Life is a gamble lets shuffle up and deal

What was that

2009-03-02T00:58:00.001-08:00

Well what can I say I have another really solid performance last night reaching another final table at league match! But all I can say is sick sick sick.

I know you have heard it all before but I must play poker at least 2 hours a day every day and I don’t see as many sick beat as I do on blue square (ipoker). I have learned to accept them as part of the game but it runner runer from know where that get me. Maybe it just me but it happens more on there than any ware. (p.s. no need to bombard me with, the usual replies to this comment) lol.

But ill give you 2 clear examples sitting 3rs in chips, 14 players left.

Button pushed allin for 4040 with kc 9s, I call in big blind with :as: kd, pretty standard flop comes. 6c :3d: 7s, still ahead player has 3 outs. Turn card tc always a sweat. Yeah the 8h comes on the river back door/runner runner sick sick.

So not to worry sill have plenty of chips, play solid and got a bit of luck when i shoved. Out flopping opponent. I don’t mind getting out flopped its the runner runner I cant stand. So back uo to 15000 chips sitting 4th in chips at final table.

First hand in under the gun with ah qh make standard raise to 3600 blinds 600/1200. Button pushes for 10280 with js :as:, 6680 to call I call range could be massive with the blinds like this I get the dream flop of qd qc 7d. I couldn’t ask for a better flop. No flush drawa for opponent I have it. Such a massive favourite. Turn brings kd. ooh nice sweat they have 2 outs any 10 but no diamond. yeah the river comes tc. They take pot. I know there are worse beat but this hurt, I was such a massive favourite.

I do feel that I see more of these at blue square than anywhere else, my humble opinion and I believe it may be shared by other.

Push with any two as I am in big blind, out in 10th to dave greens ace jack.

1 point of the team, Rubbish and no cash. I was truly P**** off after this hand, I should have been chip leader after this getting some nice points for team and hopefully some cash. As I said it sick runner runner I hate don’t mind if its like they hit 1 outer to win but not when they hit 2 miracle cards.

Nothing more I can say.............................

Not a good week

2009-02-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hey guy's last week was not my greatest poker week ever, as posted above I managed to get out drown more times than I care to remember, but hey im over that now. Only took four day LOL.So played the $10 qualifier for the welsh online, was in high spirits after my league performance. On the whole played solid but at crucial time I made a boob. 26 players left sitting in top 8 with 15 getting seat, I can prob fold my way to a seat Oh noooo not me I decide to mess with big stack. Im in big blind , the big stack make a min raise for the millionth time it seem, which he has successfully taken down the blinds with most of the time as the table was playing tighter than a duck's ass. So back to the hand I look at ace queen. Think why not they have been raising to much to I shove thinking ill just take it down now, but no insta call he has ace king. NICE PLAY KENNY out an no seat for me, that was not my smartest play every.

But I buyin to event anyway, I don’t know what it is but me and these online champs don’t seem to get along, I felt like after the first hour of play you have to double your stack as the blinds start to get nasty and ante kicks in. With this in mind I decided to open my game a losing some small pot, and winning some too, staying around the 9000 mark for first 20 min, I get it back up to 10800 with some steals. Then I lose a big pot with a bluff, few people commented on it being a good play but I would much rather have kept the chips.The hand goes raise by The dukeof hassard not sure which duke this is, he raises pre to 560, blinds 100/200, i look at 5 6 hearts pretty hand, so I decide to call.flop comes 7 2 2 rainbow, I check for the check raise, they bet 400 so I re raise to 1000, maybe should have raised more. They call turn is a 9, goes check check, river is a jack, Dukehazzard check, I don’t think they have much, so decide a sort of value bet/bluff of 1400 just under half the pot. They tank and call. In my mind great call with ace high. Maybe I should have bet turn or more on the river but the way the handed played I could have had a small ish pair, with my re raise on the flop or spiked a jack. But none the less I tip my hat nice call Dukehazzard.
What are your thoughts on this hand??

Card dead for a while, down to around 9000 chips I have around 13 big blinds look at pocket 9's, with blinds at 300/600 plus ante. mid position play raises to 1800, I decide to reraise to 4200. They call looking for a good flop. It comes King Queen Jack, nice not quite what I wanted. They shove, I fold. I think I should have pushed pre flop or let it go but I think, I needed to get some chips.I pick up some small pots but ante it starting to hurt my stack of 4115. I’m on the button I have 10 9, I decide to shove small stack is in big blind and I know they will call with any to and I should be live. Pot total just 8000 so nice to win it, as expected small stack calls showing 6 2 and they hit trips, NH clearly not my night out next hand.
WELL PLAYED TO ALL WHO CASHED AND TO THE WINNER I WATCHED IT ALL. I would like the blinds to be at 15min or have levels stating at 25/50 for the online champs.

As for my poker I have decided to refocus on cash games, the format I love to hate, I have been playing 0.05/0.010 tables and making an decent return over last few days. Oh and thanks to Mr ladbrokes for my free £10 got it up to £40 on cash tables today

what a game

2009-02-18T09:48:00.003-08:00

well I just cant belive it, this wonderfull game of ours never fails do P*** me off, some days no matter how well you play you just seem to get out drawn, just played 3 $10 sng on tilt only 6 max and I was chip leader on them all, I got queens cracked by 9's. A's cracked by jj's and my ace king hummped by ace jack.
I know the whole getting your money in good, chat "you will win most of the time". But man it susks when it happen.
Time do go and donk some money off in cash. Well lets hope not!!!

what a game

2009-02-18T09:48:00.001-08:00

quite week

2009-02-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Well it been a pretty quite week all in all on the poker front had some ok finished in MTT but nothing really worth blogging about.
Well what about the Second APAT league match was another very enjoyable event. Increased blind level worked really well I thought. The usual friendly banter been thrown about the chat box, which was good. Managed an 8th/7th place finish beating my 16h place of the first match. It was nice to get some point on the table.
Congrats to my good friend DrGibb who went out in 9th good result consider he missed the first 1hr of play due to and extended cat nap! We have all done that! lol!!! So another 3 weagies in top ten nice. We where looking strong with 30 players left with a further 3 weagies chipped up!
A solid event for myself I feel, layed down some big hands pre I felt with some re-raise to my raise, Yeah thanks 'Laxie'. Had some decent starting hands in first few hours which helped including pocket kings and queens.
The hand I won with Kings was scary. There where limpers and I raised 4x with my kings in big blind and got 2 called folp comes all spades with a queen. I bet 3/4 pot. Get a call and then a reraise, I think and just hope no body flopped flush. So I decide to gamble and I shove and both call. No flush one with As Qd and other with 9c9s. So both flushing and with further out, they both miss and I rake the pot.
Lost a key hand with a raises with qc qs to a shove with ace 4 of '5kinEm' with an ace on the flop. I have to say 5kinEm you ran good last night really good.
Maybe not my best play but had invested half my stack. I continued to play solid picking up kings and winning a nice pot. So got to the final table had been pretty card dead for the last few levels. 8 players left mid position with 5c 5h decide I cant pass had 16700 blind are 1000/2000. So I make the standard raise to 6000 hoping to pick up blinds. But guy in cut off raises allin, cant really fold now, so hoping for a race. They show queens good night all out in 8th, decent result
Maybe should have pushed with 5s but outcome would have been the same. So won most of my buyin for APAT Welsh online. But will give the qualifier a shot tonight if no joy I will buy in now!
Hope I play solid.
Kenny

Omaha Heaven

2009-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

I have been running pretty bad online the last few days playing holdem can't seem to win a race or get a big hand to hold up. So I decided to play omaha, only on a 0.05/0.10 game for a bit of fun but 25 hands later I am $56 buck up. Such an easy game guys just giving their chips away on any draw. I did win a decent size pot when I flopped quad jack! Nice. Wish I could have played longer but got work in the morning.
Think I will play it more often I forgot how much fun it is especially when I'm in an action junkie mood!!

A short and sweet post.

2009 so far

2009-02-11T02:41:00.000-08:00

I had a good start to 2009, came 2nd in a tournament on titan for just under $400 bucks which was nice, quickly withdrew half and paid off some credit card! Played really solid, heads up was over in a flash tho! But for a day off sick at work I made more playing poker than I would have at work for that day!! If only I did that every day and I could be a poker bum.

I continued to play on Tournaments on titan made it deep in 4 out of 6 of them but no big cashes im afraid, but I must have been doing something right! Decided to play some cash games on titan 0.25/0.50 blinds, won $100 dollars, so cashed it out to pay for APAT uk Champ online event.Played a big hand to win all the money I had pocket 10's, I made a standard rase to $1.50, got reraise from limper, to $4.50 I call flop come 64J, not a bad flop, limper bets pot I reraise double bet to see where im , he flat calls. Like shit king on the turn, he checks I check, River is a blank he shoves all in for $30, I tank strange hand, so decide I have put plenty in the pot and make the call just didn’t think this guy was strong, don’t know why. But the pot shipped my way Wooohooo. Look at hand history guy had 7 2 im like what the fuck!!

Play the next day on titan, down $200 dollars on cash games some sick rivers and had to lay down some big hands.

So I decided to take the rest on cash out of titan and hop back on the fulltilt wagon.I qualified for the sky poker event in Edinburgh, hadn’t played live in months, so me and mate decided to go along to local casino for freezout for wee bit of practise. Came 4th out of 50 runners some cash in pocket and bit on confidence for sky event! I doubled up first hand crazy manic loud mouth ****** raised my blind, I look at pocket 9s blind at 25/50 he makes stupid raise to 400 I decide to call. I say to dealer "flop me a set", the magical first card out 9, the can't remember other cards. I tap the table guy shoves allin for 5400 chips more, I snap call. He shows queen jack of diamonds, for no pair but a back door flush draw. Diamond on the turn, the whole table shouts no diamond, 3 of clubs pops off pot comes my way, there is always a sweat!!

Next big hand 6 limpers in pot, my moto is punish the limpers. I look down at a ace/king in big blind, I think perfect " Raisie Daisy". I raise to 1000, blinds are 100/200. All fold except the button, the flop comes 569 all diamonds. I check big blind shoves all in for around 4000, I tank and think though possible hand, I say out load I think you made terrible play with like black queens limping into a 5 way pot and the diamonds scared you. So I have ace king two over’s and nut diamond draw so i say call. I am not shitting you he turns over two black queens! whole table goes crazy. I don’t know why I put him on that type of hand but I did. Turn was a diamond and I rake pot, NICE!!
Just some standard poker to the final table, when out on a semi bluff, I bet every street, was open-ended on the turn. Player calls my river shove with and under pair to the board. Either a great call or a crazy call! I think he had just decided to play the hand through no matter what!! But I was annoyed i went out on a bluff not my favourite play!!

Well now on to Edinburgh Sky Poker Event, after 1hr or so at table spotted a few week link early door, reraise the player i had spotted and they folded every time. Seemed like a fairly passive table tho. Player directly on my left and right seemed pretty solid. But had manic young guy who I was desperate to trap with a big hand.No big hand really early doors took down some fairly small pots. Key hand came on a blind battle, me small, big blind and button where in pot. All limped in I have 10 7 off blind 100/200, Flop come 10 7 J to spades, but of a scary flop/ action flop. I check, big blind bets the pot, button call's. So i have 2pair, i was planning the check raise. So I repop for and additional 1000, big blind calls and button folds. Turn is a king but no spade, but does complete a straight, but I think I’m still ahead, I bet half pot big blind shoves for 2500 more, im priced to call and have outs if he has straight. He shows King Queen spades. So he has top pair, 2nd nut flush draw and straight draw, soooooo many cards to make his hand. Good old ACE on the river to complete his straight, me down to 2500 chips.Break in 10 min need to try get some chips, didn’t really happen but up to, 3200 at first break.

Double up required, due to my passive table I thought my best option to try steel the blind and ante was to get my chips in first, hoping not to run into a big hand as my table only seemed to want to play big hand. This tactic work every time, raises from late position where respected which helped me build my stack. Got up to around 7000 chips so felt nice to be able to play some hands again, as i felt I could work my table. Finally got the hand I wanted against supper aggressive player, he raised my blind I look at cards 10 9 diamonds, nice hand to see a flop. Flop comes 10 6 8 two diamonds. Perfect couldn’t have asked for a better board well maybe 10109 would have been nice, but this one will do. I decide I need to build a pot so I bet 3/4 of the pot guy reraises so I do some Hollywood and shove the rest of my stack in the middle. I get a quick call guy shows Ace 8, just what I wanted against this player!! Turn and River where none eventful, I take pot. Now its time to play poker blinds 200/400 plus ante. Chip stack now around the 13000 mark.

Dinner break soon!10 min before break get moved to new table the action table, with one of the Sky Poker players on it! Time for some decent starting hands hopefully. 2 hands in Sky players raises in early position to 2000 folded to me in big blind I look down at Ace King so I rerasie to 4500, he folds break time.Pretty card dead for two rounds but made button raises that got thought to make my stack continue. Big hand to come sky player pushes for 3600 total, folded to button who call, it looked like he didn’t want to make the call, I look down at ace king so I decide time to reraise and get some chips make it 6000 more putting button allin, button looks pissed but calls. Sky player has queen 3, button Ace Jack and me Ace King. King on the flop games set match. Chips my way perfect up to about 27000 chips.

Few rounds of rasies and take down blinds and ante a few times. Blind up to 800/1600 plus ante. I limp with king queen diamonds mid to late position. Small blind completes big blind checks. Flop comes ace queen 6, checked to me I bet just under pot small blind raise but not enough to get me off my hand so I call. Turn come a a diamond so I’m flushing now aswell as my queen, which I’m not to fond of after player raises with ace on board. small blind bet 6000 under half the pot I seen it was a weak tester bet to see where he was. I decide now or never, so I ship my chips in the middle and he quickly folds saying " I had no kicker with it" guess I got away with that one. But none the less up to about 42000 chips, great result after been down to 2500. Sitting pretty chipped up near the top of the chips counts I think.

Few uneventful rounds later not seen a big pair in 5 hours play sucked. Blind where now at 1500/3000/300 getting pretty expensive to play now. Players hitting the rail thick and fast. Next hand was the killer, Blind Vs blind I look down at ACE 10 should be ahead for most other hands in big blind. Player in big blind is pretty lose playing lot of hand showing some pretty weak hand. So I decide to limp hoping for the trap, he kindly obliges and raises to 6000 right on que. I then reraise to 16000, he snap shoves " Phil Helmuth Style". Dam I tank for quite a while I have him covered will only have say 8000 left if I call. Really this is make of break. I cut the chips out for the call. Had had so many though on what he could have but I decided to fold and he shows queens, I sill have enough chips back continue to play. I sort of which I had called his initial raise to see a flop but that could have got me in a lot of trouble if a 10 popped off. I don’t mind my play here a bit unlucky for the guy to have a monster.

29 players left bubble burst at 20 not long till cash. I have a few uneventful rounds at table, had a few hand I should have shoved with but I guess I had the money in my mind. If im honest I wish I would have shoved! Bubble burst I’m on big blind button raises, I have King 6 they have jacks I flopped open ended and miss out in 20th £65 in pocket. Played a pretty solid game made a few mistakes but all in all was pretty happy how I played would have been nice to make top 10 for seat to bigger event. But hey!!Well on to apat online event.

UK online Champs, played really solid for first few levels got up to 20000 chips, then was card dead for best part of 50 min got really impatient, which is not good in poker. Got jacks but layed them down to two allins in front off me. Few had later have pocket 7s, player in question was pushing in a lot I decide to call for around 6500 chips, terrible call in my mind now at best I was raising and had 4 players behind me to act. I lost that pot to kings bad play!! few hand later have 11000 left so still ok I raise with ace king player directly on left pushed for 6000 more and I call. They show queen I miss they win. Out a few hands later. Was pretty pissed at how I played more patience required I think!!! Turned out to be a pretty controversial tourney in the end. Not really in APAT style. The structure has been tweaked so should be good for the welsh.

First APAT league game, great great great, the banter in the chat box was good. Really enjoyed it went out in 16th just before the money and the points bit of a crapshoot in the end but I belive the structure is been changes as well. Key hand to note sorry Eck my flopped set Jacks beat Eck's Flopped set 9's. Set over set nice. But great event miner adjustments will make it even better.Last few week online have been fairly uneventfully been playing cash and tourneys up a little but not too much.

P.s I have had ace's cracked 3 times today it sucks big time!!!Now that’s me pretty much got up date with where I’m at for poker a that moment. I’m around $470 up for the year so far doing ok but wanting a big win soon! I hope I haven’t bored us with my ramble.

P.S Sorry for me awful spelling have no idea how I managed a honours degree! oh yeah spell check, couldn’t get the dam thing to work on this!

My poker journey so far

2009-02-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

Hey guys just though I would start this to right down my thoughts on tournaments and hands I have play, to try and stop they sleepless nights all us poker players have after a long session, dreaming about every hand we played " should I have pushed, check raised........" . You all know what I'm talking about!!

Well this is a bit of background on my poker playing. Been playing for over 2 years now and the bug has well and truly bitten! Started of playing using play money then worked my way onto Ladbrokes freerolls. The good old 19.30 freeroll used to play it in work, 5000 runners and was $1500 purse so not to bad, its now down to $50 so the have totally chopped the prize down. 100% bingo poker but it helped me learn. My best finish was 18th! oooh some real money won and that got me off and running.

First live poker was at friends house, which we appropriately name F.N.P. Friday Night Poker. With some guys you might recognise from APAT. Billyho, DrGibb and Aluri. I will never forget my first night playing with them, they all gave me some stick for my terrible card shuffling! LMAO. Hendon mob watch out we are coming after your chips! FNP helped me and I guess all of us grow as players talking through hands etc and desperate to win, which I did a few times.
After this had my first casino experience at the River Boat Casino, £5 rebuy max 3. What a crapshoot but first visit made final table but no cash im afraid but a nice result for some bragging rights, which sometimes is worth more than money!!

My poker playing moved onto the Merchant City Casino, Good old fashioned freezout just what I like!! Play most of my live poker their manged to win it a few times and made countless final tables and cashes. Get through the first 2 hours of play and its normally plain sailing to the final table!! They have just changed the structure of the tournaments so looking forward to playing them! Don't get as much time to play live now due to not being a student. Which sucks!!

As the poker bug continues to course through my veins, the online poker world gives me the fix I need, whether it be watching the beloved poker shows on 'PokerTube' or playing on that virtual felt, can be found mostly on FullTilt, I have tried most sites but keep, returning to Tilt. Love all forms of poker but No-Limit and Omaha still do it for me! I first applied my trade at $5 ,6 max sngs' on stars and tilt with some degree of success, looking at my figures around $300 up, splash around in tournament play online but depends on my mood had some decent results, tend now to play 45 of 90 man tournaments to avoid the long sessions, but I have been known to be at my lap to for over 8 hours play had some good result at this format!. Love cash games but struggle to handle the massive swings that can happen but I have gradually learned to accept them!

To cap of my poker journey so far I have to mention APAT. Was introduced to it through billyho and I have never looked back since. It is an organisation that is growing from strength to strength with some great events happening this year. The forum has great camaraderie with support in online and live event, tips on hand etc. To be honest I am so happy that I part of a great poker community in APAT and have met some great people in my short time on the forums and tournament circuit.
My APAT journey started at a regional qualifier for the scottish. 49 runners and I came 2nd, Silver medal, seat in scottish champ and some money in my pocket not bad day! I was annoyed how I played heads up was chip leader and set the guy allin on a draw and I missed game over really. It was a great finale table with the infamous Micky P well and truly lubricated!! Oh when is he not LOL.
Onto the Scottish Champ played solid first few hours doubled my stack. Then moved tables and lost a few big pots with Ace King twice. Few non eventfull round at table, Ace King again Early pos raise, Dave Green (allinbob) pushed I have him covered, gives me some chat I call, I flop king and he turns Jack, down to coppers. If I remember dave was steaming drunk! But he's a good guy!!
Played online qualifier for the world and I qualify first attempt woohoo. At the main even I played really solid had a good read on table, I just kept running big hands into bigger ones, just one of those days I guess. Was a great tourney tho and weekend in London!

That's pretty much my poker beginning and a run down of how I played in key events in 2008.