A Good Morning

Signed onto Bodog as soon as I got up this morning and decided I`d play a $2 Euro qualifier. No good reason to really as it pays in tourney dollars and I have a boatload already. Just fancied it as a warm up game, ended up finishing 2nd and picking up T$10. There was also a $6+60 buy-in tourney starting 30 minutes later and I decided what the hell I`ll play that too. Didn`t realise it was a turbo but it turned out ok. I Finished 4th and cashed for a little over $36 which is pure profit because I paid in T$. So I actually made a cash profit and a T$ profit.

I`ve never been a huge fan of the Bodog software but I have to admit that for multi-tabling it`s great with the little window on the left showing you your other table, and allowing you to play without having to flick backwards and forwards all the time if you have poor cards.

This Weekend Keeps Getting Better

The 5th Street freeroll over at Poker Nordica. They say a picture paints a thousand words so . . .

Another Near Miss

I played the Affiliates Summer Championships Tourney at Carbon last night. It was a $500 freeroll with just 45 entries, 2500 starting chips and a decent structure, exactly the kind of game I like. It started terribly, getting a few decent cards but either people folded or my pocket pairs missed the flop and I was forced to fold. Eventually though my patience paid off and I hit a nice hand and started to make some headway. I received a pleasant compliment when the Beer Guy identified me as one of the tough players to be up against. I`ve always enjoyed reading his blog and think he writes some great poker strategy articles and although we`ve been at a few tables together I didn`t think I`d registered on his radar.

The final table arrived and it was a pretty long battle to eliminate the necessary five players to get into the money places. My stack dwindled as the cards went cold but I stuck to my principles and kept a cool and patient head. I was lucky to river an ace against KK but shortstacked as I was it was the right move and things started to look up. I made the final three and if my final hand had held up I would have been in great shape to get the accolade I so desired. I was ahead pre-flop, on the flop and the turn but my opponent spiked his 2nd pair to drown me on the river.



Funny isn`t it, a few months ago I would have been made-up about winning the money but all I felt was disappointment at not winning the entire thing. I played very well at the final table and it was a huge disappointment to lose in the way I did. Not a bad beat I guess although certainly I was unlucky. I could perhaps have just raised a decnt amount and then taken it down on the flop but then again there`s no guarantee my opponent wouldn`t have put me all-in if I`d just bet. On a positive note I think the attitude I have at the moment that only a win will do is one of the factors in my recent improvement in form, and I have no intention of changing that attitude. My bankroll is more than sufficient for the games I want to play so I no longer have to worry about just scraping into the cash positions to build it up a little.

Published Again!!!

Well they decided my latest entry into the blog article competition was good enough for general consumption and it`s up over at Carbon poker`s blog and you can also read it here. I`m surprised more people haven`t given this a go, $25 for a few hundred words seems a great payoff to me, but who am I to complain if there`s no one else interested? I`m happy to take advantage of Carbon`s generosity and I`m already thinking of my next article.

The Way of the Shark or Kung Fu Poker

Once again in this article I`m taking you to the mystic east to try and make you look at our favourite game in a different light. In many respects this article is aimed more at the beginner but hopefully even the more experienced players amongst you will find some food for thought contained within it. I`m going to have to apologise for a slightly misleading title, I know very little about kung fu other than it means practiced skill (and therefore could be applied to poker). I have studied the martial arts but I practiced ju-jitsu, however I thought kung fu would be a far more familiar martial art to mention and quite frankly a better title for this article.

So why compare the two disciplines? At first glance there is very little about poker that relates to the martial arts. One involves hard physical training the other requires long hours sat at a table or in front of a monitor. Well the most obvious similarity is discipline. If you want to be good at either you`re going to have to practice and the more you practice the better you should get. In the martial arts your fitness, strength and dexterity are areas you should work on. In poker the majority of the work you do is going to be on your concentration and reading abilities. However even in poker physical fitness can be an advantage. Many of the top professionals keep themselves physically fit because it`s been proved that the fitter you are the better you are able to maintain concentration. For most of us that play for a couple of hours a day at home this isn`t going to have a huge effect. However if you`re intending to sit at a tournament or ring table for 12+ hours it`s worth considering.

What I really want to talk about is the process of learning and this is where I feel the major similarity between poker and the martial arts lies. When I attended my first ju-jitsu class I didn`t learn one-handed throat throw as my first technique (yes there really is one, and it`s just as nasty as it sounds), I learnt how to land from a throw, I learnt the basics of kicks and punches and how to stand. The same applies to poker, before you can learn those expert plays you see the pros make you need to master the basics. If you`re a beginner you really don`t want to be raising from middle position with 7-8 suited, you`re just going to get yourself into trouble most of the time. Stick to the basics, the top ten or twenty hands until you have a solid grasp on what you`re doing and more importantly why you`re doing it. That really is a key point of this game, you should always have a reason for every action you take. If you raise, bluff, check, limp,fold, re-raise, check-raise, smoothcall, all-in, make sure you know why and that you`re selecting the best technique/play at that time. The cards you choose to play are in effect the techniques the martial artist uses in sparring and you need to practice to perfect those

Even the way we choose to play has comparisons with the martial arts. A loose- aggressive player style could be comparable with someone who practiced a hard external style (Hard or external styles rely heavily on strikes, using force to overcome an opponent. Soft or internal martial arts concentrate more on defense and use throws and locks to disable an opponent using his own strength against him) like Wing Chun whilst a tight style of play probably compares better with something like Akido, defensive but just as effective. However as poker is a game of deception where we often rely on the mistakes of others to profit it is best to mix up our style to keep our opponent off balance, in other words we want to practice a hard/soft style where we can choose to either attack or defend with equal effectiveness.

Sticking with my martial arts analogy you`re progressing through the grades, from white belt to yellow, from yellow to green, from green to blue etc. As you progress through the grades you`re learning to play different hands and use different plays just as a martial artist learns different techniques as they progress through the grading system. Be patient, you can`t learn it all in a day, week, month or even a year. One day if you practise enough you`re going to be a black belt or in poker terms a shark. However just as in the martial arts once you`ve reached those lofty heights you`re going to realise that far from knowing everything about the game you`re really only just beginning. Doyle Brunson says he learns something new everytime he plays and he`s been playing for over fifty years. If it`s true for a legend like him then it`s certainly true for all of us.

7 Card Stud

The results keep rolling in this month, I`ve just taken down the 7 card stud $2+20 freezeout at Nordica/Carbon. It`s a game I enjoy although I don`t play it a lot. I was pretty short stacked on getting to the final table but I played tight and waited to hit a few decent hole cards. A full house dragged me back into the game and from there I never really looked back. I took the chip lead and never lost it. I took a couple of gambles to eliminate players and by the time I was HU I had a commanding lead and it was just about pressure and a willingness to gamble a little. It didn`t take too long to wrap up and although cashwise it was a modest win it was nonetheless very satisfying.

A Quiet Weekend

A quiet weekend pokerwise, I hardly played. Jumped in a Bodog sng whilst waiting for friends on Saturday morning and finished 3rd. It was a surprisingly tight game but I`ve noticed that during the day the players seem a little more clued up. The funny thing was one of my mates was watching me play and was completely shocked when I was mucking A-rag and hands like K-10, it gave me an insight into the mindset of someone who has only watched a little poker on tv and perhaps played a few friendly games.

I was shattered Saturday night having pulled an all-nighter but had promised to play a friends birthday tourney and of course the 5th Street Charity Ball. As I`ve said before on here I don`t play well when I`m tired and I made some horrible plays in Mimi`s game before busting out after an hour or so. In the charity game I was literally falling asleep and although it was still annoying when my AQ was beaten by AJ I was rather glad I could go to bed.

That meant I missed the Nordica badugi game, kind of a shame as only 7 played with the guy who got on my nerves the other night finishing in a fine 7th place lol.

Sunday I again had guests who left just as the 5th Street freeroll was starting. I had pretty awful cards throughout the early stages but made the final table where I picked up a few hands and finally took 3rd place for a little $20 cash.

It should have been the OPT Grand Final but the tourney wasn`t on the schedule so I`ll be playing it later in the week I guess. A 50k freeroll entry for 1st and 10k freeroll entries for 2nd and 3rd, only 17 players max I should stand a decent chance of cashing and there`s no reason I can`t win it.

Pretty Much A Break Even Day

A funny old day at the tables, played a 7 card stud tourney and did well but failed to cash when some guy made what I considered a really stupid re-raise all-in after I raised for the first time in ages. I was showing a Q and had another in my hole cards. He was showing a 10 and turned over another 10 with an ace. We both ended up with two pair but he spiked his ace to win it. I had to wonder what he was thinking making that play but that`s the way it goes I guess.

Game 2 was the triple draw at OPT, which I was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time. With only 9 players I was hoping to get the full table and the one without Hurikan on. I saw him play hold em the other night and he just pushes and pushes. I ended up on the 4 man table with the aforementioned donkey, a double whammy. He played true to form raising the hell out of virtually every hand. It was very frustrating to play but I knew if I held back I`d nail him and I did several times. We made it to the final table where someone finally took the last of Hurikan`s breath away and then we actually started to play some decent poker. I fancied my chances but ended up bubbling in 3rd place making a push at a pot. No regrets there other than I shouldn`t have stood pat with my 9 high when I was called.

Game 3 was the K9 tour game at K9 Poker room. I sat out most of it playing triple draw and came back to find myself very shortstacked. I managed a double up and then I was cruising finally managing to get the chip lead for a while. Unfortunately I made a couple of moves with slightly raggy aces and ran into a pp and AK held by LarryKiller. That was the end of it for me, no kind saves from the poker gods tonight. Took down third place though for enough to cover my games for the day with a few of bucks profit.

There`s the badugi game tommorrow which I beieve has been changed to PL. I`m undecided as to wether I`ll play or not. Not sure if I want to chance a run in with Hurikan again. It`s been a long time since I`ve ragged on someone at the table but he annoyed the hell out of me so much that I made a few choice comments. Nothing abusive just a few quips about variance and expressions of general annoyance. I was pretty sure he wouldn`t win with such aggressive tactics in a lowball game, and I was right. Variance is such a killer in triple draw, if you don`t believe me go read Chris Fargas` blog Twenty-one Outs Twice. Such a shame the game wasn`t changed to limit, it would have been far more fun. One of the guys at OPT said they hadn`t been able to get it changed in time but concerns were expressed several days ago after the NL Razz fiasco. Still I know they`re out in Vegas for the WSOP and that Merge have had some server issues so perhaps it wasn`t just a lack of inclination on their part.

Poker Gods Come Good

Well after last nights disappointment the poker gods saw fit to redress the balance tonight giving me a couple of lucky escapes and allowing me to take down my first win at OPT. Their main event in the Nordica series was a $10+1 buy-in with $200 added and amazingly only ten players bothered to show. A very tough table but given my present form in sngs I fancied my chances from the start. I played super tight for most of the game only opening up when half the field had gone. I was lucky not to bubble and then got lucky again when my Q-5 ran into AK as I attempted to steal jermn`s BB. After that I had a significant chip lead and mercilessly applied pressure with any piece of paint I was dealt. Murry took 3rd place and jermn was again unlucky against me when he called my raise with 55 against my Q-8 and I spiked an 8 to win the tourney.

Nice to put up a decnt showing though, I`ve had a terrible run in the games I`ve played in that series so far. The win also gets me a seat in the Grand Final and as it will be a small field I should have a decent chance in that.

There are two events left, A-5 lowball triple draw and Badugi. I like both games but unfortunately both are set up as NL games. Were the A-5 limit I would really fancy my chances as I doubt anyone else has played too much of the game. As a NL game it`s going to be tough because I`ll have to cope with the players who just want to gamble because they have little or no experience of the game. Despite saying I wasn`t going to play I think I probably will. The prizes are just too good to ignore ($100 added) especially with so few players turning up, same goes for the badugi game.

So Damn Close

Well I just missed out on taking down the $500 First Depositors freeroll at Carbon last night.



It`s frustrating to play so well, get so close and then fall short of the mark. It wasn`t as if I`d had great cards. In fact I was the short stack for a long time, right from the bubble bursting in fact. I had to claw my way to the final table and then I played very well once I got there. I don`t think I made a single bad move, even the last hand I was ahead until the river. If my opponent doesn`t spike a pair I`m chip leader with a 2 to 1 advantage and although it`s not a sure thing I fancy my chances with that advantage HU.

The only question really is wether I could have laid down the A-10 from the BB when the SB pushed all-in. Three handed I rightly figured I was ahead (he had KQ) and decided to go for it. Hindsight is all too easy I guess but I can`t help but wonder if I should have let him take the blinds. The problem was that all of us only had around 10 big blinds and I`d mentally made the decision that I was going for the win and wasn`t going to be happy with 2nd place. Maybe I could have folded but at the time I was running well and hitting a fair few flops.

Still it`s my best result from those games so far. I`ve made the top twenty a few times but that was my first final table. I think I have one more shot tonight and if I do I`ll be giving my all to try and win that ribbon.

It`s Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings

I`ve just played a Rounders sngs at GNUF, you have to finish 1st or 2nd to qualify for the next level. Well early on I get AK and the flop come A-J-x, I bet and the guy re-raises. Stupidly I re-raise and of course he has AJ and ends up making a boat so I`m down to 100 chips with 9 players left. I didn`t tilt though, in fact it just made me real determined to win and that`s just what I did. Probably the best comeback I`ve ever made, to say I`m pleased is an understatement, in fact I think I`ve pulled a muscle in my arm after leaping to my feet and punching the air in victory lol.

Round 2 I have to finish 1st or 2nd again to move up, 3rd gets me a replay. After round 2 it gets progressively easier to qualify for the next level. The final level pays $3,000 for 1st, not bad for a $5+50 buy-in.

K9 Finals

So last night we played the yearly finals for the Freeroll Tour and Money Tour. I was out pretty quick in the Freeroll final when my bottom set ran into top set. The eventual winner was Scott Drader who beat Bully HU to win his championship ring. I don`t think there could have been a more popular winner, Scott`s been with K9 since the beginning and although he`s clearly a good player he`s struggled to win events taking down only 1 I believe. Well he came good last night and took down the big one.

The Money Tour final went much better for me at least early on it did. I was in the top 3 for most of the game and genuinely fancied my chances once we were at the final table. The problem was the blinds, with the exception of the chip leader everyone was short-stacked and it became a bit of a lottery. My own demise came when I re-raised all-in with AKd and found out Moody had AA. I was so annoyed, I should have known his early position bet (as opposed to all-in) was a sign of strength and I should just have thrown that big slick straight into the muck. Still, hindsight and all that eh? I`ve got to learn to listen to those little voices in the back of my head. Desser eventually took the win battling back from a 5 to 1 chip deficit.