Poker is not just Poker

Charles it is

welcome to the blog section

I am subscribed :), best of luck

Good luck John!

Thanks guys,

Any advice on what to do next?

My Mind blowing weekend

25/25 series Salford. £220 BI. 297 runners.

So, my tourney started the week before when I entered a qualifier online. I was fortunate to be on the right end of a brutal cooler and took a seat.

My wife was away for the weekend with friends so my friend and I decided to have a full weekend of poker.

Friday 8pm £25 FO at local casino (+cash if I bust early)
Saturday 12pm £220 re-entry £25k gtd (2 day event)
Saturday 8pm £30 FO (+cash if I bust early)

I finished work Friday and we decided to get straight down to the casino to play some cash. I don't get to do this kind of weekend often so wanted to play as much as possible.
We sat down at the 25p 25p blinds cash table and as usual the regulars who are not very good to say the least proceeded to open with any 2 and call or raise with any 2. Strategy for this table is play big hands ultra aggro. Pick up aces and you need to raise 20x minimum here and that could often get 6 callers! It is so much fun though and when the tourney start time came around I was £10 up.
I don't really think my mind was on the tourney that night as I busted quite early. UTG min raised and I called from the BB with A10. Flop came Ah2cAs, I check, UTG checks, turn 9h so I lead out for 1/2 pot, UTG calls. River is the 6s so I plan to check call. UTG over bets the pot and I almost insta call. Villain shows pocket 2's for a flopped FH and I'm crippled. Busted 2 hands later with AQ v same guy who had JJ and rivered a straight.

With that I took myself off to the 50p/£1 table, planning to stay until 2am at the latest as I had a 12pm start for my main event the next day.

Time flies by so quickly at the tables as we all know and one more hour is never one more hour. I ran so bad on cash and I was finished off when I picked up Q5 in the BB when UTG limped, I checked and the flop came Q25, I lead out and was called by the limper. Turn 10, I again lead out and am again flat called by the limper! River 5. BINGO FH. I have around a pot sized bet left behind so shove it over the line and am snap called by villain who rolls over QQ, FML It's now 4am and I'm £320 down on night 1. Bollocks!

Saturday morning arrived as I woke at 8am and couldn't get back to sleep.

I got up and started making notes on blinds and antes for the day ahead. I basically worked out how much each Level would cost me if I folded every hand, also noting how much each orbit costs. I know this is not too difficult to do in play but felt I could concentrate on what other people were getting up to more if I already had this all worked out.

At 9.30am I received a call from ny friend. He was still at the casino and had managed to dig himself out of a hole, still having £150 if his £220 weekends BR. I told him all mine was gone and went to pick him up. We joked about how shit we are at poker and both felt pretty rubbish. My friend went to bed and I read an article on PS about playing MTTs with different stack sizes.

12pm soon came round and there I was taking my seat in the casino feeling pretty nervous and even more tired. We were to play 11 40 minute levels and was due to finish at around 8pm.

For the first 2 levels I played pretty tight. Only getting out of line once with 910o, squeezing after 5 limpers and taking down a decent pot.

After chipping up a bit I picked up KK in the BB and 3bet a button raiser. He shoved and I called. He showed A10 of clubs. Flop Club, club, club. FFS! Down to 8k and back to the drawing board.

I pulled up the PS stack size article on my phone and began grinding the 10 to 20 BB strategy. Steals and re-steals.

tell us what happen!! lol

Sorry guys I'm falling behind a bit here! Life just goes by so quickly

25/25 series cont.............

So, at the last break and with 3 levels left I'm still grinding around 16k with the B&A's at 500/1000 100 ante. I then pick up 99 in the SB and shove to a CO raiser who folds and shows AJ He had around 50k behind and I think I would have to call a short stack there if I were him?? I then get the much need double up my AQ shoved over the top of a HJ raiser who called with A7s, this was the A10cc guy from earlier, my hand held. He bust a few hands later ♦

I was now up to around 35k and managed another double with AK v KQ aipf. An ace in the window to ease the sweat was nice. At around 90k I picked up AA utg and raised 2.5x, MP flatted and the BB tried the squeeze, raising to around 13k. I shoved and the MP guy also shoved. BB moaned for a bit then fold 99. I show the bad news and MP also rolls over AA. No horrible flush suck out and we both make a tidy profit.

I then proceed to dominate the table through the last level as so many people, even those who were a threat just sat back happy to take their stack into day 2.
I bagged up 137,900 and went into day 2 9th in chips out of 96 survivors

I then went back to my local casino (after going home to feed the cat) and decided against late reg'ing the £30 DS as I was really tired and really felt confident I could do well the next day. I sat at the cash table for 1 hour but my heart wasn't in it so left to get a Chinese and watch MOTD (match of the day). I had forgotten how good it is to have a Chinese, a beer and watch MOTD, Life is good when you're winning, Poker is not just Poker

Day 2

Day 2 arrived and I had not gone to bed as early as I'd liked (1.30am) and also drank 2 very large beers which I could feel when I woke at 8am. I woke to a call from my friend who had done his BR and needed a lift home. I happily obliged and off I went. We talked a bit about his 'key' hands then about my day ahead. He went off to bed and I sat nervously reading strategy and making notes.

1pm start arrived and I took my seat. I took my seat next to an Asian guy who had a full beard, long hair and an NY cap on, a great look for the table IMO. He wished to remain ANON. I recognised a couple of faces from my local and a big fat guy who was wearing some funky white and black rimmed shades. Not a good look IMO.

I started pretty bad going down to under 100k after creating a weak image employing the raise/fold to 3bet, and the cbet fold to check raise strategies. Not funny!

I soon picked up on what everyone was getting up to - if there's one thing I've learnt in the last few months, it is that in poker the cards are the easy part, we can't do anything about the cards we are dealt. What we can do is adapt to the people we play against, if we don't know what is going on, we may as well not play - I decided to raise MP with J6s into a weak blind who called. flop came K83r, BB check and I cbet, BB called (shit), turn was a 10, BB checked and I again bet, planning to 3 barrel as he looked too uncomfortable. River was a 7. And again BB checked to which I decided to" take it down", putting him on some pair or K with a bad kicker. I bet just about half pot and BB tanks then open folds K10 for top 2, saying I think you flopped it! I show my bluff. He then goes on tilt and busts shortly after. How can he fold that (to me).

Up until around bubble time I'm feeling ultra confident although tired so I decide to have a red bull. I get moved to another table and look down at KK my first hand on the button. utg ( a Polish girl who just won the GPS Newcastle who is sponsored by Genting) raises and it folds to me, I 3bet and she shoves. When I call she grimaces so I know my Kings are good and she rolls over QQ. My Kings hold and I'm now around 400k. It was at this point when the blogger decided to ask me who I was. I then lose a big flip my JJ beat by KQ and down to 240k.

I then get moved again and we are 6 from the money. I look down first hand at AA, I raise from MP and the SB shoves for around 100k, I call and he shows 99. My aces hold and I'm now healthy for the bubble. The very next hand I look down to see AA (yes again) and raise to some suspecting looks, please shove please shove please shove, everyone folds and I obv have to show how I just do not bluff :f_cool:. I then decide to go on a stealing spree but donk off around 100k (not a good idea after getting back to back aces). Some other fat guy to my left comments that too many people try this strategy but it doesn't work at this level as the money isn't that great ( I later googled the guy as I saw something on the tourney blog and discover he is a WSOP bracelet winner, LOL, how I underestimated my opposition, ignorance is bliss).

The bubble burst and we are down to 2 tables. I now have history with a guy that 3 barrel bluffed me then sniggered and showed it. I have learned not to steam. I'll get him later.

I start to build up a decent stack and with 12 left I pick up QQ, I raise my bluffing friends blind who decides to shove, we have since had a few encounters where I have squeezed his raise and also flopped a set after limping with pocket 2's on a DDD flop, I check raised AI to his massive bet. He folded and was not happy "who f£$king limps, who f&%king limps at this level" LOL, I wound him up by saying I didn't realise you couldn't limp in Salford and apologised, he stormed off for a cigarette.

Anyway, QQ v 99: As it was reported on the blog.

Bluffing friend moves all in for 400,000 after an open from chip leader John Bell. John makes the call and cards are tabled....

BF... 99dh
John... QQhs

The first card out is 9c !!! Followed by 7c As on the flop.

The turn card is 6d .

The river card Qd !!!!!!!

Sick for BF who is rivered for the 800k pot.

BF leaves us in 12th place for £740.

Oh yes I forgot to mention I was the chip leader!! And sitting even more comfortable now. On 1.6 million. Avg. 675k.

I lost a couple of big flips and would have taken over 3 million onto the final table (around 7.5 million in play). I had joked with my friend about how good it would be to take 50% of chips in play onto the final table. Almost. As it happens I was still chip leader with 1.4 million when we were down to 9 and the FT.

I decided to approach it like a SnG and play pretty tight unless I could exploit a decent spot or two. A couple of people bust pretty early and then I lost a big one against a guy who had been struggling for a while. I raised in LP with 66 and he shoved his last 600k. I only had to call 425k into a pot of 800 for a 1.2 mill scoop so I called, he showed A10o and hadn't hit by the river. I then blocked the river card with my hand and heard the bad news, 10 on the river, shit down to 850k.

I then struggled to find any spots or cards and blinded down to 10 bigs when I picked up AQo with 6 players left. utg opened and I shoved, he called showing KQ. My hand held, I was up to around 1.3 mill and the other guy was now struggling. He bust the next hand.

We then decided to talk about a deal as we were all pretty even. I went to toilet and returned to a deal proposition. Pay-outs were originally:

1st - £15,990

2nd - £10,655
3rd - £7,105
4th - £4,145
5th - £3,195
(6th - £2,605)

Deal which we all accepted was:

1st - £11,090

2nd - £9,000
3rd - £7,000
4th - £7,000
5th - £7,000

I decided I would open up a bit as 3rd to 5th was the same money, but everyone else had the same idea so I then sat back and let a couple kill each other. We were soon down to 3 and I got it all in with AQ v A10. flop comes 7KK and villain calls for a chop pot. turn is 2 and again he shouts chop! river brings a 7 and he gets his wish, I can't really complain can I. Villain from that hand was my ANON Asian friend from earlier with the beard, nice guy. I then shoved my last 10 bigs or so on the button with K7s and was called by ANON with QJ, he hit a J and I was out. No trophy this time but what an amazing experience.

I got home around 3am and woke for work at 7. I was pretty buzzing so breezed through the morning and went home at lunch on half days holiday planning to sleep but didn't.

The guy who won it was the guy who rivered me with A10 against my 6's. He turned around a 5.9 to 2.6 mill chip deficit and deserved the win as he played so well when he eventually got some chips. WP all.

I can't play the next and last leg in Blackpool but at least now I have a decent BR to play some more. I still don't think I will be stumping up a £220 direct BI but I may when next years series returns if my BR has grown. I am looking at getting down to DTD in Nottingham for maybe one or two of their DS tourneys which have lots of soft satellites and maybe even Wembley for the ISPT!

Just so I'm up to date.

I went to my local casino last night to basically show my face and receive some respect for my win. LOL, such an idiot!

75 runners in the £25 FO. I came 4th for £165. Well happy to get another result and heaps more respect. I don't think shoving K2s with 4 left was a great move, although I did flop trip K's. v AsQd. flop KK4dd, turn d, river d.

would've been a big pay jump and there was another shorty left. Must read about that ICM stuff!!

My next session is this Sunday online, lets hope my form can carry on into cyber land.

GOOD LUCK TO HULL CITY

We can go up to the Premier League today.

This is me bottom right when we were down to 11 in the 25/25 series. I have the chip lead and a steely glare. That was not my favourite dealer. She dealt the A10cc hand and 2 more flip losses! One were I flopped TP and villain turned a set for a huge pot!

nice update thanks

well done on the 7k? win

Thank you,

It was £7000 (sterling), around $10500.

why "the 7k?" ??

7k as in 7000

Really interesting blog! Will be following

LOL

So, my run good continues.

Hull City squeak their way back into the Premier League in dramatic style!

I think I'm going to post my graph from Stars as motivation to get back in the green (or is it black).

I am so dumb I don't know how to post a graph from Shark scope, I can from my HEM2 but that one is not from the beginning! Any help appreciated.

TY

I just got home from a christening, which I normally find pretty painful as you have to join in with the singing and often have to sit through the full Sunday service. They also cause my wife and I some upset as we are struggling to have kids of our own and are currently waiting for our second round of IVF but I won't bore you with that ran bad story. Just wanted you all to pity me a bit so you think I'm a nice guy

Poker is not just Poker

This one wasn't too bad TBH. Yet again I managed to draw comparisons to Poker.

The minister seemed to be doing a sales pitch to get more followers into the church. I have always thought in the back of my mind that church could be something I would attend when the shit hits the fan! I think we are all looking for something to follow, for a purpose.
If there is a God I doubt his plan for me was to be a poker professional but poker can be a means to bringing good to so many people. It doesn't matter if we are successful at poker, football, business or whatever, this is the thing we love to do and if it makes us rich then we can do some good with either the financial gain or by being a role model for other people who aspire to be successful in our field, whatever that may be.

I didn't partake in the customary after ceremony drinks as of course it's Sunday. And Sunday is the day we all attend our church (the world of big guarantees).

So good luck everyone,

GAME ON!

Really bad Sunday.

Played against all advice and my BRM.

Played 3 FTOPS ME sats, totalling $22.90 and more or less bubbled 1 and whiffed in the others.

Full Tilt
super stack 5k $11, Double Deuce $22, DD sat $5.50 and as a treat for winning big last weekend bought into the FTOPS ME $75.

Stars
Bigger $8.80, SM sat $11, Bigger $11, Storm $11, $1 rb 60k gtd.

Cashed in the Bigger $8.80. Went out in 1041st for $16.32 running my KK into AA for huge pot. Busted the $1 rb in a 120k pot when my AKs was beat by KQo.

I need to get my head into gear and not get seduced by the big tourneys. I just don't think I am very good online.

Wow, just totalled up and tonight I blew $176.88. I learnt that my run good has officially ended. Although I am still in the DTD ISPT satellite which I sat'd into through a free roll. So I could still win a seat to the Stadium tour to be held at Wembley. Add on break coming up so I will add on for 30 euros and 20k chips. I am doing pretty bad in this one too though. clinging on after running 1010 into AA. GL me. 200 300 euro seats gtd BTW.

OUT

set over set.

FFS

Need some time off to study and decide on a plan before I spew off my BR of $1257 on FT and a few $'s on Stars. Plus a few $'s on other sites. Live roll still obv healthy but online always tilts me so bad.

I always keep calm when playing live, online not. I think I try to get in too many games and when I'm struggling I don't concentrate because I know I can just reg into another. Last weekend I was grinding 10 -20 bigs all day on day1 and went on to get the big score. I need to replicate this online, this I know but find it so hard.

This week I will come up with long and short term plans. I am going on holiday next Saturday to Marrakech, Morocco for a week so this will give me some time to clear my mind. I will be reading The Mental Game by Jared Tendler.

I may play some cash this week. While I find it mechanical I do enjoy watching the graph slowly inching upwards! (or downwards as it has for some time).

GL guys.

Reading that book seems like a really good idea for you. I haven't read it myself, but from what I've heard you really need to apply what's written there. If you do, it should really help your mental game.

Of course playing live and online is quite different, but it does seem odd to me that you have a different mindset live than you do online. But taking a break and reading that book should definitely get you on the right track again

And have a nice holiday! A friend of mine went to Marrakec last year, and he said it was absolutely great there So have fun!

Thanks man,

I find live easier and more enjoyable but it's just not practical to play so often live, especially when you're a married man :facepalm:.

Unlucky today, you'll pick yourself back up because you love the game. As will I.