The Ian Doob Poker Blog

Blogs That I Hate

2007-10-14T20:57:00.000Z

You see these blogs, they don't update for a month. It's like they are not playing poker when all of a sudden the writer does something great like win a MTT. I hate that, it's like they want to tell everyone "wow, look at me I won a MTT". Why not mention all your failures in between? No they don't bother doing that do they! Useless tossers, I never read those type of blogs.

On a completely unrelated subject I managed to win a MTT today. Now some may scoff and say there were only 17 runners but there was definitely more than 1 table when we started and to me that means multiple. $5 PLO 15 minute levels, yes it was a long blinds structure and I didn't get bored and donk off all my chips. I like PLO, it's not about just being a rock and waiting for the nuts, it's a good game, especially the tournaments. I think I play PLO 80% of the time now. But that's not much, I'm not playing much poker at all anymore. But the blog stays, I like this blog, it's historical!

BFWCOP III

2007-09-15T10:23:00.000Z

I just wasn't up for this weekend, no idea why. Maybe I'm not well, maybe live poker does not do it for me anymore.
I remember 2005 when I sat down in the sauna in the Gutshot and was absolutely bricking myself, I loved it! Fast forward to 2007 and there were no butterflies, no tension, nothing!

Team Game, don't remember a great deal about it, didn't win a single hand of any note and just survived until going out in 6th. Finished the evening playing a bit of cash Omaha (that was great, loads of swings and all-ins and turned my £50 into £48 after an hour before everyone else was busto or bored) and then cash Holdem where I didn't get any hands and lost £20. Annoyed replaced me in my seat and told me the next morning he had made £600. Well played sir!

Main Game, I felt when I sat down I was going to grind this one out. At Duffs I couldn't wait to leave I was so bored but for this event I decided I was going hang around, hopelfully move tables alot and see a lot of poker. Only 7 people on table, of which Systems and Divaflava looked like death warmed up and the other players were still in bed. Sunday8pm was on the button to Dibbles big blind so after the shenanigans of the team game (Ben busted Dibble, dibble not happy) thought we could have some fireworks but Ben was first out after 5 hands. I flopped some nice hands and when the table broke up had almost double my starting stack.

2nd table looked good, Strak, KP, Doobs, Deejay amongst them. I had AA in Big Blind, KP raises it up and I double up. Zelda appeared for one hand before going busto, forget how and I was off to a new table. And it was on this table I was to endure/enjoy the general musings of BFWCOP Champion Snap for the next 4 hours (felt like days). He is a good bloke and a great character but there were times you were thinking to yourself ... JUST DO SOMETHING! That sounds harsh, not meant to be it was a very enjoyable table, Deejays brother Rich to my left was a sound bloke, as was RadixUK, Miltons mate Kenny, Wahey, Danse, PrettyAce and all.

So there are 19 left, it pays 18 and I am rather short on chips, Snap is starting to attack my blinds and bully which was great play and for the first time in the game I was a little nervous. Had A9 in Small Blind, folded around to me and I pushed, Rich (Fish1047) showed 86 suited and correctly called. I survived and minutes later the bubble burst and I was moved to my 4th and last table where I lasted 2 hands. Shrub pushed under the gun, I called with 77, he had AQ and I lost.

It was only then that I realised how drunk I was but I hung around till the end to see Snap's victory. We really need to speed up this tournament, it's a shame there were only 10 people to see the win but it was gone 4am so can't blame them. Maybe a double chance next time and faster blinds. And maybe start with the main event so that all the tables do not resemble The Night of The Living Dead after people have had a very hard couple of nights.

So congratulations to Snap and well done to Betfair and Mandylou for organising it.

Running Good

2007-08-26T23:23:00.000Z

I was a little disappointed with my last post, I feel it didn't really give to much information about how my poker is going. However it does sum up how I feel about poker at the moment.

I'm winning, STTs, cash, I'm even cashing in MTTs, I still want to play higher stakes and play more but as soon as I make a profit I stop for the evening. I am just a terrible gambler, even after I make a profit I want to bank it, I see it as my money and I won't gamble it! RUBBISH AND VERY VERY DULL!

You see I think I'm a decent poker player yet after 3 years can still be found playing $2.50 STTs on Betfair? Why? I earn a bloody fortune from my job but will not gamble it, not even on poker where over the years I have made a good profit. What am I scared of? I'm not a particularly self-confident person in life and I think I translate this to the poker tables. I'm always expecting a beat when I'm all-in!

Anyway I didn't really mean to write that, BFWCOP in 2 weeks, hotel booked, game paid for and a team event on Friday evening. I can't remember my draw but I shall look it up and post my views on the 7 other players next week.

Ummmmmmm..............

2007-08-22T17:22:00.000Z

Dunno!

Update Your Blog You Lazy Bastard

2007-08-02T12:42:00.000Z

What's happened over the past 2 weeks asks .... ummm .... nobody!
Well Mr Nobody this is what has happened.

Withdrew all from Doob account on Betfair and opened up a new one. This will save the usual Doob/Doobs confusion. Doob is actually my nickname down here in Southampton but the sideburned one plays far more than me and much more seriously so he can have the name. The new forum name of Chronic keeps the drugs connection but has been a very apt name to describe the Betfair poker site over the past few days!

Played a bit on Sky Poker, got Tikay talking about some plays on my table but I was always folding as I had garbage. Some really fishy plays that he comments on and doesn't ever seem to criticise them. Yet to cash though in 3 attempts at The Open or Velocity. Cash and freerolls mean the account is fairly static.

Final tabled in a $5 turbo MTT on Betfair and then played for 2 and a half hours in the $1750 GTD to finish approx 25th for nothing. $10, 15 minute levels, sorry haven't got the time for this. Won't be playing this tournie again.

And that's it really apart from a few STTs and cash. I like Betfair cash, the tournaments are full of rocks but the cash table is full of gamblers. And being a STT rock myself it just bores me to tears. Cash and MTTs I have always played more aggressively, don't know why!

I have only one poker aim for August, it's just poker, if I'm playing it in my spare time at my low stakes then I want to enjoy it. That is all.

Good Luck.

Struggling For Inspiration!

2007-07-16T18:56:00.000Z

I want to play these MTTs like all those great little £2 Thread merchants but really struggling to find the time. Meant to play the Sky Poker stuff last week but just don't either have the time or the enthusiasm for it. STTs now bore me and until I learn to stop playing cash games like a freezeout we shall steer clear of them.

Played a few MTTs recently, made it to the penultimate table in a headhunter but that has been my only cash out of the 5 I've played (2 on Sky, 2 on Blue Square and the Crypto Headhunter).

Basically they go like this, tight early on, start attempting to steal at 50/100 and stop limping (raise/fold only). If you do raise, then only raise with position unless you have a top 6 hand. Eventually though you reach the key hand where you are all-in with pair/overcards ... AND I DON'T SEEM CAPABLE OF WINNING THIS HAND!!!!

And that frustrates me, play good poker for 2 hours and win nothing. Multi-tabling may help but I just don't have the time. I shall maybe watch one of the experienced MTT people play from the £2 thread (Not saying who) and see what they do, how they approach MTTs. I will also try and play the free WSOPE Betfair things this week and take them seriously (Raising out of postition 2nd hand with 87 high and going all-in on a A44 flop is NOT taking it serious).

I think I've got the game/knowledge. But at the moment I don't have the right mindset/patience and I need to take my successful STT strategy and enlarge it into what will hopefully become a successful MTT strategy.

Good Luck All (But especially me)

The Velocity

2007-07-10T21:45:00.000Z

There was no The Open on Sky Poker tonight.

Instead it was a £5 MTT called The Velocity (4 minute blinds, 1500 chips). Not exactly what you might call a deepstack game but I lasted 45 minutes and it was good poker, quick, enjoyable and action all the way, none of this fold nonsense. Unfortunately though when the blinds got to 600/1200 I departed as my K3 sooted was soundly thrashed and I finished in about 300th of 1000 entrants. Proper mans poker though, why waste a whole evening winning nothing when you can waste 45 minutes instead!

My TV appearance must wait for another day.

Sky Poker

2007-07-09T16:30:00.000Z

Well my Windows XP partition is buggered. Keeps going 'ping' and just rebooting at random times making it nearly impossible to play poker. Shut down almost every service, deleted almost everything, stopped most apps starting up and virus checked the thing but still the same!

So I'm using Ubuntu and the only poker you can play with Ubuntu is Sky Poker. What a good application it is, runs on any OS with no Software download, surely the future and so much better than the dreadful Betfair software.

Therefore starting Tuesday I will be playing The Open which starts at 9pm and has 7 minute blind levels which are just perfect, not quite a crapshoot but none of this dull boring waiting around for things to happen. Played a few low level MTTs/Cash games to get a feel for the software and it was just full of mentalists re-re-re-raising with A4. Yes, I was basically outplayed.

Doob will be coming to a TV near you soon .......

100 £1 STTs Completed ..... and Duffs!

2007-06-26T21:04:00.000Z

Well finally tonight I played my 100th and last £1 STT and I'm pretty pleased I've finished this challenge. I've just lost the last 3 with some beats ....

1. Dealt JT, Flop JT7, oppo has 98. (I go bust here on £1 tables everyday)
2. Dealt 33, Flop 983, oppo has T7 and we get it all-in on flop, inevitable 6 on turn
3. Dealt QQ in BB, raise to 120, oppo has limp trapped me UTG with A5 suited and goes all-in. I didn't stand a chance :)

... Nothing astonishing there but I feel that Crypto is just warming me up for a terrible run and I feel if I carried on I would lose the next 10, the Crypto bad run is coming but I'm getting off. Stats and graph below. Not a bad effort as very difficult to take them all seriously and incredibly bad calls do result in incredibly bad beats. And not all the calls were by me either :)

Duffs was as good as ever, really enjoyed the golf despite shooting 130. My first game for 12 months and with regular play I could knock 25 shots of that score next time. Putting and short chipping need immediate help. Dibble also gave me some excellent tips about my driving and getting the ball out of the rough. Unfortunately I kept letting the team down (Me and Dibble vs Ariston and Womble) so we were resoundingly thrashed in our fourball. Sorry Dibble.

Back to Duffs and I didn't actually have much spare cash on me after buying into the main event and the golf. But I did have enough for a £30 STT which I won. Tight as a ducks arse to start with, get down to last 5 without I think winning a hand and then open up. It's works on the £1 STTs and it over time it works well at any STT. So I made £120 profit by beating Mandylou heads up. Which was the buy in for the main event ...... which was nice.

Main Event started at about 8.15pm which was a bit late for me. On a table with Dibble (he follows me everywhere lol) Wonky, Snap, Mandylou, Keith A, Radix and Sarah (DJs missus). And of course as it's an MTT I play it utter rubbish, trying woeful bluffs with 10 High, playing AQ like a numpty (ended up representing trip Kings on the river) and moving all-in with J6 just before the break when Wonky put in his standard raise. He had 98 and nearly called.. The community cards were dealt and I would have doubled through had he called!

But after the first break I had approx 8,000 chips and was getting a bit tired, thinking about how this would end at 4.00am and the fact I had a game of Squash booked for 9.00am! So I limped a few times with rubbish and missed, raised a few times and got them through and finally just after midnight I pushed on my SB with J7 (Blinds 500/1000 with 100 antes) and was called by Keith with his AT. I was out, said my goodbyes and drove home.

The difference between my STT game and my MTT game is incredible. I can fold for England in STTs and if the hands don't come wait for the blinds to get big and start attacking. In MTTs I cannot see the big picture, get bored to quickly and tend to chuck my chips away on calls/raises I wouldn't make in STTs. Sarah was a good example on what I should be doing, she hardly played a hand in the 1st 4 hours but was happy to enjoy what was going on around her and patiently wait for the hands. She ended up coming 10th and won a buy-in to the $50K. It's not a complicated or difficult strategy, I just cannot do it in MTTs :(

Write-up is rubbish because I have the memory of a goldfish but I do remember that I enjoyed myself immensely. wp gg :)

I'm Still Playing

2007-06-10T20:41:00.000Z

But at the moment not doing much very exciting.

At present I just enjoy loading up 3 £1 STTs on William Hill (playing as Interpol) and seeing how I get on. Interpol has only ever played £1 STTs (plus a few MTTs) so the aim is to get to 100 £1 STTs and see if I can have a ROI of approx 20%. Not easy when you pay 20% rake.

It does amuse me how you can play $5 STTs at 10% rake yet us mugs continue to play the £1 and £3 games at 20% rake. But £1 STTs on Crypto will always have a soft spot for me, I just love them even though last month I managed to lose (ie not cash) in 12 in a row. Yes I am that bad!

I Played An MTT On Betfair

2007-05-20T19:54:00.000Z

Not exactly an earth-shattering title for a blog but I thought I'd have a go at one.
It was a tale of Jacks on the River......

Table 1 9-max (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of active players : 9
Seat 1: tripnines ( 1,940 )
Seat 2: TheSymbiot ( 925 )
Seat 3: brahma ( 1,715 )
Seat 4: kewgamma ( 1,860 )
Seat 5: Doob ( 960 )
Seat 6: ColinC ( 1,735 )
Seat 7: snifty ( 2,630 )
Seat 8: sylvain ( 1,995 )
Seat 9: JohnDaDon ( 1,690 )
Tourney Level:6 Blinds(100/200-(no ante))
Doob posts small blind [100]
ColinC posts big blind [200]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Doob [ Qc, Ks ]
snifty folds
sylvain folds
JohnDaDon folds
tripnines raises to [400]
TheSymbiot folds
brahma folds
kewgamma folds
Doob goes all-in
Doob raises to [960] .... Doob on tilt from previous hand!
ColinC goes all-in
ColinC raises to [1,735]
tripnines calls [1,335]
** Showdown **
tripnines shows [ Tc, Td ]
Doob shows [ Qc, Ks ]
ColinC shows [ As, 3h ]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3s, Ts, 2c ] .... Oh well, that's me fucked!
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9h ] .... Jack would be nice
** Dealing River ** [ Jc ] .... Stupid Game!
** Hand Conclusion **
tripnines wins 1,550 from side pot #1 with three of a kind, Tens
Doob wins 2,880 from main pot with a straight, King to Nine
************ Game 210279660 ends ************

Table 1 9-max (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of active players : 7
Seat 1: kersh274 ( 4,105 )
Seat 2: nuts1 ( 7,747.50 )
Seat 3: EMNEV1 ( 11,521 )
Seat 4: kewgamma ( 6,970 )
Seat 5: Doob ( 12,839 )
Seat 8: tay1945 ( 8,575 )
Seat 9: meltium1979 ( 6,135 )
Tourney Level:11 Blinds(600/1,200-75 ante)
meltium1979 posts ante [75]
tay1945 posts ante [75]
Doob posts ante [75]
kewgamma posts ante [75]
EMNEV1 posts ante [75]
nuts1 posts ante [75]
kersh274 posts ante [75]
kewgamma posts small blind [600]
Doob posts big blind [1,200]
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Doob [ Ks, Qs ]
tay1945 folds
meltium1979 folds
kersh274 folds
nuts1 folds
EMNEV1 calls [1,200]
kewgamma folds
Doob checks .... He has a big stack so I will be careful here
** Dealing Flop ** [ Jd, 3c, Th ]
Doob checks
EMNEV1 bets [1,200]
Doob calls [1,200] .... Careful poker you see, nothing rash yet
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9h ] .... Nice
Doob checks
EMNEV1 bets [1,200]
Doob raises to [4,000]
EMNEV1 raises to [6,800]
Doob goes all-in
Doob raises to [10,364]
EMNEV1 calls [2,246]
EMNEV1 goes all-in
Returning uncalled bet [1,318] to Doob
** Showdown **
EMNEV1 shows [ Tc, Td ] .... Suck the air through those teeth, 10 outs to dodge
Doob shows [ Ks, Qs ]
** Dealing River ** [ Jc ] .... Bugger!!!!
** Hand Conclusion **
EMNEV1 wins 24,017 from main pot with full house, Tens full of Jacks
************ Game 210290106 ends ************

5 Minute blind MTT's at $5/$10 just may rekindle my interest in MTT Poker.
Finished 13th in the end, was just thinking about putting a post up on the £2 thread but knew it would be the kiss of death. Took just over an hour, it was good, the way cheap MTTs should be.

A Month Since My Last Post?

2007-05-17T22:29:00.000Z

Well doesn't time fly.
But again what have I done in the world of poker that's worth posting about?

Well I have a 100% final table strike rate in MTTs after I played the 10pm thunder and finished 9th, rubbish though got my chips twice all-in when behind and sucked out. And that's all I can remember so what a complete cack write up that is.

I do like poker and want to play the game but I don't have the time anymore. I must make time and try and play far more on Betfair. My quest to get my DTD acount back in profit goes along at a snails pace but it is increasing and I've gone from £120 to £25 to £205 (not including rakeback) so I know I can make a profit at this game but currently I just can't be arsed.

I do want to play higher stakes poker but I need to commit serious time to it, not just play a couple of STTs a night. Until I can do this the money stays in the bank account.

Oh and the Flashmob is being resurrected and I know if that Sunday tournament was started up I would play it every week. Didn't play it to begin with on Betfair as hated the software. It's OK now (no better than that) so let's get it going again, 8.30 on Sundays, come on the Flashmob needs the practice as BFWCOP is on in September it appears.

Making Mistakes

2007-04-19T20:34:00.000Z

6 people left in a 10 seater STT.
I have 1600 chips, SB all-in for 197, BB posts 400.
I'm UTG and have KQ and I push all-in ......... which as far as I'm concerned is the stupidest play I have made in a STT in years! There's only 203 free chips available, have a bit of patience! Button has AQ and that's me out. I knew it was a rubbish move 1 nanosecond after going all-in!

How come after playing the game for 3 years I can still do this?

Well I didn't Up The Stakes!

2007-04-16T19:09:00.000Z

In fact in the end I hardly played any poker as I wasn't around Sunday/Monday and haven't played much poker at all these past 10 days. Pissed around again on Sunday with a few $5 STTs on Betfair winning 2 and coming nowhere in 2.

I'd love to play the MTTs but was astonished by aj winning one last night (Sunday). No I was not amazed that this excellent player won a MTT (Well played sir). What amazed and scared me was that he started at 9.05pm and finally won it 4 and a half hours later at 1.35am. There were 20 left at 10.50 for fucks sake! This isn't entertainment, that's a punishment. So I'll have to play them on DTD. If you win a $5 STT (Non Turbo) that normally takes over an hour.

I used to love the STTs on Blue Square. Timed 8 minute blinds starting with 2,000 chips. There was far more play possible than Crypto but quicker and better than Betfair. Betfair's extra levels at 75/150 and these antes at 100/200 make the final stages hard work when truth be told once I'm in the money I'm all-in!

Currently I'd rather watch Scrubs than play poker, I don't dislike poker I just don't want to play it for 4 and a half hours :)

Is it time to up the stakes?

2007-04-07T10:33:00.000Z

"CUE VIOLINS"
You see I come from a pretty poor background, I never really had any money until I started working. Gambling to me was popping into Ladbrokes and having a 50p win bet or taking half an hour to fill out a Union Jack (9 horses, 8 bets) at a 20p stake!
"STOP VIOLINS"

I now earn a lot of money but have not adjusted my gambling. £2 stakes now on the horses unless I'm on course, $5 STTs on poker or max 25c/50c Cash. I just have to much respect for money. I'm not tight I love spending it but I hate wasting it (Which is what I consider losing money online is)

I think it's time though that I had a go at these higher stakes. I'm going to try and play a few MTTs/higher stake STTs on Sunday evening on Betfair and see where I get and more importantly how I feel about them. Variance means I may not cash in any torunaments and lose a bit of money. And if this overly annoys me or depresses me then I stop.

The Betfair structures are good, they should suit me if I can stay awake and focused. Let's see.

The blog, the blog, the blog is back!!!!!

2007-03-27T22:01:00.000Z

Well I've had literally zero emails and comments from people asking me to update my blog so let's do it.

During Cheltenham I deposited some cash in Betfair (I know I said I would never play that again but everyone breaks promises: "I'm never playing poker again"; "I've given up playing cash";"I will never reveal myself again on Southampton Common"). So anyway I won some money and now have a poker bank on Betfair!

And you know what it's much better. It's quicker and the STTs at my pathetically low levels seem to fill up quite quick. Apparently I have 1400 on the leaderboard which is good as I haven't played much. Not playing any cash that's dull I like the STTs.

So basically the mojo is back. Although I got a bit annoyed when I lost a couple of heads-up games tonight so I tilted and played a $5 PLO Super Turbo (Yes that's me on tilt - pathetic isn't it). Anyway I won it which was justice for my bad luck heads-up.

My quest to get my DTD account back into profit continues slowly. From the low of £25 the account is now £154 (not including rakeback) but I don't play to much on there. Did play a $1 MTT ($5000 added) on there where I finshed a highly respectable 218th out of 230. I'm an STT man, I really haven't the patience for MTTs.

I do read the MTT thread but I'm always playing STTs so I never contribute anymore. but I must admit I don't like the list of people who final tabled. I don't know people just come along to tell you they have final tabled without contributing before which I feel is a little shallow. Still is a good thread and the new Flashmob as far as I'm concerned.

RIP The flashmob :(

Poker mojo severely low!

2007-03-04T22:08:00.000Z

I went to all that trouble and hassle to get my money back off DTD and I haven't even used or withdrawn a penny of it since I got it. I can't be bothered at all. Played a few games on William Hill on the £1 games and despite of ROI of 108% I just can't get excited about poker.

Maybe in a few months I will be playing loads of games again and become utterly addicted to it. This blog will stay as it is charting my dry period. I read the Betfair forum still but all I'm ever tempted to post is .... "Well stop playing then you bloody idiot" when people moan about bad beats, which isn't very helpful really so I don't bother.

It's just 52 different cards you know.

Money, Money, Money

2007-02-22T22:09:00.000Z

I have my rakeback from DTD! Woohoo, £166.17 in the end, I had a great email written out where I was going to sue them through the Small Claims Court (And I would have, it's very easy to do) but then I got a call finally and it was all sorted.

So the challenge begins again to get my DTD account in profit on Sharkscope.
But not yet, I can't be bothered yet, I'll play a few £1 games as Interpol on William Hill and see if I get my poker mojo back.

This aint a city it's a goddam arse face!

2007-02-18T23:10:00.000Z

Brief Update time ......

Played a few STTs on Blue Square, won a few, lost a few less. It's all good and just fills time when i'm bored. Only played about 20 STTs this month.

Betfair has gone, all money out of Betfair account and don't play on there anymore for 2 reasons....
1. The Poker Software Sucks!
2. They get my football bets wrong ........ I didn't bet on Sunderland v Ipswich .... I just didn't!

DTD Poker still haven't paid my rakeback for January, about £175 I reckon I'm owed. Standard response seems to be "Our account dept is checking it out". It's now been "escalated to the accounts dept". Useless cunts but I shall be polite with them and persevere. New setup, mistakes happen, yadda yadda yadda.

Created new account on William Hill called Interpol a few weeks ago, 1 night he played 3 MTTs (God I hate MTTs) 2 nowheres and a 16th in a 400 runner £2 tourney. My AK met someone elses AQ for 50,000 chips. Of course I lost, I always lose the big pots in MTTs. I mean 2 and a half hours to turn £2.25 into £8.50 and it was rubbish. Interpol has not been loaded up since.

Good luck to you Betfair forum MTT heroes but it's just not for me.
I always get bored of things after a few years and poker has now joined that list.

Baby I'm crazy, maybe your crazy, maybe we're crazy, probably ...........

Bloody Variance

2007-01-26T23:57:00.000Z

Account now stands at £101.

So I started my £500 challenge with £105, dipped to £26 and am now on £101. £75 profit in a week of playing £3/$5 STTs!

I'm not playing any better than I was a week ago, although maybe there are more dipsticks at the 20% rake level. But this is where I stay for the rest of the month.

And Suddenly I'm Winning Again

2007-01-20T23:58:00.000Z

Played 6 £3+0.60p STTs today...... Won 2 of them, 2nd in 3 of them and 3rd in the other!

And quite a few suck outs by me as well but I played them similar to the previous 3 days. Glad I didn't go all the way down to the £1 games after all but still paying 20% rake which is a bit silly. Although I shall stay on the £3 level until I lose a few.

So DTD account stands at £67 now. Why can't I just lose a few STTs and then win a few. Why the long losing/winning streaks. There is something in the back of my mind that says Crypto is dodgy but I don't know what it is.

Constantly Losing

2007-01-19T23:59:00.000Z

Well I'm playing just about the best STT poker I've ever played. Good positional play, aggressive when I need to be, some great folds and excellent calls.

And in 3 days playing £5/$10 STTs on DTD poker I have gone from £105 to £26.
In that time I have had so many 4th places that I cannot remember the actual number. And this isn't 4th places where I fold for England and get to 4 left with 500 chips. Almost always all 4 of us have a similar amount and I will lose a race/ meet a monster or get a dreadful call and be raped.

Strangely I was more angry a couple of hours ago but since losing the last 5 games, 3 4th places a 4th in a sixpak QQ vs AK (No hope with these) and a Omaha H/L game where I push with AAK5 (double suited) and am called by QT94 who hits a straight on the flop!

Over the past 3 days I have won 1 STT and to win that game I had to be incredibly lucky, twice got my money in behind and won both times. It's so weird. And it's Crypto, I only get these terrible run of cards on Crypto!

I have 4 other Crypto accounts and every single one of them has a positive ROI, in fact I think they are all at least 20% ROI because I'm a very good Crypto STT player. But I've lost 16 buy-ins by playing non-tilt, excellent poker and I'm too amazed about it all to get angry.

I doubt it to be honest but why would it be fixed against me? It doesn't make any sense!

There is some cashback to be returned from DTD which will come to approx £175 so for now it's down to the £1 games to try and get some confidence back. I've never been someone to tilt all their money away. I've got approx 20 buy-ins at the £1 games and we will hopefully not go broke playing these and try again when the cashback arrives in February.

I'm going to get this account back to a positive ROI, which is a bold statement as we are £474 down and I'm moving down to £1 STTs. But I'm a good poker player who is being utterly raped at the moment but why get angry about it. The £75 I've lost is meaningless and financially is irrelevant.

But I've got pride in my poker and I'm proud that inspite of being generally very unlucky at this game I have made an excellent profit from it.

And I've now got my challenge for 2007. My DTD asccount will be showing a profit by the end of the year for STTs. It will because I'm a good enough player to do it.

(Apologies for always mentioning how good I am but I've played some really good poker over the past 3 days and lost so it's mainly just to remind myself lol).

By the way I don't play Betfair Poker anymore due to a mistake they made on a football bet of mine so no more Flashmob games for me. Of course I could go on about how dreadfully unlucky I have been in these ........ ZZZZZZZZZZZZ ............. :)

All the best.

I Don't Play Much Anymore

2007-01-05T17:28:00.000Z

I have a slave to play poker for me, work harder slave!
Although when I do play I'm playing well, until heads-up when I immediately get utterly bored and usually call raises/re-raises with all sorts of junk. Which is nice.

-----This Blog Is Suspended-----

2006-12-12T22:47:00.000Z

Just not playing enough anymore, when I get some spare time I have no enthusiasm for the game. Strange because this hasn't been caused by a load of bad beats or a bad run. I think I've just become bored by it having played for over 2 years on-line.

I do dabble in the odd cash session on Sun/Betfair/Sporting Odds and would play the MTT on Punters Lounge but there's nothing much interesting to write about. My reader might say there never was :)

Good luck in your poker, may start up again in the New Year if I regain my interest in this game.

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.

Omaha Hi/Lo Numptiness

2006-12-04T17:19:00.000Z

Right, this post is to tell myself that the nut low on it's own in Omaha Hi/Lo is not actually all that good and that I must fold it if I do not have a Hi hand!

Now bizarrely the hand history has gone from Crypto's oh so wonderful new site and I only played it yesterday so I shall write it down.

I held A2xx, 6 players limped

FLOP: 468,

I have the nut low but not a lot else.
Dazzler (very slow and tight player) bets the pot and I call.

TURN: 468T

Dazzler bets the pot again and now I have to fold. It is so obvious he has A2 and a better hi card than me (at this point I had no flush/ straight draw and no pair). But like a complete Numpty I called turn and river bets and quartered the pot! Basically I halved my stack as no one else was betting.

STUPID STUPID STUPID!

I make a decent profit on these tables but this is not the 1st time I have played this rubbish but it must be the last. Thank you!

Poker Tracker Stats

2006-11-29T12:28:00.000Z

Not really been playing enough poker to write anything interesting so here instead are my Poker Tracker Tourney Stats consisting of 175 tournaments on Crypto (162 STTs; 13 MTTs)

I have lost 26,116 Tournament Chips although I am making 0.07 BB per Hand

I am making a profit at the following blind levels .....

7/15 (10,000 Chips)
10/20
15/30 (13,000 Chips)
25/50
50/100
75/150 (14,000 Chips)
200/400 (25,000 Chips)
400/800
500/1000

And a loss at the following blind levels ...

100/200 (17,000 chips)
150/300;
300/600 (28,000 chips)
600/1200;
1200/2400 (45,000 Chips)
2000/4000;
3000/6000;
6000/12000 (59,000 Chips)

Shocking haemorraging of chips at the 100/200 level and a massive profit at the 200/400 level. I have no idea why this is! Other than that pleasing to see that I sm accumulating chips at the start of tournaments even if I am donking them off later on.

My most popular hand is K3os: 113 times
My most unlikely hand is 98s: 19 times

44 has been dealt to me 56 times but AA has only been dealt to me 37 times! Come on dealer I'm due!

Big winning hands....

AA : 37 times winning 4.7 BB/Hand
KK : 46 times winning 4.6 BB/Hand
AKs: 29 times winning 2.7 BB/Hand
AK : 67 times winning 1.0 BB/Hand (Loss of 1,500 T$)

My worst losers are ....

A9s: lost me 1.65 BB/Hand
KQs: lost me 0.91 BB/Hand
76s: lost me 0.77 BB/Hand

Overplaying the Sooooooted obviously :)

I win most with AA (91.89% of the time)
I lose most with T2os (82 times I have been dealt this little beauty and have not won a single pot)

In 89 hands I have never put any money voluntarily in the pot with 92os.
When I get to a showdown with any hand I win 51.87% of the time!

So my poker aims for the rest of the year are .....

1. Try and win a tournament pot with T2 off suit!
2. Put some money in the pot with 92 off suit!
3. Think about what I'm doing at the 100/200 level in tournaments!
4. Win a MTT so that I am positive for tournament chips!

Enjoying my poker

2006-11-20T13:02:00.000Z

Since my last post I have been playing almost exclusively £1 STTs on Sun. And I love them. This is how poker is supposed to be, low cost, loads of limpers/callers and having your AK cracked by Q4os after which he types "Ha Ha". Been doing much better on these as of late, need to raise with AK, AQ & AJ early on but NEVER try to put oppponents on a hand after they have called a raise, ATC!!!!!

And good for them, it's a cheap game and they want to be involved rather than folding for half an hour and going out on the bubble.

Played my last tourney game on Betfair last Monday in a $5 BAPT thingy. Betfair you can chuck TVs and Ipods at me but I would rather you just sped up the site a little bit. The delay between hands was horrific and despite having about average chips with an hour and a half gone chucked them all in on a draw. And that is something that Doobrock never does when I have plenty of chips. But I was completely bored!

Betfair: Your Singapore Open was a tremendous success by all accounts. Unfortunately anyone moving over to your website will be appalled. Please sort it out quickly, thanks, as I wish to moan about being rubbish in the Flashmob again.

This hand sums it up nicely

2006-11-09T23:06:00.000Z

Seat 6: Hayden69 (6890 in chips)
Seat 8: ZenZenZen (956 in chips)
Seat 9: Bay3008 (802 in chips)
Seat 10: Juicy101 (1352 in chips)
Juicy101: posts small blind 300
Hayden69: posts big blind 600
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to ZenZenZen [Td Tc]
ZenZenZen: raises to 956 and is all-in
Bay3008: folds
Juicy101: folds
Hayden69: calls 356
----- FLOP ----- [Qc 5h 7h]
----- TURN ----- [Qc 5h 7h][7c]
----- RIVER ----- [Qc 5h 7h 7c][8h]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
ZenZenZen: shows [Td Tc] (Two Pairs, Tens and Sevens, Queen high)
Hayden69: shows [6h 4d] (A Straight, Eight high)
Hayden69 collects 2212 from Main pot

And it's strange really because I knew I was drawing dead after the flop came but not angrily, you know where you start saying "yeah 8 or 3 here it comes" but it came I didn't react at all. After a while you lose so often like this that you know nothing else!

I'm proud of the fact that I made a profit of over £300 on the Sun site and as soon as I felt the luck was turning I withdrew everything and started playing £1 games with the rakeback I got for October. You see I tilt down, it's weird. There's no desire to try my luck on high stakes tables because I KNOW I will lose on them at the moment. And it's not lack of confidence, I KNOW!

But I do like these Crypto £1 games, they are totally wiping me out but it is enjoyable poker with some incredibly bad play. And I'm certainly not immune from playing badly.

Withdrawn most of my money from Betfair, just as they announce 50% rakeback for all STT players. Good timing again Doob!

Finally good luck to the Dibble who is representing the Flashmob (oh yes you are) in Singapore next week. Have a good time.

Not Much Poker Really

2006-11-06T23:58:00.000Z

Not being playing that much really, played a bit again on Betfair on Saturday, was one of the first out of the $10 added tourney when my AK hit a K on the flop and my oppo hit a set of 6's on the flop. Probably could have got away from it if I had thought about it but didn't .....

Little bit of cash where I lost due to awkward, horrible situations (Flush draw, top pair losing to sets ande vice versa).

And that's it really, can't even currently play any STTs on Betfair. What a crock of shite, interface may be crap but I thought at least the back end was going to be good and stable. Yet incredibly I feel compelled to give them a chance and not withdraw all my money yet, strange this hold they have over me.

Wow ....... great blog entry Doob ......... hmmmmmm!

New Betfair Poker

2006-11-03T15:31:00.000Z

I have played 2 $5 STTs and played a bit of 10c/20c Cash.
Despite cashing in both STTs and doubling up in the Cash game I found the site absolutely appalling. The following was utter crap ...

1. Lobby - Horrific layout, difficult to find your tourney, refreshes far to often!
2. Tables - Bad, unusable interface. Everything by Mouse Click, Very small!
3. Reliability - Tables closing without warning.
4. Rules - Losing hands being paid out and people leaving cash tables with $60 then immediately returning and buying in for $10.

I've played many different sites and have no problem with change. Was really looking forward to trying out a new poker site but will now wait until the next software release comes along before I play on Betfair again.

Zen continues to struggle on Sun. 5 more STTs since last update, 2 3rds and 3 Unplaced. Took out most of my money to transfer it to Betfair in anticipation of their new Software ........ Big mistake as Betfair is shite and the withdrawal means the rig has turned against me and now I shall lose all my money on bad football teams and slow horses.

Noticed MCs Flashmob stats so I thought I would post mine.

Wins - 0
2nd - 1 (I think)
3rd - 2 (I think)
Unplaced - 100(I think)

Profit/Loss = -£1,000

The Bad Run Has Arrived!!!!

2006-10-30T11:40:00.000Z

Knew it was coming which is why perversely I haven't been playing much poker lately but you can't avoid it, you just have to get on with it. No need to bore myself by listing every bad beat but I think I was massively ahead in 4 of the showdowns and lost them all and I lost a race in the other STT.

Also took a complete spanking in Omaha numerous times, remember 1 hand where I pummelled all my money into the pot with the nut low and the 2nd nut flush (unpaired board) and promptly quartered the pot to my opponents nut low and nut flush! That just about summed it up.

Decided not to tilt, took a break for a few hours and played the Flashmob game. Was an enjoyable game, played it tighter than I've ever played a game of poker before, got myself up to approx 4000 at one stage but with 12 players left took a chance with KT suited when Dests raised 3*BB.

Prepared to look at the flop and keep hold of my last 2000 chips if the flop was nasty. Flop was very juicy 9TQ with 2 of my suit (So I had a pair, gutshot straight and flush draw) smashed all my chips into the pot and was called instantly by Dests AQ. I was about 60% favourite I guess but I don't think I've ever won a big pot in the Flashmob and no change here. Dissapointing because not only did I miss my 17 draws but Dests also had a hand to call me with but calling raises with KT suited is a bit fishy so no complaints.

neilg, aj, sillyfish and Dests all once again doing very well in this tournament. All obviously excellent poker players but I saw 3 of them get exceptionally lucky at times and I just wish I could get a little bit of that luck myself in the flashmob now and again.

Had a quick 10 minute look at the new Betfair software this morning, it really did look appalling. Hopefully it will improve but the freerolls and added bonus tournaments should mean that it remains popular in the short term.

Even More Flashmob Woe

2006-10-23T11:06:00.000Z

You see I'm going to be struggling for titles soon for the Flashmob because it is always crap. Going to record the hands and try and work out what I am doing wrong.

1. Raise with AJ on the button, called by big blind who fires a half pot bet out on a board of KJ9. Easy call and lets see whether he will try again, turn is nothing much and he fires out a pot bet. No point getting involved this early so I let it go.

2. Call on the Small blind with 63 suited, flop gives me a flush draw so I call a smallish bet and the turn now gives me an outside straight draw as well. Bet out 200 into a pot of 300 and get called. River is utter garbage so I have 6 high. Dither about having another go but bottle it, Sillyfish bets 300 and again I let it go.

3. KQ Hearts in middle position, I call, callataxi raises to 90 in the small blind and I'll have a look at the flop. Flop J54 (2 Hearts), taxi checks and short stacked McGahern moves all-in, hoping I have 15 outs I call and am disappointed to see he has AT Hearts. I hit a Queen on the turn and get lucky.

4. Injured my right hand playing squash (yes playing squash, honest) and was therefore using a key logger to play poker so that I didn't have to use the mouse. Got dealt JJ UTG and meant to flat call, looking for a raise, pressed wrong button and folded them.

5. Couple of hands where I called raises with 77 and 99. At the early levels I like to play these and look for a nice flop. Both times 2 overcards flopped and I had to let them go out of position.

6. Final hand, KQ in the small blind. Called for 50 and flop KT8 (2 Spades). I check looking for a bet that I can re-raise all-in. Everybody checks :-(. Turn is a Q (not a spade) and I decide I'm committed here with 800 chips so bet 300. I get a caller and a spade comes down on the river. I'm beaten, I'm certain but I'm so fed up I chuck my last 500 down and lose to a made straight on the turn.

And that was it, if anyone wants to rip my play to pieces please do. I'm desperate to learn what more I can do in the Flashmob. Can't keep moaning about bad luck, I must be doing something wrong to continuously lose in an MTT containing the best players.

I don't know, maybe I need to be more aggressive early on but it's never been my strategy. It's worked very well over the past 2 years in STTs/MTTs but in the Flashmob everyone is tight so if I don't get any premiums or shit the flop then I get myself into trouble by getting bored and tilting my chips away.

Oh well always next week.

Momentum

2006-10-17T11:11:00.000Z

So you open up a couple of Cash tables sit down and start of nicely, win a couple of nice pots and feel totally indestructable, all our bluffs are getting through and you're getting paid with the best hand. You start thinking how great a player you are and that you can probably double your bank in no time at all.........

........And then suddenly you lose a hand........

........Not neccesarily a big pot, you're probably still up overall but it's really annoying. Suddenly these people are raising you, your raises are getting called and the flop is as dry as a bone. You keep getting straight/flush draws and missing every one. You get dealt QQ and an ace and a king flops! It's like someone flicked that switch and now you cannot win a thing.

It's so difficult going from winning to losing, you want your profits back and start playing hands out of position. Suddenly you are calling raises with Ace Rag, an ace flops and somehow your amazing annoyed warped mind convinces you they have KK. Your head is now gone, you must stop playing but all you can think about is the profits that you had and that you must at least break even before you leave.

YOU ARE ON TILT TURN THE FUCKING PC OFF YOU UTTER MORON!

Doesn't happen very often but need to write this to remind myself.

Other than one stupid tilty session, I've won a few Omaha STTs on my Zen account and things are currently running very well. Which makes this blog a bit dull, I'm sure I'm due a bad run of cards soon though so normal service will be resumed.

Yellow Card

2006-10-10T11:53:00.000Z

So there I was on Saturday browsing the Betfair forum so I notice someone asking about rakeback, so I post a link to Dibble's blog and all is good. Until some retarded admin guy from Betfair sends me an e-mail telling me that my forum rights will be revoked if I do this again. It appears every fucking day on the £2 thread you complete and utter pleb. And the tone of the e-mail was like being back at school. It's just an internet forum for fucks sake, it doesn't matter!

Flashmob was once again all a bit stupid. I will get involved in table talk and then make a move which in a standard STT/MTT I would never make. To be fair McGahern called like a shot with his AT which was a bit surprising but I normally would not re-raise all-in with A9. I was just trying a resteal but it is a pointless exercise if people cannot fold mediocre hands. Perhaps A9 is not the hand to try this with, suited connectors maybe better.

Finally Doob has played his 500th STT on Betfair, it was a £1 STT which I lost when I was minimum raised on the turn and the guy then hit his gutshot on the river after I just called. Can't work out if it is genius play or mental. Anyway I digress, each STT has earned me a profit of £1.01 with an average stake of £4, which even if I do say so myself is quite tidy. Although Sharkscope tells me that over the past 150 games I have made an overall loss, which is crap.

Super Hot?

2006-10-06T23:10:00.000Z

So ZenZenZen is super hot?
What a load of crap, that includes 1 win in a bloody $5 Blackjack game, 4 seconds (2 of them in 6 paks so they don't count) and 2 3rds. That's rubbish, that's 7 times I have got into the money and I've only won once. Super Crap.

However had a nice 5th in the 10:45 Thunder which got me approx £50, you do need a lot of luck to get this far because you have to see showdowns in Thunders, there's no raising, re-raising, stealing, it's stick everything in the middle and hope your slight edge against A-Rag and ATC suited stands up. I do enjoy them though even though the last 2 I've played have involved Pocket Pairs losing to Ace Rag. And they don't push, I do and they call. Marvellous!

Cash has been poor this week, many awkward situations which I haven't managed to get away from means I've donked away $50 and my rakeback has paid for that :(

I shall probably update again after I finish 23rd in the flashmob on Sunday when panama makes his standard appalling call and gets lucky ..... or I play like an utter retard!

Playing Less and Less Recently

2006-10-02T15:41:00.000Z

So stuff my boring poker life, very well done to Dibble for winning 5 STTs in a row and going to Singapore. For fucks sake if the challenge was win 5 in a month I would fail, fantastic achievement.

Played Flashmob and quite enjoyed the game, so much so that I got up to 6,000 chips and then started to donk them off with silly calls rather than rock up and ante away into 3rd. Finished 9th but should have been higher but when you call an extra 700 chips with K4 when small blind snap has gone all-in you deserve nothing more.

My main aim for October is to start winning STTs again. I have a theory that since my game has improved I am bluffing to much on the lower levels (pushing/raising with position) and this is not a good idea.

Rocks or Loonies

2006-09-27T11:50:00.001Z

Nothing in between, nobody attempting to play poker, too many people multi-tabling on cash, taking forever to decide whether to fold for 25p, never playing a hand for about 10 rounds, then raising, some muppet who hasn't been concentrating (no not me for a change) calls, hits top pair and then loses all his chips to AA.

I mean David Blunkett would have noticed that this guy was tighter than a ducks arse so why doesn't Kermit the Frog realise?

And then there is Daisy_D, calling for all her chips when she held 24 on a board that was showing QQ8 (no flush draw). It just annoys me, is she mentally ill? I don't like it, it's just wrong. After her 5th reload I had to leave, it was too painful. Still it was OK because according to her "at least she was pretty". Undoubtedly it was a bloke called Derek, a 20 stone IT Analyst from Reading who was subject to a care in the community order!

I have won over $400 dollars at cash poker since starting at Sun Poker but I hate it. I love tournies but I'm really unlucky at them and the 6 paks drive me insane!

I need a break from proper poker, bring on the 10pm Thunder :)

More Flashmob Woe

2006-09-17T20:02:00.000Z

Hot on the heels of my 2 outer on the river last week I manage to capitulate after only 15 minutes again this week to go out in last place.

JJ beaten by 99 (Although I played it badly still hit on the turn)
AA beaten by 53 suited (Raised pre-flop UTG, got a call and knew I was beat, just knew it. Tilted my last few chips away when the flush hit on the river, although Nibbles had trip 3's on the turn)

It's frustrating because it's the only tournament my mates check. What is the point winning on cash, I want the glory, I just want a bit of fucking luck in a MTT so I can say I've won something. Cash continues to go well but so what, it's just money and to be fair to me means very little.

BFWCOP 2

2006-09-11T18:57:00.000Z

Got to the hotel bar at about 4.30pm to meet all the Flashmobbers. Top blokes and blokettes all of them. Said hello to various other people who I hadn't seen for a year and got to Big Slick at about 7pm. Team game went off late.

Tight table consisting of Callarock, Fishrock, War Of Arock, Ovalrock, Doobrock, Dpommo, Hiwayrock and Toshirock. We were the last table to lose a player. Dpommo on my left however was getting restless (He had cash games to play) and for the 3rd time in a row he minimum raises blind UTG (I'm obviously in the BB). I crack, call all-in with QT and he has K9. I hit my straight and that was really it. No great play just decided my odds of a race against Dpommo was good odds. Probably didn't win another hand but finished 3rd, good game. Callataxi played his usual excellent game to win.

Had 2 cooked breakfasts in the morning at hotel and Fiveways greasy spoon and arrived at Big Slick at about 1.30. Knew it would start late.

My table consisted of ..... re-raise, hiwayman, jazzy jon, waheyyy, Estelle, manwell (Tighter than ajcairns and MC Roller combined, oh yes) and Wonky Jim. At various other times Doobs, kpnuts, Big Phil and dacdacdac (big man, bigger headphones) came along to generally outplay me.

For the 1st few hours I flop various flushes and straights and sets and get absolutely no action and then Manwell who had been folding for England for the past 2 hours minimum raises UTG (Just show that high pocket pair man), I have JJ on the button so for 400 it's worth seeing a flop and folding if it is no good. Flop is KJ9 of spades and I have a set but its not a flop to slow play, Estelle (BB in the pot for value) checks, manwell bets 500, I raise to 1500 and Estelle is gone and Manwell just calls. Surely he plays KK stronger than this? The turn is something low and red and manwell checks so I fire in my last 6000 chips. Manwell thinks for a minute, folds and shows AA (including a spade). Incredible, I couldn't have folded that but a good fold, I would just dream of my opponent having AK and call.

More cards were played, I was all-in a few more times without calls but was generally losing chips and I was left with a mere 8,000 chips (Blinds 1000/2000) at the end of the 2nd break. I wasn't looking good, 1st hand after break I get AQ in the Small Blind and despite Deejays raise they are all-in, Systems calls from the BB with KQ and Deejay shows 77. Four rags but an Ace on The River trebles me up.

3 tables left now and I have approx 30,000, UTG is all-in, he has me covered and I have AK on the Small Blind. Call, no idea what the community cards were but there wasn't a 9 and the bubble breaks soon after and I have 66,000 chips and 17 players left at 3rd break. Not a huge stack only 11 BB but I don't last much longer....

AQ on the BB, VeraPera raises from the button, it's me against her and I push, she may be trying it on, she may have ace rag. In fact she has 88 and calls, I miss and am out in 15th. £100 though, my 1st ever cash in a live MTT. Good stuff enjoyed the game immensely, no hardluck stories.

Played a £30 STT and won it, Ariston was on it being his normal self (good laugh, didn't mind him at all) and I got some nice hands when he was going all-in blind (along with Spudy and re-raise). Loved the time VeraPera raises, ariston re-raises and then as she is thinking about he shows her AA. Maybe I should play poker in a T-Shirt 2 sizes too small for me :) Didn't mind though, summed up the weekend, it's just a laugh, it's not the bloody world series.

Milton / Sean: I am really sorry I did not stay around until the end, it was really attritional poker and well played to you for having the stamina to play that way at 3am. I could not have done that. Well played to you, really well done.

I can't name everybody because I can't remember everybody, you know who you are, you are all bloody nice people.

FUCKING TOURNAMENT POKER!!!!!!

2006-09-07T22:50:00.000Z

You know I read alot of other blogs, full of people bragging about winning all these STTs/MTTs claiming what great fucking players they are. Well let me tell you, I'm as good a fucking player as you, I play position well, I'm not afraid to get involved in a pot and I make a huge number of correct decisions.
But I'm forever being fucked over in STTs.

And on these other blogs you hear about people who doubled up, HOW THE FUCK DID YOU DO THIS? You must have won an all-in. What is this amazing fucking secret about being ahead when the chips all go in and winning. Because I seem incapable of it.

And another good one is "Raised a few pots with nothing, got a few bluffs through". How the fuck do you avoid AA, KK or AK? What is your fucking secret?

And the blinds get big, how the fuck do you stop yourself getting dealt 92, 84 or J3. What fucking amazing skill are you using to continuously get dealt pocket pairs/ AK/AQ????

And don't fucking patronise me by posting PMA, but a bunch of crap that is. Said by lucky people in my opinion!

Basically this rant is due to playing 6 $10 Sixpaks against some of the worst poker players ever. And I cashed in none, Came 3rd 4 times. Every single game played perfectly, no mistakes, just being continuously raped.

Cash is profitable but dull, I cannot play cash but I haven't won a STT in about 30 attempts! I'm just so fucking unlucky at it.

It hasn't changed my mood for BFWCOP, I'm really looking forward to it and it will be great. However I will bust out of both tournaments early because it's a complete waste of time even trying.

Pre BFWCOP Thoughts

2006-09-06T18:59:00.001Z

Well apart from my 3rd in the flashmob game 2 weeks ago my MTT play is running as bad as it ever has. So I go into BFWCOP Team game feeling a bit of pressure because I don't want to let my team mates down. My lack of confidence in tournament poker is showing up in my play though so I'm afraid I probably will cock it up. Apologies in advance, I shall buy all the fine little flashmobbers (How patronising is that but everone says it) whatever drink they want as way of saying sorry.

And anyway they had their chance to get rid of me a few months ago when I went through a run similar to what dibble has gone through.

Main game on Saturday, anybody can win this inspite of what the "names" say. Only bet matched so far is £30 on the Field at 1.7. I think this is good value even though I wanted a bigger price.

Cash continues to go well though, mainly playing Omaha High and High/Low. Quite a few idiots at the low levels and for the moment they are not getting rewarded. I'm sure this will change soon though so I'm not moving up the limits just yet.

COME ON THE FLASHMOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boring yet profitable cash tables

2006-08-30T20:48:00.000Z

Been playing cash on Sun almost exclusively for the past week and have doubled my initial investment of $150. Mainly through playing both forms of Omaha, some really bad players here although I do realise that my hands are in the main holding up to the lunatic flush/full house chasers!

But it lacks the excitement of tournament play, the nervous tension of the bubble, the relief and joy of winning (although I hardly remember what that was like). I still find double ups more exciting in a £1 STT than I do on a 15p/25p table when I double up to around £50.

It's just money, the game isn't about money to me, it's about winning and there's no glory in cash so it looks like I'll be playing some MTTs soon.

Got a 3rd in the Flashmob on Sunday, my 60/40's all held up really and then lost a virtual race against Shalimah to cripple me (my A4 against his KQ) and went out next hand in 3rd. Enjoyed it though and even if I had finished my usual 20th it would have still been more enjoyable (and frustrating) than cash.

New job and they appear to have got Betfair blocked!
However working in IT has it's benefits, have already identified the proxy server, now just need to work out how to log in and change the settings!

Poker Tracker / Cash Tables

2006-08-25T10:08:00.001Z

I'm sure loads of people have this but I bought it for £36 and it's great, not brilliant for STTs/MTTs as you have to enter your own results but for cash it does everything for you. For a boring old statto like myself it's heaven.

The Doob Betfair account is now basically dead and will only make rare appearances for Flashmob games. I have a new identity on Sun Poker having joined via a very nice link on Dibbles blog (Gatsby also has one but I saw dibbles first, sorry Gatsby).

Cash is going well, don't feel the need to make any clever moves like I do in STTs/MTTs and as long as I play 3 tables at once don't get too bored. Got a bit fortunate with 1 hand though, I'm hard at work at the moment (lol) so don't have the hand history but basically I had KK on BB, it was min raised to me and there are 4 people still in, I re-raise to £2.50 and 3 others call.

Flop J98 (all clubs), I have the King of clubs.
I push for £18 (I paniced) and get 2 callers ..... TT (he has 10 of clubs) and J8 (wtf is he still doing in this pot)!!!!!!!

Anyway a low club hits on the turn and the river misses the 6 possible outs that could kill me and I win a £50 pot. It's not big money just nice to win.

As for the BFWCOP team game I see the Flashmobbers are about 13/2 with a 125% book so there could be some good betting there. I was also hoping to back "The Field" at even money but that doesn't look possible anymore :(

Stop try to be too clever!!!!

2006-08-21T15:46:00.000Z

Played some MTTs/STTs on Sunday and cashed in precisely none of them.

Most annoying of the lot was the 50 Euro added game at 9 in the morning. Patient for the 1st 40 minutes, hit a few sets, got paid off and I'm on the final table with 8,000 chips and 9 people left.

I then get to clever for my own good and represent the Ace on a flop of A77. Weak bet on the flop and check on the turn told me my opponent didn't have it so I set him all-in on the river and he calls with QQ. I congratulated him on the call but didn't mean it. Poor call in my opinion but most people at this level cannot lay down QQ whatever the flop looks like.

Out in the next 2 hands when my two pair loses to a set (Not unlucky, played it terribly) and then chuck my last 1000 chips in the middle with A9 and get called by AT.

Played Flashmob in the evening and got dealt nothing but I was trying to do work at same time so played it as tight as possible and folded. Knew it wasn't going to be my night when my JJ in BB was folded around to me by 8 people. Got a double up with QQ, raised (for the 1st time in ages) to milton who set me all-in. I always pick the right times to bluff!

Went out when AJ32 minimum raised for the 58th time so I reckoned my A5 suited was ahead and went all-in. It was ahead but J9 suited took me out and that was that.

Cash games on Sun are the way ahead but it appears it takes Neteller 50 days to fund my account the thieving bastards.

Good beats, Bad Beats, Seconditis

2006-08-19T22:21:00.000Z

Still on the STTs for the moment until my Neteller account is funded and I can have a go at the cash on Sun Poker. Withdrew everything from Betfair apart from £55 and have been playing a load of £5 STTs (Holdem & Omaha). Record is .......

1st - 2
2nd - 5
3rd - 3
4th - 4
Other - 7

I think bubbles are important to record but to many 2nds for my liking. So it's a profit of £39.50 and my luck has been running OK.

Posted loads of bad beats so here's one where I got lucky .....

Table "STT1 3279544 - 1" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: BKSRBA (1598 in chips)
Seat 3: dan_s (564 in chips)
Seat 4: 4 Aces (1889 in chips)
Seat 5: Doob (945 in chips)
Seat 6: mraitch (2286 in chips)
Seat 7: KOMBA (653 in chips)
Seat 8: Davjag (2065 in chips)
Doob: posts small blind 25
mraitch: posts big blind 50
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Jh Qs]
KOMBA: folds
Davjag: raises to 100
BKSRBA: calls 100
dan_s: folds
4 Aces: folds
Doob: calls 75
mraitch: folds
----- FLOP ----- [Qh 4h Td]
Doob: checks
Davjag: bets 250
BKSRBA: calls 250
Doob: raises to 845 and is all-in
Davjag: raises to 1440
BKSRBA: calls 1190
----- TURN ----- [Qh 4h Td][6c]
Davjag: bets 525 and is all-in
BKSRBA: is all-in 58
Returned uncalled bets 467 to Davjag
----- RIVER ----- [Qh 4h Td 6c][Jc]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Davjag: shows [Ac As] (A Pair of Aces, Queen high)
BKSRBA: shows [Ad Qc] (A Pair of Queens, Ace high)
Doob: shows [Jh Qs] (Two Pairs, Queens and Jacks, Ten high)
Davjag collects 1306 from Side pot #1
Doob collects 2885 from Main pot

Utter fishiness from me but the 2 I took on had been utterly useless prior to this so the move made sense and what a river.

And how dare I have a post without a vicious bad beat. I saw the 8 before it arrived.

Table "STT1 3286664 - 1" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 4: 5lugs_ (2025 in chips)
Seat 6: Casinocaz (3579 in chips)
Seat 7: 19ljr83 (1809 in chips)
Seat 8: Doob (2587 in chips)
5lugs_: posts small blind 200
Casinocaz: posts big blind 400
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Kc Ks]
19ljr83: folds
Doob: raises to 800
5lugs_: folds
Casinocaz: calls 400
----- FLOP ----- [9d 2d 7c]
Casinocaz: bets 800
Doob: raises to 1787 and is all-in
Casinocaz: calls 987
----- TURN ----- [9d 2d 7c][2c]
----- RIVER ----- [9d 2d 7c 2c][8h]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [Kc Ks] (Two Pairs, Kings and Twos, Nine high)
Casinocaz: shows [Tc 6h] (A Straight, Ten high)
Casinocaz collects 5374 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 5374 Main pot 5374 Rake 0
Board [9d 2d 7c 2c 8h]
Seat 4: 5lugs_ (small blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Casinocaz (big blind) showed [Tc 6h] and won (5374) with A Straight, Ten high
Seat 7: 19ljr83 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Doob (button) showed [Kc Ks] and lost

He thought about it for ages before calling my all-in on the river and if I had AK etc he is getting excellent pot odds. I don't think he did much wrong and I win this hand with a bigger pre-flop raise but I want to get paid for my good hands and am always prepared to take this risk on the bubble.

I Have Been Beaten By STTs

2006-08-15T11:24:00.000Z

They used to be my bread and butter but lately good play is not getting rewarded at the right times. and that is critical in STTs. No point winning the smaller pots when as soon as you reach the last 5 you keep getting chimped. I know these dumbfucks will call all-ins with any Ace or 2 picture cards and I should be able to use this to my advantage ......... but they keep hitting.

So lets not throw all the toys out of the pram this time.
Lets have a go at cash and try a new poker site (but still Crytologic).

Doob account for the odd low stake MTT and Flashmob, New SunPoker account for Cash games and proper stakes.

Why I Struggle To Win STTs

2006-08-10T19:35:00.000Z

By the way I'm not making these up, they honestly do happen.

Game #2130442343: Hold'em NL (500/1000) - 2006/08/10 - 20:14:50 (GMT)
Table "STT 3226799 - 1" Seat 7 is the button.
Seat 3: oliviah55 (4792 in chips)
Seat 7: Doob (5208 in chips)
Doob: posts small blind 500
oliviah55: posts big blind 1000
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Qs Qh]
Doob: calls 500
oliviah55: checks
----- FLOP ----- [Qd 7s 2d]
oliviah55: bets 3792 and is all-in
Doob: calls 3792
----- TURN ----- [Qd 7s 2d][6s]
----- RIVER ----- [Qd 7s 2d 6s][8s]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
oliviah55: shows [5c 9s] (A Straight, Nine high)
Doob: shows [Qs Qh] (Three of a kind, Queens, Eight high)
oliviah55 collects 9584 from Main pot

So I thought I would have a look at the Sharkscope stats for these morons that have been outdrawing me. Feeling better already :)

I Am A Good Player

2006-08-09T23:03:00.000Z

There I've said it, never normally a person full of confidence but I am a very good player of poker but it appears only when I get my chips in behind do I have a chance. The 2 STTs I won yesterday were lucky, I outdrew a few people.

The players were all absolutely useless in the game below but when it comes down to the big important pot again I will lose it on the river. I see people winning games and I could do that, I know I could but I need a favourite to win now and again.

There's numerous other examples of this happening when down to last 4 or 5. Can't be bothered to find them in the log.....

Seat 1: Benhur001 (1989 in chips)
Seat 4: Doob (1446 in chips)
Seat 6: Caraco (2287 in chips)
Seat 7: Bhavoo (3065 in chips)
Seat 8: Bananaeye (1213 in chips)
Benhur001: posts small blind 200
Doob: posts big blind 400
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [5s 5h]
Caraco: folds
Bhavoo: calls 400
Bananaeye: folds
Benhur001: folds
Doob: raises to 1400
Bhavoo: calls 1000
----- FLOP ----- [Ah 6c 8s]
Doob: bets 46 and is all-in
Bhavoo: calls 46
----- TURN ----- [Ah 6c 8s][6s]
----- RIVER ----- [Ah 6c 8s 6s][As]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [5s 5h] (Two Pairs, Aces and Sixes, Eight high)
Bhavoo: shows [9h Kh] (Two Pairs, Aces and Sixes, King high)
Bhavoo collects 3092 from Main pot

So I have played 48 £1 STTs.

1st - 3
2nd - 6
3rd - 8
Unplaced - 31

That is a loss of £8.60. Now obviously the loss is irrelevant but I'm utterly embarrassed to be making a loss at these tables but people never believe you but when I have gone out I've been favourite 3/4 of the time and most of the other times I push and run into a monster.

I will play 100 of these games and if I'm not in profit by 100 will have to quit for good this time. I'm obviously just unlucky at the game and I've found out this out cheaply. Some others are not so fortunate.

Give Blood

2006-08-09T11:29:00.000Z

Gave blood yesterday afternoon and they obviously sucked all of that, nasty unlucky blood out and I came back and won 2 STTs and placed in another out of 4 played.

Had a go at the £2 10 O'Clock Thunder and was going along nicely with 10,000 chips and lost a race with TT, I pushed called by AJ. Blinds are 600,1200 with 200 antes so pushing is all I will ever do here. Although my record in "races" is probably 50/50 I do always seem to lose the important ones!

Oh well I made 59p profit so that was well worth it!

And Still The Agony Continues.......

2006-08-06T21:57:00.000Z

I can do nothing more, I love the call, I want the call but as it is the last 4 I also know I will lose....

Table "STT 3203755 - 1" Seat 9 is the button.
Seat 4: parents (4198 in chips)
Seat 7: margie (1010 in chips)
Seat 9: Doob (1938 in chips)
Seat 10: winner_66 (2854 in chips)
winner_66: posts small blind 200
parents: posts big blind 400
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Qh Qc]
margie: folds
Doob: raises to 1938 and is all-in
winner_66: calls 1738
parents: folds
----- FLOP ----- [3c 7h 4c]
----- TURN ----- [3c 7h 4c][6d]
----- RIVER ----- [3c 7h 4c 6d][Ac]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [Qh Qc] (A Pair of Queens, Ace high)
winner_66: shows [Ah 2h] (A Pair of Aces, Seven high)
winner_66 collects 4276 from Main pot

So the record stands at.........

1st - 1
2nd - 6
3rd - 7
Unplaced - 24

I cannot win, thank god I came back and decided to play the £1 games because it would do my nut if it was £10/£20. I will still play 100 of these games but 1 win out of 38. I don't believe this is possible, the standard is atrocious but the software totally hates me, it will not give me a break.

Maybe that is it, I am just unlucky at poker and will be forever. And fair enough, I have a good and privileged life and cannot possibly complain.

Back to late again to play the Flashmob which is a real shame, much rather give the Flashmobbers my money than Ace Rag cretins!

And finally let me end with one more ....
Hadn't been doing much betting so decided to slow play it, software aghast to see me ahead with only 1 card left. Software will sort this little problem out!

So that's now 1 win in 39 £1 STTs.

Table "STT 3204523 - 1" Seat 10 is the button.
Seat 1: Henman7 (1390 in chips)
Seat 2: Doob (836 in chips)
Seat 3: Baz1666 (1278 in chips)
Seat 6: tintagelo (770 in chips)
Seat 7: Captjacq (1875 in chips)
Seat 9: Cocaloca (3178 in chips)
Seat 10: fitness (673 in chips)
Henman7: posts small blind 25
Doob: posts big blind 50
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Jc 9s]
Baz1666: folds
tintagelo: folds
Captjacq: calls 50
Cocaloca: calls 50
fitness: folds
Henman7: calls 25
Doob: checks
----- FLOP ----- [7d 8h Th]
Henman7: checks
Doob: checks
Captjacq: bets 150
Cocaloca: folds
Henman7: folds
Doob: calls 150
----- TURN ----- [7d 8h Th][6d]
Doob: checks
Captjacq: bets 500
Doob: raises to 636 and is all-in
Captjacq: calls 136
----- RIVER ----- [7d 8h Th 6d][8c]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [Jc 9s] (A Straight, Jack high)
Captjacq: shows [8d 7c] (A Full House, Eights full of Sevens)
Captjacq collects 1772 from Main pot

And the nominations for the worst call ever ......

2006-08-04T19:37:00.000Z

Sod the nominations, bodger get up here you are the winner .....
(I just could not understand how Keenen had won!)

Game #3117858184: Hold'em NL (200/400) - 2006/08/04 - 20:24:21 (GMT)
Table "STT 3188612 - 1" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 7: bodger (5275.50 in chips)
Seat 8: Keenan002 (2964.50 in chips)
Seat 9: Doob (1760 in chips)
Doob: posts small blind 200
bodger: posts big blind 400
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Qs Tc]
Keenan002: calls 400
Doob: calls 200
bodger: checks
----- FLOP ----- [7c 5h Jc]
Doob: checks
bodger: checks
Keenan002: checks
----- TURN ----- [7c 5h Jc][7h]
Doob: checks
bodger: bets 400
Keenan002: calls 400
Doob: folds
----- RIVER ----- [7c 5h Jc 7h][Js]
bodger: checks
Keenan002: bets 400
bodger: calls 400
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Keenan002: shows [8c 5c] (Two Pairs, Jacks and Sevens, Eight high)
bodger: mucks hand [2d 2h]

Bubble Luck!

2006-08-04T18:33:00.000Z

It's always the same when down to last 4 or 5.
It doesn't matter what the 2 cards are I have to lose.
I'm utterly baffled!!!!

Game #3117051134: Hold'em NL (100/200) - 2006/08/04 - 19:26:36 (GMT)
Table "STT 3188302 - 1" Seat 2 is the button.
Seat 1: Robinc001 (2109.50 in chips)
Seat 2: Dickyr001 (4434 in chips)
Seat 3: ruggedman sits out
Seat 7: Doob (1611 in chips)
ruggedman: posts small blind 100
Doob: posts big blind 200
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Qs Qh]
Robinc001: folds
Dickyr001: calls 200
ruggedman: folds
Doob: raises to 800
Dickyr001: raises to 4434 and is all-in
Doob: is all-in 811
Returned uncalled bets 2,823 to Dickyr001
----- FLOP ----- [Jc 3s 6d]
----- TURN ----- [Jc 3s 6d][Kc]
----- RIVER ----- [Jc 3s 6d Kc][3d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Dickyr001: shows [4c 3c] (Three of a kind, Threes, King high)
Doob: shows [Qs Qh] (Two Pairs, Queens and Threes, King high)
Dickyr001 collects 3322 from Main pot

A miracle happened late last night

2006-08-04T15:10:00.000Z

I won a £1 STT. Astonishing stuff, contacted all the major media organisations but no-one bothered getting back to me :(

So after 20 £1 STTs I have ........

1 - 1st
3 - 2nd
3 - 3rd
13 - Unplaced!!!!

Which for the Betfair leaderboard gives me a grand total of 0 points. Atrocious really but I sure my luck will improve now, surely, it must. I have turned a corner haven't I? Bloody well hope so.

(I really should post a good beat where my AT beat 55 and AK but I'm at work so sod it and I only ended up finishing 3rd so wasn't really worth it).

Just got to keep on plugging on

2006-08-03T20:14:00.000Z

How long will it continue? (Apologies this records bad beats until my luck changes)

----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Ac Ad]
Meatn2veg: calls 15
Lucky951: folds
Lucky951 sits out
ARKAS: folds
Wilbar: folds
Doob: raises to 60
Sticks01: calls 60
Davmin: folds
mikebdoin: folds
Meatn2veg: calls 45
----- FLOP ----- [Jd 3h 6d]
Meatn2veg: checks
Doob: bets 150
Sticks01: calls 150
Meatn2veg: calls 150
----- TURN ----- [Jd 3h 6d][8h]
Meatn2veg: checks
Doob: bets 1138 and is all-in
Sticks01: folds
Meatn2veg: is all-in 715
Returned uncalled bets 423 to Doob
----- RIVER ----- [Jd 3h 6d 8h][9d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [Ac Ad] (A Pair of Aces, Jack high)
Meatn2veg: shows [9c Js] (Two Pairs, Jacks and Nines, Eight high)
Meatn2veg collects 2075 from Main pot

This is how poker is at the moment

2006-08-03T18:27:00.000Z

I've just got to keep playing, I'm confident I'm a good player but again you get down to the last 4 or 5 and get chimped. I'm not tilting because the money is insignificant but I still don't like losing even at the £1 level. It may well take 500 more of these games but I will get through this bad run that has lasted 9 months! These sort of hands make me totally determined to.......

Table "STT 3181917 - 1" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 1: Joihell (4693 in chips)
Seat 6: AZBOMB (1975 in chips)
Seat 8: Catste (1335 in chips)
Seat 9: Doob (856 in chips)
Seat 10: -Scouse- (1141 in chips)
Doob: posts small blind 50
-Scouse-: posts big blind 100
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Qh Qs]
Joihell: folds
AZBOMB: raises to 200
Catste: folds
Doob: raises to 856 and is all-in
-Scouse-: folds
AZBOMB: calls 656
----- FLOP ----- [8s 9c Qd]
----- TURN ----- [8s 9c Qd][7s]
----- RIVER ----- [8s 9c Qd 7s][6d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Doob: shows [Qh Qs] (Three of a kind, Queens, Nine high)
AZBOMB: shows [Ah Td] (A Straight, Ten high)
AZBOMB collects 1812 from Main pot

I Retired For Less Than 2 Months!!!!!

2006-08-03T10:23:00.000Z

Started playing low stakes poker again but unfortunately the luck is as terrible as ever. So far only playing £1 games to get my confidence back but the results are as terrible as follows.....

1 - 2nd
2 - 3rd
8 - Unplaced!!!!!!

Of those unplaced I believe 4 were 4th and 2 were 5th. Can do what I like for the first 4 levels but just cannot get a break when it comes down to the big deciding pot to get into the last 3. Seem to always lose them, seem to always be ahead. Confidence totally shattered and if I push then someone behind me has a big pocket pair or has me dominated. Always! :(

Anyway 11 is not a big enough sample so will persevere with the low stake STTs until the end of the month, if I cannot make a profit then it is time to wave the white flag again.

My Sharkscope stats (which I have now blocked) were interesting. Shows a graph going up and up until I reached profits of over $1,000 and then it completely flatlined since December 2005.

Will hopefully have played about 100 of these STTs by end of August, hopefully I can win at least 1 of them!

How to give up poker - Final Day

2006-06-09T10:00:00.000Z

Done it, didn't even play the $1000 freeroll last night on Blue Square, wasn't interested. Didn't care about it in the slightest, I had other things to do.

So this Poker Blog is finished, over, as I have nothing more about poker to add.

How to give up poker - Day 4

2006-06-08T13:29:00.000Z

Well it would bloody well help if Blue Square wouldn't reschedule Bubble Freerolls (God knows why, must have been a problem) for tonight at 7pm and then send me an e-mail about this.

Right this tournament doesn't count, it's just a freeroll and my new rule is that you are allowed to play freerolls once you have retired from poker!

PATHETIC :(

How to give up poker - Day 3

2006-06-07T13:04:00.000Z

It's easy when the weather is this nice. Yes the TV is crap but it will improve when the world cup starts so that will help. And no the only way I would let down all you great Flashmobbers would be if I played poker and bust out early due to rubbish play/ being unlucky.

The fact is that on Sunday I wasn't that unlucky with my QQ against Allez's 44. Flop was KK4, could have put it down against most players. But Allez was playing loose and I gambled that he was trying it on. He wasn't. But even when I went all-in I wanted to see Allez with something like KJ or K9 to show how unlucky I was being.

Anyway I'm writing about poker, stop it, I don't play this game anymore.

How to give up poker - Day 1

2006-06-05T08:41:00.000Z

So that's it I'm not playing anymore. They are my cards and I'm taking them home with me. But wait, it's not easy. I'm already thinking up excuses of why I should play again. They are ....

1. I want to beat these lucky bastards.
2. I still have some money in Betfair, Sporting Odds and Mansion.
3. I can just play freerolls on Blue Square using my Action Points.
4. It will be a nightmare withdrawing my money from Mansion what about playing those little 1p games .......... NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

I am an ex poker player!

Well That's It From Me

2006-06-04T20:25:00.000Z

So you don't place in 7 STTs in a row, combination of bad timing of bluffs, bad beats and generally missing flops/utterly card dead. Never mind this happens, let's come back tomorrow and have another go :)

So back you come and manage a win and 7 unplaced efforts, see above (Except for the win where I just blew everyone away and won it easy).

So it's Sunday, you remain calm and log on again to the STTs. Playing only £5/£10/$10 games you manage a 2nd in a Thunder Sixpak and 6 other unplaced efforts. And so I go out for the afternoon and have a nice time and realise that I don't want to play this game anymore and it is a bit of an addiction.

So we come back and try the Flashmob, table loony (Allez) takes you out when his pocket fours hit a full house and you don't believe him with QQ. Champions League on Sporting Odds? My QQ will lose to 99 because it has to, this is Doob's Law.

So I'm not putting myself through this anymore, I'm not putting friends and family through this as it affects my mood. I've got to stop playing this game and I will, I do not have the mental strength or the confidence. I ALWAYS think I will lose every all-in and therefore I am.

I will be at BFWCOP (But not playing in the Flashmob team) in September as that will be a good laugh but I will not waste anymore of my life sitting in front of this fucking computer getting pissed off.

Good luck all, all the best, see some of you in September.

STTs

2006-06-01T14:16:00.000Z

Are these really difficult now or have I just become utterly useless at this game?

Can't seem to consistently do well at these things anymore and managed to lose 7 in a row on Monday/Tuesday where I always seemed to pick my moment to attack the blinds just as Mr Rock on the BB gets dealt AA.

Can't actually remember the last time I won a Holdem STT on Betfair, if it wasn't for the Omaha STTs then my Sharkscope stats would be in all sorts of trouble.

Aims For June
1. To play in the Sporting Odds Champions League.
2. Top 10 finish in the Flashmob League
3. To continue playing the 1p ($500 added) tournaments on Mansion (Got a 5th last week)
4. Enjoy playing poker (which I am, I stayed very level headed after my opponent hit his 2 outer on the river to bubble me and losr my 7th STT in a row, I was proud :)).

Just a quick update to prove I'm still here, good luck.

An MTT Winner!

2006-05-11T10:42:00.000Z

But not the £2 one that I was predicting, instead I won the 6pm 50 Euro added.

Not normally home in time to play this but currently have a cold so I left work early and logged on. Had an incredible start where after 5 minutes I quadrupled my stack. Dealt 87 suited, limped in late position and one of the blinds made it 80, there were 4 other callers before me so an easy call.

Flop was JT9 (2 hearts), we had a bet of 300 and an all-in, I called the all-in and 2 others also went all-in. Their hands were...

Flush Draw
Flush Draw
JT

My low straight held up and I was in a great position. Remember nothing until Final table which went well as was able to coast into the money (Top 5). A few raises/re-raises later and I was heads-up against JohnDaDon.

This is where I played garbage, don't know what to do heads-up with blinds small in relation to the chip stacks. I basically got lucky when my KQ held against Ace Rag and very, very lucky (Would have been out if I lost) when my KJ beat Ace Rag again, this time I called the all-in after the flop with 3 rag spades on board, hoped my J spades would be drawing but John held Ace spades. I hit a Jack on turn!

After 2 and a quarter hours though I was feeling ill and tired so switched off with my €100 Euro profit very happy. The £2 MTTs will have to wait for now.

Not much happening

2006-05-10T09:19:00.000Z

My last post looks a bit miserable but it wasn't meant to be. I can still enjoy this game but realised there was no way I could play it more than 2 times a week from now on. It's the summer and I'd rather be doing something more energetic outside.

Played a thunderpack £2 game last week and finished 11th out of 600. Good fun but only because I was getting good cards, I can imagine how frustrating that game could be if you played it ever night. And that was the last time I played poker as I was on a stag weekend and was not back in time for the Flashmob game.

I appeared to have qualified for a City AM (Whatever the fuck that is) final in London but have heard nothing. Winner goes to the WSOP but this doesn't really float my boat and no way could I get the time off so hopefully there will be other prizes on offer.

But tonight (Wednesday) Doob will be winning (yes, winning) a £2 MTT. It will happen and I will post my final finishing positions here.

Bored of this game now

2006-04-28T13:17:00.000Z

No, not losing at poker, doing OK recently.

Just bored of poker really, had to happen eventually but it's been a good couple of years but I can't be bothered with it anymore. This isn't on the back of a losing session just a gradual realisation that I don't want to do this every spare moment I get.

I won't be deleting this blog like MC or giving up the game altogether (Flashmob games are a must) but the only way I can get any excitement now is playing above my limits and that's never going to happen.

Will still update this if something interesting happens in the Flashmob but other than that I probably won't be playing.

Good luck all.

Oh yeah .....My Blog!

2006-04-14T22:50:00.000Z

About time this was updated, was tempted to do it on Tuesday but didn't want to update it because of a good win so I'll do it now.

It hasn't been updated for over a week because I hadn't played alot of poker really, few dull STTs and a 16th in the Blue Square Bubble tourney was about it up until Tuesday when I decided to enter the Champions League Freeroll. There was 508 runners and the first prize was $0 (You play for points in a league).

Started out really slowly, everyone seemed to be doubling up and I couldn't find a hand, fortunately I was multi tabling otherwise I'm certain I would have got bored and thrown my chips away. With less chips than I started with I was moved to a table with 6 people sitting out and over the course of the next hour and a half the 4 active players (with no collusion) managed to get ourselves extra chips and the table broke up with myself on 6000 chips.

Now 6000 was well below average and I was moved to a table where the largest stack had 60,000. So with AJ and the big stack on the big blind I pushed and hoped he'd make a call and be behind, he did turned over something like Q6 suited and I doubled up.

I now had 13,000 and a really good structure (blinds 300/600) meant I could cruise along for a bit and wait for a nice hand. KK arrived and it held up against JJ and some Ace Rag merchant and I had 30,000.

Now I stopped playing, folding AK under the button to a 2*BB raise. I hadn't played for this long not to score any points and did very little until there was only 20 left. You cannot win a tournament with 25 people left, at no time until I got down to the last 2 did I ever think of winning this thing.

Forgotten everything now until we were down to the last 3. Chip stacks were something like this..

Mad Hungarian: 550,000
Me: 90,000
Goose: 40,000

Blinds 5,000/10,000 so I was playing for 2nd. I was not going all-in against the mad Hungarian until the Goose did. In the end he gave me his chips (forgotten how) and I went into heads-up about a 4-1 dog. AK v AJ was a good start and I doubled through. There was then about 10 minutes of raising and folding until I had a slight chip lead.

I now got AA on the BB. Mad Hungarian minimum raises and I call. Flop was J high and he bets the pot of 48,000 and I rather stupidly minimum raised (should have just called here, not good play). Fortunately he didn't get the hint and went all in with J9 and my Aces held up for my best ever MTT win.

As the message said at the end. Congratulations Doobstar you have won this tournament. Your prize is $0 :-). And all the time I was playing to place, you don't have to be aggressive if the structure is good like this one was. I like MTTs without Antes.

Followed it up with a 3rd (Only 28 this time $10 MTT) and I am in 2nd place and looking good for a high finish.

Played some cash today, did OK but it's not my game, keep playing it like a freezeout. But got the 25 points I needed and will enter the Easter Tournament thing on Monday. good luck anyone else playing that.

I like MTTs

2006-04-05T15:23:00.000Z

Never really played MTTs much but since I joined Sporting Odds I've started to really enjoy them. Got a 5th out of 71 last night and the trick seems to be very few tricks! When I play the Flashmob I'm always trying it on with rubbish or calling with rubbish and it never works. I'm not clever enough to do this.

So from now on ABC poker, stop reading stories of re-re-re-raises and pretending I could get away with this and back to good old fashioned basic poker.

55 points in the Champions League puts me in 11th and a chance of a higher finish than 17th last month (Although didn't play the last 2 games and was surprised I still finished in top 20).

Flashmob is a funny old game, outrageous luck when I was mini-stacked followed by no luck when I got up to around to 1800 chips. Was amused by the guy abusing me for my all-in with 92 (I was bluffing!!!!!) and then proceeded to make 2 calls (yes calls) with KJ and QJ when players were all-in before him. Ha ha.

Mixed Fortunes

2006-03-28T12:34:00.000Z

Flashmob went it's usual self tonight. Actually I played it like a knob but shall explain why. On the very first hand songar was all-in to pick up a 140 pot when the flop was showing 3 clubs (It did not surprise me to find out later that songar has a fish symbol next to him on Sharkscope). Although if Sharkscope only had Flashmob results in it's database so would I :)

So I was dealt KK, blinds 10/20, first to act! Did not want to pick up a measley 30 chips with this beauty so limped. 2 other limpers and the blinds completed and the flop comes Q52 rainbow. Blinds check and I bet 80, songar calls everyone else folds. Turn J, I bet 100, songar calls. River T (Looking dangerous now), I bet 100, songar goes all-in. Now to be fair my call was horrible and songar has totally outplayed me here. But if I hadn't seen his all-in on the first hand I fold. But I called, he had a set of Queens and had played the hand very well.

Last place, my quest to get in the money looking a hopeless cause!

Meanwhile I was playing in the Champions League game on Sporting Odds and lasting a little bit longer. Have a good record in these games which are similar to Flashmob games for tightness. Finished 2nd but didn't play that great really, just got some nice hands at the right times. Also played 33 appallingly when I raised on the button, had a caller and flop comes AT6, I check, Turn 2, I check (wtf), River K, I check (boo rubbish). He shows KQ and I should immediately have switched the PC off and retired from poker. But I plugged on and finished 2nd which puts me 11th in the table although unlikely to play tonight so unlikely to finish any higher.

Sharkscope stats were very interesting but somewhat flawed as they only take into account STTs. I would probably be a losing player at Cash/MTTs but my win ratio was good and shows there is merit in playing to cash rather than playing to win!

Black Thursday to Fantastic Friday.

2006-03-25T00:15:00.000Z

Played the $30 Champions League game on Sporting Odds on Thursday, did well, a couple of nice bluffs got me nicely into the last 4 but then it went terribly wrong, didn't see a hand, lost patience and ran into monsters when I tried to make a move. Finished 4th for $0, 3rd was $108.

So I was fuming and pissed off and I was still bothered about it when I went into work today. I work at the University and was configuring some PCs whilst some disabled students were around and I looked at them and thought to myself "What the fucking hell is your problem". Here are people getting dealt 27os every day but are happy and smiling and polite. Really put my so called problems into perspective. It's just a game, it doesn't matter!

So I remembered tonight was the City AM freeroll that I finished 7th in last week. Entered it again tonight with a positive frame of mind and finished 3rd out of 155 (22 points and £60). 4th won nothing but I didn't bubble. Get in.

Needed a J on the river otherwise I was out in 30th, then got dealt QQ and had 2 all-ins before me (1 was short stack). Incredibly they both had AK and my hand stood up. Then doubled up to 40,000 when I re-raised with AA and got a very dubious call with AJos. A pleasing night.

But just being able to walk and being in good health makes me a very lucky guy. So what if sometimes the cards hate me, so what if my AA was beaten earlier in a STT with K3os, it's utterly meaningless when I think how fortunate my life has been!

Champions League Disappointment

2006-03-22T13:54:00.000Z

Only 30 entered last night in Leg 8 but it all went wrong again as I ended up in 22nd. Played well and then got dealt JJ, small raise to 450 (75/150 blinds) and I got 1 call from the Small Blind.

I've still got plenty of chips left so can fold this but the flop was a nightmare, rainbow 952! Small Blind moves all-in. Now I got slated on the Betfair forums when I folded JJ on the bubble last week and again I wanted to do the same. Made no sense for this guy to go all-in without a pair and he hadn't been that aggressive before!

Anyway I called and he showed QQ and I was out. Really pissed off because not only is it unlucky that someone had QQ to my JJ but the flop also made it incredibly difficult to fold. So 2 players who were sitting out from the start cruised into the points which was VERY annoying.

$30 game on Thursday, probably won't bother with this one as 10th-20th (I am now in 19th) only get $25.

Weekly Update

2006-03-20T10:19:00.000Z

Back at work for first time since Monday so rather than actually do any work I'll update my blog. :-)

Still playing mostly on Sporting Odds and Blue Square, with the odd MTT on Betfair. Played poorly in the flashmob to finish 7th. No excuse to pushing with 77 to a raise from Redcar, yes he might have been bluffing but probably wasn't and was just another example of me rashly going all-in rather than thinking!

Did well in the City AM Freeroll on Betfair where I finished 7th out of 150. No money as it only pays top 3 but I have 12 points although can't remember what the prizes are at the moment!

The Champions League tournament on Sporting Odds continues to go well. Only played in 5 of these so far and my record is 4th, 6th, 7th, 21st (grrrrrrrrrr) and 300th in the Freeroll. Some fine fellow on Punters Lounge has updated the table already and I am 17th so hopefully I can get a Top 20 position now at least.

Blue Square is where I play most of my STTs ($5 & $10). These are running very well at the moment. It's strange I just have more confidence on this site than I do on Betfair. Also have loads of notes and just play so much better than I do on Betfair STTs.

Finally Cheltenham which was why I have been off work lately involved backing lots of slow horses. I was saved as my big bet of the week and main tip My Way De Solzen just got home ahead in the World Hurdle.

Champion League and Flashmob

2006-03-13T00:09:00.000Z

Why the fuck were there 499 people playing the Champions League freeroll on Sunday? There were only 39 people who would play on Tuesday but now it seemed like most of the population of Budapest was playing!

Had a go at it but didn't really have the patience and just chucked them all-in with AK, called by AQ and 87 and manage to come 3rd in that little race. :-)

Then played the Flashmob, tried to mix it up with AJ to start with (Bad mistake) and then doubled through with TT. Not a lot happened then as the final table rocked up and then lost my customary race (Chip Leader if I win it) when my JJ couldn't beat AQ suited. Doesn't matter what way I do it but my overcards or pocket pair can never win the 50/50 in the Flashmob.

We will keep trying......

So summary of the week:

Betfair: Poor, probably down about £15
Sporting Odds: Good, probably up about $40
Blue Square: Good, probably up about $40

Still struggling on Betfair!

2006-03-12T12:40:00.000Z

I've only really played poker on-line this week on Tuesday and Saturday.
On Tuesday played a couple of MTTs on Betfair, hopeless, so logged onto Sporting Odds and thought I would have a go at their $5 Champions League MTT. Well basically it is a flashmob game, 2 and a half hours to finish 6th out of 39 and a profit of $2.10!

It was like the flashmob game because everyone was more interested in getting points so ridiculously tight tables but good poker andf enjoyed it. Should have finished 10th really but got some stunning luck with 26os against AK to pick up a few more places and end up with 52 points. I see there is a freeroll this evening so may as well give that a go and see what happens.

Betfair is much more of a grind, tried cash when I got in last night and dropped about £20 so played some thunderpaks but my game is not designed for them and finished 4th, 2nd and 5th (Flopped trips, opponent flopped full house). So moved to the Omaha table where I flopped KKK33 full house and lost to quad 3's and then later flopped another full house and lost to a 2 outer on the river!

And what is it about on Betfair when you get KK, raise, get callers and an Ace flops. I raised hard in a STT and was called by the monsters A6os and A2s, and they hit their 2 outer on the flop, happened again as well later.

REPEAT: IT IS NOT FIXED, IT IS NOT JUICED, IT IS NOT RIGGED!!!!!!!!

Finally finished 2nd in a £10 STT despite this dubious play below but I was feeling so negative at that point that I just knew he had AA, KK, QQ or a set!

Table "STT1 2116975 - 1" Seat 6 is the button.
Seat 1: Tomhaf001 (1952 in chips)
Seat 3: Doob (3112 in chips)
Seat 6: Slimcins sits out
Seat 9: brioli (4431 in chips)
brioli: posts small blind 200
Tomhaf001: posts big blind 400
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Jh Jd]
Doob: raises to 1200
Slimcins: folds
Slimcins sits back
brioli: calls 1000
Tomhaf001: folds
----- FLOP ----- [8s 2c 4d]
brioli: bets 800
Doob: folds
Returned uncalled bets 800 to brioli
brioli: doesn't show hand
brioli collects 2800 from Main pot.

No Flashmob!

2006-03-06T11:40:00.000Z

Had to go out on Sunday Night for a meal so was unable to play Flashmob or Blue Square Bubble (I like Blue Square bubble as when it started it was a $5000 Freeroll and I won it for $1500, my best ever poker win). Well done to Spiderman who I think was the winner.

Been playing on Sporting Odds generating my $100 bonus mainly, Bored stiff by the micro limits cash Holdem even multitabling so tried some 7 Card Stud. Really enjoy this game but not very profitable. Shame the tournaments on Betfair take forever to fill.

I will probably be back on Betfair this week, despite making profits at other poker sites, Betfair has been a graveyard for my cash over the past 3 months. Just cannot get a break there. But I shall be transferring some funds on other sites to Betfair today and I will try and make the £10 STTs pay.

On Thursday off to the Gutshot to play a £50 Freezeout. Looking forward to it but not expecting great things.

Flashmobbed Again!!!!!!

2006-02-27T10:12:00.000Z

Thought it was time for an update. If I wait until I actually win something this blog would remain empty until 2008 so whilst I'm bored at work I shall do it now.

Being doing good, joined Sporting Odds having read Stevie's blog and they do a great deal with $10 free for every 50 raked hands (up to $100). So deposited £10 and been playing nano-limit cash games (5c/10c) and now have over £50 with $60 bonus still to come. May even have a crack at their Champions League game in March. Good profits in the STTs on Blue Square as well and these winnings are paying for my Horse Racing betting which is just atrocious.

But what about Betfair? I hate Betfair, I'm jinxed on this site and last night withdrew all my money apart from £5. The Flashmob game last night really summed up Betfair Poker for me.

To begin with I got lucky, Stevie had shown a bluff or 2 so when he raised again from the SB I rashly decided my AT was good and moved all-in. Now Stevie is to good a player to be raising with junk out of position and quickly called with QQ and I fluked an Ace. Wish I hadn't though :)

10 minutes later I have over 3000 chips and am dealt A9 spades in the SB. It is folded around to me and I raise 3*BB and Phil calls. Flop is JT7 (2 spades) which is a great flop for me so I just bet out 400 and Phil immediately moves all-in. Now I don't usually take much time to think but used up most of my time before calling as I reckoned I had at least 13 outs with flush draw and gutshot straight.

Phil shows 23 suited (what the fuck!!!!) and I was astonshed he felt the need to make this move. Needless to say he hit a 2 on the river and I was gone. Ultimately I called an all-in with Ace High but was still amazed at what had gone on.

But that sums up the Flashmob game for me. Never seem to get a break when I need it. AJ seems to enjoy it though and very well done to him for winning.

I set myself no goals this year as regards poker except to enjoy it. Well I have a new goal now, I will place in the money in the Flashmob game this year, that is it, that is my only goal. However Betfair Poker does my head in and although my records show a profit this year (a massive £22) I have lost confidence with it and will only play the Flashmob game on there.

EDIT: Just read AJ's blog and apparently Stevie is going great guns in this months Sporting Oddds Champions League thingy. Best of luck mate and hopefully there won't be any fish calling your SB raises with Ace Ten and getting lucky. :-)

Betfair Challenege Update

2006-02-16T11:04:00.000Z

Balance now stands at...........£44!
Haven't played a single game on Betfair all week, can't be bothered rather play on Blue Square where they give me incentives to play (even if it is only a bonus of $10).

Attached is a spreadsheet I have been using to record my STT results. It's been virus scanned by McAfee and doesn't record daily/monthly profits/losses. Just shows how you do at certain STTs and works for any number of people in a STT.

Poker Spreadsheet

No more poncing about

2006-02-13T14:26:00.000Z

Time to have another go at this poker lark. I have the grand total of £44 in my account, I will now play ONLY £5 STTs and see how long this will last me....

8 STTs - 2/5 Fav
9 or more STTs - 2/1

If by some miracle I manage to get above £110 (Stop laughing) I will switch to £10 STTs and see how I go from there. I hate cash you see unless it is Pot Limit Omaha.

Flashmob - Usual garbage
- Misread what I thought was a positional bluff - lost;
- Dealt KK in BB, only SB calls, slow play and lose to J7;
- Call Small raise with 55 with position, move all-in on harmless looking flop, Redcar calls with AK (Also on flush draw, obvious call). It just annoyed me that Ace came on turn because if there was an Ace on Flop then I'm folding.

Bubbled in a £3 STT when 2 players colluded. Still can't believe this and haven't reported is as it is so weird and managed to bubble despite me being on 3000 chips and some other bloke being on 400, took on chip leader with 2 pair (AQ) and he had a set. Where is your bubble tournament Betfair?

I do bubble alot and this is definitely down to playing reasonably tight at start of these low stake STTs but don't really think I get my fair share of breaks when the crapshoot begins.

Nothing Much Really

2006-02-07T23:35:00.000Z

Have done nothing exciting with poker during the last 7 days but thought I'd better update this thing. Below are the results from my recent low stake STTs on Blue Square...

1st 12
2nd 14
3rd 7
4th 16
5th 12
6th 9
7th 8
8th 4
9th 0

A massive profit of $38 after 82 games. Not helped by the fact that I played a couple of quick 50c STTs and lost them both. Couldn't bare the fact I had made a loss at 50c games so played a few more and lost those and in the end had to play 23 of the bloody things just to show a 40 cent profit! I was actually getting really frustrated and upset with them. It's never the money with me I just hate losing to players who I know are clueless.

And I haven't managed yet to come last in a STT in 82 attempts, mainly because someone always seems to go out on the 1st hand with A8 against KJ or some other garbage.

Will be back for the flashmob on Sunday.

Crap

2006-01-30T10:04:00.000Z

Played the flashmob on Sunday and played it crap.
Loads of mistakes to many to remember them all, was dealt some decent hands but most of them I just played garbage.

Biggest mistake was being dealt KcJs in small blind. Limped in and got the almost perfect flop of AcQc5c. I was dominating the other 2 stacks and had to at least put in a pot sized bet here (600 in pot) or even go all-in. Checked like a complete gayer and then called the all-in by Geemac (eventual winner). Gay, gay, gay! Grow some balls Doob. He only had A8 (no clubs) and may have folded to an all-in.

Ended up going out as usual to the unbeatable AJCairns. And why the river, why get my hopes up only to drown them cruelly. I like a quick and painless death on the flop please!

Played a ridiculous £5 STT where some dumbfuck called me down all the way chasing a gutshot straight on the flop (I bet the pot with top pair) and outside straight on the turn. He hit it on the river giving him the stone cold nuts. SO HE JUST CALLS ME!!!!! Finished 3rd and dumbfuck went out in 9th so all was well.

I have noticed from my STT stats that I finish 4th 25% of the time. Rubbish. Utter garbage. One day I will learn how to play this game but until then my £5 is yours every Sunday!

Recording Results

2006-01-25T14:39:00.000Z

Not played that much over the past 7 days but have recorded my record in low stake 9 Seater STTs at Blue Square. They are as follows...

1st - 5
2nd - 1
3rd - 2
4th - 4
5th - 5
6th - 1
7th - 2
8th - 1
9th - 0

All of these are $2 or $3 STTs
Average finishing position 3.81 (I think, maths is probably wrong).

So out of 21 STTs I have placed in 8 of them and won 5 and made a pretty mediocre profit but there are far to many 4th or 5th places. Definitely this is down to me not being agressive enough as these are pretty loose games. But I do enjoy playing them and just seem to play them better than Betfair STTs. God knows why.

Will carry on recording my 9 Seater STT record and see if I can get the average finishing position closer to 3. Back for the flashmob game on Sunday after missing the last one although this emzo appears a bit of a card shark to me!

Wish I knew nothing about this game again

2006-01-18T09:06:00.000Z

Then I could just ignore pot odds and play freely without fear rather than always working out the odds in my head and then deciding.

Bring back the days when I used to call a massive overbet on the turn to try and hit my flush, the days when my AJ was a complete monster that I wasn't folding to any bet and the days when if I hit top pair low kicker (in fact I never knew what a kicker was) I would just chuck all my chips in.

Regarding the flashmob game 1 hour 40 minutes to finally go out in 8th out of 17th with 99 vs AK. I think 99 was the best starting hand I saw all game though. The reason it took so long is that there never seemed to be 2 big starting hands dealt at the same time and everyone is clever enough to raise when in position. Or maybe we are all just low stake rocks!!!!!

I'll keep the old car then :-)

2006-01-13T21:11:00.000Z

Finished 6th in the Car game.
I was playing OK and didn't have to push with TT in the SB but was unfortunate to meet KK in the BB and bizarrely TT from the original raiser. Thought he could have got away from his hand though.

Thanks to dibble and redcar for your good wishes on the forum. Unable to post on there at the moment.

Still looking on the bright side at least the pubs are still open :-)

Game #1385838484: Hold'em NL (75/150) - 2006/01/13 - 21:06:43 (BST)
Table "LUCKY CAR...DS 1661365 - 1" Seat 4 is the button.
Seat 1: deejay (4960 in chips)
Seat 2: sleeper (2375 in chips)
Seat 3: paulio (2420 in chips)
Seat 4: LOVE2TILT (3350 in chips)
Seat 5: Doob (2315 in chips)
Seat 6: Poking (4580 in chips)
Doob: posts small blind 75
Poking: posts big blind 150
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Doob [Td Th]
deejay: folds
sleeper: raises to 450
paulio: folds
LOVE2TILT: folds
Doob: raises to 2315 and is all-in
Poking: raises to 4180
sleeper: is all-in 1925
Returned uncalled bets 1,805 to Poking
----- FLOP ----- [9s Js Ad]
----- TURN ----- [9s Js Ad][5s]
----- RIVER ----- [9s Js Ad 5s][5c]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Poking: shows [Kc Kh] (Two Pairs, Kings and Fives, Ace high)
sleeper: shows [Tc Ts] (Two Pairs, Tens and Fives, Ace high)
Doob: shows [Td Th] (Two Pairs, Tens and Fives, Ace high)
Poking collects 120 from Side pot #1
Poking collects 6945 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 7065 Main pot 6945 Side pot #1 120 Rake 0
Board [9s Js Ad 5s 5c]
Seat 1: deejay folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: paulio folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: LOVE2TILT (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Doob (small blind) lost
Seat 6: Poking (big blind) showed [Kc Kh] and won (7065) with Two Pairs, Kings and Fives, Ace high

I like driving in my car...

2006-01-12T13:09:00.000Z

....but it's a bit rubbish and I'd rather have a mini!

Actually my 6ft 3inch frame would never fit in it but I'm looking forward to the tournament on Friday at 8pm to try and win it. I qualified by answering a few questions on the forum so I have not deserved my place like others who must have played about 20 STTs a day to come 6th in the STT Leagues. But i'm in and will take my chance.

All of the players are very good (I know The House is currently in Oz) and experienced so I am under no illusions I will need luck to be on my side. Also don't really do sixpaks and not used to tournaments with 20 minute levels, starting with 2000 chips. If I am not going to win it though I want to go out early. The thought of coming 2nd is a bit sick.

As for poker been playing a lot of $0.15/$0.25 Omaha High. Sit tight, don't raise to much pre-flop and wait for that monster which someone always seems to pay you off with (Or river the miracle card to make Quads). And when you have the nuts, bet the pot. NEVER EVER SLOW PLAY ANYTHING EXCEPT QUADS OR RUNNING FLUSHES. Anything else is vulnerable.

Goldfish Memory

2006-01-08T23:44:00.000Z

Forgot that I had applied for the Blue Square Bubble Freeroll tonight. Managed to finish 25th of 90 without playing a hand though so better than usual and 2 places ahead of AJ (Wonder if he forgot about it as well). Missing out on a $1000 Dollar freeroll is a bit dumb though!

Played 2 games of poker today both on Betfair which I reinstalled this morning. 50 Euro bonus I was quickly knocked back to 800 chips when my 2 pair lost to a flush but hung around, got up to 3000 at one stage, don't remember any bad beats but finally had to move all in post flop on a flush draw, was called by 66 and I could not improve (13th of 35).

Flashmob game at 8:30 only had 12 runners but I played it OK and I think this is a very good game. You will not find a better quality £5 Tournament anywhere on the internet IMO. Kept on being continuously rivered by OCTOBER and Markzz and had to lay down a few steals as my hands were bobbins. Was basically in a race with Stevie to see who would bubble and he was unluckily rivered by Markzz. Markzz took me out when despite me making 2 pair with J7 he hit his flush on the turn with 44 and I was out in 3rd. Probably for the best as I can't play Forum tourney tomorrow anyway. GG all, wp.

IMPORTANTLY THOUGH I ENJOYED BOTH GAMES AND AM ENJOYING MY POKER AGAIN BECAUSE I AM NOT PLAYING IT THAT MUCH.

Flashmobbed

2006-01-05T14:39:00.000Z

Didn't mean to play any poker yesterday but got back at about 11:00pm and noticed Dibble was trying to start a $10 game. No Betfair at the moment so I registered as "Network" on my Littlewoods account. Meant to keep quiet about it but Stevie sussed out who I was.

Good game and as it was my only game yesterday I thought I would log it on here. Limped in with 66 in early position and hit a set but didn't like the 2 hearts on show and being first to act made a token bet of 60 and got 2 callers. Reckoned the turn was no help but thinking the other 2 were drawing I bet out 300 and Dibble called. The river was a heart and even though I was 98% sure I was beat I bet out 150 (Helps to stop bluffing I reckon) and Dibble minimum raised me. Knew I was beat but the raise was perfect as I would have folded an all-in. Dibble was also on a straight draw as well as a flush draw so had plenty of outs.

dealt to Network [6c 6h]
Network: calls 15
Buffett: folds
ajcairns: folds
MM29: raises to 30
Trekkkkie: calls 30
tc34: calls 30
shalimah: folds
jack high: folds
snap: folds
Network: calls 15
----- FLOP ----- [6d Kh Th]
Network: bets 60
MM29: calls 60
Trekkkkie: folds
tc34: calls 60
----- TURN ----- [6d Kh Th][8s]
Network: bets 300
MM29: folds
tc34: calls 300
----- RIVER ----- [6d Kh Th 8s][3h]
Network: bets 150
tc34: raises to 300
Network: calls 150
----- SHOW DOWN -----
tc34: shows [Qh Jh] (A Flush, King high)
Network: shows [6c 6h] (Three of a kind, Sixes, King high)
tc34 collects 1522 from Main pot

I then doubled up to 600 when my AK hit on the river to beat Shalimahs QQ and doubled up again when my flush and straight draw hit on the turn to beat Treks top pair Ace Kicker.

Then nothing, hardly any playable hand whatsoever until I had A5s on the button and raised for 50% of my chips, 1 caller (which I didn't want) and flop was awful so folded.

dealt to Network [5s As]
jack high: folds
snap: folds
Network: raises to 650
MM29: calls 550
tc34: folds
----- FLOP ----- [Th Kh Qd]
MM29: checks
Network: checks
----- TURN ----- [Th Kh Qd][7d]
MM29: bets 926 and is all-in
Network: folds
Returned uncalled bets 926 to MM29
MM29: doesn't show hand
MM29 collects 1500 from Main pot

Was out a few hands later when I moved all in UTG with A4s (blinds were about to cripple me and ran headfirst into AK suited. Good game all.

dealt to Network [4d Ad]
Network: raises to 654 and is all-in
MM29: folds
tc34: folds
jack high: raises to 3180 and is all-in
snap: folds
Returned uncalled bets 2,526 to jack high
----- FLOP ----- [Tc 9h 7c]
----- TURN ----- [Tc 9h 7c][3s]
----- RIVER ----- [Tc 9h 7c 3s][8d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
jack high: shows [Ks As] (High Card Ace)
Network: shows [4d Ad] (High Card Ace)
jack high collects 1508 from Main pot

I shall be back as Doob for the Flashmob game on Sunday evening.

All In......and All Out!

2006-01-02T23:53:00.000Z

OK so the bad beats are still happening. Am now playing very small stakes and it isn't actually bothering me to much. I am really confident that this will change and therefore will carry on playing $2/$3 STTs on Blue Square and £1 STTs on Littlewoods until this changes. You've heard the so called bad beats before but I'm having so much trouble with AK/AQ against Ace Rag that I'm totally unmoved when the rag hits the flop.

But maybe I am doing something wrong. I'm quite a tight player but very aggressive when I think I have the best hand. So I maybe need to stop playing AK/AQ so aggressively, when I have the nuts no need to raise all-in? Let's have a look at the river card first. Is it dangerous? Maybe these players who have a great record in MTTs get that record by hardly ever going all-in in the 1st few hours, so that they can take the odd bad beat but still come through and cash.

It may not just be bad luck, maybe I have to change my game?

Small Stakes

2005-12-30T00:28:00.000Z

I have decided tonight that £10 STTs are to high for me to play. To much money. I am not a gambler and never will be. I not responding to any bad beats in writing this it has just dawned on me how much I used to enjoy playing the $1 STTs on Blue Square.

When I have some spare time I want to be enjoying it playing poker, not feeling pressured and doing my head in over bad beats or a run of bad luck. But the competitive streak in me wants to win, I don't bloody care if it is a $1 STT, I want to win it.

LESS POKER, MORE ENJOYMENT!

Swallowing Pen Lids!!!!!!

2005-12-28T23:49:00.000Z

Had a week off poker but couldn't last until 2006 (Boo, rubbish) so tentatively sat down and played with the last £30 that was left in my Littlewoods account today. Decided just to play £5 STTs and was really nervous. First hand dealt AK suited, raised to 60, BB goes all in and I was unable to fold and was out as he showed AA.

But it improved, lots of 2nd places, managed to win a £3 STT though and made a bit at low stake Omaha PL (Great game to play low stakes but you must be patient) and ended up with £75.

But the money doesn't really matter, what was vital was that I enjoyed it. Took some bad beats and inflicted a few but I was not playing scared and was so shocked by someones bad play (He called an all-in for 500 chips with J3 with a board of AKQ96) that I swallowed a bit of my pen lid that I had bitten off!!!!!!

Betfair poker stays deleted (It's all psychological) but the weeks break has done me good.

Get A Blog

2005-12-22T10:23:00.000Z

Just thought I'd add that I feel much better now I've written that down.
Great therapy, doesn't bother me if no one ever reads this but I was stewing all yesterday over my poker the previous night. Feel better now.

SO IF YOU PLAY POKER, GET A BLOG.

Disaster

2005-12-22T09:48:00.000Z

Well I started this blog having had a bad time of it recently but in 18 months of playing on-line poker I have NEVER experienced an evening like Tuesday 20th of December.

N.B : I know what I said in my introduction about bad beats but fuck it, it's good therapy.

My record this evening was...

Played 19 £10/$20 STTs, Won 1, 3rd 1, Unplaced 17.

Now if I was drunk or playing terrible or on tilt then I could handle this BUT during 90% of these games I got my chips into the middle in front and was beaten. And of course these beats happened at Level 4/5 which are critical times in STTs.

AK being beaten by KQ, AJ being beaten by A7, 55 being beaten by J5, KJ being beaten J2, AQ being beaten by Q8, AA being beaten by TT and my personal favourite KK being beaten by Q9 when I went all in after a flop of KQT (he made runner, runner flush).

Apologies about listing bad beats, I'd promised I'd never do it but it was just astonishing.
So what did I do? I withdrew £100 out of Betfair (I only lost profits on Tuesday), uninstalled the software and e-mailed Betfair asking to be banned from the forums.

I know I'm good enough to play the £10 STTs, the level is only slightly better than £1 IMO and I know I will be back but for the next few months I will avoid Betfair and try and get some confidence back on Blue Square. If I had been playing cash and above my bankroll it would have been awful, I think after this experience I will NEVER EVER play for more than a tenner unless it is live, no point!

But also I have been playing far too often recently and neglecting other parts of my life. Poker is a great game but I just felt it was taking my life over to much. Maybe the bad beats were a sign or omen to stop playing so much.

I am now poker free for the rest of 2005 and will be back on Blue Square in the New Year, look out for DoobDude being chimped as per usual on the $10 STTs.

Happy Christmas

Introduction

2005-12-19T01:19:00.000Z

Hello, yes it is another one of those boring poker blogs.
I will try to keep it interesting and not send you to sleep with bad beats all the time but the idea of this blog is a place to record my successes and frustrations. Family and friends just don't really understand poker and generally don't care so I have to tell someone.