Night off tonight. Decided to watch ER and then Jack Dee on TV.

Last night was cool, the BTP. I know I noused the heads up which is mildly annouying but otherwise I feel I played a good controlled tournament without too many dodgy hands. I am pleased I have been able to be consistant so far the BTP tournaments, the only one I went out early on was playing a K with two Ks on the flop and I got out kicked all-in.

I reckon it is only a matter of time before a Massive player wins, though it is worrying that the tournaments seem to slip by with no win yet, and Kenny & Co back for the next one. Well us sophisticated Europeans can wait, he who laughs last laughs best.

I spent the weekend finishing the Empire the bonus. I suffered a migrain on Sat so had to finish everything on Sunday. I also polished off the missus' bonus too though I managed to lose $30 of hers (not my proudest moment). I did that and even played a little NL on UB in the afternoon winning about $10 though it was a short session as I got bored.

Finished 1226 of 4995 in the NLHE freeroll on Stars before the BTP, why do I play these things??? 2 hours of my life lost forever.

Interesting point. Winning $74 from the BTP puts me in credit now for the month, up about $20. This is still ass but at least its better than last month. This is basically the last week of the month as far as playing and this journal since I am in Vegas from Mon. I am going to arrange to play in at least one tournament so any advice on the best ones appreciated. I hate rebuys as they seem to attract wankers so it would have to be NLHE freeze out, and not too pricey.

I am playing live in Saturday night as a tune up. Its the home game in Acton. Following my last exit which was faster than my entrance I am aiming only to finish better than last. In order to make this happen I have made sure my "mate" is busy and I am not going to bluff for the first hour (bluff?).

I read an interesing article on another blog from a guy who was at the home game that I won. He made a point about me changing the way I played from gaining a big stack to hainvg a big stack. I have not really thought too much about my overall tournment stategy as normally I just see where I end up. The change he wrote about was how I went from loose aggressive to tight passive when I made a stack. I know I did make a change when I was chip leader. Basically my plan was not to be the table pay-off merchant, I was only going to enter pots where I felt good to win. Also I was happy to stay out and let the others knock themselves out. From early I have a big enough stack to change the action in any pot I entered. This is fine but until they give points for knocking out the most people I am happy to let the havoc reign around me and pick off people as I choose. In this case I dispatched several short stacks but avoided any big tangles virtually right up till the heads up match.

I am finding tournaments more and more interesting now. I used to hate them but I now know I was playing them like a cash game and not making adjustments to the sudden death nature of this. I have to give credit that is was playing the BTP tournaments that has really helped. Before that I would play in huge cheap multi-table tournaments where you may well be tight as for the first hour or two if you survive that long. Playing a shorter tournament where you know (or pray) you are against good players meant I could expand on playing a sharper game. So far its working for me though I am still a work in progress.

Well going to sign off now. Good luck at the tables.

Rich

I played about 300 hands today, no need to post results if I give you a few highlights:

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, 2 folds, CO calls, 2 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (4.50 SB) , , (4 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, CO raises, BB folds, UTG+1 folds, Hero 3-bets, CO caps, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.25 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, CO raises, Hero calls.

River: (10.25 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 12.25 BB

Results below:

Hero has Ts As (two pair, aces and twos).
CO has 2d 2c (four of a kind, twos).
Outcome: CO wins 12.25 BB.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
5 folds, MP3 calls, CO calls, 1 fold, Hero completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) , , (4 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, MP3 calls, CO raises, Hero 3-bets, BB calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

Turn: (8 BB) (4 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, MP3 calls, CO calls.

River: (12 BB) (4 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, MP3 raises, CO 3-bets, Hero folds, BB calls, MP3 calls.

Final Pot: 22 BB

Results below:

BB has Tc Kh (two pair, kings and queens).
MP3 has Td Jd (straight, ace high).
CO has 9h Qd (full house, queens full of nines).
Outcome: CO wins 22 BB.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
5 folds, MP3 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 1 fold, BB calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (6.50 SB) , , (3 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, BB folds, MP3 calls.

Turn: (4.25 BB) (2 players)
MP3 bets, Hero raises, MP3 calls.

River: (8.25 BB) (2 players)
MP3 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.25 BB

Results below:

MP3 has Js 9c (three of a kind, jacks).
Hero has Kh Kc (two pair, kings and jacks).
Outcome: MP3 wins 10.25 BB.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
4 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 2 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) , , (3 players)
MP2 checks, MP3 bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (6.75 BB) (3 players)
MP2 checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, MP2 calls, MP3 calls.

River: (9.75 BB) (3 players)
MP2 checks, MP3 bets, Hero calls, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: 11.75 BB

Results below:

MP3 has Jd Ad (flush, ace high).
Hero has Ks Qs (two pair, kings and queens).
Outcome: MP3 wins 11.75 BB.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero raises, 4 folds, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (8 SB) , , (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, SB calls, BB folds, Hero 3-bets, MP3 calls, SB calls.

Turn: (8.50 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, SB folds, Hero 3-bets, MP3 caps, Hero calls.

River: (16.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 18.50 BB

Results below:

Hero has Qh Qd (one pair, queens).
MP3 has Js Jh (three of a kind, jacks).
Outcome: MP3 wins 18.50 BB.

And my personal fav...

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, 5 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (4.50 SB) , , (4 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks.

Turn: (2.25 BB) (4 players)
BB bets, UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, Hero raises, BB 3-bets, Hero caps, BB calls.

River: (10.25 BB) (2 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, BB 3-bets, Hero caps, BB calls.

Final Pot: 18.25 BB

Results below:

BB has 7d 9d (straight flush, jack high).
Hero has 6d 6h (full house, sixes full of eights).
Outcome: BB wins 18.25 BB.

Well there are two bits of good news.

1. This is Party Poker's money which has been donated to assorted wankers.

2. I am going on holiday tomorrow and all this will be a bad dream.

In other news I cleared about £60 in profit from the Acton home game coming from a £25 profit in the cash game and a third place finish in the two table tournament. I played good and I had to make some major adjustments as we had a few kids with us who were playing very hard. In the tournament despite getting rockets twice I never seemed to get a run of cards so several times I won huge pots to take the chip lead but couldn't then go on and take people out. In the cash game I won a huge pot with a flopped full house which cleaned out a guy with trips and a guy who hit his flush on the turn.

Well this will prob be the last post till I get back so stay safe and good luck at the tables.

Rich

Thanks.

The hands were not quite in the order I played then, in fact I know I messed up the QQ hand but it came about 2 mins after the 66 hand and sadly the player was a nugget so I figured it was worth jamming him. Stupid but playing $1/$2 I am constantly surprised how often I fold someone or still have the better hand. I definatley didn't play well today though I stayed tight, just every single hand became a case of who can beat me with what shit. I guess you have days like that and in the scheme of things its no biggie, just a crap day at the office.

I managed to finish the bonus today losing $105 in the process so I am $5 down. Could be worse I guess but this has caned my table figures for the month. I am now posting a table loss for the second time. It marginal this time, maybe $50 in it and technically I could wipe that out in a stroke if I included my live figures.

Well that will conclude me limit play. Whenever any fellow players ask about what I do they always seem surprised when I tell them I play limit, saying it bites. As I posted earlier I am now at the stage I am not worried about losing streaks and taking the time to learn NL. I still think I have the makings of a good game but need to add a little imagination and a little nouse.

Well I shall speak more when I get back, hopefully with tales of taking out yanks while drunk and playing blind.

Rich

Wow, what a holiday!

I am sorry it has taken a while to get back to writing. I really want to write a big report on everything and anything but I am still a little stunned by it. Its prob easier for me to give you the disco chorus on everything first and see how this goes.

I landed on Monday to be met by the missus. We were staying in Ballys on the strip opporsite the Bellagio. Due to an admin cock up we got up graded to a huge suite, which was a good way to start the holiday. Since I hadn't seen the missus in a while it wasn't till about the third day I got down to doing some poker, while she was in the beauty spa (isn't Vegas great?).

While in Vegas we got to meet TUP. I have to say he is a cool guy and very interesting. He said we wouldn't have trouble finding him and when we hit the cardroom in the Aladdin we could see a long haired guy, sitting on a chair turned backwards with a T-shirt saying "You play that crap?". Not hard to miss. Thanks once again for great afternoon.

Due to monetry limits I decided to stick with limit for my ring games and play one tournament. I started playing $2/$4 in Ballys, which was a really nice room and not at all hectic. I was one a table with lots of tourists, guess the $2/$4 game isn't going to attract the pros. I decided to play nice a tight to begin with and see how the game was shaping up, and loose passive was clearly the name of the game. I think I saw about 8 hands before I heard anyone raise. Sweet! I do not remember a lot about that session other than my first hand was won with JJ when I won on the turn despite an overcard on the board.

One hand I do remember though which seemed to sum up my table was being EP with 99. The guy UTG raised, I had been talking with this guy before we played and we had joined the table at the same time. He knew I had played more than him so I figured I would chance him being on AX and try to get it heads up so I reraised. Also this is the first reraise I can remember on the table so I figure it will be fun to do...

I get six callers behind!

Not even Party is this bad! I let it go when there is an overcard on the flop without bothering to bet. I think I finished up about $80 though I do not remember much. I do remember getting sets beat twice with really gay straights.

My next session was 4am in the morning at Ballys again. I was having trouble sleeping so what the hell. I played for about 90 mins winning about $40. Only interesting hand was just before I left I was really bored so open raised LP with 72o (the group running the home games I play is called 72o and house rules say 72o is played like aces). I was heads up with a woman who I knew was solid. I got a 2 on the flop so I figured when she bet into me I would raise (like aces remember). She chks the turn which is a brick so I bet (why not?) and she calls. The river is my 7, so when she chks I bet again, she calls and I appologise for sucking out her queens. Made my morning!

Later that day I played in a tournament at the Golden Nugget. I was playing with another 72o'er called Brad who was in LV at the same time. It was a rebuy and add-on tournament where the first hour was limit poker (?!?). I paid my $60 and got ready for some real fun. I felt good about this as there seemed to be a lot of tourists, plus earlier that day I won in my $30 in my one and only attempt at playing slots. We had about 60 players in, with the first 7 being paid. There were also bounties of $5 on every player.

The first hour was boring, lots of folding. I had jacks once but threw them away on a bad flop with too many players. I also got KJ on a flop with KJX but split to some chick with the same hand. Otherwise I just bleed half my stack as the blinds which were every 20 mins seem to go up very quick. Brad was doing no better, I won a small pot off him when I bet ace high, he called and I out kicked him. We both took a $80 rebuy and add-on giving us stacks roughly matching the best when the NL started.

In the second hour I promptly chucked half my stack trying to bump the table calling station off a hand when I had third pair, really stupid I know. I then got moved to another table. This was where things got interesting. I love to look around at the people playing these. I had a guy next to me who was middle aged, tash and sunglasses twiddling chips. The other side was an old lady who never seemed to have more than enough to cover the blinds. I had a guy listening to his iPod, and woman who looked like she would punch anyone who raised her and a guy who looked terrified at the end of my table.

Very quickly I bluffed a couple of pots but the blinds were getting very large and I was soon all-in with KJ. I got called by someone with a little less than me who had AJ. I hit the king, knocked him out and got my third $5 (cannot remember the first two, sorry). I then go on a run with hands like AK, AQ, TT hitting and generally killing it. I bluff a big pot off Mr Shades and showed him too for fun (I had no aspirations in this tournament and was happy just to be playing). I get KQ, a Q high flop and knock out the punchy woman (without getting punched I might add) then take out the scared guy with KK. Brad got knocked out at some point here, I think 21st place so its all on me.

By now I am 2nd in chips and get moved to the final table (though its not actually the final table yet). During this time the missus has won $200 on the slot machines so life is good. In two hands the chip leader gets knocked out, a very good lady taking half his stack with rockets then me finishing him off with a set of sixes. I am still second when the final table assembles. I have about the second highest stack. Interestingly the lady with just enough to cover her blinds is still there, with just enough to cover her blinds! We lose two small stakes real quick then everything goes tight. At some point here I lose half my stack trying to take someone out, not sure of the details but I think it was me being a nugget.

Well now it is real tight. Everyone is waiting for the old lady to go out but damn it, she keeps hanging in there. I am okay in chips but not comfortable. Personally in these situations I am of the opinion I did not come 3000 miles just to barely money and decide if I get a good hand I am going for it. Also a guy behind me is bullying the table by constantly going all-in and I am looking to take a chunk off him. I am in this split thing now here I want a good hand, but don't so what do I get? AQs. Good enough I guess so I am EP and limp, sure enough Mr All-in bites and the table folds, I call all-in in a shot and the missus nearly drops her drink! I hit the ace on the flop. I cannot even remember his hand, something like A4. Now I am good for chips and in short order the old lady makes her move, sadly she runs into my kings and goes out on th bubble while I get my 8th bounty. We lose another two players soon after before I have my "moment". I had lost a chunk of change trying to take out Mr All-in with A6s vs JJ and lost. I got 44 EP and while I have enough for a few orbits and I am not the shortest stack I decide to push. The only player I am worried about is a lady with the big stack and sure enough she calls. She has 98o vs my 44 and I think she hit the 8 to knock me out.

After 4 and half hours I made $311 from the tournament and another $45 in bounties so I was happy. I think the way I went out was maybe silly but then my read was she would call me with anything and it would be a coin toss, I win that hand I have enough to challenge for the win and by that time I was more than happy with my result.

I played another session at the Luxor a day later but won about $9 in two hours with nothing interesting happening, made $40 then lost a chunk running into another straight. To be honest though I got bored quickly as the table was dull. The missus was playing on another table and took a beating losing $60 including getting rockets cracked by JTo.

To be honest that is really all the poker I did though there is a reason for that.

Shorty after that showing in the Golden Nugget tournament and with cash burning a hole in my pocket I asked the missus if she really would like to become the missus. The girl proved herself crazy when despite sitting through 4 and half hours of me playing poker she said yes! After that everything is a bit of blur to be honest and poker took a back seat.

Since I have been back everything has gone a little crazy. I am still going to stick to my NL only rule (though I now have $240 on Stars and $2/$4 seems to be the way to get that off). I also now really need the money so I better start getting good. I am not going to bother posting last months results as I stopped keeping track, I think I pissed away my profit chasing that last Empire bonus though that replaced any loss. I have had it seems three poor months so I need really get back to it. I am hoping the NL thing will resharpen my game and give me a new challenge.

Well I am back so lets see what happens now eh?

Rich

Hey, Rich, thought you were dead, glad to see that's not the case, damn that was a long post.

-TW

Nice to know I was missed. Thanks I think.

Rich

Congrats on everything rich. Good job.

Cheers BK,

I think my target is pretty fair, especially considering I can make half that a month in just bonus's. I am also not expecting anything fast, I want to be in a position to make these kind of funds on a regular basis by Feb next year, so I am not forcing anything and I will take my licks with good grace while learning.

Well I shall be updating you all with the tales of my victories and woes as we go and I hope it shall all fall into place. All advice always welcome.

Rich