot without going to showdown! I doubled up soon after, and made it to the final table with almost 8k.

One thing I have noticed in the SE recently is that there has been a lot of play on the final table - maybe this is only because I have been getting there when there are less than 40 runners! In any case, this was true again, lots of play to be had. I was in seat 6, which was a great position, as both players to my immediate left were quite weak, particularly the player two to my left. He had built up a decent sized stack by being paid off on his strong hands, and now seemed content to try to limp into the money. This just wasn't going to work, but in the meantime I was happy to be in a position to steal his blinds whenever possible!

Unfortunately, I went card dead for the next 90 minutes, and barely played any hands at all. When we were down to 6 players I was in bad shape and in push or fold territory. Ocallagh was in great shape, having been involved in some major pots and coming out trumps. Down to 5 and on the bubble, I found a 33 and had to pushed. The player immediately to my left (the other two had been knocked out), a very good regular who I have tangled with many times before, thought about it for a minute or so and then called. It was 33 vs 55 (good call, he actually had me on Ax for a race, but he had the chip stack to risk it with a fairly weak pair), I was up and had my jacket on - this brings good karma, as I hit a 3 on the river. A few minutes later we were down to 4 and all in the money. The payouts were as follows, 4th €200, 3rd €440, 2nd €800 and 1st €1260.

I was still in push or fold mode, the other three (including ocallagh, who was 2nd chip leader after the lad on my left) were in fine shape but I had less than 5k with blinds of 800/1.5k. I pushed on the button with K7d, two callers, flop had two diamonds, turn was Ad, river was another diamond. There was a straight flush draw out there, but my second nuts was good to triple me up. The same chap on my left had called with K8 this time, again had me dominated but I managed to escape again! A few hands later he knocked ocallagh out, which was a pity as Niall had played a blinder and got unlucky at the end. I was the opposite, playing poorly and being card dead, but getting lucky at the end! I again survived against the odds three-handed, as I got it all in there with AJo vs AQs and spiked a J to stay in it. The other two were shaking their head at my outdrawing skills, as I started to move into chip lead territory and the ability to play cards again. I went on a bit of a run, pressurizing the both of them and really getting back into the game.

The chap to my left was then knocked out by the younger lad to my right, and we were heads up. I had a little over 30k, while he looked to have almost 60k. He immediately asked Alex to get the info on the final two payouts again, saying he wanted to talk about a split. Not sure what I would have accepted here...anyhow, in the meantime the dealer kept going, and I looked down at QQ in the SB. Here we go! I limped in for 3k, he immediately goes over the top and pushes all in...MAGIC. This is what dreams are made of, right? He must have Ax, Kx or a little pair. I insta-call, his face drops when he sees the ladies (yes, I'm a sneaky bollix HU), he flips A9o...and hits his A on the flop to take it down.

I really wasn't disappointed with 2nd, considering the outdraws that got me there! Swings and roundabouts, I deserved a suckout to call my own at the end of the night! That said, I probably just don't have the killer instinct that is really needed to be a great tournament player...others would be raging over missing out on 1st and an additional €460.

The SE rules, BTW...:)

SE Double Chances - €75 5/4/2006 & €50 6/4/2006

Played two mid-week double chance freezeouts in the Sporting Emporium, didn't last very long in either so here are the two short reports:

€75 DC 5/4/2006

I think we had about 27 runners or so, including an extremely impressive Boards contingent. On my starting table were ocallagh (Niall), Ollyk1, rounders123 (Aidan), brianmc and myself, 5 out of 8 players! This made it much tougher going than the usual Wednesday night, and two of the other three players I recognised as strong competitors from the Fitz. I didn't get many hands or was involved in many situations of note, though during the first level I found AQ on my big blind and wanted to ensure than none of the 5 limpers who dared such a thing on my watch would get to see a flop, to raised to 600 (12xBB!). They all folded. A level later I checked on my BB with K2, three limpers, flop was J22 rainbow. The SB checked, I bet 200, UTG+1 raised to 500, limpers folded. I had half a mind to flat call, but decided to raise to 1000 to see how committed he was to his Jx. He wasn't and folded. Should've flat called, as Olly later mentioned.

Just before the break I lost almost 1k (I had 4.5k at that stage, slightly over starting stack) when I reraised preflop with AKo and had to drop it on a raggy flop. With the harsh blind structure after the break (blinds 100/200 then jump to 200/400), you need to get busy quickly. I moved tables, stole the blinds on the button with Q8s, but pushed just before the blinds moved up with K7h. A player in LP called my 2.5k bet with KK and I was out. Good fun that night with so many boardsters around (got to meet Eoghan who is a newish poster and willis was pointed out to me).

€50 DC 6/4/2006

I was looking forward to playing this all day and was in great form upon arrival. Again, lots of boardsters in attendance, Olly was there as usual, Eoghan again and I met ianmc38 (who I recognised from a few final tables in there before). I was on an interesting starting table with 50% good players and 50% unknowns, most of whom turned out to be maniacs! I took my chips early and grinded up from 3k to 4k before the end of the 2nd level. It was all downhill after that! One hand that I made a mistake on: I was on SB, blinds were 50/100. Two limpers, I had A8o, decided to flat call (poor hand for my position, couldn't really raise on that table). BB checked and flop was AK9 rainbow. I checked, BB checked, Richie (Fitz regular) bet 400, LP limper folded. I made a decision too quickly and without thinking it through; I folded. So did the BB and Richie took the pot. I almost immediately gave myself an internal talking to - I should have raised Richie's bet, perhaps going all in (I only had around 3k left at this point). I was probably ahead, and even if I weren't, he might have folded stronger cards after that move. I reckoned he would have raised pre-flop with any cards better than A9, so the hands he could have held that had me beat were limited: A9, K9 - he might have had A8 too, for a split pot if he called my all in, which I very much doubt he would. The fold was a poor decision made in haste that I really regretted.

I then donked off a fair amount of my stack chasing the nut flush - I limped in on the table's resident gambler 's (couldn't lay down any pair, any draw or Ax) BB with A5c. Three other limpers, flop was Kxx with two clubs. The BB immediately bet 500 (blinds 75/150), other limpers fold, I should have folded but called. Turn was 7s. He bet 1000, I have 2.5k left and fold. Ugh.

After the break I was again in double up or bust mode. Moved to table 1, pushed on Ollys BB with KT0, took down the blinds. Next hand I had AQo, pushed again, called by TT and with no help home I go. I was happy to be called, as the clock indicated that the blinds were up to 200/400 and I only 2.3k left and needed that double up badly. Obviously I want to be called by Ax rather than a pair, but I was still fine to see TT.

Some big games this weekend, €300 FO in the SE on Saturday night and a €100 rebuy Irish Open (€3000 buy in) sat tournament that afternoon. Might play the Irish Open sat, though have planned to be in Galway for the following weekend (Easter) when the Open kicks off.

Online poker update - Q1 2006

Up to this point, I have only posted about my live poker experiences...well, I just wanted to write a little something on my online play. The reason I don't focus on it is simple: I don't play very much online anymore, as I find I play a lot better live and more importantly, I take only a fraction of the enjoyment I get from poker from online play. It just isn't very fun. A lot of people play poker solely to make money and grind out profits, but not me - I play for both enjoyment and the expectation of profit. However, if poker playing was my profession, I would certainly re-evaluate this viewpoint!

Anyhow, I am a player who uses / relies on feel a lot when playing live, and I just can't translate this across to the online medium very well (unlike a lot of players I know, who have a knack of reading others across a virtual table). As a result, my online play in 2006 has been limited. I played 85 STTs during the first 3 months of 2006 (a little less than one a day!), just over a dozen tournaments and two $0.10/$0.25 cash game sessions (last of the big spenders!).

Most STTs have been $12+1 6-handed or $20+2 9-handed on Poker Stars. I am currently down just over $200 YTD - this is a reversal from last year, where I made a very tasty profit from my STT play. Including STTs from November and December 05, my current downswing is even greater, almost $400. I feel I am playing even better poker that last year, I just a 'surfing a wave of negative varience' into the rocks, to paraphrase the legendary DocFarrell! I am confident I will end the year in positive territory with regard STTs, they are the bread and butter of my online play.

With regard MTTs, I have only played an average of 3 a month so far this year! This is because after weighing up my online play last year, I realised that after making a $1200+ STT profit over the course of 2005, I plowed the entire amount back in MTTs (mainly different WSOP and EPT satellites) with little success. So I decided in 2006 to almost completely stop playing online MTTs and concentrate on STTs instead - I played a number of $5 rebuys on Vegas Baby Poker, which were fun but not something I will ever make money on. The main reason why I am currently not suited to online MTTs, other than the fact I cannot play by feel and as such go from being a semi-decent poker player to a poor poker player (at least that's how I feel), is that I don't have the patience for online MTTs, get bored easily, can't concentrate on the game and as a result make stupid moves.

Nothing much to save about cash games, I only played once or twice to pass the time, just about broke even. I know this is an area I should think about concentrating on for the future if I want to make more money from poker, but haven't been willing to give it a try so far. I don't think I would find it interesting to play at lower levels and don't think I am willing to lose the cash needed to play at higher levels! I am very interested in investments in equities and commodities and prefer to accept a lower level of risk by investing in these and earning rewards I am happy with. Plus investing in these requires a much lower time commitment!

So that's my online poker update for YTD 2006 - one target I have set myself for Q2 2006 is to play 10 STTs at the least per week. So expect a more substantial update in 3 months time! Plus I can't promise I won't try a WSOP satellite or two over the next few months :)

SE - €75 + €75 01/04/2006

I had been out on a work do on Friday night and had a rough one - was little hungover on Saturday morning so took it easy all day and decided not to go out that night (as I usually would), so ended up playing the €75 in the SE for the first time. Starting stack of 2k, one rebuy or topup of 3k for €75 allowed. There were 25 runners I think, many of the same familiar faces that play on the Wednesday night.

I started out on table 3, many experienced players but a few who seemed relatively new to the game. No notable hands from the first few levels, I slowly built my stack up. The following occured during level 3, 75/150 blinds. I had 3k, I found 77 on the button. There were three limpers, perhaps I should have raised, but decided to flat call and see how the flop came down. SB completes and BB checks, and we see a flop of 345 rainbow. Checked to me, I throw out a bet of 500, all fold barring a player in MP who had limped almost every hand so far, a real donkey. He was obviously on a draw or possibly had A3 or A4, he would have raised with A5 (and I would have had him by the balls!). Turn was a J, he checked and I bet 500 again (probably should have bet more here, potted it), he flat calls again. River was a 7, giving me a set...but...he immediately throws out a 1k bet and I know I'm dead in the water. I fold my set and show the table, to the gasps of the other players. He doesn't show me his hand but confirms he had a 6, saying 'I'll tell you this time, but you will have to pay the next!' - yeah, we'll see who's here at the end of the night, jambag!

Down to below my starting stack, I won a few pots before the break, took the add on and had almost 7k at the restart, probably about average, there were no massive chip leaders at this stage, which is strange for the SE, even with less than 30 players in a tournament. People love to get their chips in at the SE! I was moved to table 2, blinds were 100/200 and I found KK, both black, within a few minutes of the restart. One EP limper, I raised to 900 from MP and it was folded around to the SB, who called, the BB and the EP limper folded. As I am not a loose player, most decent players respect my raises, the SB was a decent player, so he must have an ok hand. The flop was A high with 2 diamonds, I threw out a 1k bet to see where I stood, he raised to 2k, I fold the cowboys face up. Bugger it anyway. Hate having to lay down my big hands, though it is funny, the tournaments when I lay them down more than once, I often seem to make the money in! Maybe it is selective memory at work.

Anyhow, was moved back to table 3at the start of the 200/400 level (the biggest problem people have with the SE is their blind structure, the missing 150/300 level can be a killer!), and was in trouble with less than 4.5k. The gentleman / calling station who rivered his straight earlier was in worse trouble, with less than 2k and still limping limping limping and then loudly justifying his play (never heard so many 'i had to call, i had...' excuses in my life) to one and all. Thankfully he was gone soon after I moved back. I held my own for a while, we were down to 8 players fairly quickly thereafter and onto the final table.

I was one of three short stacks, 6 were being paid (2 too many in my opinion, there were less than 30 runners!), payouts were something like, 1100, 650, 450, 350, 250, 150. With a short stack, I wasn't trying to limp in to make my money back, I was ready to throw it in when I could! I wielded my little stack like a baseball bat when I had position, and more than doubled up to over 9k without once going to showdown. I found TT twice and both times snapped off min raises / lots of limpers with all ins, both times showing the table what I had. I gained some respect doing so, but am unsure whether this tactic is good in the long run, will have to have a think about it. I am starting to suspect I am giving away far too much information showing my hands both when I lay them down and when I win without being called.

The final table was quite passive, despite the participation of two SE regulars I really respect, including the chap who got me to drop the cowboys earlier on. It took an hour to get rid of the 1st player and another 1/2 hour to knock someone out on the bubble. With 6 players left, 2 had short stacks (less than 10k), I had 15k and 3 players had more than 25k. I had a very bad run of cards, unable to win a pot, and with 4 left I only had 7k left, the other three ranged from 20k to 40k. Blinds were 500/1k at this point. Luckily, the 2nd biggest stack took out the 3rd, leaving two big stacks of approx. 40k and me sitting uncomfortably with 6.5k. I suggested a three way split with a grin :) The chip leader, who was one of the better SE regulars, congratulated me for getting so far, but now the two were going to try to get rid of me.

Ah, but like a bad smell or an unwanted guest that appears on your door on a Sunday evening, I'm not going anywhere without a fight! Cue an obscene amount of all ins, well, I did only have 6xBB left and was always going to push any unraised pot. Cue a few horrible outdraws, K4s beat KJo, T8o beats A7s, it took a half an hour, but I ended up grinding to safety and then seeing the former chip leader be knocked out, leaving me heads up with a young fellow I'd never played against. He had a 2:1 chip lead, the DEALER kindly suggested chopping it (thought that was little much, it was late on a Sat night, but still!) but we played on. I think he was tiring, and I change my play completely heads up, but I soon doubled up with the following hand: I was in the BB, blinds 2k/4k, he limps, I have A7o and decide to slowplay this heads up monster and check. I reckon when HU against many opponents, if I have an ace, limp in and catch an ace, I will often win a big pot or double up. It has worked out like that for me many times, at least!

Flop is A74 rainbow. JACKPOT! Now, how to get all his chips? I check, he bets 6k, I call. Turn was a rag, I shake my head and check, he bets 6k, I push my remaining 11k or so, he has to call, and mucks when the river brings another rag and I announce two pair. Sweet like free money.

With that we are almost even, and a few hands later we count up, he has 47k, i have 41k, we split it 50:50, €170 to the dealers and €800 each.

I love you SE.

SE Double Chance - €50 30/03/2006

The 30th being the last Thursday in the month, it was time for the Fitz's big €250+20 monthly freezeout, which usually attracts most of Dublin's best tournament players. Despite having an extremely healthy bankroll, I didn't really want to buy in, and decided to go down, try to win a ticket via a STT satellite, and consider my options if this didn't work out. I ran into Olly who was on the final table of the freeroll and a few others in the club (including fixer from boards.ie, who I had never met before) and quickly got knocked out of two €30 STTs, the harsh structure and starting stack means these are real crapshoots. So I decided if I was going to be in a crapshoot, what better than one of the Fitz's infamous one-handed blind Omaha STTs? 10 players, €30 buy-in, 4 hole cards, 5 on the board, and the winner gets into the big game! Unfortunately, I was dealt muck, Dom (5starpool) won the ticket with quad aces, and I decided to pass on buying in for €270 after blowing €90 on STTs. I said my goodbyes and headed over to the SE for the €50 Double Chance.

Smaller field than usual for this, only 6 tables starting off. I really shouldn't have played, as by this point I was not feeling like poker and wanted to get home to play Oblivion! Luckily, I didn't have to hang around for long! At my table were 3 ok players and 5 not so ok players. One of whom was caught pushing with 35o and managed to hit trips on the river, then five minutes later was caught AGAIN pushing with bottom pair and managed to river his way out of that as well. His crap-eating grin was very annoying. Anyhow, I managed to dump most of my chips to him, I raised in MP with AKo, he called from the BB (he could have been holding anything). Raggy flop, which he bet...I really only had two choices here, to fold or push. Blinds were still low, I had only committed 1/5 of my stack to the pot, it was possible he hit a pair. Or, as likely, he hadn't hit a thing and was trying his arm AGAIN. But instead of choosing one of these options, I called. Another rag, another bet from him and another stupid flat call from me. A last rag on the river, he pushes, I fold like a wuss. Awful awful awful awful awful play. I was gone 15 minutes later after being outdrawn by another of the not so good players, but I deserved an early exit.

Never play when you don't feel like it.