Novice49 on the Loose

888.com UK open Final 2007

2007-11-14T18:41:00.000Z

My friend Christian Zetzsche will be appearing on TV tonight in the final of the 888.com UK open and I will be watching. I already know where he finished but I now get to watch him and see how many times he pulls off a successful bluff. I was actually at a table with him last night, playing in a private game at carbonpoker.com. He is definately a potential WSOP contender and is still only yooung.Christian is from Germany and I first met him at a table at poker.com. We are good friends and I am hoping to meet up with him at a live game in February 2008.

I watched him in the semi final last night and he was awesome. He played some beautiful poker. Christian played very tight but aggressively and it paid off. From a table of 7, 2 went on to the final and christian came in in 2nd place to secute his seat.

So after over 3 weeks, 104 poker players has become 6. The remaining players are:

Gideon Barnett (recreational player)350k

Luke Patten (professional player)

Andrew Feldman (Economics student)

Thomas Kvejborg (888 online qualifier)

Richard Ashby (professional player)Chip Leader

Christian Zetzche (888 online qualifier)

Ashby has around 450k in chips with Zetzche on 250k and the other 4 all around 350k but we all know how things can change.

Some Personal Bests

2007-10-29T10:00:00.000Z

Well I am having a great week pokerwise.......Best run I have had in over 10 months. I've been playing a lot more ring games for the last couple of weeks so I can get my points for my reload bonus (halfway there) so I thought as I have the points I might as well play the freerolls this week. The 1K monday to Friday, 2k on Saturday and the 10k on a Sunday, Accept on the last Sunday of the month when its the BIGGIE.....the 50k Freeroll. Well I did great in the 1k a few nights back, Thursday to be precise. I had a real slow game and played very few hands. I was card dead for most of the game but when i ddi have the odd hand here and there i took down some nice sized pots and that helped me to scrape onto the FT....................OMG I made the FT of the 1k. I don't think I had ever made it into the top 50 before in that event so the FT was fantastic for me. $30 richer and feeling a lot more positive about my play.

Well I was already in 2 games when the 50k started last night and i was finding it really hard to keep up with 3 tables going so after hitting a real nice hand in the 50k and getting up to 5.5k I donked out of my other 2 games so I could concentrate fully on the 50k. Well we don't wait all month for this game to come around just to go out early because we are too busy with other things do we??? Well I don't. Anyway I am sat on between 4.5 and 5.5k for the next christ knows how many hands. The cards were awful and I was playing tighter then a ducks a*se. Late position and I get dealt 99 and the flop comes 99? I slow play and a guy hits a flush on the river and goes allin with just over 3k so I end up taking down a big pot and im now sitting on 10k in chips.I went card dead again and never managed to get my chip stack past the 20k mark but.......To cut a long story short I ended up finishing 94th and bagging myself $100. YAY ME.

So last night I get ready to play the 1k but I forget its earlier tonight and I am caught doing doing when it starts so I get my son to play for me so i can get the dinner done adn tehn take over again..............Well that was the plan but he was doing so well I let him continue to play it for me while I sat wiith him, watching his every move. I got him o get a little more aggressive at times and make some allin moves which he did after I started yelling at him, Don't limp in, push. Well he did push, more then once and he made it to the FT and ended up coming 3rd and bagging mum another $100. WTG son.

3 Wins Today

2007-10-24T22:17:00.000Z

WOWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

What a good day I am having. I have played 3 games today at carbon and triumphed in 2 and finshed 2nd in the other 1. I have been bubbling for days and now I seem to be getting past that. I have been playing some good solid poker and I have now started to win a few games.

2007-10-04T19:45:00.000Z

Online Poker Blogger Tournament Registration Received!

October 14th, 2007 - 3:00pm EST / 12:00pm PST

Congratulations! You are one step away from being registered to participate in the PokerStars Online Poker Blogger Tournament!

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 8325967

Freerolls

2007-10-03T16:44:00.000Z

I played a freeroll at a site called Poker Host last night. I had never been on the site before and it took a little getting used too.

Anyway here is a live report from the game courtesy of my buddy Ed. TY hun

"well i dont know who played in this except for Novi and myself. the event started off with 276 players and top 70 cash. currently there are 98 players left and our chip counts are as follows

Novi $11,377.50 in chips
Me $6,742.50 in chips

will post another update soon

ok update....

both of us are in the money (not much since its a $100 Freeroll)64 players remaining

chip counts

Novi $23,355
Me $7,642.50

well we are down to the final 33 players in this event and both novi and me are still in it. a bad read a big bet on my part hurt my chip stack but your not out until all your chips are gone

chip counts -

Novi $34,760.33
Me $505

more to follow.......

yet another update.....

well i ended up pushing allin for my last 505 chips with AA and had 3 other players in the hand. I ended up losing the and to A4 and busted in 29th place for a big $0.55, Novi is still in it 7th place with $46,225.33 in chips

more to come......

Novi is still in the fight, they are down to the final 14 players and she is sitting at $70,875.66 in chips and that has her sitting in 5th place on the leaderboard

Novi makes the final table of the LSP freeroll. will put one more update at end of tournament. she is sitting in 3rd place with $94,070.04 in chips
Please note, although no boardcode and smiley buttons are shown, they are still useable
Armyssg

well i know i said i was going to post again at end of tournament but its a break in action. they are down to the final 7 and Novi is still letting them know who PMNZ is. she pushed allin with A8 had one caller with KJ, and the best hand held up.

chip count

Novi $52,193.30
Me Finished in 29th

more to come at end of event

well PMNZ made a very good showing today with only 2 players playing in the LSP $100 Freeroll. Like i said in the first post there were 276 players that started. I ended up busting out in 29th place when i had AA and short stack and cashed for a whole $0.55, Novi played a excellent game and went on to finish in 3rd place when here JQ lost to J10. She ended up cashing for $9.25 and earned a seat in the November $2500 Championship. Well done Novi on a great game."
Thank you for that Ed. Oh and here is a screen shot too...

Decided to go over to ultimate Bet and play a freeroll. I just entered the next 1 started and had no idea what the prize was. 1668 players started out with the top 30 going through to $1000 freeroll(I think). It was a slow start with me just folding every hand I got and then I managaed to take down a nice hand and double up. I then get up to about 5k and I am playing good poker. Tight but aggressive. I then lost all my stack bar 100 chips with the blinds at 100\200. Really early on actually. I go allin next hand with 99 and take down the pot and now have 600 chips. KK next hand so I go allin again and get 4 callers. and I hit trip Kings on the river and I am now up to 24K. I am also whilst playing having to babysit my grandaughter while my daughter went to the hospital (nothing serious). I sat on about 24k for what seemed like an eternity then I got 77 and raise it to 1600 to play.....................and then this happened

Pre-flop:
novi49 raises to 1600.
Diesel30 folds. 8118 folds.
grmpyolmn calls. sleep187 goes all-in for 19305.
sandsled goes all-in for 17880. pember folds.
brb1814 folds. samspad folds. COBRA63 folds.
novi49 folds. grmpyolmn folds. sleep187 is returned
1425 (uncalled).

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show:
sleep187 shows 4h Jh.
sandsled shows 3c 4c.

Flop (board: 6c Qd 7h):

(no action in this round)

Turn (board: 6c Qd 7h Qc):

(no action in this round)

River (board: 6c Qd 7h Qc 2d):

(no action in this round)

OMG they both went all in with that crap and I folded the winning hand grrrrrrrr. Oh well onwards and upwards as they say. I continue to be distracted and continue getting crap but I was also watching the numbers left in drop and I knew I could just get another hand I would be ok.Then its starting to get colse to the bubble. I so wanna make tht top 30 after being down to 100 chips earlier on. There are now 31 players left and there are 31 players for what seems a lifetime. I am laying 30th and just hoping and praying that someone else is going to get taken out. If noone goes out I am gonna have to make a move while I still hve the chips to make it worth while. I look down and see I have KK.............A guy on the other table is now down to 8k and I have to make a really tough decision, Do I fold my KK and hope that the short stack goes out or Do i go for it?......

tibur is at seat 0 with 306290.
COBRA63 is at seat 1 with 89300.
novi49 is at seat 2 with 24475.I was so short stacked
Diesel30 is at seat 3 with 170530.
8118 is at seat 4 with 43330.
ASSO1986 is at seat 7 with 27050.
samspad is at seat 8 with 115390.
brb1814 is at seat 9 with 127745.
The button is at seat 7.

tibur posts ante (200).
COBRA63 posts ante (200).
novi49 posts ante (200).
Diesel30 posts ante (200).
8118 posts ante (200).
ASSO1986 posts ante (200).
samspad posts ante (200).
brb1814 posts ante (200).
brb1814 posts the small blind of 1200.
tibur posts the big blind of 2400.

tibur: -- --
COBRA63: -- --
novi49: Kd Ks
Diesel30: -- --
8118: -- --
ASSO1986: -- --
samspad: -- --
brb1814: -- --

Pre-flop:

COBRA63 calls. novi49 raises to 12400. Diesel30
folds. 8118 folds. ASSO1986 folds. samspad calls.
brb1814 folds. tibur folds. COBRA63 calls.

Flop (board: Qh 8c 2s):

COBRA63 checks. novi49 goes all-in for 11875.
samspad calls. COBRA63 folds.

Tournament all-in showdown -- players show:

novi49 shows Kd Ks.
samspad shows 7s 7h.

Turn (board: Qh 8c 2s Th):

(no action in this round)

River (board: Qh 8c 2s Th Kc):

(no action in this round)

Showdown:

novi49 has Kd Ks Qh Th Kc: three kings.
samspad has 7s 7h Qh Th Kc: a pair of sevens.

It paid off I now have over 40K and I am going to make the top 30.
Well to finish it off I manage to hold on for the FT and I finish 9th winning $2 and entry to the Ultimate bet weekly freeroll. After nearly 5hrs play I need a cup of tea

What a Weekend

2007-09-23T10:44:00.001Z

Well what have I been up too over the last couple of weeks

Meeting some of my best "online" poker friends. Woohoo I met Mousy at long, long last. It ws so great to see him in the flesh, with clothes on LOL.

I knew he was coming to see me on the Wednesday before we all headed off for the Wass Live Weekend in Stoke. Pajasen was also coming and was flying in from Sweden especially for the weekends poker. DM went to meet him at the airport and they decided to drop by and see me on the way through to Oxford and Scotladys\Jax international Hotel. They arrived at mine and I was so excited to see Pierre\ Pajasen again and to meet Mousy for the first time, that I ran out the front door and nearly took Pierre out with a full body blow. I then rush round to the other side of the car to bearhug DM. Oh My God it was awesome. They come in and I make us all a nice cuppa. Well Pierre was in England (again) now. We were having a good old chin wag when Jax gets me on MSN. "Have they arrived yet". Poor thing was so nervous. I siad they had arrived and would be heading to hers shortly. Well 2hrs at least just flew by and before I knew it they were heading to Jax. They head off after me giving them more bearhugs. Damn it was only Wednesday. It was gonna be Friday before I would se them again.

OIOIMALLOY, calls my mobile, "alrite Jo. Im in Stevenage but I can't find ya" Woohoo Hi Nick lol. I try and give him directions to my house, after I eventually establish where he is. He finds me and we chuck my suitcase on the backseat and head for Jax. She (apparently) having a nightmare with her hair, going through the colours of the rainbow before evenetually finding 1 she liked LMAO........... LICKS Jax. When we eventually get to Jax, sure enough she is a complete bag of nerves. We go in and there is Mousy, Pierre and a MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE in the HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE. Leafy68 had flown in from Canada for this weekends poker. Talk about world wide. It was awesome. Kelly was a laugh a minute and her accent is just the greatest. Full English\Scottish Brekkie later we are ready to leave for Stoke. Yeeeeehaaaaaaa here we go guys and gals.

We all arrive safely in Stoke and the first people I spot are Blueorchid and Salome. We head inside after parking up and we soon head to our rooms. I have a twin and I had asked for a double. Back to reception to complain. "No Problem" tehy say and give me a new room. MMMMMMMMMM marvellous, thats a lot better. I dump my suitcase and head back down stairs and to the bar. I go outside and find a mass of people all drinking, smoking and hving a great time in the warm sunshine. I sit down and start chatting to Maz\blueorchid. Times goes pretty fast adn it also turned pretty cold and windy so I head upstairs to take a shower and get ready for the nights poker game.
It was fantastic and so much fun. We got to the hotel and to make sure we had our priorities straight we checked out our rooms and then headed to the bar. A few drinks later and the place started to fill up with poker players. The sun disappeared and so did all of us to get tarted up for the evenings events.

The casino was only a short walk from the hotel but OMG the hill we had to go up and down was a killer. It was sooooooooo step. The Friday night game was due to start at 9pm but it eventually got underway at about 9.30pm.

69 players at 7 tables and its bounty night. £10 buyin and £10 in front of each player at the table. Starting chips were 3000 and it was going to be a long night. everyone was playing really tight at the start and it was a good while before the first few players were out. I am not getting any cards to call with and then I get Q9 in the sb. Everyone else had folded round to me accept UTG who had just flat called. I can see a cheap flop (75) so I decide to play my Q9. Flop comes down 9J10, I raise to 400 and UTG calls. Turn is 7. I make the call and an 8 hits the river. I have hit a straight and bet out enough to put UTG all in. UTG calls it and cards are turned over...................................OOPS ive cracked his AA and taken my first bounty of the evening. I am now classed as a fish but hey what the hell. I had outs and I take the gamble and it paid off. I then go back to being card dead and jsut keep folding. I am making a little progress but not enough and its getting to the stage where I need to start winning a few hands. The tables are slowing folding down to the last 20 players and yes both me and DM are still in but now we are both getting pretty short stacked. DM is to my immediate left and we are both just trying to hold on in there. I decide I need to make a push and with my little stack of 1300 chips (not even enough chips to sit and shuffle) I get 10Q and as I am gonna be blinded in fairly soon I decide to push allin UTG with it. 2 callers and the flop comes down 1010J, Oh my god yes yes yes, turn is a K and river A. I take down a pot and my little stack of 1300 is now 12k and I look up at the board to see there are 13 players left in. I am gonna make the FT now if I play wisely. I get 44 and push allin. 1 caller who is holding AQ. flop comes down 4Q7, turn 5 river Q.................FH thank you very much and I double up. The next hand Mousy announces all in and he also gets a caller. flop comes 458 turn ? river 5. He was holding 44 and takes down the pot with a FH. We just look at each other and laugh. ME and DM both make the FT.............................Woohoo to us.

So we move to the FT and the Chip leader is way out chip leader. She is so drunk though and can hardly see her cards or even sit up. It didnt matter what she called with she was hitting. I go to the FT with just a little under 6k after getting hit with the BB and SB just before the FT. (I had also misread a hand and had to put 1400 more chips in the pot to make the call). Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I was pretty gutted I had made this mistake because after I had put in the other 1400 in Mousy then pushed allin and I had to fold. He took down the hand. Back to the FT and I am now really struggling to stay alive. I then get A5d and decide I have to push. I go allin and get 2 callers. Miss chip leader calls and so does Pastieman. Flop comes down 34K, turn ? river is a 2. I've hit a straight and take down the pot. By this time a lot of the other players are watching the FT and its down to the last 7 or so players. ( sorry so tired its hard to remember all the details accurately). I am still struggling to stay alive as the blinds are now 1000 and 2000. I have about 12K but its not enough and I know its not. I then get crap in BB and SB and know I need to make another move soon. I am gonna be blinded in very soon so I push allin with my remaining 5k. I have Q10o and I dont hit a thing and go out in 6th place. I leave the table happy proud and feeling good with my performance. DM went on to finish in 4th place but I wasn't close enough to the table to see what happened. He did great and we both left the casino after 7hrs of play feeling happy and pleased with the way we had played.

I eventually flopped into bed about 5am and as I did my mobile went off. It was Drummy calling me from Dublin airport. He was going to be in Stoke for day 2 and I couldn't wait to see him. He had been in Ireland for a funeral and I had asked him if he would please come to Stoke for day 2. Well he turned up about 9:30am and it was fantastic to see him. The DO NOT DISTURB sign was put on the door.......

Saturday nights game was due to start at 6pm and eventually got under way at about 6:30. 62 players started with me going out fairly early on. I was getting nothing and then got 56d in the sb. I flat called and the bb checks. Flop comes down A82d. OH yes oh yes oh yes Ive flopped the nuts. I push all in with just under 2k and bb calls. With their cards on their backs the table is all oooooooooooooooooooing at my flopped flush. BB shows A8o and hits an A on the river to take me out with her FH. I leave the table in disgust and don't acknowledge a single person. I go outside to have a ciggie and a good old swear and then return and find my opponant and congratulate her. I then head to the bar and shortly after I discover that DM is also out so we then both go outside for a special smoke and to compare notes. My man is also there after flying in from Ireland that morning and he is now flying at the tables and is soon the way out chip leader. He is not known by any of ther people there and he is playing a very clever game. When the break finally arrives and everyone has left the tables to get drink, food, have a smoke etc he is getting me to walk around the tables with him so I can put names and faces to the big stacks at each table. He was then making mental notes on each player that he felt he might encounter at the FT.

He gets to the FT as chip leader but then becomes card dead. He waits to make a move and in the meantime he watches a few of the short stackes get eliminated and is now in the last 5. He pushes allin UTG and takes the blinds, which at this stage are pretty high. He is down to 14k in chips and doubles through a few hands later and then he watches as the new chip leader starts taking out the smaller stacks. Drummy (my guy) is now un the last 3 and is sitting with a better looking stack then he was a few hands previous. He now HU with chumley and its all to play for. Drummy asks for a chip count while he has a bathroom break and the whole place is like HUH????

He is quite within his rights to ask for a chip count and even asks chumley if its ok with him if he has a bathroom break. He was actually playing a mind game with chumley and it was starting to show. chumley was looking a little on edge even though he had the chip lead. The chip count was done and it revealed that chumley had 96k and drummy had 90k. There was all to play for but to have watched drummy lose his stac and then get it back the way he did was awesome and it was a great HU. Drummy then gets A10o and pushes allin and gets called by chumley who was holding QJo. Flop no help to either player but then a J hits the turn and its all over with chumley winning and my drummy getting 2nd place. He took a prize pool of £250 and if it had been bounty night he would have also have taken the most bountys. I think he took out about 14 players along the way and he just played like a pro. I was told by quite a few players that Drummy was by far the best player at the FT if not the whole tournament and it really showed. He played a mind game, he played the way a big stack shouold play and he also played with confidence and pure style.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend and I met some great people too.

Roll on the next live event.

a few picturs of some of the guys at the event

Photo 1...DM and Pierre behind him
Photo 2... Drummy and Pastieman at FT. Drummy in the blue top
Photos 3 and 4...Me at the tables

I love 7 Card Stud

2007-09-12T09:14:00.000Z

After returning from a fantastic weekend of live poker I was still buzzing and it kinda showed yesterday during the 7 card stud MTT at carbopn poker. I was laying in 4th place with 4 left and really thought I was going to bubble as I was down to 388chips with the bringin at 200 plus the ante every hand. Well I came back from the dead to win it

2nd today in the 7 card stud MTT. I knew the guy was bluffing a lot but I just didnt have anything to call him with and as i had half the stack he had I had to play with good starting cards only and no chasing. I get dealt, Well see for yourselves how unlucky i got

I take 2nd place and am slightly disappointed but I know I played a great game and I also know that I will get this MR BLUFFER when he least expects it. Watch out boyyo, Novi is gonna getcha...

2nd birthday and 2nd silver for me

2007-09-03T22:32:00.000Z

Well another birthday in the family and another silver trophy for me.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister Penny.Some of you may know her as novssis at carbon poker. Well she turned the big 40 today and is so happy to have reached this milestone in her life. So Big hugs to you sis and love you loads.

The $2PL 7 card stud was played by yours truly again today and I managed 2nd place after a lot 1 sided HU and the eventual winner just hitting everything.

Playing with My Bestest Buddies is Great Fun

2007-09-02T11:55:00.000Z

Well I wanna start by saying

KIA ORA!!!!!!!

I have been playing some real great small private buying games for the last couple of weeks with my Kiwi and Ozy mates. Cool bunch of guys and gals. I can even feel me kiwi accent starting to take a grip on me. These buyin games are attracting a field of about 16-20 players daily and they are tough games. The rivalry between the Aussies and the Kiwis is great and just so funny. The games are being broadcast live by Masala at PokerMatesNZ and also by Ozypoker and gimmecards over at Ozyradio. Its all going pretty well for the guys and its such great fun to play with these guys. Im loving it, when I don't have connection problems and logging in to the site problems.

Anyway today I played in the OzyRadio buyin with $15 bonus to the winner. I had a real bad start losing a 1\3 of my chips fisrt hand after being dealt AKc and ending up folding at the river (don,t ask it was ugly. I ended up folding the next christ knows how many hands and I was bottom of the pile for quite a time. I then managed to take down a nice hand with K8o in the BB. flop brought my K and I took it with pr of Kings after 2 callers all the way to the river. Took 1 out i think. Managed to climb the leader board and was sat in about 4-5th place for a while. My great mates ssgarmy, masalaNZ, nzealand were in the last 5 with me so it was a real PokerMatesNZ FT and what a great game. ssgarmy had been chip leader for a while during the game and poor old Masala had been getting nothing for so long it was sad to witness LOL...ssgarmy ended up getting busted out in 5th place so now it was just the 4 of us and with badboydan way out chip leader it kinda turned into a "lets all just go allin preflop everyhand and steal each others blinds"

We lost nzealand next GG hun and it was just me Masala and badboydan, Who had come back from the dead to be the way out chip leader. Masala was next to go out and it seemed dan couldnt put a foot wrong. HU now for me and shocked as hell i've made it this far. I was so shortstacked compared to dan and after going all in with my 1.6K stack V his 20k plus stack, I managed top double up to just over 3k and with the blinds at 1200\600 i was in deep doodoos so to speak. I get AKd so I am allin again and he calls again and this time his trash beat my AK and it was goodnight Novi

Hey Im not complaining 2nd was fantastic finish for me.

Follows my 1st place in DangerMouse420's poker.com forum game last night. I've either forgotten to reg for it or just not been online to play it so far so last i made sure I was regged nice and early for it. Only 13 in it, but what a tough field it was. All great players and fellow poker.com forum leaguers. I started of real slow and was again the bottom of the pile for most of the game. I was now in the top 5 and was still struggling to get a hand or even steal a pot or 2. I was then in last 4, somehow and I told DM that I thought I would now bubble.......

Sorry DM for making you the bubble boy......my bad.

I went on to win it out right after coming back from the dead.

SO thats been about it for me poker wise this weekend.

Also had my sons Birthday yesterday so just a quick Happy Birthday to you Chris and love you with all my heart.

Queen of 7 Card Stud

2007-08-22T20:44:00.000Z

Well after finishing 2nd 2 days in a row over the weekend in the $2PL 7 card stud MTT at carbon I managed to secure a win yesterday. YAY ME

A Little Bragging

2007-08-18T10:31:00.000Z

Sorry I have been a little quiet of late but I suddenly realised that other things in life have to come before Poker.......occassonallly, like decorating. I am off to Stoke soon for the Live Wass event and I am expecting a few friends to turn up just before hand so I am in the process of decorating my hall stairs and landing. The main reason for my sudden interest in decorating is that I also have a very special somebody coming over from the island of St Kitts to escort me to Stoke.

So in between brush strokes and my hair slowly turning white I have been playing a little poker. I havent played nearly half as much poker since the tourny schedule was totally changed over at poker.com\carbon. It has left me with hardly any games to play that I can actually afford to play so I am playing the $2PL 7 card stud MTT and that is about it. I have been struggling in this particular MTT of late but yesterday I managed 2nd place. I went into the HU with a huge chip disadvantage and it was so hard to try and fight back. 2nd I am happy with..........for now.I did actually win this MTT a few weeks back. I also played the $3 50 ppl max a few weeks back too, juist to give me a rest 7 card stud and I ahd a nice result. Well it wasnt 1st but it was last 3.Ive also been playing a few private forum games too and not been doing too badly in some of them. I will post the trophies so I can do a little bragging.

Winner of PokerMatesNZ freeroll

Winning the $2PL 7 card stud

3rd in Wass £50 freeroll

2nd in $2PL 7 card stud MTT

Oh well bragging over, Krettle boiled and paint pot and brushes are waiting for my attention. Catchya all next time.

Different Sites For Different Formats

2007-07-27T13:55:00.000Z

I was given some advice at the biginning of this month and it is paying nicely for me so far. What do I mean so far LMAO, its going better then I could have hoped for. Not being a big money stakes player and not having ventured far from poker.com\carbonpoker.com since I started playing online poker, I am very happy with my performances on the other sites I have been playing. I am still playing at .com\carbon but not half as much as I was. I am playing a few MTTs there but no ring games or SNGs. I am having too much fun playing SNGs at bodog.com. I am cashing in most of the games im playing. I'd say 80%. I am mixing it up between the $2.20 beginners SNGs and the $4.40 beginners SNGs. I actually do better in the higher stakes games but I play the lower limit if I am feeling a little on tilt or a bit stressed, tired, any of the things you shouldn't be to play good poker. I am a very patient player so sitting and waiting it out in these SNGs isnt too difficult for me. I am having a problem with HU play though and I just can't seem to break it. I went from a 13k to 2k advantage a few days ago and I lost. I was pretty mad at myself, effing and jeffing as I logged out in temper.

I came 2nd in 3 SNGs on the trot at bodog on Wednesday and then crossed over to carbon poker to play the $2PL 7 card stud tournament. I played a good game and came back from being pretty low in chips to being runner-up. Yep another 2nd place but this was at a game I do not play that often.

I love to play 7 card stud and I think I am pretty good at it so far. I just popped over to sunpoker.com to play a few hands and found theirs 7 card stud rooms. It was a lot higher limit table then I am used too and I had to take $20 on with me. I hit a FH Kings over Twos first hand and took down a $15 pot. I played a few more hands and won another nice pot that took me to $41. NOt bad for 10 minutes work. I actually left with just over $35 after playing trip kings getting beaten by a str8. Still I am happy to have left $15 in profit.

I have been hitting a lot more FTs lately too in the MTTs I have been playing but still missing the top 3-5 more often then not. I feel I am playing pretty well and I have been pretty aggressive with my play again lately. Too aggressive today when I had KK in the $300gtd with addon over at carbon poker. I ran into trip Qs and had gone allin after the flop so it was a very early exit for me today.

Oh well catchya all again soon

What have I been up too of Late

2007-07-12T13:06:00.000Z

Well I have been playing different sites and having some fun along the way. Yes I have found the fun in playing again and even though I am not making a huge amount in winnings I am slowly getting deeper in tournys again and even reaching the odd FT. In fact I just finished 9th in the $300gtd with addon. Not great I know but my money back a couple of dollars profit.I have,through advice from some great poker buddies,been playing some $2.20 beginners SNGs at bodog and its been pretty good so far. I won my 1st bodog SNG a few days ago and it felt pretty good.
Hitting a straight flush along the way was pretty sweet too.I havent hit a stright flush for so long.
I also got to HU in another SNG after regging for a $4.40 game by mistake. Nice mistake LOL. I likethe format there. Starting with 1500chips and top 5 get paid. I have not played any MTTs or ring games there but I am happy to just play SNGs there and leave my tournament play to other sites for now.

Speaking of MTTs I have been playing in the CPC qualifiers at sunpoker and. I have for the first time qualified for a seat in the round that could see me make the finals leaderboard. I will be playing this round in 2 days time and I am really hoping to make it through or its back to the bottom of the ladder to try again. I took down a very nice hand along the way last night and then as I was getting to the point of going out just before the bubble I got a very nice walk which I believe got me through. Thank you to the dealer that hand for dealing everyone so much crap LOL.

I will keep playing different formats on different sites as it seems to be working pretty well for me lately.

2007-06-29T20:03:00.000Z

Come show the Americans how to play poker in the Independence Freeroll!

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A Poem for Maddie

2007-06-29T07:34:00.000Z

Ok so this is non poker related but still deserves a space on my blog. As many of you are aware a 4 year old called Maddie. Madeleine McCann has now been missing since 3rd May after being snatched from the apartment in Portugal where she was staying with her parents and younger twin brother and sister. It has been 2 months now since she disappeared and our thoughts and prayers are still with her family. They are not ready to come home without their Maddie and as a parent myself I totally understand that.

The news coverage is starting to become less now but that is not to say that the authorities are not doing their jobs properly.A man and a woman arrested in southern Spain are being investigated over an attempt to extort money from the family of Madeleine McCann.

A senior Spanish police source said the man, who is Italian, and his Portuguese girlfriend are being questioned over an alleged approach to the McCanns to exchange information they claimed to have regarding Madeleine's whereabouts for cash.http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91210-1272677,00.html

My son wrote a poem last night for Maddie and her family and I wanted to share it with you.

Find Maddie

Friends and family heartbroken
In the hearts of others their words are spoken
Not knowing if she is dead or alive
Dad praying hard and trying to survive
Mum asked the pope to say a little prayer
After 2 months no one knows if she is here or there
Don't be selfish or cold hearted
Do all you can to help the campaign thats been started
I hope this poem brought a tear to your eye
Everyone prays that Maddie doesnt die

written by Chris age 14

Our thoughts are with you all

The 4th annual Caribbean Poker Classic

2007-06-22T13:13:00.000Z

Prize Packages | How to get there | Schedule of events

The 4th annual Caribbean Poker Classic takes place at the exclusive St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino from the 26th November to 3rd December, 2007.

Enjoy the energy and excitement of world-class poker action while soaking up the splendor of a tropical paradise. Whether you want to relax on the beach or explore the pristine island, St. Kitts is the perfect escape. Combining a high level of poker play with this ideal setting makes the Caribbean Poker Classic the experience of a lifetime.

The $6300 No Limit Hold’em Main Event has a guaranteed $1 million prize pool....

Click on the link for full details

1st 2nd and 10th Oh My

2007-06-19T21:10:00.000Z

Well I thought I better come and do some more posting and bragging. I have had a pretty good run just of late. Taking down my 7th MTT and getting a 2nd place just before hand. I am really not sure how I manged to do so well in both but I did and my bank balance doesnt look quite so anorexic now. I had my best day moneywise yesterday I think and nearly banked myself a cool $100. Yep you could say I am a pretty happy camper right now. Ive heard the saying lucky at cards unlucky in love. Well if I could have days like this more often then I would happily stay single. Anyway here are my bragging rights for this week. Oh to just round the day off nicely I also took 10th in another tournament and also left the ring tables about $12 up.

What A Great Day My Birthday Was

2007-06-03T15:17:00.001Z

Well it ws my birthday a few days ago, 31st may, to be precise and I had been looking forward to my birthday tournament over at Poker.com\Carbonpoker.com for a whole month. Well the day finally arrived and I was having a nice quiet relaxing day at home, I'm getting old now, quiet is good.......anyway I decided to play the $100gtd with rebuys. I don't normally play this tournament but thought oh sod it why not. anyway the outcome was a nice 2nd place and $25 thank you very much and happy birthday me LOL.

I then decided to play another tournament that I only play occassionally but have won twice before and I felt good from the start. I'm not sure if it was my relaxed mood that really helped but I played good solid steady poker and it really paid off.

So then it was time for the tournament I had been looking forward to for so long with all my bestest buddies from poker being there. I'd just like to say that I am sorry my sister had to miss it but she is still without any internet after moving house 2 months ago. i love you tones sis xxx. I had 3 bountys who were
Carz990\ Darren....DangerMouse420\Neil and of course myself. Both Neil and Darren were taken out pretty early on and I managed to hold on until 11th place. I was so hoping to make it to the FT so that I could say hi to more people but ALAS!! it was not to be. Anyway my friend and fellow 5th street forum buddy Neo went on to win after a great HU against Skunkr

1st Bounty went to Neo for taking carz
2nd went to Jono for DangerMouse
3rd went to fiona26 for Jo
All 3 players generously donated their bountys to the cause.
$15 was donated to Make a Wish and I have also matched that amount and donated it to
http://www.sirskinski.com/

Thank You all for making my birthday so special.

$300gtd with addon

2007-05-28T14:41:00.000Z

I just played the $300gtd with addon at Carbonpoker.com and after a few sticky moments I managed top make the FT. I took the addon earlier on when I was sitting on about 3.5k and then had a string of PPs on the FT. Seriously everytime I looked at my hand i had a PP. I had JJ,AA,66 then 32 then 99,38,77,66,4Q,2Q,66,23,49, 44 and hit a lovely FH 4over A. Then I had 4 more hands of rags followed by JJ and then 55. I didnt actually win many of those hands but i did win a few of them. It took me to 11k and chip leader but then it died. I think I had all my luck in a very short space of time. I was doing great and sitting tight and now in 3rd place but still feeling good. I then look down to find I have KK.He had gone all in preflop so I felt pretty confident..........

I just knew that 3 was coming on the turn. I even said to my son watch a 3 come down now. But to then put a K on the river really was adding salt to the wound.I lost half my stack to him and then it was just a case of either getting some cards to push with or get blinded in so I opted for choice 1 and ended up going out in 3rd place. This tournament still alludes me but I will win it 1 of these days.

$3 50 ppl Max

2007-05-12T12:43:00.000Z

Well I did it again. I won the $3 50ppl Max over at poker.com and after the weekend of crap I had had it felt good to win. I kinda felt like a rebel and it was a 2 fingered salute to a few (un-named) people. anyway I had played the $200gtd freezeout earlier in the day and had finished 7th with my pal Mortas finishing in 6th place. a few bucks won, well enough to pay for me to play the $3 50 ppl max, which I haven't played for weeks and as I am not doing anything in the tournaments I like to play reguarly, I thought i'd play this insted. I've won this particular MTT before and I was in the right frame of mind to play and win it again. I started off ok and played good steady poker. I didn't go wating my chips and then before I knew it I was getting short stacked but still felt ok. I made the FT in 9th or 8th place so I had to play aggressively when I decided to play a hand. It was down to 5 of us before too long and then I got 4 PP on the trot. All mid PP but 2 hands held up. Gettng AA in the space of 11 hands helped to give me a real nice chip lead and by the time there were just 3 of us left I had a 20K lead and had no intention of losing it. I took the short stack out AQ v AJ and HU battle proceeded I played aggressivelyand it gave me the victory I played so hard and well to get.

$200 Guaranteed at Carbonpoker.com

2007-05-03T13:09:00.000Z

I played the $200gtd today at Carbonpoker.com and came away victorious. After folding Quads the very first hand of the tournament I went on to win after playing a very patient but aggressive game. Folding QQ was also wise in hind sight as I dont think I would have even made the money if I had not folded them after seeing the flop AAK.

Playing tight aggressive but patient poker has paid off today for me and I now have 4 MTT wins to my name.

3 FTs and 3 sets of Quads all in 1 evening

2007-04-29T09:13:00.000Z

Well here I am again. What a great day I had yesterday. I decided that instead of playing lots of poker yesterday I would just play a couple of tournaments. I had my league game due to start in a couple of hours and then the 5th street buyin later that night. I have been on a real bad run lately and after getting down to single figures in my account I ws getting to the point of thinking "What's the point?" "Why Am I putting myself through this all the time?"
I have been listening to Rounders radio while I play and yesterday I was listenin whilst I worked on my forum. I have some forum tournaments starting next week and I have been busy getting things sorted out for the 1st game.
Anyway back to yesterday and my poker play.
The leage game started and it was 36 players on 3 8 seater tables to start. I was on with my team buddy tba123 (Tom) and it was diffcult with him being directly to my right. I got 88 first hand and ended up hitting a set on the flop and a FH by the river. Poor old Marjan had trip A's and ended up going out first hand to my FH. I have doubled up to 2000 on hand 1 and I am feeling bad for takng Marjan out 1st hand but it is a team league and I am in it to win like everyone else so why was I feeling so bad?
I then had KK and tba raised UTG, I was next to act and I should have folded my KK as its team play and Tom had already raised but I didn't and I ended up taking 400 of is chips. I again started to feel bad and I told him later, when he was out, that I was really sorry and he, being the kind hearted wonderful man that he is told me it was ok and that I was to now go on and win it for the team. What with bluelips and Amica both sitting on about 5k by this point and me still not really making much headway was hoping to at least make FT and as long as I stayed in longer then the Mad Jokers ladies I knew we could take enough points to go above them in the league. I managed to take 5th place and some well deserved points for my team.

Woohoo Cracked Aces.
I then entered the $250gtd freezeout at Carbonpoker.com and after a playing a great game I made FT as chip leader. I was feeling a little nervous and my son(15) was saying he would stay with me whilst I played and try and keep me calm and focused. I was on 46k and then lost a the 16k lead I had on a hand and it really evened things up and opened it up. I sat tight and was still on 30k when I managed to double up and get bak into the lead. I was now sitting pretty with 60k and with only 5 of us left I ws in a commmanding lead. It wasn't too long before I was HU and I was now really nervous. Shaking so much I couldn't pick up my cup of tea. I played a couple of hands really poorly and I knew I had to now try an get back into it. Unfortunately I didn't ave my hand history set to save it so I am trying to do this from memeory and Ive slept snce then LOL. the final result was I ended up going all in and losing eventually to take 2nd place

I then went on to play in the 5th street buyin game as with only a smal field of 7 I knew it ws going to be a good game with some great players. I started off quite aggressively but not in a bullying way and I was really enjoying being on the table with some great friends from 5th street. I played steadily and solidly and evnetually ended up Heads Up with my bestest .com buddy Dangermouse420. We have known each other since the early days of playing online poker on the play money tables and we have both left the rest of our old gang still playing 10\25c money tables while we have both moved on to more competitive, well played and better standards of play and people. I have always wanted to get HU with DM as I have so much respect for him as a player and as my friend.

He is a fantastic player and this is a situation I have wanted to be in with him for as long as I can remember and it was now happeing. We wished each other good luck and battle commenced. It was a slow start with both of us playing a lot aggressively then we had been. All in every hand before the HU and now we were both raising each others BB and it just too and froed like that for a few hands. The Mouse then decided to make his move and I felt him move it upo a gear or 2 and the battle was now on. It was pretty evenly matched chip wise and then I played a really bad hand and took it down. I felt it was getting to the point of now or never and I knew if I didnt start taking some chances and getting aggressive I was going to lose. I had J4 and decided to try and steal another pot but Mousy called me with an allin and I had to decide whether to fold it or go with it and I decided that if I didnt go with it I would have lost that pot and potentially the game as it would have left me in a position where I couldnt really be threatening enough so I went with it and I am sure Mousy had K10. I hit a J on the flop and then a 4 on the river for 2pr and the title.

Well to finish off my Great day I also hit Quads 3 times in during these games. Twice in the $250tgtd and then again during the 5th street game

AWWWWWWWWW

2007-04-27T22:40:00.000Z

Just a quickie for you. So close yet so far away from a beautiful looking royal flush.

Ups and Downs of poker

2007-04-05T16:46:00.000Z

Hi again peeps
Well its been a funny kind of week with some weird and not that often seen bad beats and suckouts. Well I don't see them that often. I have been playing less and concentrating more on 1 tournament at a time. I am trying to play a little less tight too right now and i've been calling a few hands I wouldn't normally call and maybe it's helping my game a little more.
I have come 3rd in 3 tournys in the last 2 days and Ive also bubbled too. Ive had some good hands beaten with not so good hands and it still sucks...
But i'm getting deeper in tournys again now and colour of the FT is so soothing to look at. Well I played the $3 50 people max over at Poker.com yesterday and was also in the 300 gtd w/addon at the same time. I know I shouldn't but sometimes I reg for tournys without thinking about whether they clash or not. So anyway I am doing ok in the $3max, plodding along nicely and I am also doing nicely in the 300teed. I get a nasty beat in the 300teed and Im less then happy but "thats Poker" as they say.
Thats poker....yeah ok. The guy hits runner runner and I am left with about 25 chips.

The table was like "NH" and I from the sidelines(in my normal, YOUR A DONK\FISH\IDIOT additude) kinda told the whole table that I thought it was a bit much saying nice hand to a guy who had chased and hit runner runner.
I was still in the $3 50ppl max and and was kinda getting short stacked when I tripled up and was now sitting on 4k with with about 17ppl left and I could see the FT in my sights. I bubbled in the same tournament only 24hrs earlier so I was determined that if I made the FT today then I was gonna go for it as there was no way I was bubbling again. I made the FT and I was sitting in a good position. I was 6th going onto the FT I think and I was hoping that a couple Small Stacks were either gonna battle it out or a Big Stack was gonna take out a SS. I got my wish and the next thing I knew I was in the top 5. I had managed to avoid the bubble WOOHOO.
The final out come was I got up to 13k and was in 2nd place hoping to get HU. 4 left and I get AdKs UTG. I raise to 3k. Dealer calls me and shows Ac10h. As6h10s on flop Kc on turn 7d on river. Now down to 3 of us and I have 12k in chips. next hand I get KK and......

So I managed to survive another 7 hands before I was out in 3rd place. It was a great tourny and I feel I played well and just got a little unlucky with my cowboys.
Posting has been a bit on the quiet side again this month and I know I really gotta start working a bit more and a bit harder oln my blog too.
Well Its been a real up and down month and in short not too profitable. I was down to $11 yesterday morning and decided that I would use 2 of those 11 bucks to play a tournament.
Wow am i pleased I decided to play it. I then played a freeroll over at Third bullet and finished about 1\3 way up the table. I have been palying a daily freeroll there and the site is pretty good too. I then went back to Poker.coma dn decided I would play a sng as I havent played any for a while and I also decided to play another cheap buyin. I won the sng so another $10 thank you very much.

I thought I better check how many points I needed for the Freeroll and realised I only needed bout 160 but with only 25 mins til it started it meant either multi tabbing while I played a tournament or miss it and concentrate on the tournament. I decided as the tournament wasnt going great that I would go and get the points I needed. I hit 3 tables, taking $5 to each from my well earnt winings from earlier. I was a little worried that I was going to lose some cash chasing the points but I also decided that I would just sit and fold unless I had a decent hand. I got the points I needed in time and went and registered. I left the 3 tables up in cash, a loat up in cash for me. I left 1 table about $1.50 down, 1 about $4 up and the other over $10 up.
I have been donked, fished and bluffed out of some good hands with good cards all because my confidence was low and my aggression not at its best but I have managed to salvage what was left of my bank roll and have a little fun donking the donks along the way.

WIN WIN WIN

2007-03-27T01:01:00.000Z

Well a quick update for you all. I have been going through a real bad slump of late and I was getting more and more frustrated and on tilt and I could see it getting worse before it got better. I asked my friends for advice and I got given some great advice too. I stopped playing so much and just played the odd tourny for a few days. My agrression was gone, I was too scared to call but now im BACK

I played 3 5th street games and came out on top in 2. I entered the charity ball (un-sheduled) as always and I was hoping to do well this month but alas it was not to be. So I waited for the INVITATIONAL, that Cerberi organised, to start and then the weekly buyin game, later that evening. The Invitational was mine from the start.....sorry but thats how I felt. Brad had been tearing up the tables too so was pretty excited about maybe getting him HU. Well that didnt happen but me winning did.

Only 4 entered the weekly buy in. Maybe it was a low turn out because of the charity ball and the Invitational. Anyway there was myself, Hacksaw, Scotlady, and Neo and I did end up HU with Brad and this time I got him. Thanks for a great game guys

It feels great to be winning again no matter how small the field is. It has boosted my confidence no end and I am back to being a great trainee shark. I Have been winning a little bit here and there but nothing to really boost my flagging bank account.

I decided to play the $1 guaranteed with rebuys today, a tournament I never usually play. I started off pretty slow and just waited for some cards. Then I got dealt 99 in early position. I flopped the nuts and checked my quads hoping to trap a couple of limpers. The A with the 99 was the best bit because I ended up trapping 2 players into going all in and took down a lovely pot.

WOW SWEET AS

I then got rags after rags so just kept foldin hoping the cards would come. I made it to the break with about 2k in chips and not really making much progress. I was hoping to make it to the FT and then hope that a few of the others went into battle early on and maybe took each other out. I made it to the FT in 10th place and was pretty short stacked compared to the rest of the table. I had to play sensible, aggressive but good solid poker to make the money. Only top 5 were getting paid out and I didnt want to bubble after all my efforts to reach FT. I also knew that I didnt have long to try and win a pot and then I managed to double up. I was now on 5k and sitting 6 out of 7. The chip leader was on about 25k. 1 other short stack on about 3.5k and the other 4 all had between 9 to 17k. I waited and then decided to take a gamble and started getting aggressive. I got 1010 and threw half my stack in the pot. I took the hand down and now had about 10k. I was concentrating so hard a lot of the hands are a blur to me. All I can really say is that I played the right hands in the right manor at the right time and it resulted in me getting HU with the guy who had been chip leader most of the time. I was now about even with him in chips and i had the impression he was felling jaded and unsure. He was easy to steal from and I took advantage of that and slowly crept more and more in front of him. I then decided to finish it off. I got dealt AKc in SB and raised it up to 7.5k and he pushed all in with AJo.

YEP I WON AN MTT WOOHOO

A Month of Chaos Distraction and Bad Beats

2007-03-19T23:49:00.000Z

Hi all

So what have I been up to for the last month that I have let my blog slide? Well I went to Liverpool for a Wass live tournament weekend and had a blast. Met loads of fantastic people and won some money along the way. It was a bounty night the first night and I (yes little ole me) took the most bountys, 7 to be precise so £70 and my hotel bill covered. I played some great poker and even shocked myself at how good live I played. Only my 3rd live game and it was a big event for me. I did good "Yay Me".

Anyway I get back to find my house a mess the kids arguing and my sister stressed from having such a hectic weekend. I faced some fears along the way too. As some off you are aware I hardly leave the house for any reason and if I do its usually with someone. Well to get to Liverpool for my fantastic weekend I had to get a train from my home town into Londons Kings Cross then get the tube to Euston station and then get a train from there to Reading to stay with Andrea (Jupite) the night before as we had an early start the next day. Well I did it and I did it alone. I was scared and shaking, my heart was racing faster then Ben Johnson on steroids and I couldn't relax, but..................I DID IT. Meeting 60 odd people that I had never met before was so much easier to face and I am so so glad I faced my fears or I would have regretted it for a very very long time.

Ok back to the house, kids and stressed out sister. Bath food and a good nights sleep was called for and thats what I had. I was so tired for 2 days after I got back bt oh boy oh boy it was such a blast. Roll on Stoke in September.

I hadnt been back long (a few days) when my son had to go for his assessment to see if he has ADHD Tourettes and Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ASD for short. He has all three and is now, after 12yrs of me battling, getting the medication and help he has needed for so long. My cat had to be put down after, the vet thinks, he was knocked down by a car. He had a broken pelvis and legand severe interal injuries and was in so much pain the kindest thing to do was to have him put down. I had to go and have some blood tests done after my leg and foot swelled up so severly that I could hardly walk. Dr has put it down to fluid retention. Oh did I mention this all took place on the same day and theres me wonderig my game is off so much just lately.

So whats been happening with me in the world of poker. Well not a great deal of success and a big dent in my poker account, thats what. I have also been running my own forum and trying to get it built up. I eld my first forum tournament at Poker.com last week and unfortunatel went out 1st hand to a PW thief. I had 6 of them in fact enter my tournament after 1 of them joined my forum and got the PW. I was not happy and I have reported all 6 to Poker.com. I have also learnt a valuable lesson and wll not release the PW so early next time. anyway besides the 6 that werent supposed to be there I had a good turn out of 23 players and it made for a good tourny. I will be having some more freerolls and some buyins too hopefully so come along and check it out. Queen of Hearts 2006 is turning into a great little forum and Im really enjoying running it and learning different stuff all the time about how to improve things.

I have been in a rutt with my poker for a while now and could do with some advice on how to get out of it so I posted this in a few of the forums I am a member at and i have had some great feedback from my friends at 5th Street.
Ok here it is. I am after some advice from you guys as I am having so much trouble on ring games. I am on a micro money table at Poker.com right now and I have just folded 3 pocket pairs on the trot because I knew I was out flopped. I had 99 followed by 88 followed by 55 and didn’t win with any of them. I am losing too much money even though I am not playing them that often. My comp points have ceased from lack of play on the ring games. I know that by playing the micro tabs that I am leaving myself exposed to noobs who fish and play bad hands but until I can get my balance back up I can’t afford to go on the higher tables. I am even losing with KK and QQ and its getting very disheartening.

Its not just my ring table game that is suffering its my poker in general but not being able to make a few bucks here and there on the ring games is really getting to me. I feel like I am lost in a wilderness and not sure how to correct it. I am playing hands when I get them but I am being out played, no matter what I have. I am now at a point where I am too scared to raise or call people because I just know I am gonna get beaten. I don’t mean to have this negative attitude and I know that’s probably not helping but I feel like my poker is worse now then it was a year ago when I first started to play and learn. I have learnt heaps and my game has improved tenfold, so why am I finding it so hard to get out of this slump?

I am mostly playing private forum tournaments now because I know the standard of play and player is so much better but this is not going to get my ring and tournament game back up, nor my bank account for that matter. I have just gone out of a $1 turbo NLHE game after flopping trips and a guy chased and hit a flush. What do I do short of quitting?

I am almost $20 down today and all I have played is 2 cheap tourneys and a few hands on a ring game.

I just wanna cry and scream and shout at send all the fish and donkeys on a one way voyage to anywhere but Poker.com.

Take some time away from the tables, change the games you play, don't play when you are feeling negative, stressed etc. I know all this so why am I asking? Because even though I know all this, Until I hear it from other people I guess I deny to myself that I am on tilt or running scared or just really shouldn't be playing because of other distractions. I guess some time off the tables would really be the right thing to do right now.

Well thats about it for now accept to say................. Lierpool was a blast.

Novice has her own Forum

2007-02-28T13:54:00.000Z

Hi all

Just to let you all know i am now running my own forum. It is mainly for ladies but men are more then welcome to come and join. It s called QueenofHearts2006 and thel ink for it is already up and running on my blog. come and have a look and also come and reg for my first QueenofHerts2006 tournament. It is a freeroll over at Poker.com to be held on 14th March 2007 and is listed in tournaments>>>scheduled>>>private and the start time is 14:00 poker.com lobby time. The Game is called Welcome to QueenofHearts2006 freeroll.Be great to see some of you there.

http://www.queenofhearts2006.com/

My 1st 5th Street Win

2007-02-25T00:59:00.000Z

Well what a game it was. I have just played another great game wth my 5th stret forum buddies and as always there was lots of drama and twists and turns. I was doing ok from the outset but not calling with just anything because i wanted to play. My patience was good and I was reading people pretty well tonight. I flopped a nuts A high straight and nicely trappd Brad into the bargain. It makes a change for me to take Brads chips as I am normally his bluff victim.

As there was only 11 of us that entered tonight poor Brad missed the fun on the FT and the ups nd downs alon the way. I didn't get anything worth playable for a while so just waited for the short stacks to take each other on. I wait and I wait and now we are down to 7 left and i get QQ in mid positon and I go all in as i now feel its time to make a move and get aggressive. BB calls me with his short stack and the cards turn and he has KQh

Ok 1 more gone and i am now sitting in a more comfortable position and starting to believe I can at least make top 3. 4 hands later I get dealt JJ in the SB and this is what happens

novice49 Posts SB100.00

scotlady Posts BB200.00

NeoBahamut2 Folds

YellowRose Raises 600.00

DangerMouse420 Folds

xWade79x Folds

novice49 Calls 500.00

scotlady Folds

novice49 Bets 400.00

YellowRose Calls 400.00

novice49 Bets 800.00

YellowRose All In 1180.00

novice49 Calls 380.00

YellowRose Shows

novice49 Shows

YellowRose Out

novice49 Won 4560.00 from pot 1 with Two Pair Jacks and Sixes

I then get a run of PPs, 88 followed by 77 followed by QQ. MY 88 holds up but my 77 and mybeloved QQ fail me this time. I still have a nice stack and I am feeling confident about what I am doing but the cards are starting to go cold and I know I need to try and steal a few pots. I hit top pr with a lowish kicker a couple of times and raise it up and take the pots down. I am starting o show the table that I am aggressive but also solid and that I am not scared to chuck my chips in the pot and challenge them.

It starts to feel like an eternity of just waiting and throwing the rags I am constantly getting. Jax is now getting short stacked when i get dealt 88 in the hole. I raise it up pre flop knowing that if she is going to call she has to go all in more or less. She does call me and the cards turn. My 88 V her AK. Unfortunately her AK didnt hold up and another 1 bites the dust. So now I am left with 3 great poker players who i respect so greatly and I know I have to keep up my aggressive play and not show any weaknss. I let Neo and Wade fight it out and eventually the action unfolds and its a race with Wade coming in second. Its now me and Neo and my great friend and mentor Mousy who are left to battle it out. Neil is UTG....... Q10spades, Unfortunately for Neil I have AA......

novice49 Posts SB 300.00

NeoBahamut2 Posts BB 600.00

DangerMouse420 Raises 1800.00

novice49 All In 2520.00NeoBahamut2 Folds

DangerMouse420 Calls 1020.00

DangerMouse420 Shows

novice49 Shows

novice49 Won 6240.00 from pot 1 with Two Pair Aces and Twos

He is not out as he has me ell covered. I don't have to wait too long before I see AA in my pocket again and my eyes widen with excitement. Again Neil is UTG and he goes all in with A9d and 2180 chips. Yes you guessed it I took him out and felt so bad about doing so but I am really learning now that there are no friends at a Poker table.

I am now HU with Neo and I know I can win this if i don't make any silly moves or try and bluff too much. Its a game of just blind taking or a while and Neo has about double my stack. I then get a great result from a medium PP

555 was enough to take most of Neo's stack.

Then the very next hand the river gods smiled on me and it got me the win I had so longed for.

So I am Proud to say that I won. Great Game All and Great Fun as always

£84 For Make A Wish....GG All

2007-02-13T18:25:00.000Z

Just a Quick update on the money we raised for Wake a Wish. The "One For TheBaldies" tournament (that I won. Yes still bragging) raised $84 for the kids so GG all and WTG.

Thats it

One For The Baldies 7th February 2007

2007-02-08T09:17:00.000Z

Well I have 2 MTTs under my belt now and what a tournament to win. My great friend Lee (Halfday1\Gupta) decided to throw a "Leaving the League" tourny over at Poker.com. He called it "One for the Baldies" as he is hairless and 36 of his friends and co leaguers turned out to play. As an added bonus and to add a little twist, Lee decided that if he won the tournament he could donate the $50 bounty(on his bald head LOL) to the Make A Wish foundation, which is the charity that 5th street forum support and if he didnt win he would donate $20 plus the $2 donation from each player that took part.

We all started with 2000 chips and it was hard work at the beginning. I wasn't getting any cards and when I did I was either to over zealous with my raising or I would get no action because I was BB and everyone else had already folded. I held tight and tried to stay patient and wait for my chance to get some chips. It wasn't too far into the tournament when I was nicely bluffed by Shirun. I showed my 1010 fold and she turned over 78 clubs and i felt soooooo stupid. The community cars read as follows

I have 10s10c
shirun has 7c 8c
Flop 8h3c9
Turn 9d
River 5d

Yep what a twat I was...............DOH!!!!!!!!!! NH Shirun

2 hands later I got Ac 10c . Mortas (hey sweets) was really short stacked and went all in with his remaining 300 or so chips. Everyone else folded. I called. Mortas has As Qc v my Ac 10c.

Flop 3c2s10h Turn 10s River 5s
I win with 3 of a kind 10s and poor old Mortas is out. (Sorry Hun xx)

3 hands later i get 10d10c I win the hand with a flush against Cazwil. I then sit and fold hand after hand after hand after hand........

It is still very early into the tournament and I am folding faster then a laundry maid with a pile of sheets. I am starting to get a little disheartened and my patience, as good as it can be, was starting to wear thin. I wanted to play. I then get Ad Jd in early position. I call it and everyone folds round to BB. I get lucky on the river and hit a A high flush. A good few hands later I get AA.I go all in with my 2530 chips and get 1 caller who is holding QQ. Flop brings down 7d 9d 9s Turn 8c River 7c. I now have 5660 in chips and I am starting to believe I can at least make FT. 6 hands later I get AA. I go all in and get no action. Bit OTT maybe but I am so fed up getting my AA cracked I decide I am all in with AA or nothing at all. 9 hands later I get Ad Qd in BB. SB has already gone all in with her 2.5k in chips. No other callers and the cards turn over. My AQ sooted agains BlackTysons A9 sooted. I take down the pot and win with pr of Queens and another player bites the dust. A few hands later I try and take the bounty down but he survives to fight another day. A few hands later I fold AK to 2 allins. I am UTG and both BB and SB go all in. I fold but show my AKo. I player has KK the other has QJc. Flop is 5hJdAc Turn 7h River 2h. I jut folded a winning hand with a pot worth 10300............ OMG I wanna kick myself so hard.

Half the field is out now the man with the bounty on his head is still holding on in there. He goes all in, in the SB and the BB calls. I had already put 800 in the pot, fancy a go at taking out the bounty, potodds are looking good so i call.

I have 10Jo
Halfday1 has A10o SB
Housekat has 23o BB
Flop 6s Qc 3
Turn 5d
River Qs
Kat wins with 2 pr and has taken the bounty too.

WTG Kat.

I dont wait too long before I get the dreaded JJ in the hole. I take the bounty stealer out with them and I am now on 8k. The game is now getting pretty aggressive and its not long before I am on the FT.I lose alittle in blinds but I am still being patient and waiting to make my move. A couple more playes are now gone and I get AA for the 3rd time. I go all in with just over 7. I get 1 caller who goe all in with his 6.8k. He shows JJ in the hole and I take the pot down yet again. I'm now on 15 and sitting in 2nd place behind Muratore. Down to 4 of us now and its getting really tough and very competitive. I lose a lot of chips to Muratore and like earlier with Shirun he has out played me when I had the best hand from the off. My ankles now hurt so much from all the kicking I have been giving them but I am still determined to finish in top 3 if I can. Muratore then takes out another player and we are now down to 3. God my nerves are in tatters and my heart is pounding. OK its me and 2 Swedes. Both good friends of mine and both players I highly respect. Me and Klacken are sitting on 6k each while Mura is on 60k. Hmmmm ok I am gonna get taken out next and we are gonna have an all Sweden HU. Muratore then takes Klacken out with KK v A7o and I am now sitting with about 10th of the chips that Mura has. I have no hope I think to myself but I am not gonna give up either. I then get blinded down to 1136 in chips and get 8Qo. I have to go all in or I am gonna get blinded in next hand. I pray my Q will hold up and she does. Mura had, lucky for me, raised and I ended up with a pot with 6k. I live a little longer but know my days are numbered. I get very aggressive and start going all in everytime I he flat calls or I am first to call and its working. He is folding and the pot money is so desperately needed in my corner. I get dealt 1010 and now I have 12k so go all in. Muratore is on 60k still and I am doing my damdest to get back in the game and not let him just chip bully me into submission. He calls my 1010 and I take down yet another hand and another nice size pot. 28k now and feeling nervous but positive. We played cat and mouse for what seemed an eternity but all the while my stack was growing while his shrunk. I haev now mnaged to almost double and I am sitting on roughly 45k It was a tough tough tough HU and I just managed to get the aggression and timing I needed spot on. The blinds are now huge 2000\4000k and I end up going all in with 1010 with my 43k after paying the SB. Muratore has raised it to 6k pre flop so I decide this has to be it. I go over the top of him and push allin. He calls my allin with his remaining 16.5k and shows A2c. Flop comes down 8d 4c 9d Turn 7h and River 6h. I hit a straight but had lead the hand from the off. OMG!!!OMG!!! I have won the tourny. I am so happy and can't believe it.

I just want to finish off by Thanking Lee. Kat, Liam, Brad, Poker.com and 5th Strret for making this happen and for making it such a great tournament. The best part about it all was the fact that Make AWish profited from this. WTg everyone

Its Been a Weird Week

2007-02-05T16:09:00.000Z

Well I havent posted for a while so thouht its about time I got my writing head on and posted something. Nothing much to really tell but I will give it a shot.

The poker.com forum league, season 10 has finally come to an end with me being on the winning team after changing teams mid-season due to personality clashes. Yes I am being very diplomatic. The season ended in contraversy and a lot of bitterness and falling outs. People not talking to each other, blame being passed from 1 team to the other and unfortunately I played for both the teams concerned and its not been a happy ending for a lot of us. I have decided to leave the league for now but 1 day I hope i will return but the friendship and fun has to return to it first or it's not worth the hassle. WTG Cracked aces on a great team effort and win. I get to leave as a champion but don't really feel anyone came out a winner. The winning team has fallen apart and the runners-up are still feeling bitter and not acting too friendly towards some of us but I guess in time it will get better.

It was also the start of easy week for the leaguers yesterday with an MTT put on for us to play. No team points just individual and a bit of fun. Only 19 regged for it so it was a little thin on the ground but still a great bunch of players a good laugh. I made it to FT and it was pretty even chip wise bar 2 of the players who had about double the chips to the rest of us. I start of by just holding tight and being patient. I manage somehow to make it HU against a player I don't know much about and with my lack of HU experience was a little nervous. I have managed to get in spitting distance of catching him chip wise and then BANG!!! He chases and hits on the river. It was my own fault for not being aggressive enough but it was also a real fish play as far as i was concerned. I will add the hand to this post for an expert analysis of whether I played this wrong or right.

I lost most of my stack on this hand and I had a mountain to climb to get back into it. In fact 6 hands later it was all over and i was runner-up yet again. I feel I played well. i played patiently, my timing when I bluffed or tried to steal was pretty good and I was pretty aggressive too. I was a little disappointed but happy at the same time. The final hand was pretty much even considering I was blinded in. Even until the the kicker becam important. I have Ks 8h V Kh 10s.

Flop comes down 6c4cKd Turn is the 3c and the river 9h so it was won on pr of K with him having the better kicker. GG all and good fun.

I take a break before the 10k freeroll starts and in the process of collecting my points to play it I made about $30 so I am pretty happy. I have watched my bankroll go up and down and at the moment its looking a lot healthier then it was a week ago.

I start the 10k and its gonna be a long slow tournament so i need all my patients to get deep into it. I will cut a long story short and just say I managed to finish an impressive 51st out of 1061 rnners. Not bad and a bit more money too WOOHOO. I was playing in the 5th street Leaderboard game at the same time and I must say I think I enjoy these tournaments more then any other. The forum is s great place, very friendly and a lot of supprot for each other too. Thank you too all my stalkes for watching me and cheering me on. I thought I was gonna bubble but I got ballsy went all in with AK sooted with only 2 players needing to go out before the money positions started. My heart was racing but I had to do something. Just folding woulda meant getting blinded in in 2 rounds time so I went for it and won the hand. More then doubled but the blinds were getting pretty fierce and in the end I just couldn't get any higher up the leader board. But a respectable 51st so I am happy.

The 5th street game was fun as always and I seem to finish pretty consistantly week in week out. Brad won last night WTG hun. The games are small but so friendly. I try not to miss them but sometimes I do DOH!!! Still waiting for mytournamnet reminder.

Well now I have bored you all silly yet again im off to lose\win some moeny.

A Helping Hand For A Great Friend

2007-01-27T21:16:00.000Z

Saturday January 27th 2007

A few weeks ago I found out that a friend of mine from Poker.com was not going to come to Liverpool now for the Wass Tournament. She was recently told something that was not only very upsetting for her but also knocked her confidence. My friend Andi is a wonderful lady ad deserves this weekend away with her friends from Wass and Poker.com so I decided to organise a tournament for her so she could come but more importantly now just how much people care about her and miss her being around so much. Andi is a fantastic poker player and very highly respected too.

With a lot of hard work and support from Doc over at Wass and Kat, Bubbs and Liam from poker.com we finally got the tournament organised and it was played today with a great atmosphere on the tables. Everybody was chatting and laughing and the bad beats were bad but the fishing was limited and I don't think there was a Donkey in sight.

We went from 23 to 2 and what a great HU it was between 2 great guys and great players. Halfday1 and Evil666 played a fantastic HU with the win eventually going to Halfday1

You played a blinder boys

I want to thank everyone who played or who will be donating some money to this event and Lee wear your Wass Hoodie with pride

$3NL 50ppl max MY 1st MTT WIN

2007-01-24T12:40:00.000Z

Well I have done it at last. I have won my 1st MTT over at poker.com and it feels greeeeeaaatttttttt!!!

I have not made a FT for so long and I have done nothing but lose since new year. I have had to deposit again to cover my league play and I have not been winning anything on the tables either. I was getting to the point where everytime I had a monster pair in my hand I would think to myself "ok who's gonna take me out or beat me with their rags or low pair. IT was awful and talk about being down hearted.

I get up today, decide im not gonna play much, if anything and go and start doing some housework. You know the thing, wash the dishes, fold the laundry, clean up after a houseful of teenagers etc... anyway I decide to sit down have a cuppa and a ciggie, and have a read in the forums. I check my on line banking and then have a look to see who is about and playing. Oh sod it, I think to myself I will play the $3NL 50ppl Max tournament and just see if I can gt somewhere today. If I don't i'm gonna have a rest from it for the rest of the day and just stalk people instead.

I am too excited to go into too much hand detail but what I will say is that I played steady and fairly tight to start with. Let all the donkeys and fish have a bash at each other first I say LOL.
I was getting nothing to play anyway so just sat and waited patiently. I got the odd hand here and there and I manged to double up eventually with trips 9. I then get 77 and win another hand. I had already folded 88 a few hands previously and I would have had trips but I didnt let it get to me and i stayed focused and calm. I was up to about 3.8k and went in on a hand with my AJo. A and 2 middle cards so it looked okish. I raised and got called. I had for some strange reason beyond my logical thinking put him on a mid pocket pair. HE had AK and I had half my stack gone. I am now swearing lots at the PC screen and moaning to my sister who is sitting talking to me while im playing. I'm not gonna tlt I say to myself and I wait patiently again for a decent hand.

for some reason I am thinking about what I am doing a lot more then i normally do. I felt confident even though i was only halfway up the leaderboard. I was observing players more closely, starting to read a few of them and then I hit with AA. I go all in with about 1500 and get called. She has JJ and I hit A on turn to secure the hand and take her out. Ok i'm fighting back now and I am hoping to make FT for the first time in weeks. As its only 50 players max only the top 5 get paid. I just wanna get to the FT and then try and climb into the top 5 and get some money in my account. But more so I want to reach the FT and top 5 to get my confidence and belief going again. I make it in 8th place and I know I can get into the money if i play smart and don't waste too many chips.

Ok 1 out, now im 8th out of 9 and i desperately need a hand. I am finding the table very tight and no aggession so I decide i'm gonna try and step it up a gear and see if I can bluff a couple of hands. Blinds are at 400\200 and I am UTG i have 4d4s and i flat call. SB calls but eveyone else has folded. Flops comes down 2d9s8s. I have small pr and I decide Im gonna bet. I don't raise it i just call the 400 and she folded. This slow none aggressive play is continueing. Everyone playing very carefully. NO donkeys no fish and no aggression. I start to really notice that 2 players in particular fold if there is a raise so i decide i'm gonna have a go at stealing their blinds. It works a treat and now there r 6 of us left and the table is pretty even stackwise with 4 of us on about 4-5k while the 2 chip leaders are on 12 and 9k respectively. I think I am gonna bubble but I so hope I dont. I am not the short stack but I am very nervous and I am starting to panic a bit. Don't ask me why because I know its daft but I get so nervous and then I start to shake uncontrollably and I cant control my mouse properly. Anyway putting my weirdness to one side the short stack with 180 chips gets blinded in and I am sitting qith AJo in my hand. I have to call this and I do and take her out. I hit trip As against her 37o.

Then there were 5. Woohoo Ive nmade the money. I am gonna loosen up my game and take a few chances now. i get Q10h and I am the BB. SB has A8h and the flop brings KQ3 rainbow. Turn 4 and river brings down a J. I win the pot with pr of Qs. Phew ok next hand....i get 108o in the SB. Again only me and the BB in the hand and I win with a pr of 8s. I am now on about 13k i think and laying 2nd.

We are now down to 4 of us and I am on the chip leaders tail. I then get a real sweet hand and I take a chance and a player out. I get AKo. Blinds are now at 800\400 and I am UTG I raise to 2400 preflop and get called by BB. Flop comes down 753 rainbow and I decide I am gonna check. BB does the same. K on turn. I go all in with my remaining 9k and BB calls with her\his 6k. Cards turn, she\he has K6. Q on river takes us down to 3 handed. We only stayed 3 handed for 2 hands then it was HU.

OMG I'm heads up and im bricking it. I have had quite a few 2nd places and this time I was going into HU chip leader. We both play very carefully and there is a lot of checking going on. Neither 1 of us is willing to take the lead and get aggressive and we are just stealing each others pots at this stage. I then decide if i am ever gonna win a MTT i need to bite the bullet and get busy. I raise to 3k after a flop and he folds, Hmmm ok lets try that again. Yep again he folds. Ok i am gonna take advantage now. I raise after a flop again and this time he calls me. Luckily I have top pair JJ but i know he has something as he called my raise. I call his raise and I win the hand. He had 33. Ok i know have 3ok to his 15k. I am not sure what changed in me but i got spooked by him and I started to fold everytime he called after flop. I wasnt hitting anything but then again neither was he, he wsa just taking advantage of my weakness. I had a friend on MSN and I said to him I was starting to lose it and he said "Its not about cards". It made me think and I changed geared again and decided this was it. We had been pussyfooting about for too long. Lets get this HU done and dusted and I'm gonna win now. I got aggressive I started to push back and it turned the game around for me. I won it with a flush after he pushed all in after the flop.

I had 26s
he had 7s 1oh
FLOP 7d 3s4s
I had to call so called his all in
TURN 8c
RIVER Qs

OMG I WON

Poetry by Novi

2007-01-15T15:59:00.000Z

AS some of you are aware, I suffer from depression and when I get really down I like to try and get my feelings down on paper. I like to write poems and here is one I wrote a few weeks ago. I will add to my poetry post as and when I write some more.

What is it about tears and pain?

Do they have to come again and again?

What is it about laughter and cheer?

Do they make the pain disappear?

What is it about desire and dreams ?

Do they crash and fall into streams ?

What is it about words and feelings ?

Do they give us our healings?

What is it about love and hate ?

Do they lead us to our fate?

What is it about wants and needs ?

Do they help grow the seeds?

What is it about sentiment and sorrow ?

Do they stay or do we borrow?

What is it about the life we live ?

We need to learn to give give give

Written by Novice49

$5 NL 3rd place 12th January 2007

2007-01-12T17:08:00.000Z

Well its been pretty dismall again for a few days. I can't seem to win anything on money tables and Its starting to cost me too much real money earning comp points so I can play freerolls. Doesn't exactly make them free to enter does it? Anyway I sat at a Limit tab today to earn my points. Thought that way I could limit my loses but also maybe my gains too. Anyway I find a table and join it only to find its resembling a forum league table. I sit and chat and mess with the smileys and I am winning small amounts but its a win. I sit and play for a couple of hours I guess, earn about 500 points and then decide to leave for a bit before $200 guaranteed starts. I go have a cuppa read through some forum threads, write and send a few e-mails and then settle down to play my tourny.

I start of slow and its not feeling good. I have been getting rags after rags and then I get QQ........My favourite hand. I raise to 80 pre flop and i'm in a late position so its looking pretty good. BB and SB both call and the flop comes down AK8 different suits. SB raises to 160 and the BB calls. I sit and think for a bit and know that I am probably well behind in the hand and i'm either gonna be a gambler and try and bluff by going all in or I can be more tactful and wait for another chance to strike and lay down my beloved QQ. I threw them away. The hand went to the river with both the SB and the BB throwing everything they have into the pot. They both have a K and they end up splitting the pot. Good lay down for me. I get moved to a new table and find my mate Muratore on it. My bowling captain and friend Eggy300 gets transferred onto my table too and we exchange "hellos". I am not hitting a thing and the cards I am getting are so awful I can't even get in to see a flop. I only have 900 chips and the blinds are now getting to the point where i gotta go all in or fold. I get blinded again with rags ad have to fold. I now have about 450 in chips and I get AA. Im first to call and I go all in. Eggy has about 4k and calls. He has KK. 1 other player calls (AQo) so its now a 3 way pot. Nothing of any use to anyone on the flop. K on the turn and ? river. I had a feeling my AA were gonna get cracked and they did. I went off and sulked for a bit then came back and decided to enter a $5 NL. Ive never played a $5 before but Im a little on tilt and decide it's only money lets get brave.

I start of slow again and then decide Ive got to bet or im gonna be sitting here getting blinded out of the game. I have had very little in the way of hole cards and when I do get something half decent I am not hitting on the flop. I am not gonna chase I am gonna play tight and take my time. I need to get more aggressive and get my confidence pumping. I
need to get my stack growing and I need to play more aggressively. It starts to turn and I manage to take a couple of pots. I then get a small run of wins and then the cards dry up again. I wait patiently and then the cards start to come for me again. I start to get a better looking stack sat in front of me and I am sure I can play well enough to make top tab. I then get a monster hand and play it real sweet. I can't for the life of me remember quite what it was and as the new upgrades over at Poker.com has a few glitches I can't remeber what the hand was but I do know it gave me a huge chip lead, 6k I think it was. I hate being the chip leader and I hate having a huge stack compared to the rest of the field. Why do I? I don't really have the answer for that but it seems that everytime I take a lead in a tournament I mess it up. I have been in this position before and not even made the money let alone the top tab. Oh well I am in good shape and I can do this if I just play the way I have been. I stay calm and play the cards and then they dry up again. I have got to steal a couple of pots but I know bluffing is not a strong point of mine so I start to um and rrrr about what I should do. I decide I am not going to do anything silly, just be patient like I have been and choose my moments carfully. I make the FT in second place and I am feeling good. Its been a while since I played this well and the nerves are starting to show, I decide to let the short stacks battle it out while I wait for a decent hand. The blinds are getting steep and I have enough chips to allow me to be patient and wait. I watch as slowly the small stacks are eliminated then I play a few hands and i take down 1 pot and lose 2 others. I am not so sure I can do this and the nerves are really going for it now. I manage to make the last 5 but now I am the short stack and I know if i don't make a play soon I will be blinded in as usual. I decide I gotta go for it now it is down to the last 3 and I go all in with my small stack and I lose. Still 3rd place isnt so sad and I have helped my bank balance a little too. I had never played a $5 tournament before so I am pretty proud of myself for making the FT and finishing 3rd.

Version 4.0 at Poker.com

2007-01-11T20:54:00.000Z

So the new improved Poker.com is up and running.

I got up at lunch time, yeah I know lazy cow, but I didn't get to bed til 5:30am, turned on my PC and logged into Poker.com. I waited about 2 mins for the new installation to complete. I logged in and it threw me out. It just closed down on me and I had to log back in. Again I was thrown out and again I logged back in. I managed to get the lobby up and my contact list showing before it thre me again. I was getting a little peeved by now and was hoping that I would be able to get back in and not have it throw me.

Woohoo Im in and i am waiting with baited breath to be thrown again but hey it doen't and I can at last start to admire and take in the new look. Cool log in page and nice neat tabs. I am impressed. I click on player admin so i can get into the forum and I get a page come up asking me for my username and Password. I tap them in hit log in and it tells me log in has failed. I try again and again and eventually get into the forum via my link i have in my favorites.

I have a nose in the forum, read the version 4.0 release thread and then decide I gotta go check out these new games. I click on my buddy list to see who is about and I decide to click on a tab with 3 forumers and league players on it. They are playing 5 card stud and I just sit and watch. A few hands later they all leave and head for various tournaments. I click back on 1 of them to get their taqble up and they are not on it. I recheck and no they are definately not on that table. I go back into the lobby hit the name again and then hit refresh. I then hit join table and again the table pops up but no buddy on it. What is going on. I go back to the lobby and choose a different name. Again they are not on the table I have up. This is weird and its annoying too. Ok so I seem to have some glitches. I go post in the forum about it and notice a few people are having problems. I eventually found my friends tournament table after finding him on the leaderboard list. I am hoping these problems will be ironed as its really frustrating not being able to find my friends and watch them.

Anyway I decide to have a go at playing Bagudi. I have absolutely no idea how to play but i get lucky and a teamie is on the table. Hi Jani. He gets me up on MSN and gives me a crash course on the game of Badugi. My sister is here with me and she is getting to grips with it a little faster then me. Ok so I now know what I am doing and I am really starting to enjoy it. Its great fun and I think its gonna become a favourite of mine. I am sitting playing a new game and messing with all the new smilies. They are fantastic. I love um. I loev the donkey, fish, shark and rabbit the best I think.

I went and played some play money badugi after I had lost 10 bucks on real and I found my sister on a table so joined her. Also there were coolhand75, Hi Kev and Morri, Hi hun. It was great fun and so funny. Everytime I thought I had the best hand i had 1 card that was always to high. I did win some play money though and it was a real good laugh. Halfday1 then joined us and he had no idea what he was doing either. Talk about the blind leading the blind. Halfday, Hi Lee, was pretty clueless but soon starting winning after I explained to him on MSN that the best hand is A234 rainbowed. Me and my mouth. He whipped me. I suddenly had to go due to an incident at home but i will be back on to play some more badugi very soon....

9th January 2007

2007-01-09T10:19:00.000Z

Hi all

Ok so i have not played hardly any poker for a few days as its been so dismall and i'm so disheartened. I haven't hit a thing since new year and I am not feeling too confident right now so I need a good strong start to get my confidence pumping and my self belief working.

1st hand

Gusbuster Posted Small Blind 5

Ostbirk Posted Big Blind 10

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (Ts, As)

CovertStyles Calls 10

Eggy300 Folds

jguzz14 Folds

jim2006 Folds

ptichamo Folds

TheWarIzaLie Folds

novice49 Calls 10

Gusbuster Calls 5

Ostbirk Checks

Dealing Flop (9d,Js,3s)

Gusbuster Checks

Ostbirk Bets 40

CovertStyles Calls 40

novice49 Calls 40

Gusbuster Folds

Dealing Turn (9s)

Ostbirk Bets 80

CovertStyles Folds

novice49 Raised to 160

Ostbirk Calls 80

Dealing River (6h)

Ostbirk Bets 80

novice49 Calls 80

Ostbirk has (9h, 4s)

novice49 has (Ts, As)

novice49 Wins 640 from pot 1 with : Flush, Ace High

7th hand

I get dealt my least favourite pair. I seem to have a mental block where JJ is concerned. I see it in my hand and I cringe.

ptichamo Posted Small Blind 5

novice49 Posted Big Blind 10

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (Jd, Js)

Gusbuster Calls 10

Ostbirk Calls 10

CovertStyles Raised to 80

Eggy300 Folds

jguzz14 Folds

jim2006 Folds

ptichamo Folds

novice49 Calls 70

Gusbuster Calls 70

Ostbirk Calls 70

Dealing Flop (2c,Jh,Ah)

novice49 Bets 325

Gusbuster Calls 325

Ostbirk Folds

CovertStyles All In for 1,190

novice49 All In for 945

Gusbuster All In for 535

novice49 has (Jd, Js)

Gusbuster has (9h, Ad)

CovertStyles has (As, Kd)

Dealing Turn (3h)

Dealing River (4h)

novice49 Wins 80 from pot 3 with : Three of a Kind, Jacks

novice49 Wins 660 from pot 2 with : Three of a Kind, Jacks

Gusbuster Wins 2,905 from pot 1 with : Flush, Ace High

CovertStyles OUT

So it starts off not to promisingly. Already down to half my starting stack and my dreaded JJ have let me down yet again. I am feeling less confident again now and my aggression is off on holiday somewhere and I am feeling like a frightened rabbit caught in headlights. If this was a live game my body language would be giving away how weak and vulnerable I am really feeling.

Ostbirk Posted Small Blind 10

crubicle Posted Big Blind 20

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (7c, 7s)

Eggy300 Calls 20

jguzz14 Folds

jim2006 Folds

ptichamo Folds

novice49 Calls 20

Gusbuster Raised to 350

Ostbirk Foldscrubicle Folds

Eggy300 Folds

novice49 Folds

Gusbuster Wins 420 from pot 1

This hand is now telling me I've either got to toughen up and get serious about winning some chips or I would be going out leaving my self belief laying crumpled in the gutter. "Come on Jo" I say to myself. "You can do this, Just stay patient, play tight and if you are going to bet then no limping." So i've given myself a talking too and now i'm gonna fight back.

OH NOOOOOOOOOOO JJ again

novice49 Posted Small Blind 25

TheR1verman2006 Posted Big Blind 50

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (Jd, Js)

lapepe Calls 50

jdonrocks Calls 50

beatman191 Folds

spoonspoon Folds

okiwinnow Folds

onlyme88 Folds

novice49 All In for 475

TheR1verman2006 Folds

lapepe Calls 450

jdonrocks Folds and Shows Th Ks

lapepe has (2c, 2d)

novice49 has (Jd, Js)

Dealing Flop (5h,3c,6h)

Dealing Turn (9s)

Dealing River (9d)

novice49 Wins 1,100 from pot 1 with : Two Pair, Jacks and Nines

Phew I got aggressive, the dreaded JJ were either gonna make me or break me and for a nice change they won for me, i've doubled up WOOHOO!!!!!

KingandQueens Posted Small Blind 50

novice49 Posted Big Blind 100

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (Qc, Jd)

TheR1verman2006 Folds

lapepe Folds

MbfDom Folds

jdonrocks Folds

beatman191 Folds

okiwinnow Folds

onlyme88 Folds

KingandQueens Raised to 200

novice49 Calls 100

Dealing Flop (8d,Js,2s)

KingandQueens Bets 200

novice49 Raised to 400

KingandQueens Calls 200

Dealing Turn (2d)

KingandQueens Checks

novice49 All In for 500

KingandQueens Folds

novice49 Wins 1,700 from pot 1

So ive taken the bull by the horns and shifted my game up a notch. I get away with this hand and i'm rocking and rolling now. Come on lets be having you LOL. I sit i'm being patient and i'm choosing my moments to go in on hands more wisely. I'm starting to believe in myself just a little bit more then I had been an hour previously.

I am in the BB and im dealt 580

No raises so I get to see the flop nice and cheaply.

858 flop

OK ........I will slow play this take a nice pot down.I check and then I bet after turn. Only flat call but the othe 2 people in the hand fold so I win another pot and I am progressing nicely.

KingandQueens Posted Small Blind 50

novice49 Posted Big Blind 100

Dealing CardsYou Were Dealt (8h, As)

TheR1verman2006 Folds

MbfDom Folds

okiwinnow Folds

onlyme88 Folds

KingandQueens Calls 50

novice49 Checks

Dealing Flop (Js,Jh,8c)

KingandQueens Checks

novice49 Bets 400

KingandQueens Calls 400

Dealing Turn (Ah)

KingandQueens Checks

novice49 Bets 200

KingandQueens Raised to 400

novice49 Calls 200

Dealing River (Kd)

KingandQueens All In for 2,460

novice49 All In for 850

KingandQueens has (5h, 5s)

novice49 has (8h, As)

KingandQueens Wins 1,610 from pot 2 with : Two Pair, Jacks and Fives

novice49 Wins 3,500 from pot 1 with : Two Pair, Aces and Jacks

The blinds are now at 75\150 and Im sat with 3,350 chips after taking down yet another hand and my confidence ad aggression are now starting to really flow. I sit for ages just folding as my cards have gone cold but I know if I stay calm, focused and don't go wasting chips, limping with weak hands, I can make the FT then who knows. The blinds are now at 300\60 and I need to start building a bigger stack. I bluff a hand and get away with it and then I get AJo and go all in as im UTG. I take the blinds and its enough to cover the next lot of blinds. I get AA and I go all in again. Another pot taken down and I am now on just over 5k.

I now have AJo HU against Noky and I take yet another pot down. Im now sat on 6,125 in chips and currently in 2nd place.

I make the final table in bout 4th place I think. I was in the $3oo teed with R\A at the same time but not paying any attention to it really.

I decide im gonna sit anwait and let the small stacks fight it out before I make my move. 1 goes out 1st hand of FT and now its a battle between 9 of us. Only top 5 get paid so there is all to play for. I wait and wait and wait........................23o,A10o Late position, I don't hit,

Blinds are gettign steep and i need a hand

52o (noky has AA V 10-10) 8 left now,45o,7Ko (again Noky gets AA and another pot) hes now chip leader and being his usual aggressive self.), 84o,72o in BB LOL yep I win the pot. 74o would have flopped str8 if i hadn't have folded. There was a pre flop raise by Noky who again won the hand.

Its now down to 4 of us and Noky is on about 18-20k, Eggy300 (my ten-pin bowling captain) has about 12k, I am on about 7k and the short stack is on just over 2k.

I am now in last 4 of a tourny, in the 300 still too and trying to write down all my hole cards. I can't so I am now trying to remember what happened. The short stack didn't last much longer. I am now top 3 and I am feeling great about the way I have played.

The binds are now at 1000\2000

Im UTG and get 44

I gotta go for it so i push all in against Noky

He thinks for a bit then decides to call

He tells me I have a pocket pair and guessing i have QQ. He also tells me I have probably got a better kicker then him. I think he had something like A10 or AJ, I can't honestly remember and I haven't written it down. both laugh when he sees my 44 and yes I win the hand. I then battle with Eggy for a bit and eventually I have double his stack. Im now on about 10k and hes on just over 4k. Noky takes him out and now I'm HU with him. Yhe blinds are so high and i gotta try and takes some chips of him. Hes very aggressive has the chip advantage, 7x my stack size, and I am not gtting anything decent to call with. I get a hlf decent hand and go all in. he calls me and I am in front. i honestly cant remember what cards we had but I was ahead all the way..........Til the river.

Congratulations Noky

WTG me for fighting and coming 2nd

I just missed making the FT of the £300teed but I am still happy and my want to play is starting to return. I just wanted to add that I thouroughly enjoyed playing this tourny and Having players like Eggy300 and Nky on the FT made it the better.

Happy 18th Baby Girl

2007-01-06T19:20:00.000Z

OK folks my baby girl is 18 tomorrow. Yes 18 and what an 18 years it has been. We have been good and bad times, rough and smooth times and love and hate times. She is beautiful and very intelligent. She can sing and she's a fantastic dancer. She is self taught..........just a natural at it I guess. Not sure where she gets it from as I have 2 left feet and can't sing a note.

I remember when she was about 8yrs old. We went on holiday to a caravan park and she entered a talent competition. There was some stiff competition. A young lad pretending to wrestle a crocodile. It was an inflatable crocodile but "Tarzan" did his stuff LOL. He was a cutie pie. There was a magical mystery tour bus with half a dozen kids singing "We're All Going On a Summer Holiday" Then my Vicky made her stage debut. She sang a Spice Girls record, with no backing tape or music and she just sang it so beautifully. I was so proud of her. She got the entire place up on its feet, about 200 people in the audience. She was fantastic and won by a landslide. Her prize was a weeks free holiday and entry into the Grand final in October. She had the chance to win £150 and yet another holiday.

We couldn't return to enjoy our weeks free holiday and for her to have her chance in the final. I was due my 4th baby and I couldn't risk it. I had literally about 4 days to go. She was gutted. I gave birth 2 days after she would have been in her Grand Final. I think the new baby made up for her disappointment.

When Vicky was about 12 her life changed direction adn she got really messed up in the wrong crowd. She changed overnight. Her school work went down the toilet and her attitude was awful. She was eventually expelled from her school and she was so out of control I was at my witts end. I tried everything and in the end she was so out of control, drink, drugs, criminal activities, running away fro home etc. You name she was doing it. It was a nightmare and my beautiful baby girl was on a downward spiral of distruction. She was throwing her life away and I couldn't stop it. She chose to go and live with her grandmother but nothing changed.

We years of it. Not knowing where she was, what she was doing or who with. it was heartbreaking as any parent would know and I was breaking up inside with worry.

Then at age 15 she announces she is pregnant. What could I say. I was angry with her for being so careless and I was upset with her too. My intelligent beautiful talented baby was gonna have a bay of her own. She chose to keep the baby and on the 30th June 2oo5 she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl after a 27hr labour, that, yes, i had to be present at because of her age. My grandaughter Chanelle is beautiful and I love her to bits. She is 18months old now and a real darling. I am having her tonight actually.

My daughter has blossomed into a beautiful young woman but she is still too wild and immature and we argue a lot. Don't get me wrong I love her to bits and I would die for her. I would die for any of my kids. She just gotta learn to be more responsible.

Anyway its still her big day and I am gonna try and make it as special as possible for her. I am gonna cook her a lovely meal and then spend some time with her and the other kids.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICKY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Happy New Year

2007-01-03T00:24:00.000Z

OK so its 2007 and the new year was well and truly rung in. Happy New Year all.

I was on fire just before new year and had a great run of form. Didn't actually win any MTTs but made lots of FTs and my confidence was on the up. I wasn't complaicent about it just on a good streak.

Well I was................

I have lost nearly half of my bank roll since 31st Dec 2006. My 2007 hasn't exactly been prosperous so far. Bad beat after bad beat. I can't hit a thing, accept my fist on the PC desk and my head off the wall. What has changed? Why am I now on a losing streak? Am I expecting too much of myself? I am full of doubt and questions again. I don't think I have done anything differently, just not hitting. I started a ranting thread over at Poker.coms forum today. I've been adding to it all day.

Hmmmmmmmmm ok heres the plan. I'm gonna play some small buy-in tournaments and hit the play money tables to let off steam. If that doesn't work i'm gonna find a way to pay the dealer. No not in kind either LOL. Anyway I will spare you all the gory details of my bad beats over the last 3 days and just go and le off some steam in private.

It can only get better, surely.

Final Tables over the Last 2 days

2006-12-29T18:50:00.000Z

Well ive a couple of real good days on the tabs over at Poker.com. Made 8 final tables and took my bank balance from $38 to $174. I still haven't actually won a tournament but I am making a lot of final tabs. Its consistant and its been a real confidence booster. I have been playing a lot more positively and more aggressively. I've been reading people better and I am making better decisions. I have had some great advice from some great people and I have learnt how important patience is.
Patience to me is a very important part of the game. Just a few short weeks ago I was weak, I was not thinking about position and i wasn't thnking about raises and re-raises. I think about all these things now and its all down to the support and encouragement I have had from a few individuals. Thank you Halfday, DM and a few others.
I am not the player I was a few short weeks ago. I still get bad beats, like everyone else, I still get taken out by donkeys and fish and I still wanna kick things, scream, shout and sulk when these things happen, but, and this a major factor in my improved game, I don't go on tilt like I used too do. I stay focused, try and keep composed and I wait and try and rebuild if I am short stacked. I stay patient and I play tight. I have had a great couple of days and my confidence is up a lot too. I have added a few screen shots of my successes over the last couple of days. I think I am allowed bragging rights on my own blog LOL.

Anyway after 8 FTs in 2 days I am actually starting to believe in my own abilities as a poker player. I have been with Poker.com for year on the 13th Jan and I am hoping to post my 1st MTT victory by then.

How Your Mental State Can Affect Your Play

2006-12-27T15:31:00.000Z

So Christmas has been and gone and all the kids are happy with what Santa brought them. The traditional family feud has settled and so has my blood pressure and stress level.

Christmas Day 2006

I logged into Poker.com christmas evening and wished I hadnt bothered. It had been a really stressfu long day for me and I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to be playing but being the true poker addict that I am, I thought why not. I entered a couple of tournys and did absolutely dire in both, so went and hit the tabs and lost even more there. Was I on tilt? Was i too tired? Was I just not meant to be playing? I couldnt hit a thing. I had all sorts of things going on in my head, my emotions were shot to pieces and I had had an awful day so decided I would go sleep and see how I felt in the morning.

Boxing Day 2006

Would it be a better day at home and on the tables? I was hoping so. I did some family stuff and was enjoying my grandaughter being here. She is gorgeous and this was her 1st real christmas, 18 months old and the joy on her face was beautiful. Well the day got more and more stressful so what did I do to try and escape it, yup went on the poker. Blood pressure building again, noise, kids running about everywhere and my daughter and me at each others throat. I will spare you all the gory details and just say that it really did turn into boxing day in my house. I am no really paying any attention to the tournament im in and decide I need to sort out what is goingon at home. I get KK in early position and I only have 600 or so in chips so i go all in. I get 1 caller. The Bb. He has 63c and a nice stack so can afford to call me. Flop comes down 248, Turn brings down K, river brings down 5. Novice49 OUT.

I attend to the problems at home and manage to get back to the poker tables about 3hrs later. I am extremely emotional, sore eyes from crying and I am also extremely angry and about to explode. i go on a tab as I need to get my points for the days freeroll. I am obviously not in the right frame of mind again to be playing but I had "I don't give a toss" attitude and lost a good few bucks chasing my points. I got them just in time and then played like a complete moron in freeroll and lasted about half hour. Ok this is not good and I need to turn off the PC and go to bed. Yes the couple of Southern Comforts and diet coke I had drunk maybe played a factor in all this too so off to bed I went.

27th December 2006

Ok so off I went to bed last night at 11pm still stressed, upset and a milion things going on in my head. I can't sleep. I try and try and I am now at the point wher i decide i will get up and put PC on for a bit. See whos about and whats occurring. I come down to find my 14yr old son watching cricket. Its 2:30am and hes watching the Ashes. Why the hell hes bothering I don;t know as we have already lost. He decides at 3am to go to bed and decide I am too tired to play any poker so will just chat for a bit on MSN. I eventually went back t be at 4am this morning and was up for 10:30am as I really wanted to play the $300 guaranteed with R\A. I seem to do ok in that tourny and I hadn't played it for days.

I have a slow start but have a really friendly table, Some fellow poker.com league players, so its fun and relaxig. Im actually enjoying playing for the 1st time in days and my mood is a lot calmer today too. I have no stress at home,no kids running about and no distractions. i end up rebuying which I don't normally do and I am still no richer by the time the Addon gets here. I addon and now need to make FT and at least 8th to have made a slight profit. I battle and fight and steal teh odd pot and then i get lucky with my favourite hand QQ. I am in a late position and I love QQ so imall in no matter what. Its now or never time. Guy in early position pushes all his chips in, about 1800 i think it was. next player folds and the next 2 both go all in too. theres about 4k in the pot and I am now all in with my remaining chips, about 1400. Ok so now its a 4 way pot AQ v AQ v AJ v QQ. oh damn look at that i cant even flop trips. All Queens are in play. I hope and prey for low cards and a rainbow. I get my wish. I have ove 5k in chips now and 2 less players to contend with and a real short stack, who is growling under his breath that I got lucky. I am mopping my brow and phewwing loudly. Ok so now im back in the running and I have a real chance at making the FT. I make FT with my 5K and sit and wait while all the big stacks try robbing each other and the other short stack gets bullied everytime its his BB. All hell suddenly breaks loose an the tab is down to 6 players. Yes I have made my money back and won a couple of bucks on top. Im happy with the way I have played. I need a hand though as the blinds are huge and I am getting desperate. I get KK and thats it im all in but I dont wanna scare everyone into folding. I raise to 1600 and 1 player goes all in. Another alls the all and I call immediately. Im all in and this is it. I win the pot and now were down to 5 players. I eventually end up HU and boy have i got a struggle on my hands. I'm on 9k by this point and the other player is on 81k. Hmmmmmm ok here goes. Im all in with A8o. He calls and has Q8o. I am gonna double up here. How wrong was I. He hits a Q on the flop and thats it. 2nd place again but hey I'm so happy.

While I was playing the FT in the $300 guaranteed I was also starting in the $2o guaranteed and I must admit I didn't have much interest in what was goin on. I wasn't paying attention and My stack was down to 615 in chips. I was still jumping with joy at my previous result and was so happy to see my bank balance looking healthier. I got a couple of good hands and was plodding along just nicely when all of a sudden I get AJo and I get a caller. He had been givingit large all tourny and was a complete loud mouth. I raise all in after a J flops and he calls me. He has a healthy stack and is sitting in 2nd place overall. I was no 42nd out of 45 left and was about to wave goodbye to the tourny. He calls my all in, it was cheap for him to call it and he has A4o. I take down the pot and I have doubled up. I then get lucky when im the BB and i start to build a stack. I have 10-3o in the BB and 10, J, 3 on flop. Before I know it i am 13 out of 13 left and I am sitting on just over 2k in chips but its not good enough. I so wanna make the FT and I fld fold fold and fold. Ok 1 to go til FT and I get a decentish hand. I raise and get called. Its then checked down to the river and I lose leaving me with 758 chips. I'm gonna bubble. All of a sudden I find myself thrust onto the FT and there I am sitting there with my 758 chips and the blinds are gonna be to me in 4 hands time. Here goes. I get blinded in with Q5off and I know i am done for. I get called obviously and I get a lucky river and a second chance. I hit a 5 on the river and I am surviving. I climb back up to 7k but the blinds are cruel and its not long before I gotta go for it or get blinded in again. I go all in with sooted cards, 67hearts I think it was and I make 2pr but its not good enough. I finish in 6th place but what a great result considering what I got to the FT with in chips.

I guess what im trying to say is after the last few days and so many ups and downs and so much stress, tears and anger, I haev learnt a valuable lesson. How you feel, emotionally, mentally and generally can drastically change what happens at the table. Not that I didn't already know this, its just that I guess I had to learn the real consequences and seriousness of it if i am ever gonna improve as a player. I have been a lot more relaxed, calm and happy today and it has shown in my results.

Monsters Really Can be Scary

2006-12-22T11:57:00.000Z

What is it about Monster pocket pairs that puts the fear of god into me?

I love QQ and I win a lot with it but I do find my heart jumps into my mouth whenever I get AA KK or QQ. JJ are my least favourite pair. I'd rather have 22 or 55 then JJ. Don't know why but they bring me nothing but tears and loses. I get beaten a lot by other players holding JJ in the pocket, me personally, I loath them. I did however get a royal flush holding JJ in the pocket.

Anyway back to monster pocket pairs. I have had my monsters destroyed too many times to count in the last 2 days. Yesterday I am in a tournament over at Poker.com and its ea rly on, 5 hands dealt, and I get QQ and im in a late position so I raise pre flop and there are 2 callers. everyone else has folded and the cards turn. I am up against KK and yes a K flops. Down to 220 chips nd not too chuffed. I fold hand after hand waiting to try and make my bounce back and then I get KK so obviously i'm all in and get called KK against TT. T on the river seals my fate and im out.

I take a breather for a while and decide to work on my blog. Thats another story all together. I return a couple of hours later and enter another tournament. I am just kinda bouncing along. Not winning much but the odd small pot here and there. Its a hard slow slog and I am starting to think that I am nevr gonna ge a hand. I then get dealt AA and woohoo my luck is changing, or so I think. I raise pre flop to 240 and get a caller. He reraises me, so I reraise him and go all in. Cards turn pot is looking pretty nice and I am well ahead of the JJ im facing. Yep that rotten old JJ gets me again. Guy flops a J and thats it im out of yet another tourny. I have another breather and then I ralise I haven't got quite enough points for tonights Freerollso head over to play a couple of mony tabs. I am doing ok and then I get AA and I am now at the point of thinking, "no please anything but a high pocket pair." I call the 25c to c the flop, yep i flat called with AA. Flop comes down JQ2. I raise it up to $2 nd i get reraised to £3.50. I reraise to $5 nd the guy goe all in with his remaining $4 or so. He wass holding KTo and was casing for a A or 9. He doesnt it ad i take down a nice pot. Phew my luck is turning and I have managed to win a hand with a high pocket pair. I decide to bank my loot and move to another table, still chasing those points with only 20 mins til the end of reg, I get a few small wins then I get QQ.

Oh baby I am as passionate about QQ as Bluelips is about any sooted cards baby. I raise and get 1 caller. Flop comes down 6QQ. Oh yes baby this is gonna be so sweet. I check and the other player raises. I think for a minute. Hmmm is he holding AA, KK? nah. but I feel he must be holding something worth raising on. I call his raise and the turn comes down 9 and the river is an A. I put him on AQ after the raise he makes on the river. OH BOY HOW WRONG WAS I.

He was holding 66 and had hit his boat on the flop and had very nicely sucked me in. OUCH that hurt and hit hard. I manage to get my points for the 1K and I last about half an hour. damn its time for sleep.

I get up today feeling more positive, not so stressed and ready to kick some butt at the tables. After checking my e-mails, checking out new posts over at 5th street forum and Poker.com forum I head for my first tourny of the day. It's a rebuy with an Addon which I know can equal a donk fest. I start off ok and slowly win a few small pots. I am up to just over 2.5k in chips and the break is in 16 mins so i decide to just play big hands and then get my addon and then ry and get doubled up. I get KK in a late position and i put about alf my stack in the pot. I get 1 caller and the cards turn. My KK up against KTo. Yep same old same old......T on the flop T on the river. I am down to 1300 or so in chips the addon is 6 minutes away a the blinds are geting high. I end up all in with AKo and get taken out by JJ.

So much for monster hands.

Making The Final Table

2006-12-20T22:05:00.000Z

I've been having trouble with my confidence at the poker table just lately even though I am making quite a few final tables. I havent't progressed up to high money games yet, I play a lot of $2, $3 tournys over at Poker.com and the prize money isn't great but its a start on the ladder for me and my bank roll and I am getting more and more consistant. Anyway I have made the FT 3 times in the last 24hrs and finished 3rd and 2 7th places.

I played a ladies only tourny last night at Poker.com and i got lucky pretty early on. I was in early position with AA in the pocket. Two callers. One has KK th other has TT. A on flop seald the deal and i was well on my way sitting as chip leader. I get nothing now for ages and I am stuck between 3 and 4k and my placing is slipping. I need a hand and I need it soon. I patiently keep folding but the whole whle i start to think, am I playing to tight, should I loosen my play up a bit, should I call more ands with sooted cards? I was constantly questioning my own ability an it wasn't helping. I some how made FT and started another waiting game.Waiting for the right hand to try and double up and get back into it. I eventually get a playable hand go all in, JJ i think it was. No point flat calling with the blinds so high so itake my chances with th pocket pair I hate the most. I flop a J and end up with a boat. Yes i have doubled with 6 left in. I can wait again now. I then lose my connection and I spend 5 mins cursing and tring desperately to get back up and running. I get back in to find I have been blinded in and im holding 9Ko. I flop a str8 and take down the hand. Only 3 of us left by this time and I am getting desperate. I getJ9o in the BB so get a free look at the flop. I hit 9. I go all in get called and i am beaten with a higher pair. 3rd place and $24. I am pleased and feel i played ok.

I find that I either start off great or it takes me ages to get going. I tend to go a bit stale in the middle part of a tournament. I'm wondering if I can change my game in anyway to help combat this or are the cards really just going cold on me?

I made the FT in the $3 50 people max and the $250 freezeout today also so is been a pretty good 24hrs tournament wise for me. Bank roll is starting to go back up and so is my confidence.

Blogging for the 1st Time

2006-12-18T12:40:00.000Z

Hi all I am having a go at writing and having my own blog page. I've had some help from a great poker friend of mine and I am now well on my way to having my own blog. I'm not really sure what im going to write about but i'm gonna give it a go.

How about I start with picture of me and some great people I had the priveledge to meet from Poker.com. This was my first time in a casino and only my second ever live game. I had Housekat, her boyfriend, Pajasen and Coolhand75 there with me and what a great night it was. We went to a casino in Luton, near where I live and we played a buy-in game with rebuys and addons. I didn't bother to re-buy or addon as I was feeling pretty nervous anyway and the 2 guys to my right were both so loaded with cash and just rebuying all the time so when I lost all my chips I decided enough was enough and I would go and keep Coolhand75 (Kev to his mates) company at the bar,while the others still tried their luck at the poker tables. It wasn't too long before Pajasen (Pierre) and Housekat (Kat) were joining us and ordering more drinks. Kats boyfriend was the last man standing s too speak nd If i remember correctly just missed making the money. We had a few more drinks, watched Kev get louder and louder and funnier and funnier and then it was time to say goodbye and ge a taxi all the way home. Thanks for a fantasitc night guys. It was a blast......