Life gets in the way - 22/06/2006 - 28/06/2006

Live:

Only found time for one live game over the past week, and because of a number of social commitments (including a wedding outside of Dublin and friends visiting) I don’t think I’ll play another live tournament for a four or five days. Luckily, my ‘career break’ kicks in at the end of this week, so for the next month or so I should find a lot more time for live (and online) play. Lucky me!

Sporting Emporium €50+5 Double Chance – 22/06/2006

There was a reduced field for this when compared to the average number of runners over the past few months. This was almost certainly down to the World Cup, which is turning into a great spectacle. My poker sweepstakes team (we ran a $10 online tournament, 32 entrants, we selected teams in the order we finished, obviously he who finished first picked Brazil, I finished 9th), the Czech Republic, were knocked out in the group stages so I’ve no-one left to shout for. That said, I would love to see Argentina win, they play the most exciting football of the remaining eight teams.

Anyhow, only 49 runners or so lined up for the Sporting Emporium’s €50+5 Double Chance. There were a number of familiar faces, including Gholimoli, Lazare and Olly. Chief Brody was there – unfortunately he was knocked out before we got a chance to share tables! I had a very unremarkable few levels before the break at an unremarkable table with players I didn’t particularly rate. I was fairly card dead, not really involved in many pots, until the last level (blinds 100/200) before the dash for the chicken tenders. Mid way through the level, I was dealt AKs in MP. Two early limpers, I raised to 800, blinds folded, and the first limper UTG immediately pushed. Other limper folded. UTG had me well covered…but I knew his style, his experience and his ability to do something like this with AA / KK / QQ…I knew I was almost certainly a mile in front and at worst, very worst, 50/50 to a small pocket pair. He is a player very easy for me to read. I called with a big smile, he turned over 89s and doesn’t hit, doubling me up to over 5k, just about average when we reach the break.

After the break I started to move a little bit more, and trepled up in one lovely hand. Again, I was in mid-position, blinds were 200/400. A player in EP raised to 600, the next player raised to 1500, I look down at QQ and decide to push and hope to avoid AA / KK. More often then not in this situation, against these players at this stage of the tournament, the range of both players is 99+, AJ+ and I’m a mile ahead. The first raiser dwells and decides to call, the other didn’t have as much to think about as he was getting great odds. Both flip AKo – happy days! Only 4 cards to worry about, none of which appear, and I move into a nice table chip lead.

I maintained this stack for the next while, dropping a few thousand when we were down to two tables and when Olly was on my left, I was UTG and raised to 4xBB with JJ, it was called by two players including the BB (who is a boardie I think?). The flop came down K-high, the BB bet out, and I folded. The other player went along for the ride until the river, I think it was AA against TT or 99. and a J hit on the river! I moved tables while this was happening, and Olly shouted over to me that if I were a worse player I would have won! Damn JJ, damn it all to hell!

Anyhow, as we approached the bubble play slowed down, everybody tightened up, and I went unfortunately card dead. Soon we were hand-to-hand and I was in trouble. After an agonisingly long wait, the bubble was knocked out and we were on the final table. I was the short stack with 7k (blinds were 800/1500 I think) and in seat 3, needing to make a move straight away. Also, the prize structure only paid €55 to 9th, 8th, 7th and 6th so there was no point hanging around trying to limp into a better payout! First hand on the FT, I found KQo UTG and pushed, no callers. Sweet. Second hand, only the button limped on my BB, the SB completed, and I had 55 so auto-pushed again. This time I had a called, the button, who had two overcards. He hit on the flop, but I stood up and put the magic river-outdraw jacket on and of course one of my two remaining 5s hit! Double sweet.

EDIT: Added this hand that I forgot - Olly requested it! An orbit or two later, I was still in some trouble despite the early FT double up. I found AKs in MP and again had no choice but to open push on Olly's BB. I think I had a bit of a smile on my face, I always enjoy pushing and Olly deserves a little of his own medicine! Anyhow, the SB (who had me well covered) dwelled for a while, I could tell he had something but not enough to call. He folded, and Olly went into the tank for a while to think about it. He must have something. I honestly wanted a call at this point, as with the long dwell I was either big favourite or 50/50 at worst. However he folded and I took the blinds. I found out later he had A7 and the SB confirmed he had Ax as well, would have loved two callers in that case!

Despite this, I was knocked out a half an hour later in 8th place, with Olly going a few places later. At least I got my money back, right…?

Online:

I am playing most of my poker at Betfair, trying to get as much of the 4 week long signup bonus as possible. Out of a possible $800. I think I’ll get $300 at most, as I am not playing enough or at high enough stakes to get any more. Still, money for old rope. As it stands, over the past two weeks I’ve built the $80 I initially deposited up to over $400, and still have to get rackback in 10 days time or so. Playing mainly 6-handed $.25/$.50. I am also using Poker Tracker, but don’t know how to analyse the data captured yet! This is something to look into next week when officially on ‘career break’, ha ha.

A Quick Update - 10/06/2006 - 21/06/2006

I haven't posted in ages because...I haven't played much in ages! The reason being an obvious one, that little sporting event that is taking place this month. You may have seen it mentioned once or twice somewhere in the sporting sections of your favourite newspaper.

I played only one live game since my last entry, that being the Sporting Emporium €50+5 Double Chance, 15/06/2006. This game is much improved with the changed blinds structure that the SE brought in earlier this month, there is much more play with the inclusion of the 150/300 level. In addition, the €50+5 DC now features a starting stack of 2k and top up of 2k, rather than the old 1.5k+1.5k. I didn't cash, despite the long-awaited changes!

How about the...

Party Poker Free-to-$500 challenge:

Well, as of the last update, my balance was $202, I got it up to €300 a few days later, went on tilt and lost most of that, down to €35, up to €105, and at that amount I put the challenge on hold as I have now decided to devote more time to cash games and to really give it a go - by becoming a bonus whore! Firstly I got my Neteller account going. I also now have a good rakeback deal with Betfair, in addition to the great (no minimum deposit up to $800) startup bonus they have, I am spending 90% of my time online at that site. Deposited $80 last week, which I now have up to $300. Am going stick with 6-handed $.25-$.50 tables for the time being. Pokerstars also had a reload bonus available, so I simply cashed out of Stars to Neteller and back again a few hours later to qualify for this! Bonus whoring / rakeback is obviously the way to go :)

Won't really be playing much live I think until a) I start my career break in 8 days time (whoo-hoo!) and b) the World Cup is over.

Against the wind - 29/05/2006 - 09/06/2006

Its been a while since my last update, but I have only played three tournaments in that period, two on the same day!

Pokerevents Irish Poker Tour Finals side event - €400+40 05/06/2006

I had decided to play one of the side events that accompanied the Irish Poker Tour Final, a €3000+300 event that a number of my friends were playing in, and one that hoped to attract up to 300 of Europe's best. Due to usually fine and warm weather and primarily due to a lack of decent marketing and promotion, the main event only drew about 170 runners. Still, almost €500k in the prize pool! The 1st side event on Saturday night, a €800+80 freezeout, was a little out of my budget, but I decided on the €400+40 event on Sunday over the €300+30 event on Bank holiday Monday as I hoped to take it easy on Monday and get an early night in anticipation of a tough week at work (only four weeks left, they are working me to the bone!).

Anyhow, I missed the STTs and paid in directly, meeting Gholimoli, Dave 'Big Dragon' Kingston, NickyOD and Ollie Boyce inside, ready to play. Approx. 225 players settled down for some cards! Starting stack was 7k, blind levels were 30 minutes. During the 1st orbit, I was dealt QJo in the BB, and checked to see a flop alongside 3 other limpers. The flop was a Jack-high rainbow, and I bet out 2/3 pot to see where I stood. Only one caller, an elderly gentleman I had played before, he was fairly tight but solid. He certainly didn't have an overpair, and probably would have raised pre-flop with AJ, so a possible range (assuming he had a J) of KJo-J9s. The only one of those I was worried about was KJ, obviously. The turn was another blank and I bet 1/2 pot, flat called again. The river was a final bet, I bet 500, he flat called again and flipped....KJ. Should've check-called that river I think, he probably wouldn't have bet anyways.

A few hands later I was involved in a pot with one of the pros down from Northern Ireland, I found KK, flopped a set and he went with my bets all the way to the river, bringing me back to a healthy 7.5k. It all went wrong here, lost a big pot when I flopped two pair and my opponent flopped a straight, lost another pot when I was outkickered on the river, and finally made a stand before the break, having 1.8k left. The blinds were 100/200 I think, two limpers, I noticed the second chap hesitate a little before throwing his two 100 chips out - I have to admit I thought to myself 'he wanted to raise but was too cautious' - when action got to me I looked down at JJ, pushed my 1.8k to win the 700 in the blinds or double up, the blinds and limper #1 fold but limper #2 insta-calls with the bullets! Oops. Exit stage right.

The Jackpot Club - €50+5 'Deep Stacks' Freezeout 05/06/2006

It still being early, and me having had two very heavy nights out previously (was involved in a two night A-Z pub crawl, starting in AKA Bar on Friday night and ending in Zanzibar on Saturday, then on to the nightclub) so not in the mood for going out, I stopped home for a quick bowl of cereal then headed in for my 1st visit to the new Jackpot club. The game was just about the start when I arrived, with a grand total of 9 runners! Chip stack of 4k to start, so a lot of play for our STT. The dealer obviously didn't appreciate this, as he continously complained loudly to the TD that there was little action and 'four levels in and they're still all here!' - don't think he wants the business, so. I thought it was annoying and showed poor form on the TD's part to let him continue to complain about it. The bouncer was a complete tosser, which didn't lend itself to a nice evening of poker. I was knocked out after the break when I flopped two pair (I had 94o, flop was 974 rainbow), end up all in on the flop again a player (a known cheater, which is beside the point but he gets under my skin and I wanted to help see him on his merry way) who had Q9o, the river brings a 7 to give us both two pair, him with a better kicker. Exit stage right, 2nd time in 1 night! One positive note is that I turned my €10 free bet from the Jackpot into €27.50 on the blackjack tables :) Not sure I'll be back.

SE Scalp - €40+10+5 1 rebuy/top-up 07/06/2006

This was a new tournament, designed to shake up the SE's lackluster schedule and focus on the players who attended their most popular night, the Thursday night €50 DC. Only 24 players showed up for this, but it was fun while it lasted. Starting stack 2k, rebuy / topup 3k, scalp worth €10. Again, I suffered from a serious case of 'out-kicker-itis', and only had an above average stack for the 1st level, then it was all downhill. The real kick in the teeth occured at the end of level 3, the 2nd last level before the break, blinds were 100/200, I was BB, two limpers, one of whom was very late sitting at the table. He had loudly complained the previous hand after trying to limp and being raised, saying he wouldn't take it anymore. He is a regular tournament player in Dublin and has an attitude / personality I'm not much of a fan of. Anyhow, I look down at ATh and raised to 900. He had invested 200 and had another 1.5k behind, gave me a look (that he hoped was intimidating I think?) and flat called. Flop was Q85 rainbow, and as I knew he would push if I checked, I bet 600. He threw in his remaining 800 with a smile and I knew he had hit his Q, but I called the 200 to me hoping for an A. He flipped........85s, for two pair. Yep, he called my pre-flop raise with 85s for more than half his stack. He had a great laugh pulling in the pot, a real Mr. Chuckles.

I proceeded to rebuy and almost immediately had to lay down AJo and a bet of 600 to the same gentleman's laugh-accompanied raise to 2k - didn't think it right to risk my tournament on AJo. I did ask him did he have 85 again, he wouldn't tell me. I made it to the break (4 levels of 20 minutes now, rather than the old 3 levels of 30 minutes and no 150/300 level that the SE had) with only 2.3k left. After the break, with blinds at 200/400 I was in double up mode, and got my chance during the 1st orbit, a shortstack limper on the button, the SB completed and I looked down at KQo and pushed. The shortie called for his remaining 700 and the SB folded. I pulled my excess chips back, turned over my cards, and the SB turned over 89h (why didn't he just push to begin with? With less than 3xBB? He is an experienced player!) - the poker gods strike me again and give him an 8 on the flop. Down to the felt! I fold my SB and then push my 1.2k on the button with Q3o as there were no limpers. The big stack in the SB calls instantly (he had been getting cards all night) with AKs, I smile and tell the table 'I think I have a chance at this table - at least now I'm behind!', but to no avail, he hits his A on the flop. Fun night, can't you tell?

Party Poker Free-to-$500 challenge:

This has really stalled, I've been playing a lot on the $.10 / $.25 and $.25 / $.50 tables, and got up to $290, but managed to drop an entire buy-in ($100) the only time I chanced my arm at the $.50 / $1 tables (children, please note this shows the foolishness of ignoring proper bankroll management!) when I ran my QQ up again KK. The balance currently stands at $202. I've identified the biggest leak in my game, attempting to bluff opponnents I haven't categorised and / or firing off a second or third bluff when the first was flat called! Won't be going near those €.50 / €1 tables either, not until I've surged past €500 :) On a positive note I've finally got my Neteller account up and running. Poker Stars STTs are going ok, neither hot or cold at the moment.