I'm an idiot.

After my big thing about only playing NL I decided in my infinite wisdom to play some $1/$2 limit as I need to bust some raked hands fast. Well I busted 250 raked hands fast but at a cost of $60. Why do I bother, all this did was remind me why I am switching to NL. All the damage was done in 3 hands where I got screwed over badly, in a way that would never have happened on NL unless they really are stupid (possible).

Well I am back in the saddle now and going to take out my frustration on all of you in the BTP tourney tonight. I need the money now.

Later

Rich

I think that you played very well in the tournament today honey, although I cannot say the same for myself. As you keep reminding me though, the more no limit I experience the more I will learn. I still think at this point limit poker is the place for me. I think you played well today though, and as you could see from your tournament in Vegas that I do not get bored watching you. I hovered around the poker room during his tournament and the lady running it even took me under her wing and we had a nice discussion. She agreed that his winnings should go directly to me, and they did.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello to all of you who have been keeping up with Rich's personal life and introduce myself on his forum. It's about time, right honey?

Welcome. About time we see someone's better half while Starstealer and MecosKing keeps their picture to themselves.

C'mon now Rich, this elaborate scheme to prove you have a life outside of poker isn't fooling anyone!

j/k

Thanks Honey,

Well its nice to know I have at least one fan. This is especially comforting considering I took her out with T9s vs her KJo.

Man these tournaments are getting titanic, fate of a nation on my shoulders each time! Well I have to win one while I am still a pure Brit.

I have been staying with a friend so no poker since BTP. I am using this as a break to refocus everything. Harrington's arrived on Monday so I am plugging my way through that too, I am already really impressed with some of the hand examples and the thought processes he illistrates. I think it is going to be far more relevent to my play than SS2, especially as it preaches flexability of approach. I am also hoping it will help my climb the final hurdle and claim a BTP tourney win, then boy will you guys here about it!

No issue on the way I went out of the BTP. I basically crippled my self in a pot with Ice. I think I had him covered by about 1000t, 7000t to 6000t. He had raised 3x BB (600) so i called with 87s. The flop was 882 rainbow, hurray! I was already picturing an Ice shaped head over my fireplace. In terms of play it was actually a pretty amazing hand. If memory serves he bet a small bet on the flop with I called after counting to 7, then checked the turn (a K) so I decided to make like a steal and bet 1000t into about a 3000t pot. He raised me 1000t but I figured me might have an over pair or even AK and was trying to slap me down. I called figuring he would have to bet the river, or I was going to stick him all-in anyway. He went all-in on the river (a brick) but I wasn't too scared as the pot was massive now and this was only his last 2k. Called in a flash.

He had 98s.

Kinda like a tiger stalking an antelope, only to leap at the last and find out he was stalking a fricking lion!

Like annoying Friends re-runs I will be back...

Well got to go and do something.

Rich

p.s. I mention I knocked out Tightwad, a nation rejoices.

I think a tiger could totally take a lion.

I think that is action I will take, now all we got to do is somehow arrange a fight between said tiger and lion...

Rich

I did some quick and dirty research on lion v tiger. I posted it in anything goes so as not to hijack richs journal.

Played some more $50NL tonight, pushed for a session on 3 tables tonight and found it to be fine. I started with two then got the third up after I had my reads from GT plus (30 hands). I think this will be the way to go for me from here on in.

I lost maybe $15 tonight but I played about 350 hands as I was doing one to release the $180 bonus I have on Poker Now. That done its pushed my BR nicely over $1000 which is good as I was hovering for a bit. My play tonight was solid but I didn't really get a lot going my way so I am happy with that result. I think maybe 6 weeks ago I could have lost $50-$60 with those hands.

Well got to go.

Rich

Rich, she's definatly a keeper.

Thanks Rhound,

I am currently working on getting her under contract so she is all mine.

Okay, I have been a little crap at updating details on stuff.

Basically today I played in a live tournament home game. This was held by the 7-2o crowd again (cheers Dave) but unlike previous game, we using a different format. Basically we were having a mock WSOP tournament so we would start with 10 000 in chips and blinds would be half an hour starting at 25/50. Since this was going to be an all-dayer we started play at 10am.

Right, quick update. Last night I celebrated the birthday of my best friend. Much drink was had and I arrived home at 2am in an awful state. I woke this morning even worse, and had to be up early remember to be in Acton for 10am. I had the hang over from hell though I was feeling a little better after pulling over to be sick on the way to the tournament. As you can imagine, I did not have high hopes going in...

I have to say I loved the format. The long blinds and heaps of chips meant it really did suit someone like me who was willing to pick spots to play. This was just as well since I had major swings going at one point down to $2500t. In a normal tournament I reckon you cannot really suffer more than two big losses before you are in big trouble but here it was possible to still sit back and wait for hands to make your stack back up. There was no real blind issues till about 6 hours into the tournament.

Interesting thing was how people adapted or didn't as the case may be. We had 28 runners I think so we started on three tables. I was on a table seperate from the other two tables. We started playing and while there was some loose play we didn't have a pot over 3k in chips for about 2 hours. While this was going on we were hearing that about 5 players got knocked out in the first 90 mins. I was talking to one guy who had gone all-in with AKo to a reraise! I was doing okay winning several uncontested pots though this was in part due to some mega cold cards so any raise was getting a lot of respect.

I did win one great pot, with 72o (I know, but the blinds were small) which I raised EP and got two callers gulp). We had a 7 on the flop so I bet it with a pot bet knocking one player out. The turn gave us an ace so I bet again for the pot figuring I had raised preflop so an ace might be a scare card. The other guy folded so I got to show my 72o to general acclaim (and shredded table image). Turns out the first guy to fold had 88, the second guy had 75s.

After about 3 hours we got moved as we had enough for two tables. I got drawn onto a table with one player who had about 40k and another had 25k, being far an away the chip leaders. I have about 12k at this point having been steadily building. I then proceed to lose a ton of chips, firstly with QQ which gave a flop with overcards. I bet into it having raised but when I got played back I dropped it fast, then I got AKo a few hands later but missed losing a flop bet I made. This put me down to 2.5k at my lowest since we had antes going though the blinds were still tiny. About this time the huge stack swallowed the second biggest stack when both were in after raising and the flop came down 5Q5, two hearts. It all went in on the flop after some consideration. Turns out second big stack had AQs (top pair and a flush draw) but huge stack had 55. To say this now tightened the table would be an understatement.

This huge stack was now my main target. I doubled through him once hitting a T on the flop and going all-in with AT, he called with 2nd pair. This was my only nasty hand since after that I rebuilt my stack quickly. I called a small raise in the big blind from the small blind with QJo and flopped the nut straight. Interesting thing about this was I had informed the small blind at the beggining of this that I was going to ruin him with a trash hand so when he bet I called on the flop but raised his turn bet. I guess he figured I was messing with him (I had played this guy in previous tournaments and had messed with him) so he put himself all-in. With no flush draw to even consider this was the easiest call of the day.

We then played on till the final table, I don't remember any hands from this but I was doing okay when we went to the final table, mid stacked. I then hit a series of cold cards and unfortunate situations (getting played back big time everytime I tried to steal). By now the blinds were starting to bite a little so I made a move raising with QTs LP. I got reraised by the BB after the others folded. This was odd since I figured the BB didn't have a stellar hand and he had bullied me a few times previously where I had folded this kind of situation. I decided to see the flop which was king high, had a T and two of my suit. He bet again so I decided to push all-in. I figured he would fold, or I would be good as I doubted he had a king plus I had my flush draw. He called after much deliberation turning over 88. I doubled up since he had me covered.

The first 5 were paid so it got tight but we lost players and got down to the final 4. I was now short stack as the blinds and antes were really biting. I made another move this time with J9s but sadly lose with A8s on the coin flip when there was an 8 on the flop. Basically I pushed all-in going over the top of a loose players raise while I still had enough of a stack to make it a toughy for anything but a great hand. Sadly I got called though I think it was still a percentage play. My read was correct, that the raising player didn't have a great hand so I acted but got caught.

I am happy with my 4th place though and the £70 I got for it. Especially since to my thinking this tournament was a skill game more than most. All I need to do is pull down a BTP tourney and my life is complete!

Well its back to Party this weekend to unleash the reload bonus there. Only 700 hands so I figure two days and it will be mine. I am going to stick with $50NL playing three tables. I am still up slightly for the month on table play (very very slightly!) but I am nicely up on the NL. So long as I am playing three tables I can get the bonus's off in a timely fashion which has effected my bottom line big time this month.

I am going now to sleep of the last of my hang over.

Speak soon.

Rich

Back to the grind today.

Well actually no, I played about 150 hands during which time I was down about $90. I would love to regal you with stories of bad beats but it was plain old bad play. Pushing at the wrong time and being generally stupid.

About this time my internet disconnected (impressive as it is ADSL) so I decided to take it as a sign and quit while I am most certainly behind.

Good news is I would have to try really hard to make tomorrow worse, so at least I have that to look forward to.

Rich

I didn't play much on Monday, about 200 hands on Party. I won about $5 so it could always be worse. I also decided to play a $20 tournament on Party. This was okay till I ran into the wrong end of a full house and went out about 200th place.

I have just played a private tournament on Poker Stars, some french thingy. There were about 100 players but I didn't really get any cards. I lost one big hand when some tit called when I stuck him all-in after catching him on the draw, and made it. After that I just waited till I had to go all-in only to have my QJ vs someone elses KJ. Bah.

Well got to go. I am going to do some serious play this month but will talk more on it later.

Rich