I Actually Won

We have a steady 10 and sometimes 11 for our house game but sometimes we change it around a little and a niece of Cathys is one of those who joins us when she is around. Unfortunately she had suffered some ill health of late but thankfully a recent transplant has greatly improved things for her. As often happens when someone you know benifits like this Liam and Cathy ran the half marathon in Dublin last weekend to raise funds for a transplant charity. SO the pay in at our last house game went towards their fundraising. Normally this would lead to a very very loose game but with league points on offer it was amazingly steady for a freeroll. Now having said that our games are never tight. James (the kid) raises or reraises the first hand every night blind. As can be expected he frequently gets called or reraised and pots build even on the first blind level. True to form he open raised blind last week got two callers I'm big blind and look down and big slick. I motion to push all in and say the same followed by a laugh before retreating but the kid quickly delares the verbal bet binding( rightly) so I push them out the full way this time. Now he looks at his cards and quickly folds and the rest follow, a winning start.
The kid is aggressive but he was running into hands on the night and made an early exit which seemed to open up a few more chances for me to make moves and I had to. For the 3 hours we played I got two pocket pairs both sixies and 3 big slicks but I was hitting a few flops and got away with a few bluffs when needed. I flopped trips holding Q3 and it turned into a house on the turn to take down a big pot. Later when it was down to the last 3 Jim, Liam and myself I held the same hand but my stack was begining to drop and I was ready to make a play from the BB. Jim folded the button and Liam made a standard raise. I called not that worried about my hand. Flop is A 2 5 rainbow left me with an inside straight draw but Liam bet the pot so I should have left it go but as I said I wasn't playing my hand, I liked the flop as I would have called Liam's raise preflop with an ace small so I am calling here to reraise all in on the turn no matter what comes. Well wouldn't you know it a four comes on the turn to give me the straight!!!!!! Liam again bet out and my first instinct is to flat call with my big hand but then I decide to stick to the original plan and pushed. The only difference is now I am hoping Liam actually has a hand he can't let go, but "go" he did. Still I won a good pot and Liam soon knocked out Jim to leave us heads up. I soon got the chip lead and never gave it up finally taking it down when I limped in (not for the first time) with Big slick, Liam moved all in and of course I called. He turned over a K9--perfect first card on the flop a--- 9---but I got my ACE ON THE RIVER.

I've been quiet on the poker front for the last while. I've played a few nights at the local--cashed without winning, a few house games--we have started a league over ten nights, I am bottom after the first two nights and I've had my biggest online cash--a modest $31 but good for the stakes I play. It all sounds like a lot but really my mind has been else where lately as I am trying to get a new business off the ground. It won't be full time work but it will hit my poker playing due to the unsociable working hours of being a track side bookie at Limerick greyhound track. It will be November at least before I start (if I get a licence)but the homework has started already. Of course if things go well I might have the finances to take my poker too another level but am I good enough to play at that level???

Fish Hooked

After my little break over the previous month I have been on something of a poker binge for the last week. First I had my "BIG WIN" in the $3 tournament then took to the local pub for the first time in ages and make the cash when finishing 4th. On Thursday I bubbled for the ticket to the Brucepoker game and after I posted about that I played a little cash. It was late and I sat in with only 60 BB not intending to stay long but man it was a lovely table. Before long I had doubled my stack and then I got involved in a big hand with over 250 BB in the middle. I hit my king high flush on the river but got wacked when the other guy turned over the Ace high flush to beat me. Not long ago this would have hit me hard but on the night I merely bough back in for the max. 100 BB and set to work. Within 10 minutes I again got it all in the middle with the same guy for 230 BB and busted him. Unfortunately he had loss the rest of his stack before I could get it but still I turned if a profit and logged off happy
On Friday I was back to the cash bought in for the hundred BB and set to work. But it just wasn't going right!! Not that I didn't get cards but when I did no one else did and I only took down small pots. And when I made a move I just seemed to run into it. Example--Guy looses a big pot and goes all in on the hand, I have Ace Queen suited in Late position and re raise all in but one of the blinds joins the party!! First guy turns over 10-3 off and the blind shows ace king and an ace on the turn means I have to re buy.
Now long after these 3 hands happen. Firstly I pick up pocket Jacks and raise getting one caller, finally a little action. An ace on the flop sees the betting very cautious but a Jack on the river sets it in motion and I am delighted when he calls my re raise to put him all in---------BUT what does he turn over??? Pocket aces!!!
Next hand I pick up ace king suited and hope they will put me down as being on tilt when I re raise an early small stacked raiser. Anyway we end up getting it all in as my raise means he has to go all in or fold and I call the small re raise. He turns over ace king off and we split.
The very next hand I pick up the fish hooks (jacks) again surely this time!! I raise again, they will definitely think I am gone mad and I am not surprised to get re raised and follow the script of the mad man by making an over the top re raise HA HA--- He gladly calls and proudly(can you do proudly online??) turns over pocket ACES and john is on the ropes. No help from the dealer, always blame the dealer and I hit the canvas. Hook Line and Sinker I fell for it blinded by my own GREAT PLAN!!
A good kick does everyone good once in awhile.

Sick as a PIG

Just played the Brucepoker freeroll for two tickets to their tournament in Carrick on Shannon next Friday. I'm not going to go into details but I bubbled in an unusual final table that left me sick as a pig. The only comfort is that I have just seen on boards.ie that the game is off!!!!

Back Playing

Despite what I said in my last post I got back to the tables over the weekend. I started on a .02-.04 cent cash game on Saturday evening(my level) and after doubling up I used my winnings to pay for a €3 tournament on Bruce poker. There where 160 starters and with the help of some nice cards I worked my way to the last table with an average stack and with six players I was lying third when I made a misstep and took my leave. It was however my biggest online cash at $22.08, a massive cash!!! and cheap fun.
Last night I played another of our house games. I haven't made the money in one of these in LONG TIME and decided to really give this one my "A" game. I lost a big hand in the third blind level with flopped trips fell to a flopped flush-- I made a bad read!!
But I wasn't giving up and was back to third in chips when I reraised all in with Jacks and the raiser gladly called with the rockets. I lost both these pots to Liam and he went on to win comfortably. The game went so quick we played a second one and again I was going nicely when Liam raised from early position and I reraised with my pocket rockets!! The big blind called and Liam called. Flop comes 7-7-10 and Liam moves all-in???? He out played me as I put him on a ten called and he turned over ?? yes that monster that is is is 7-2 OFF. F***** B******!!!
It was actually a night of bad beats and 7-2 proved a monster Jim low stacked reraised All In blind, from the BB after Marie had raised from the SB. Marie happily called and turned over 6-6.
No he didn't hit the Seven. No it wasn't trip twos, not a straight or a flush??? The board was J-J-8-8-3 and Jim's seven kicker played!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a sick game. Liam fell in the second game in two successive hands when his A-A was beaten by 9-9, it hit a straight and then his J-J was beaten by 8-8 when the eights hit a flush. There where more but that's enough for now. At least I was behind in the two hands I went out on and have no complaints.

Summer Time

Its over a month since I posted and I have played very little poker in that time. Two house games, poor showing as usual and a few hours a week online mainly NLH mixed with the odd bit of PLO.
So why so little?? Work thankfully has been more demanding but really its the long summer evenings and some good weather. I like to spend time in my garden not a pastime for poker players. My eldest daughter has taken up Camoige and there's no better way to spend your evenings than playing with your kids or taking them to matches. So why post on a poker blog about my "Other interests". Well my advice to anyone would be don't let poker rule your life. Having others outlets for your time gives you balance and when the cards turn against you BALANCE can be vital. Its healthier for both body and mind to get away from the tables for awhile and refresh your spirit.
Anyway enough mush!! I broke one of my top rules a few weeks back when I turned on the laptop to check my email when I got home from the dogs one night. I logged onto to Brucepoker and donkey called off one hundred BBs. I KNEW HE WAS BLUFFING!!!! I had only played a few hands how could I possibly have known anything??Of course he wasn't and I lost my buy in. LESSON never play when tired!!
So next time I was determined to get my game back on track. I kept my cool made some great reads, great calls god bluffs and value bets---result--- I lost one hundred and twenty five BB's. But that's poker the river just killed me time and time again and I left the game far happier than the previous night. Since then I have got my account back into better shape with a few cashes in the Freerolls and some nice wins on the cash tables. Nothing big just nice steady play. During this time I went almost 3 hours without a pocket pair and still came out winning so I have to be happy with that.
I have also been dipping my toe into PLO. I enjoy Omaha but as I have never played live I am taking in a little practice online before I venture out. The Cue Club has been running an Omaha game on Thursday nights and while I will have a runner in Limerick next Thursday night I am hoping to make it back shortly.

Knowing your level

I follow both Colette Murphy and Nicky Powers blogs and would like to congratulate both on their recent successes. Colette won two tickets for the recent JP Masters each worth €750 and cashed for €700 at her local The Fitz when finishing 3rd in a €125 game. Nicky took down his first ever live PLO tournament also at the JP Masters adding over €3000 to his bankroll.
Am I jealous? Are these the sort of results I aspire to?Not in the slightest and of course I would like to cash figures like that. But these guys play at a different level to me just now and just as I love to watch Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson or Phil Laak playing High Stakes I know I can't afford to play at any thing like these levels. There are four different No limit hold'em games, online tournament and cash plus live tournament and cash. Online I have accounts on both Boyles and Bruce which have small balance and I play tournaments and cash at very low buyin's and blinds. If I am good enough my balance will increase and allow me to play at higher levels if not then I am playing the right games. I am not willing to buy myself into bigger money games by lodging more money to my accounts so in this way I will find my own level online.
The live game is a little different. As I have said before I don't have a bankroll but when I have a few quid to spare I like to play. Tomorrow night I am off to the Cue Club again to try and win a ticket for the Munster Open. If I win one I'll play if I don't well then I will have to give it a miss. That's my level, I play small local event's and satts for bigger events.
What about Live Cash?? This is the hardest one!! I can play 5 cent 10 cent blinds online and take as little as a few dollars to a table but the smallest Live games are 1-2 euro blinds and you can't really sit at a table with less than €100 and really a bit more wouldn't go astray. So I have only ever played once in a live casino game and lost my whole buy-in in what was a great move until the river hit!!! However due to the kind donations of a few Limerick bookmakers I am thinking of giving it another go!!