Slow start to 2010

I really need to update this much more. Since the last post I took two weeks off over Christmas and started back on the 7th of January. I played live cash games most nights until the 13th and was in profit each of the 6 nights so playing well without actually running well. On the 13th I played a €75 sat for a Killarney main event ticket and ended up doing a deal 3 handed to take the cash. The reason I wanted to take the cash is that I thought that this event would get low numbers for a few reasons. Firstly it’s too far to travel and with accommodation and expenses it works unprofitable unless you go very deep as even if you just limp into the money you probably still have a loosing weekend. Secondly it’s too soon after Christmas where money is tight for people. It was the correct decision as it only got 106 runners when they expected 150+.

From the 14th to the 17th I put in 17hrs of live cash over 3 nights and just ran so bad each night but even though I had 3 losing nights I managed to keep it to a minimum by not tilting which for me is a great achievement. I also played some online the following 3 days but again I run so bad online and again put in a losing few days. So back to live poker again I decided to play some more events before the Green joker poker European deepstack event as I bought in to it getting one of the much wanted golden tickets. It’s a €500 freezeout event with a 50,000 starting stack so it really suits my tight game. Tonight I played the €50+5 freezeout in the Olympus club in Waterford and again managed to get heads up in this event and cash for €400. That is now 2 firsts, 2 seconds and a 7th from my last 6 live tournaments. I think I will play more tournaments before the Deepstack event and maybe play the tournament in Clonmel at the Big slick event. That’s all my news for now but I will try to update this at least weekly just to keep myself more in touch with my results and might even start to do some hand history’s which will give you all an insight into the mind of a genius lol.

Crazy Omaha

Christmas is More or less over and the New Year is drawing closer. Usually I make some resolutions and by the first week of the New Year is over I have given up on most of them. This year needs to be different as I plan on building my new house this year and its kind of hard getting a mortgage when you play poker for a living. I think I play equally well in both live cash and tournaments but 99% of my poker is cash as it is a regular income. For 2010 I am going to play more tournaments to see if I can get decent cash and pay for the walls and roof. I also need to seal up the leaks in my game of which I have 3. I tilt like CRAZY in live and online cash, I play way to many hands online and I tilt like CRAZY. So 2010 means play more tournaments and Stop tilting while playing cash.

Since my last post I travelled to Galway for the IPC weekend and I was quite profitable but how it could have and should have been so different. I played the (€300+30) Super sat for the main event and played perfect poker but as usual got sucked out on 3 hands in a row when getting my chips all-in while ahead each time but that’s tournament poker. I then played cash for the rest of the weekend which was always my plan if I didn’t get a main event ticket. So Thursday night I made a €30profit after 8hrs of 1-2-5 PLO and that at least paid for my sat entry. Friday I played some NLH and PLO and was up €550 for the night, again after a 10hour session but happy with the profit. Then on to Saturday.... eventful to say the least. I had a good sleep and bath before returning to the Radisson to play cash again for the night and when I arrived there was a good €2-2-5 PLO game going so I sat in with €500 and built it up to €950 but by this time the game had evolved into a €2-2-5-10-20 PLO game and everyone on the table had between €1-3k so it was very deep. So anyway I get AAJ10 double suited and I’m in the big blind. By the time it gets to me its €300 to go with 2 players so I shove for €950 and get 1 caller. I hate AA but what do I do? Call and see a flop or fold or push. Anyway I get to the river ahead and he hits a straight so shit happens.

I reload for €700 and get it up to €1000 when the next hand happens.... And I have to say the most amazing hand I’ve ever played. I get A 5 2 6 double suited in the big blind and I haven’t played a hand for over an hour at this stage and it is now costing €75+ to see any flop. So I decide to play this hand (I know I shouldn’t but I do as everyone is turning over total muck to claim €1-2k pots) Anyway its €40 to see a flop and the flop comes K 4 3 rainbow and there is 4 of us in the pot so I check utg bets €150, other guy calls third guy calls and its back to me.. I got any A 2 5 6 for a straight so I Raise to €900 leaving me €57 left. First 2 guys fold and it’s back to the last guy which is gambling like hell but I think he puts me on slow playing Top set as I have played super tight all night. Anyway he calls the €900 so there is like €2,500 in the pot and I have €57 left. Turn comes a J which is no help to me so I check and he checks and the river comes a Q (and I mutter “YES”), I then instant Shove the €57 into the €2.5k pot and he Instant folds................ what the F**k, he folded for €57 and everyone on the table is in total shock. I turn over my Ace high hand to pull in the €2,500 pot and I am genuinely in total shock. He then pulls his hand from the much and turns over Q 2 5 6 for a pair of Queens. I stack my chips and put my jacket on and I have to go for a long walk to calm myself..how can he fold? How?. Anyway After another hour I decide that My head is just not with the game any more and by this stage it was costing €150+ to see a flop it was way out of my league so I cash out for a profit of €1300 and head to bed. My plan was to play Sunday also but I really was drained after the 3 x 12hr sessions and was happy with my profit for the weekend as I should have been down €1k if that guy called the €57 river bet. So I had a nice breakfast and headed back to Waterford up €1,600 after hotels and food etc.

Since then I have played 2 other live games in Waterford the first night up €500 and the second night down €400 so Happy with the weeks work before Christmas. Tomorrow in Waterford we have a €150 NLH F/O in the Olympus club and there should be 60+ runners for this so I am going to give this 100% and see what happens. If I don’t get any luck in the tournament then there is sure to be some very good cash action after it so either way it will be a long night but I’m looking forward to it.

I'm Back

After 4 months away from playing poker for a living I'm back and enjoying it more than ever. I moved to Thailand in September and arrived back last week after a really nice break from poker. I was still playing poker 4-5 days a week but without the presure of having to make money from it. I feel in this time I have Improved my game by at least 30% by adding some new gears to a car that really only had 2 previously. I've only realised that poker is about playing people and that was something foreign to me. I relied on playing cards and anyone can do it when you get good cards. Friday was my first live game in Waterford for months and I ended up finishing 2nd in the €75 freezeout for €350 odd profit and then made another €170 in the cash game afterwards. Played online Sunday and no cards or luck in any of the three tournaments I played but thats poker. Went back into the Olympus in Waterford again on Monday and Won the €45 freezeout for €320 + a ticket to the December Monthly €150 game. Also played some cash afterwards for a small profit. So my first tournaments back I got a 1st and 2nd so Happy enough and helps the confidence. Tonight I'm going to play THE HENDON MOB league game on Full tilt, bubbled it last week. This week it is Pot limit Hold'em which I love in tournaments. Plan to head into The Olympus for some cash after this tournament. Hopefully Iwill have more positive results to post in my next entry.

My Last Game

At 1am on Monday morning I'm playing my last game online.
Decided that I've had enough of the stress of poker. And I really can't take any more
of the beats I've been getting now for the last 6 months.
I've been playing now for nearly 4 years and have had a good life from poker but
its just not for me and I can't spend any more time sitting in front of a computer for days on
end with life flying past.
The bad beats have finally got to me and I don't have the will to continue with it.
Life is for living and I need to live it a bit more.
So out with the old and in with the new.

MTT are doing my head in

Just finished the $35,000gtd on Full tilt and I just can't get across the finishing line.
1433 runners... chip leader with 90 to go and crash out again in 52nd.
This is totally doing my head in as I really don't know how I can't win.
Don't know if I'm too agressive or what I'm doing wrong but $7,500 for first and bullshit $72 for 50th, I just don't know how much longer I can deal with this.
I'd do anything to give up this game but it pays the bills, and I also know that I'm just a hand or two away from winning something decent. I really take my hat of to all you guys that play these for a living because its either all or nothing in them. I've done about 16hrs today and I'm sitting here at 5.30am looking at another tourny starting in 30min..This is one sick life.

Results

Played 3 tournys online: in the last 2 days
$24+2 Full tilt 1334 players-376th AQ v Q10---Flop J89 $0
$24+2 Full tilt 430players-269th K8 v 86---Flop K79-5 $0
$10-1 Full tilt 332players-3rd K8 v 96---Flop K65-9 $318.72
So I got my chips in ahead in all 3 tournys and lost...whats new.

Played about 6-7hrs of Heads-up Pot limit Omaha too, up a few hundred dollars.
I love sundays as I try to play a lot of sats and then cash the tournament dollars for cash or at least thats the plan. Will play 3 or 4 tournaments and some cash too.

FREE CASH & loads of plo

You can still use the link to get your free cash,No deposit required.
Just follow the instructions on the last post.

I never gave the 2 tournys a day a go yet...broke my rules and played about 20hrs of HU plo.
Up and down like a yo-yo and only on 27% rakback on full tilt so I need to start playing Ipoker again soon. Gonna play the $35,000gtd in a hour on Full Tilt. Wish me luck.

Ohh found this cool video on youtube "life of a poker player in thailand" its funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcYoPbKmWyc