So haven't played online for a few days but here I am sitting in a 10 euro 20 seater. Choice of game largely because it was the only one about to start! Perhaps not the best way to select your games.... anyway here goes...
limped in with 66 from UTG and hit trips on the flop (6 was the highest card too). Bet out and got one caller, only for the board to deal a straight and result in a split pot.
Allowed to check my BB with K5 off, hit top pair and bet out 2x. Four callers, round of check on the turn, I had a poor kicker after all, then on the river one of the loose players made a play with a 3x bet which I called. He revealed 2nd pair and I won a few chips. Upto 2330.
no action, down to final ten, I've been blinded down to 1830. So in need of a nice double up!
had pocket 4's in a good position. Only one person before me limped in, so I took a gamble moved all-in, hoping for no callers which indeed was what happened, up to 2230.
so down to 7 players (4 cash). I'm chip loser! Lots to do if I'm going to stay in this tourney! Remained on 2230 after stealing a round of blinds with 55 push.
pushed with KQ, no callers... stole a round of blinds, still on 2230 - am I overbetting? blinds are 300/150 after all!
Button shove with A7 - again no callers, but one thought about it (phew!)
At last some action - raised up with AK, two callers, hit a straight to the ace on the flop! One of the callers had KJ (screwed) the other hit trips holding a pair of Kings (he was unlucky with that flop). Upto 7k at last wahoo!
Able to check my BB and flop came AA9. I had J9 and put out a feeler with one call, then we checked to the river and my 9 held up. up to 8.5k. 6 players remaining.
aah, made a move and got caught out. oops - down to 6k stupid stupid stupid play
Then called a short stack push with QJ suited and lost! He had A3 - so after two hands I'm down to just 4.8k. Shoulda held out playing tight to the cash!! arggh!
I played the end game so unbelievably bad having got myself in chip lead position, I'm out in sixth having shoved with pocket 6s and getting called by AK. No need to say the rest.
I really do feel that I lost that game by playing badly. Shame.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
(4) -10 (Bubbled)
game 4 folks! This blog has revitalised my interest in poker for the time being. Once again 10 euro ten seater, three pay!
not much happening - called a 3x raise early on holding AJ suited, flop no good and a four times bet was enough to push me off the pot - probably shoulda called here but my theory is that PCUK stack size and blind structure can leave you short quite quickly if you don't win in your first few dabbles. So the plan is to stick tight early on unless I'm looking solid.
Won a small pot limping in with Q10 suited with the blinds at 50 after hitting a 10 high flop and protecting it with a strong bet (4x). A luxury perhaps but it looked so pretty in my hand?! Sitting on 1670.
Blinded down to 1220 with no action, I get dealt AQ off. Blinds now at 200/100. The other short stack pushes all-in before me. I go for the call and he reveals A9 off. No 9, I double up and a little bit of blinds. 2720.
No action - no cards - bubble time - I'm very short stack! Four left, three pay
Bubbled - had to push with A10 and came up against AJ sadly. He even hit a Jack on the river for good measure lol
not much happening - called a 3x raise early on holding AJ suited, flop no good and a four times bet was enough to push me off the pot - probably shoulda called here but my theory is that PCUK stack size and blind structure can leave you short quite quickly if you don't win in your first few dabbles. So the plan is to stick tight early on unless I'm looking solid.
Won a small pot limping in with Q10 suited with the blinds at 50 after hitting a 10 high flop and protecting it with a strong bet (4x). A luxury perhaps but it looked so pretty in my hand?! Sitting on 1670.
Blinded down to 1220 with no action, I get dealt AQ off. Blinds now at 200/100. The other short stack pushes all-in before me. I go for the call and he reveals A9 off. No 9, I double up and a little bit of blinds. 2720.
No action - no cards - bubble time - I'm very short stack! Four left, three pay
Bubbled - had to push with A10 and came up against AJ sadly. He even hit a Jack on the river for good measure lol
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
(3) +19 Euro [WIN 30 Euro]
ok so straight into my third crack at my first Blogged win. Again a 10-seater PCUK STT.
Won the first two hands with A10 suited limp and AQ pre-flop raise. First two hands of the game so difficult to extract chips but still up to a respectable 2500 from 1500.
Pocket 8's but second to act... just limped? never know what to do here.... got to see a flop but no good to me -so folded having just lost the blind
Picked up pocket Aces!! One 3x raiser before me, so I go over the top from 300 to 800, a third player goes over the top all-in for 1200, second player calls the all-in - not ideal for me but I have the best hand pre-flop and an inevitable call.
AA (me) v QQ v KJ (lol)
My hand holds I'm up to 5k
I then lose about 1000, trying to blag one hand with A8 and an open ended straight draw. My draw didn't arrive and got called to the river, at which point I folded, down to 4k. Five players remain.
ok so no action for a while then hold cards AK arrive. Player immediately before me pushes all-in for 1900, I call and he reveals KQ, no queen arrives and I go up to 5.7k
Bubble time, but only brief, three remain and I've made my first blogged cash!!
Pocket 3's against short stack AK - I lose! Down to 2.5k
Heads up: I lose out having hit 2nd pair on flop, shove, insta call - he hit top pair.
MY FIRST BLOG CASH! 30 Euro and if you forgive the rake - that makes me even to date!
Won the first two hands with A10 suited limp and AQ pre-flop raise. First two hands of the game so difficult to extract chips but still up to a respectable 2500 from 1500.
Pocket 8's but second to act... just limped? never know what to do here.... got to see a flop but no good to me -so folded having just lost the blind
Picked up pocket Aces!! One 3x raiser before me, so I go over the top from 300 to 800, a third player goes over the top all-in for 1200, second player calls the all-in - not ideal for me but I have the best hand pre-flop and an inevitable call.
AA (me) v QQ v KJ (lol)
My hand holds I'm up to 5k
I then lose about 1000, trying to blag one hand with A8 and an open ended straight draw. My draw didn't arrive and got called to the river, at which point I folded, down to 4k. Five players remain.
ok so no action for a while then hold cards AK arrive. Player immediately before me pushes all-in for 1900, I call and he reveals KQ, no queen arrives and I go up to 5.7k
Bubble time, but only brief, three remain and I've made my first blogged cash!!
Pocket 3's against short stack AK - I lose! Down to 2.5k
Heads up: I lose out having hit 2nd pair on flop, shove, insta call - he hit top pair.
MY FIRST BLOG CASH! 30 Euro and if you forgive the rake - that makes me even to date!
(2) Lost 11 Euro
So I've returned home from work buzzing with excitement about my second blogged poker game. I have decided to increase my chances of making a profit early on by entering a 10 player STT.
No action early on for me, while one player donks off his chips to leave 9 remaining.
My cat has just sat on my lap, is this a sign of good fortune?
Wait my first action, limp with A3 suited in good position. Hit two pair on a rainbow flop! Awesome. One caller all the way, river once again pairs the board so my two pair is now trumped by the caller who also has an ace with a higher kicker! What is it with pairing boards on the river since I've started blogging my games? Down to 1075. The cat is now off my lap!
Noticed that PCUK STT's are quite narrow, unless you get off to a good start you quickly get into the realms of small stack to blind ratio.
Two more players have gone out, 7 remain. One huge chip stack to my left, oh dear.
On 925 chips go over the top of the BB raise holding AJ - raiser was chip lead, standard raise pattern. He calls holding pocket 6's. I win the race. on to 2300
Next hand get pocket jacks - raise it up to 3x. Two callers. 9 high flop - I put a pot sized bet out and get one caller. Next card a 10 - he shoves all in, I insta call and im in front. He has A9 (why he called pre-flop I dont know). Only 5% out for him and BOOM - ace on the river. My curse continues as he sucks out a two pair. Down to 355. How can this be? Since I have started blogging my river luck has been aweful! If that hand played out as it should I would have been chip lead. Poker eh.
Pocket 9s to save my game?!! ... nope called by KJ fair enough and King on Flop. Out in sixth after dreadful luck with my Jacks.
No action early on for me, while one player donks off his chips to leave 9 remaining.
My cat has just sat on my lap, is this a sign of good fortune?
Wait my first action, limp with A3 suited in good position. Hit two pair on a rainbow flop! Awesome. One caller all the way, river once again pairs the board so my two pair is now trumped by the caller who also has an ace with a higher kicker! What is it with pairing boards on the river since I've started blogging my games? Down to 1075. The cat is now off my lap!
Noticed that PCUK STT's are quite narrow, unless you get off to a good start you quickly get into the realms of small stack to blind ratio.
Two more players have gone out, 7 remain. One huge chip stack to my left, oh dear.
On 925 chips go over the top of the BB raise holding AJ - raiser was chip lead, standard raise pattern. He calls holding pocket 6's. I win the race. on to 2300
Next hand get pocket jacks - raise it up to 3x. Two callers. 9 high flop - I put a pot sized bet out and get one caller. Next card a 10 - he shoves all in, I insta call and im in front. He has A9 (why he called pre-flop I dont know). Only 5% out for him and BOOM - ace on the river. My curse continues as he sucks out a two pair. Down to 355. How can this be? Since I have started blogging my river luck has been aweful! If that hand played out as it should I would have been chip lead. Poker eh.
Pocket 9s to save my game?!! ... nope called by KJ fair enough and King on Flop. Out in sixth after dreadful luck with my Jacks.
Monday, 4 January 2010
(1) Lost 11 Euros
So for my first ever game since creating this blog I have entered a 30 seater game.
Cost: 10 Euro
Starting Stack: 1500
Profit: -10 Euro's
Early on had AJ - raised pre-flop, got lots of callers, hit an ace flop and bet some more, still lots of callers but was ultimately in 2nd place to a player holding AQ. Took an early hit, down to 1210.
Soon after limped with KQ off, hit a K J 10 flop (seemed pretty) and only one caller when I put in a 3x bet, things looking good. Called me to the river before folding back up to 1620.
Got to check the BB with 73 off. Hit a straight! Nice rainbow flop too! wahoo! River, naturally paired the board and I lost out to a full house - other chap holding pocket 6's having had trips since flop... had him beat until the damn river... down to 1070.
Stupid playament. Holding J10 suited, why is it diamonds look so pretty! Called foolishly into a 3x pre-flop raise when I could least afford it. Naturally didn't hit and left stranded on 920.
Checked the BB again holding QJ suited. Hit top pair on flop - J with Q kicker. Caller all the way - also holding QJ, split pot right when I didn't need it! still around the 900 mark
ok this blog is not off to a good start, Small Blind (table chip lead) puts me all-in (no other players) I'm holding A5 suited and fancy my chances against a plausible blind steal. WAHOO he reveals 32 off. AMAZING I'm back in it! DOUBLE UP TIME, no wait flop gives him two pair 2 and 3 appear and I go crashing out early doors in 21 position. How distinctly disappointing!
Cost: 10 Euro
Starting Stack: 1500
Profit: -10 Euro's
Early on had AJ - raised pre-flop, got lots of callers, hit an ace flop and bet some more, still lots of callers but was ultimately in 2nd place to a player holding AQ. Took an early hit, down to 1210.
Soon after limped with KQ off, hit a K J 10 flop (seemed pretty) and only one caller when I put in a 3x bet, things looking good. Called me to the river before folding back up to 1620.
Got to check the BB with 73 off. Hit a straight! Nice rainbow flop too! wahoo! River, naturally paired the board and I lost out to a full house - other chap holding pocket 6's having had trips since flop... had him beat until the damn river... down to 1070.
Stupid playament. Holding J10 suited, why is it diamonds look so pretty! Called foolishly into a 3x pre-flop raise when I could least afford it. Naturally didn't hit and left stranded on 920.
Checked the BB again holding QJ suited. Hit top pair on flop - J with Q kicker. Caller all the way - also holding QJ, split pot right when I didn't need it! still around the 900 mark
ok this blog is not off to a good start, Small Blind (table chip lead) puts me all-in (no other players) I'm holding A5 suited and fancy my chances against a plausible blind steal. WAHOO he reveals 32 off. AMAZING I'm back in it! DOUBLE UP TIME, no wait flop gives him two pair 2 and 3 appear and I go crashing out early doors in 21 position. How distinctly disappointing!
Hypothesis: A blog will improve my poker
I belong to a poker forum and the following thread, written by me, is how this whole blog started...
"I've started 2010 with the realisation that I am a very ordinary very amateur poker player. This acceptance has depressed me slightly but then what do I expect? I've never read a poker book (or any other book for that matter), I've never really been poker schooled and I don't play it often or serious enough to improve. For my day job I had to study until I was 24. Even then, after all that effort, my day-job career success has been gradual and medioca at best. So how is it that I expect to be a poker god without putting in any effort at all?! I recently discovered Tom Pich's excellent blog. Had a good old enjoyable read. Congratulations Tom by the way on such an interesting blog and the growing successes you are having over the years and good luck for a profitable future. Tom's blog also had a link to Dan's blog etc... and that got me thinking?Are the poker blogs a cause or effect poker aid? In other words, does publishing your dirty poker laundry make you play more seriously in fear of exposing yourself to be nothing more than a poker dreamer like me? OR is it that the 80% of players that lose overall are very unlikely to spend time reminding themselves of their charitable poker plays? Probably a lot of both. Should I begin documenting my non-existent poker successes? I think not, I'd generally have nothing interesting to write about. That said, the question still remains could an honest and frank poker blog realistically help to improve one's game?"
And so, with a little encouragement from my fellow forum members, here it is, my brand new and first ever blog. A blog designed to test the hypothesis "A blog will improve my poker"
Feel free to follow me on my open and frank 2010 poker journal journey. For me to deem this experiment a success I feel I need to make a modest profit of £1000 by the year end. May the poker gods and poker blog be with me.
I belong to a poker forum and the following thread, written by me, is how this whole blog started...
"I've started 2010 with the realisation that I am a very ordinary very amateur poker player. This acceptance has depressed me slightly but then what do I expect? I've never read a poker book (or any other book for that matter), I've never really been poker schooled and I don't play it often or serious enough to improve. For my day job I had to study until I was 24. Even then, after all that effort, my day-job career success has been gradual and medioca at best. So how is it that I expect to be a poker god without putting in any effort at all?! I recently discovered Tom Pich's excellent blog. Had a good old enjoyable read. Congratulations Tom by the way on such an interesting blog and the growing successes you are having over the years and good luck for a profitable future. Tom's blog also had a link to Dan's blog etc... and that got me thinking?Are the poker blogs a cause or effect poker aid? In other words, does publishing your dirty poker laundry make you play more seriously in fear of exposing yourself to be nothing more than a poker dreamer like me? OR is it that the 80% of players that lose overall are very unlikely to spend time reminding themselves of their charitable poker plays? Probably a lot of both. Should I begin documenting my non-existent poker successes? I think not, I'd generally have nothing interesting to write about. That said, the question still remains could an honest and frank poker blog realistically help to improve one's game?"
And so, with a little encouragement from my fellow forum members, here it is, my brand new and first ever blog. A blog designed to test the hypothesis "A blog will improve my poker"
Feel free to follow me on my open and frank 2010 poker journal journey. For me to deem this experiment a success I feel I need to make a modest profit of £1000 by the year end. May the poker gods and poker blog be with me.
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