Poker: EPT Barcelona again

Last time I did OK, but still not getting the top prize, but this time round there were 18 people in the running, but I finished 13th after 20 minutes !

Just didn't get any good luck.... most pots were raised so only playing a few hands, but one hand I dropped around 400 of my 1500 starting chips when my A-T was re-raised by a really tight player.... my bet on the A-x-x flop got no respect and he went all-in on the river.  I was convinced I was behind so folded...

After that I was always struggling and ended up going all-in with 5-5 and was disappointed to see a call then re-raise all-in which was called.... one player had Q-Q but the other had K-J and hit 2 pair on the flop then full house on the turn so was victim of poor timing !

I don't have enough FPP for another go now... so will have to pay to try next time !

Poker : WCOOP announced

Pokerstars have announced the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP) schedule, starting 3rd September 2009

Like I did before with the Spring event (SCOOP), I am hoping to Satellite my way into one or two of the events, so will update this blog with any activities (particularly if I get lucky !)

Music: Elkie Brooks at Camberley

On Saturday we went to see Elkie Brooks at the Camberley Theatre with Simon and Lil

I know of Elkie, mainly through her Vinegar Joe albums, so wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but within 30 seconds of her starting to sing, I knew we were in for a good night of music !

Elkie was singing brilliantly, with complete disregard for her age… and was also bounding round the stage like a youngster :-)

The first hour of the set was mainly the classics, which were great… the musicians and Elkie singing were fantastic, but after the break they focused mainly on the blues and in my view was even better

Only problem with such a great performance is that I will now have to take a look through her back catalogue and get a couple of albums !

Poker: Last chance for Late Night Poker qualification

After last night's late night and a busy day at work, I was ready for bed by tea time, but this is the last night for qualification to Late Night Poker so decided I had to give it a go.   My last attempt to qualify was not a great success and so playing whilst feeling fatigued and watching Friday night TV doesn't sound like a recipe for a great game either.....

The game kicks off at 7:15pm with 1464 entrants and the top 27 progressing to round 2.    There is a mix of players, some who seem not to have turned up and those who are chucking in their chips at every opportunity.    I am trying to play sensibly, but get some semi-decent hands that I have to call a raise pre-flop, but throw away on the flop to an all-in bet (when I miss) so my starting stack of 1500 is soon down to around 900.     Luckily I get a good run and start hitting flops, so by the first break after 45 min's am in 101st place out of 727 remaining players with 6315 chips (avg 3020)

I have the luxury of being able to bully when an opportunity appears, but mainly just be tight aggressive and push like crazy when I think (or know!) am ahead.   Overall I am doing OK, although get lucky a couple of times when I go in behind, but also find myself throwing away a huge number of rubbish cards that would have been winners... two full houses on the flop, several flushes and straights by the turn - never seen so many monsters thrown away in one game before !

The second break at 9pm sees me 46th from 190 with 16'916 chips (avg 11557) so still doing OK

The game starts to get a bit tighter now, as most of the idiots have been taken out so have to think a bit more, which is a bit tricky for me tonight... but not feeling so tired now after a couple of beers !

The next break is 10pm and I've been a bit up and down... but now in 26th from 70 with 34'671 chips (Avg 31371) so still hanging in there.      It starts to get a bit more loose, aggressive now, as the people in the relatively short stacks have to attack more to move up the rankings.... I manage to stay around the 20th to 30th mark and am 23rd from 49 players at 10:25pm

Down to the last 32 things are very tense.   I limp with T-9 behind 4 other limpers as there is a lot of value and am happy to see a 9 high flop and straight draw for me.    One player min-bets but I decide it's make or break time as think it unlikely he would have an over pair to the flop and go all-in   Unfortunately he had T-T and I don't improve so am out in a gut wrenching 32rd place after 3.5 hours playing time !

I am very disappointed I didn't get through, but on reflection it is OK as had I got through round 1, as then I would have to play round 2 tonight (starting at 8:35pm) and would need to finish in the top 18 out of 390 entrants to go through to the final round.  

The final round is on Sunday night at 7:35pm which only the winner out of 115 players will actually go through to the Late Night Poker TV tables !    They are certainly not making it easy this time round !!   Maybe I won't bother at all next time... it seems more likely I could win the lottery than get to the TV tables :-)

Poker: CamberleyBoyz descend on Casino

At last we managed to get another casino trip organised.  It has been nearly a year since my last trip and very, very nearly a year since the CamberleyBoyz went to the Casino, so about time !

My evening started out with my customary luck on the Roulette but also the Blackjack this time, so unless my Poker night is disastrous, I have won enough to pay for my Poker already :-)

There are 40 runners and the CamberleyBoyz consists of myself, Derek, Jon, Andy, Alex, Sean and Karen so confidence is high that some of will meet on the final table

I can’t remember much about the game overall, but I do remember that I was doing quietly well to begin with and peaked at around 5000 chips but then hit a bad patch when I bottled out with top pair and average kicker and frittered more chips away, suddenly finding myself very low in the last three hands before rebuys ended.   I ended up going all in and loosing the 2nd last hand, then sticking in my 2000 chips blind on the last hand but won it !   So in the end, I spent £50 on the poker and had won £60 before so did have enough winnings to cover my nights entertainment :-)

After the final add-ons, the average stack was around 5000 and the chips standings at the break are:

• Mike 5400
  Jon   4900
  Alex 10’700
  Sean 4000
  Karen 3000
  Derek 2500
  Andy 4100

Things get a bit hazy after that, but with the seat moves I now have Jon and Karen on my table…. and manage to take out Karen when I get dealt A-A !

There is soon more table consolidation and I’m on a table with Sean and Alex.   Things are getting tense and play is tight, then Sean goes on a bender and doubles up… .then soon sticks it in the middle again but gets knocked out this time (in around 15th ?) 

At last we have the final table, with myself, Alex and Jon all making it to the last 10 players.   Only the top 7 should get paid, but the table agrees to pay 8th, 9th and 10th £20

This is just as well as I get a bit too aggressive with pocket 3’s and get called by pocket 9’s   The 9 on the flop and runner-runner to make the other guy a flush was all a bit unnecessary in my view, but I was always behind so take 10th place and £20 prize

Just time to spend my £20 on roulette and get a drink, then Jon is out in 9th.  He has 4-4 against 8-8 (same guy I went out to) but again does not improve and is out in 9th.

By the time we leave Alex playing, there are only 7 players left.    In the end Alex split 1st and 2nd place prize money when they got heads up

Approximate finishes were:

Derek  30th ?
Andy   28th ?
Karen  20th ?
Sean  15th ?
Mike  10th  (£20)
Jon     9th     (£20)
Alex   Joint 1st !  (£590)

Not a bad showing from the CamberleyBoyz overall, and congratulations to Alex on a hard fought and well deserved top place finish

Poke: Late Night Poker qualifier

As there is little time left to qualify, thought I'd better have another go at the Late Night Poker qualification.

Started out OK and got as little above starting stack, then dropped some and then won a few hands, so by the break was 361 out of 978 (1743 players had started) with 1557 chips (avg 2929)

I managed to survive well after the break and had actually got to around 4500 chips when I flopped two pairs when on the BB (8-4-x flop)   Bet out and got two callers but the turn was a 2.   Shoved all my chips in and got a caller from some idiot with a flush draw (which the turn had given him) but of course..... (after all it had to be a bad beat story this time...) another spade came on the river and am out in around 831st place   

Damn shame, but it didn't cost anything so shouldn't be too upset... :-(

Poker: EPT Barcelona - 2nd try

After the first try to qualify for EPT Barcelona, I couldn't wait to try again ... so had another go tonight.

This time there were 18 players for the off.    After a reasonable start, I had got up to 1860 chips and 4th from 17 players by the 2nd level.   I then had a key hand, whereby with A-A I got it all in against two other players, who had Q-Q and J-J would you believe !   Of course a Q came on the flop, but luckily that player had been short stacked and I actually won more chips than he did from the 2nd pot    Even so, by the end of L2 I was in 3rd with 2350 chips (avg=2454)

L3 saw me get a good win and got to 2nd with 4755 chips by the end of this level

L4 was same solid play and we got to the top 9 players    As before, only 1st place gives entry to the next level, but top 9 get their stake back.... so will definitely be able to have another go !     Funnily enough, the 6th place finisher hadn't been at the table all game so you don't even need to turn up to win back your stake !

The end of L4 sees me with 7630 chips and 2nd place from the last 5 runners   Chip leader is 7700 so very close at this stage

The next level sees two more players quickly go, and one player is down to around 3000 chips..... but the key hand saw me with Q-J in the BB... the chip leader min-raised (as normal) so I called.  The flop of Q-J-2 was good for me, so raised the flop and bet the 4 on the turn.   The 5 came to give possible flush and was re-raised when I bet out, but folding now left me with only 2000 chips, so called anyway....  unfortunately this is not even a bad beat story as he had A-Q so was always behind !!    Ended up with 3rd place, so getting closer.

Oh well, try again next week I guess........

Poker : mid year report

Having been reminded about my objectives for this year when writing my previous post, I thought it a good time to review my main objective for this year, which is to break even in my day-to-day online game

On re-reading my end of 2008 musings, I realised  that I am veering off my intended route a little bit, but overall am keeping to my strategy

So far this year, I have managed to be more strict with myself on my Bankroll Management Strategy, but this at least has resulting in less violent swings in my fortunes.  

At the end of May I was down on the year, due to one very poor day in January, which was the only time I really ignored by Bankroll strategy as well….   just goes to show….  Luckily for me, June was an excellent month with a couple of really good results, which has really given me a great chance to achieve my desire of at leave break even this year as I am now up $200   

Whilst I am not really all that worried about it (as it is still a cheap hobby for me) I really believe my game is better than my results and think most of my “leaks” have historically been due to playing at a level over my bankroll and getting involved in too many “new” games, like the HORSE and 8 game.

This year however, I am determined to keep within my bankroll and am now comfortable with the games I play (I often win the 8 game or HORSE games….) so just need to keep my discipline and get lucky :-)

Poker: EPT Barcelona or bust !

In addition to my so far feeble attempts to qualify for Late Night Poker, my other main ambitions this year are to break even for the year. but more importantly to qualify for an live EPT event.   Pokerstars are running satellite qualifiers for EPT Moscow in August, but the one of interest to me is EPT Barcelona in September.  

 

I have just over 1000 Frequent Player Points (FPP) which you accumulate  by playing on the site, so was delighted to see a qualifier game for 1000 FPP with one player going though to the next round for every 10 players.     It was kicking off at 5:30pm so a decent time of day as well, so signed up !

In the end there were 16 players so only the winner goes through and 2nd-7th places get their 1000 FPP back as a prize.   The standard of play seemed pretty good, with most players being Tight Aggressive (TAG) and respectful of the others.    First hand I got K-K ! but wasn't expecting any action to my raise... as it happened someone re-raised me.    I nearly went all-in but decided to just call.... but when there was no A on the flop I bet out and took a good size pot.  The very next hand I got A-Ks so raised and the same player as before re-raised... again I just called but this time there was an A on the flop so bet out and he folded again !    Next hand I got A-5s and decided to raise again (mainly for the comedy value)  This time everyone folded.....

After that it was back to the normal rubbish to mediocre cards, so played it tight and steady.

It only took to just before the first break, before we got to the prizes (7 players) so I was now guaranteed at least another chance as I get back my stake but really needed to win it.   I'm 4th with 2310 chips (Avg 3428) so feel I have a chance

With a couple of short stacks, it doesn't take long before we are down to 5 players  (Avg 4800 chips)  I am now 2nd with 5270 and chip leader has 10'335, so still in there but have to get aggressive     Luckily I soon see pocket T's and re-raise a shorter stack who calls with A-4   The flop and turn are blanks making me about 94% to double up... but of course the river brings the heartbreaking A to take me down to about 690 chips !

Couple of hands later and the blind approaching I stick it in with Q-Ts but the lucky fellow who took my chips calls with Q-J and I'm out in 5th.    Obviously finishing 5th, 7th or 2nd are all the same, so had to go for the win.   Felt I played pretty well and had that A not come on the river would almost certainly have got to down to the final 2 (and who knows after that!)

At least I still have all my FPP intact and will be trying the same again before too long (probably next week!)   Lets hope for better luck next time.....

Poker : Home Tournament – July 2009

It was a hot night in Camberley and the silly season was upon us :-)

A crazy night of poker ensued, from what started out as a fairly typical night for me….

I started out steady but Jon was quickly scooping up the chips and getting a good size stack from the beginning.   I then had a good run of cards and managed to get a load of chips, some from Jon, Alex and Roger (so far as I can remember)  

By the break I was on around 6000 chips and looking strong, Jon had fallen back a bit, as had Alex and Jock who were a bit low on chips.  Roger had the double buy in to keep him going.

I was still going great and was hitting cards, but then Jock got busted out by Jon and Derek came to our table to keep the numbers even and my luck changed !   Derek’s first hand on our table  I had pocket T and raised the pot.  Derek in the SB called and Alex folded.   The flop came K-K-J and as Derek only had around 1000 left and the pot was 2700 I just put him all-in.  Of course he had K-T so immediately called and took a decent pot.   Couple of hands later I was on BB with K-T, Derek called from button and Alex was all-in from SB.   The flop came Ten high, so Derek and I checked, the turn of 9 saw me check call Dereks bet of 1000, and same on the blank river    Derek had pocket 9’s of course, so took out Alex and a load of my chips… leaving me quite short

Later in the game, Derek gave a load of chips to Jon, but Jon gave some of them to Roger… but now Roger was taking my chips as well, but that was my own fault for calling on the SB with 8-3 and getting a straight draw…..

Now dangerously low in chips, I was happy to hear that Lee was knocked out as this meant I had made the final table !   

I was actually the low stack on the final table, but Steve only had a few extra chips and was in the BB !   He didn’t get any luck and was out in 8th…. Derek was next up in the BB with a low stack and also got taken out so I am going up the rankings fast !   In the BB I had 1000 in already and 200 behind, but with 5-2 it isn’t looking good for me… not even the 2 on the flop cheered me up, but Jon, myself and Andy all checked it down to the river and to my surprise and delight… I won the pot !

Giddy with success, (and with the blinds now up to 2000/1000) the very next hand I see an opening when everyone folds to my SB, so go all in against Karen with Q-7s   Unfortunately my timing was a little out, as Karen was sitting in BB with A-A  which held up and I was out in 6th (albeit better finish than I was expecting!)

With the high blinds, Andy has to take a chance and shoves his chips in but doesn’t have enough chips to scare Roger off who called with K-4s   The K on the river is enough to see off Andy and the last 4 players have only 4 hands left to play   

Jon is almost all-in on the SB so automatically calls even though Roger raises…. but his desperate gamble doesn’t pay and Jon is out on the bubble

Sean is last in chip count so goes all-in from the button to win the blinds, next hand sees Roger all=in against Karen but although starting out behind, Roger hits his hand and leaves Karen with around 1400 chips

The last hand is a classic, with Sean all-in from the button, Karen folds to retain a few chips, but Roger calls.     Sean would have won by folding and Roger was guaranteed 2nd by folding, but fair dues they are both up for it and play anyway… Sean having A-A against Rogers Q-Q !!  No-one improves, so Roger takes 3rd, Karen 2nd and Sean wins

It was a lively game tonight and a bit more raucous than normal… must be the heat :-)  Certainly produced some exciting Poker so will have to turn up the heating next time ;-)