A win.

Managed to take down my first live tournament yesterday at Gala for £410. There were only 32 runners though so wasn't anything uber special (Still properly chuffed though!). It was £10 in with two rebuys and an add-on in the first hour, starting on 2k with blinds staying at 50-100 until after the break. I'll just give a break down of some key hands :)

Had fuck all for the first 45mins or so and didn't play a hand. There was plenty of limping until I got dealt the monster K9o in the cutoff, and made a standard raise hoping the image would work. Got 2 callers but managed to flop K8x two diamonds. Checked in first pos and a guy led out. I thought for a bit and shoved which was met by an insta call on the nut flush draw. Managed to hold up which is always nice. Up to about 4k. In the next hand made a bluff all in on the flop with AJs on a Qhigh board after a guy cbet, and then the last hand before the break I threw half my stack away raising AKs (with limpers), c betting on a board of Q10x which was swiftly met by an all in. Added on. Stack now at 5200. (about average)

After the break the table split and I got put next to a total gobshite who thought he was a god talking about hellmuth, and how he could read me, and all the standard shit that goes with it. He was pretty quiet before until he sucked out calling an all in on A7s v AK, thereby becoming chip leader. About half an hour later after staying around the 6k mark with blinds at 400/800, finally got my break when a bloke min raised my big blind in early position which fucked me off (lol,such a child) so I went all in with AQ and as he was shortstacked he thought fuck it and committed the rest of his slightly smaller stack with Q5s. Happy days. It held up fortunately. He didn't seem that bad to be honest but that was a bit ambitious lol. After that lost a few races with mini stacks but got a few thousand back here and there.

On about 11k at this time when we were moved to the final table (8 man) and there was plenty of action. I got sat in between the two monster stacks (inc.knobhead) which was very gay but fortunately they donated some of it to the other side and in particular a reg who is almost always at the final table playing real solid stuff in my opinion. Anyways chips were exchanged with each other until two people went out.

With blinds at 1000/2000, I open shoved AQo UTG for about 13k and got called by the shortstack on KK and somehow lucked my way out after an A came on the flop. I was running far too well. A few hands after, I was dealt Q9hh in the BB. One limper and the SB completes. Flop comes 7h Kh 8x. SB checks I bet 5k, and get put all in soon after. Can't really fold there, ~35% will do me at this point I thought?. So I called and was semi relieved to find he had 5h6h. The turn came 4h which was interesting but the river was a blank catapulting me up to around 34k and 3rd in chips. Good times.

at 1500/3000 through to 2k/4k it eventually got whittled down to three after the reg ran his KK into 66. The lead kept changing between me and this other bloke. There was one monster where the new shortstack moved in for about 15k and I called on 55 from the SB, but knobhead who was 2nd in chips at this point also called and it ended up us checking it down and not hitting anything and giving the shortstack the lead (lets call him Barry). After that hand our Barry was sitting pretty on about 50k+, me on 25k and knobhead something similiar. Then there was a bit of carnage. Our Barry got pissed off with me when I said (in context with the conversation) "we've seen quad sixes tonight" referring to a guy still watching who flopped the dogs bollocks earlier on, to which our Barry replied, "Eugh, you fucking internet players with your quads and trips and numbers, it's 'four of a kind'," .....lol!

He was perhaps a bit annoyed that I had been raising his blind quite a bit and shoving on bollocks when he limped from the SB. Even though I was getting paid about £150 at this point, one of my greatest faults in poker along with plenty others is that I tend to settle for 2nd or 3rd and be happy that I have made it that far. I never really had a Killer Instinct when it comes to poker which is contrary to my approach in other things.

Anyways the game went on and on, until blinds came to 4k/8k. Our Barry was still grumpy and was playing back at me quite a bit with knobhead still moaning and insulting me and the very few spectators. Took about 20k off our Barry with trip (sorry, three) Queens a bit later after I checked all three streets so he put in a small bet and lost a bit (probs a crap play but our Barry is becoming very aggro). The pivotal hand came about 10 mins later. I find KJs OTB and just decide to smooth call mainly because I don't want to be raised all in by our Barry on a hand that can be quite easily dominated, and secondly to get a three way pot to try and get some action between the other two. Flop comes K10x with a flush draw. Led out for 15k and knobhead calls, and our Barry shoves. I couldn't put knobhead on anything because I thought he would push with a flush draw or any King. Instead I put our Barry on the draw and I made the call after a few mins hoping knobhead won't get involved seeing as there's someone elses tournament on the line. He folded thank jesus.

I was suprised and fucking relieved to find he pushed J10. Turn. Q River x. YES!! It turned out that knobhead also had J10. After that hand I was on about 95k with him on 10k or so. We went for a piss break and as soon as we sit down he shoves his 1BB into me and I look down at AA. It held up against 87 and I took down my first live tourn!!! Yaaaaay.

To cap things off the taxi driver was a Juventus fan. Sorry for the epic!! Hope you're all well.

lazing about.

Well it certainly feels abnormal sitting on my arse all day. Whats worse is that my second hand laptop blew up (the one I bought 2 months ago) so I'm restricted to the gym, daytime tv and playstation 2 when I'm not seeing mates....such a saddo. Probably a good thing cos my stars roll started to go down the shitpan, ($80 not much), by me playing super aggro and pushing when I shouldn't, I'd love to show you one particular hand but on my dads comp atm.

Basically limped KK, bloke in the BB got odds to call after everyone else limped and flopped a K high flush on a 10 high board. Hehe, serves me right to be honest. And then it went on a few low stakes MTTs after going out on more awful calls. I also seem to get abuse because of my Italian flag picture too which is quite funny but I'll be honest it puts me on tilt, worse when they min raise from the SB. This = meltdown. Won't play till university now I don't think, where donations will most likely be made.

Elsewhere, saw that Rock n rolla film, the plot doesn't really explain itself but it's very funny and a must if you liked Lock Stock. Bradford also got bummed on Friday. 'Nuff said, but at least the footballers are top of League two! Going back up on the 27th, via newcastle and one of its steak challenging restaurants. I don't know how much I have to eat, but apparently you get a hoodie if you do it. I could do with some new clothes to be honest. Hope everyone is well.

And good luck to ptevey.

NO MORE ENVELOPES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Outta there.

Met some lovely people though, going on a night out with a few next weekend so that should be a good'un. If one thing struck me about this job, it is that is went reaaaaaaally quickly. You get up suicidal in a morning preparing to sweat, toil, swear, and receive paper cuts. Looks like I'd been self harming for ten weeks! Anyways it's over now, good good. Made a small mistake in the afternoon (I won't bore you with the details) But long story short I left it to this cunt I don't like to do it on Monday. (He doesn't like me either)

I've forgotten what I was going to say now, because all I have on my mind tonight is to get completely trashed in bradford city center while watching the mighty Bulls dispose of some Wiganites (is that even a word) for the grand final playoffs. What else....nope thats about it.

Pokerwise, spun $20 up to 160 then withdrew....deposited another 20 and played some HU sitn gos. (I am so fickle when it comes to poker. I'll play anything) So far played 10 $5 ones, winning 8. Tomorrow i'll probably be at 400NL or something. (With some help from the bank I might add :D.)

Right I'll stop babbling now. TO THE BAAAAAAAAAAAAARR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A year on.

This time last year I had just deposited my first 2 quid on willhill, coming off the end of a frankly glorious play money stint on FT which involved all ins on A3o UTG, all in blind omaha (SO much fun), and begging my friends who were in the millions for more chips to throw around.

A year later, I THINK I am a winning player (More so at sng's, less so, or perhaps break even at micro stakes cash, and CERTAINLY a big loser at the Aidans cash game :D). Granted I have limited quantitative evidence apart from good old Sharkscope, I do believe I am in reasonably healthy profit with respect to the stakes I play. This is something which I am no doubt chuffed with, but as always there are tons of more things to learn, especially going into the more complicated maths.

I find myself now grinding the $3 sit n gos again. Months ago when I was doing reasonably well hovering round a 25% ROI, it took me a lot of concentration, meticulously looking at who I'm playing against and perhaps even thinking too hard about it.

Today is different. After playing like a complete prick at the $6 version in not the last grind, but the one before that, profits took a tumble and I was still out of my depth, often being in no mans land after a c-bet was called and just giving up post flop. As I say, today I have mentally moved on. I am not scared to raise on shit, to float, to adapt a little and these $3 18 men seem much simpler, with decisions being made with much more confidence and conviction. Think of it as half a Paul Williams playing half the stakes...I'll settle for that :D. On a side note though, how fucking small would half a Paul Williams be!?

Clearly though this hasn't been all my doing, it is Allah's will. (haha I'm joking) The usual suspects like Isaac and Gambon have helped me immensely and I must thank them for it. Neways, enough slurping; Bring on next year!

Feeling better.

I am walking again semi-normally which is lovely because as we all know I turn into a complete whiner when I'm immobile, (I pretend to be an athlete). However, it has to be said athletes don't spend 8 hours a day on C&C generals: Zero hour.

I haven't been up to much all week apart from that, fun fun. The only other thing worth mentioning is that when my computer overheats due to too much gaming, I've been watching a shitload of poker vids and hands, thought I'd might as well learn some new stuff as well as refresh the memory. In Sit n gos I'm learning not to limp (obviously there are certain situations where a limp will do just fine) but raising or folding seems generally speaking a better way of playing and makes decision making much easier.

I've been watching in particular the EPT final tables and I think the commentary is very useful indeed. So after a little donk session the other day with Isaac et al I ended about $20 up or something, and then decided to put into practice what I saw. Long story short I entered a $16turbo sit n go for shits (I wanted to face [much] better players than myself but at the same time still give mesen some sort of hope), and managed to take it down, without running like Usain Bolt. I can obviously make pretty much no conclusions out of one sit n go but it certainly helped not limping and wasting chips folding to re-raises. I certainly felt more comfortable than I thought I would.

And then just now I've gone back to donking a couple of 3 dol sit n gos and a satellite to the sunday 200k, and went out on the bubble on all 3. Back on form :D.

Not much else to report apart from that I am so happy with the CL draw. Real and Zenit, here we come. I would give respect to that belarussian side, but they share a border with russia; so as my polish genes dictate, no respect at all must be given :) Hope everyone runs well or continues to do so *coughKEYScough*