Experimentation

Here's a fun poker hand from the weekend action.

I've been experimenting with my style - trying to be a bit more deceptive in the early stages of SNG where there are still enough chips in relation to the blinds to allow some scope for manouevre, and there's the chance to stack opponents and get an early lead.

Traditional theory has it that a hand like 53s is worth limping in with in late position when there's a good price being obtained.

However the drawback of that is when you really hit the flop it's often pretty obvious to opponents that you could be playing that sort of hand, so TPTK is a lot easier to get away from - for some players.

There's also the risk that a savvy player in the blinds who looks down at something like AK/AQ, or a medium pair, will stick in a big raise to try to pick off the limpers.

So, opening with a raise holding baby cards in EP has two advantages.

Firstly, it's highly deceptive as to what I'm holding. It's the same raise I'd put in with AA/KK.

Secondly, AK guy might choose to smooth call - fearing a monster - meaning I get to see a relatively cheap flop, and if he sticks in a chunky reraise I can easily get away from the hand.

How I play after the flop determines whether this strategy gives me an edge or not, since more often than not I'm going to get called somewhere. On occasion it is enough to steal the blinds, which makes it an excellent bet.

As this hand illustrates, success can be rewarding, but there are pitfalls too. If I'd flopped a flush draw here, instead of a straight, I could have been in a world of pain.

My pre-flop raise let me take a free card when I needed it, and I'm pretty sure left my opponent thinking I had something like AQ or JJ. Meaning when I hit on the river it was very well disguised.

It doesn't always go so smoothly, but there are other ways to win too. This is an example where I got lucky on the river.

There are a few interesting things about this second hand.

Note the way my opponent underbets the flop and turn. He doesn't reraise me all-in when he has the chance on the turn.

At this point, it's obvious we've both misread the other - but I have a safety net that will rescue me on a lot more occasions than he expects.

The way he had bet, I figured him for a middle pair, and thought he'd put me on AK or similar. So, I thought I might be able to push him off on the turn with a decent reraise to represent a big overpair, whilst knowing I had straight and flush draws to fall back on.

As it happens, a big overpair is exactly the hand he was hoping I had, since he'd flopped a set of fours.

So, when he reraises on the turn, I'm left to call getting approx 4/1 to hit a slightly worse than 3/1 river.

His remaining small stack makes the actual implied odds more like 5/1, since it's virtually impossible for him to fold if I hit on the river.

Whereas with blinds at 15/30 I can still escape if I miss with a playable 880 chips left.

For every example where it works as planned, there are several cases where I need to fold to a chunky reraise, or hit such a horrible flop that checking and folding is the only option.

The advantage is, I can minimise the downside and maximise the upside, which should make this a winning play when I'm on my game.

A less obvious benefit is, this is one heck of a fun way to play poker!

Winning a big pot with aces or kings often gives me a feeling which is more one of relief, or righteousness, rather than exhilaration.

Often I find myself willing my opponents to fold to my turn or river bet, fearing he is going to turn over some bizarre 2-pair hand to crack my monster. There's hardly a river card I can really like.

When he folds, or calls with a lesser pair, I can breathe again, and stack the chips.

You can imagine my expression when the river appeared in the first hand above. Not only had I hit, but I knew I was getting paid!

The emotion was glee and delight, not relief. Much more rewarding, and much more fun.

It's A Funny Old Game

Some hobbies can be a welcome escape from the harsh realities of day-to-day life.

People can have fun blowing off steam by hitting the gym, going to a gig, watching a game of football, or just having a few beers with their pals.

Poker isn't quite like that. The mental strain can actually accentuate, rather than ease, the tensions of the 'real world'.

Not always though. Much as I used to do with computer games, I find when I'm 'in the zone' other worries fade away and only the game matters.

Last night was one of the bad nights. I played five SNG on Stars, finishing 97766.

A pretty abysmal showing, and while I could point to the usual array of bad beats, I made just as many mistakes as my opponents.

I wasn't actually feeling a great urge to play, but I felt obliged to get a few games in. Some PC problems have kept me otherwise engaged over the last few nights, and I wanted to rack up a few games.

Even the number of games played is indicative of my state of mind. I've been playing sets of four, but somehow I managed to simultaneously sign up for five. Not concentrating. No focus. Lazy, distracted thinking.

The most +EV thing I did all night was log out before I could commit to another set.

Tonight was a different story. For whatever reason I felt focused and ready.

The result? Success number one, I managed to register for the correct number of games. Success number two, four cashes - finishing 2131

Yeah baby. That's more like it!

The most gratifying game was the final win, not just because it put the icing on the cake, but because at one point a truly donktastic call - and subsequent suck-out - by an opponent left me with less than 2BB when we were seven handed.

Yet I clawed my way back and ultimately defeated the earlier misguided caller in heads up play.

Perhaps I should be back at the tables instead of writing this, but I'm knackered tonight, and an early morning optician appointment awaits.

Can't win at poker if I can't see the cards!

HORSEd

I've just read on Blonde Poker that the Final Table of the $50k HORSE event will be all No Limit Hold Em.

Seems like a missed opportunity to me. I wonder how far in advance the players knew about the set-up.

Music To Play Poker By (in Vegas)

We haven't had one of these for a while, so I thought I'd slip in a quick dedication for all those lucky bloggers who are converging on Vegas.

Hard-Fi - Living For The Weekend

A cracking track, and just perfect lyrics for the occasion. I also heard a rumour the lead singer is almost as ancient as me. Nice to know some of us oldsters can still cut it.

Got some money to spend
Living for the weekend
When it gets too much
I live for the rush
Got some money to spend
Living for the weekend

Have a great time you lucky sods.

SNG King

I think I'll stick to the baby buy-ins for a while yet, but perhaps start to feed in a few of the bigger games at the weekend when the opposition seems to be softer.
    - Me, a few days ago

I really shouldn't post these things. Last night I couldn't help myself and fired up four $20 tables simultaneously.

As I expected they were tougher than the weekend $10 tables, but no tougher than the weekday $10 tables. At least that's how it felt to me.

The proportion of multitablers who know what they are doing seems slightly higher at this level. I guess that's an inevitability.

My results comprised a 7, 5, 2 and 1, which according to PokerTracker is a 63.64% ROI.

Yeah, yeah, tiny sample size, but I just wanted to put that number on screen, since it looks so pretty.

It would have been even better if I hadn't been outplayed heads up in the 2nd place finish. Albeit, flopping top pair of queens against slow played kings isn't so easy to put down heads up.

June Summary

I didn't get to play as much poker in June as I'd hoped for - particularly in the first half of the month.

When I did play, I stuck primarily to SNG. Alternating between No Limit Hold Em, Pot Limit Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha 8OB, and at one point I even found myself in a LIMIT Omaha game. I think I misclicked somewhere along the line.

It was a winning month, and I had fun. SNG are quite liberating, as the time commitment is fairly well defined, and the maximum win/loss is predetermined.

I played one crazy game where I got bad beat down to under 2BB by the table moron, was all in next hand, won, all in again next hand, won, and within a few minutes was monster chip leader having bubbled out the moron.

So dominant was my lead the other two players were effectively competing to fold their way to second so that by the time it was heads up, I was a 10/1 chip leader.

I lost!

The other guy simply couldn't lose a hand. It didn't matter how strong our respective starting cards were.

Yet I wasn't perturbed in the slightest - being just happy to have made the money after being so short stacked.

In a cash game a swing like that would have me climbing the walls. In a SNG it was just an interesting talking point.

Since it's now halfway through the year I want to do a quick review of my targets for the year...

Learn New Games

I'm on track for this, after devoting a fair amount of time to Stud-8OB and Omaha-8OB in the early part of the year.

During the latter part of the year I aim to have a go at 7 Card Stud and perhaps Triple Draw. I've already added 7 Card Stud For Advanced Players to my poker library, on Felicia's recommendation.

Play Live More

Woeful. I can barely recall what a chip looks like. Very disappointing, but the dual demands of work and family take precedence of course.

Move Up Limits

I've had some success here. $3/6 is now my default limit game, and I'm gearing up for a slightly higher SNG level too.

I've not been playing enough big bet cash this year to justify moving anywhere beyond the $50 and $100 tables. That may change later in the year.

Take Some Shots

Nope. Another failure. I just haven't felt able to commit the time to any form of MTT events, so trying to satellite my way into bigger events just hasn't been on my radar.

The only events I've taken a shot at have been blogger freerolls.

Meet More Bloggers

Well I managed to add Joe Speaker to the small list of bloggers I've met so far, and of course, The Tank became a temporary blogger. That was a spectacular weekend!

Again, plans are afoot to improve my performance later in the year.

Clear $6,000

Pah. If only!

After getting stuck in January, I gradually clawed my way out of the hole and I'm now back in black but way, way off the pace for making $6,000.

I'm optimistic I can improve my performance in the second half, but pessimistic about hitting my final target. Time will tell.

Overall I'm probably about a C- at present, but I can see scope for improvement in some areas at least.

Here's hoping!

Stars On Multitable

I'm liking the new PokerStars client, which is currently in beta testing.

Resizeable windows means I've been getting in a fair number of SNGs. Sets of four on my piddly 17" monitor are probably ergonomically unsound, but perfectly playable.



One small tip if you use PokerTracker. The auto-request of tourney results doesn't work with the beta client, so you need to log-out and log into the normal client before running the request.

Also, make sure your hand histories are saving to the usual folder.

I'd never present myself as the ultimate authority on any poker subject, but I do have a few observations on the Stars low buy-in SNG, of which I've been playing mostly $10 9-handed.

During the week I've been fairly consistent, whereas over the weekend my results are much more variable.

Tonight, for example, I kicked off a set of four in quick succession and within 15 minutes was out of three with two 8th and one 7th finishes - being dispatched by two hands where I was 3/1 favourite and one where I'd already got shortstacked and lost as a 4/6 dog.

Meanwhile, in game 4 I'd already accumulated 10,000 of the 13,500 chips in play, and we were already on the bubble. The other three opponents were quickly finished off.

I'd felt during the week that I was playing really well. Applying pressure to my opponents and taking down lots and lots of small pots to gradually chip up. Stealing and re-stealing wherever possible.

Such was my confidence, I even went so far as to recce a few of the $30 tables. For some reason there didn't seem to be any $20 STT available midweek; though I see there are tonight.

Unfortunately the players were showing up on SharkScope with a fair number of nasty finned icons accompanying their names. Discretion overcame valour, and I stuck to the $10 tables.

Trying my weekday style at the weekend, I got destroyed in the first few games. Suddenly, any pair is gold. Ace high is always worth seeing a turn card, etc.

A rapid revertion to ultra tight play, and entirely unsubtle betting, reaped me a few wins.

Instead of chipping up, it's a matter of hoarding jealously until a big hand arrives, then making a big raise and confidently expecting to get called or re-raised by A3s, A7o, 22, 98s, etc.

Another difference is the midweek games tend to drag on for a lot longer, which actually means the end-game plays like a turbo. With running antes and large blinds, the only sensible move becomes all-in or fold.

It's amazing how many players fail to adapt to this - limping, or calling raises for quarter of their stack, then folding to a bet on the flop.

For what it's worth, my current ROI according to PokerTracker is 21.21% at the $10 level. Of course this is on a very small sample size, and I've no idea if it's good/bad/indifferent.

I'm winning, so it can't be too awful? For a few days SharkScope was showing my form rating as 'hot' which was pleasingly ego stroking.

I think I'll stick to the baby buy-ins for a while yet, but perhaps start to feed in a few of the bigger games at the weekend when the opposition seems to be softer.

It's a combination of game selection, and strategy adaptation. Finding the optimum blend is the challenge for now.

Well, that and maintaining concentration and commitment. My hat goes off to the Tanks and Nerds of the world who can rattle off dozens of these at a time!

Small doses are great fun, but I wouldn't like to do it for a living.

Book Review: Swimming With The Devilfish

When I first heard word of this book, I got a horrible sinking feeling. My gut reaction, based purely on the title, was 'poker boom cash-in'.

As it happens, I needn't have worried. A glowing back-page testimonial from friend-of-the-author Anthony Holden set my mind at rest, and within a few pages I was hooked.

The title in itself is slightly misleading. This book is not purely about The Devilfish, though he does merit several chapters to himself. Which effectively comprise a concise biography of his life from larcenous teenage years through to his current luxurious lifestyle as a poker personality, as well as player.

Instead what the reader is treated to is a series of mini-biographies of many of the old timers from the UK and Ireland scene - who blazed a trail on Late Night Poker, and who are collectively labelled The Usual Suspects by the author.

Players such as Dave Colclough, Simon Trumper, Lucy Rokach, and The Hendon Mob are covered in detail.

Newer arrivals on the scene, such as Andrew Black and Paul Jackson, are also given their due.

It is one of the strengths of the book that each story is told predominantly in the words of the subject. The author, Des Wilson, spent a lot of time with the players and clearly gained their confidence.

The narrative thread which brings these biographies together is a history of the UK poker scene covering casino venues such as The Vic in London; the underground 'spielers', where poker really was played behind reinforced doors in run down buildings; and more recently the quasi-legal poker rooms such as Gutshot and The Western; and the online exploits of both old and new generations.

Wilson also examines the dark side of life on the poker circuit. The strange hours, bad eating habits, financial strains, and destructive effect on family life which the lifestyle can impose on the full-time pros.

He investigates the way some spieler games were built around a solitary 'star'. Not a great player, but a weak one. Usually a rich amateur on whom the pros feasted.

The biggest strength of this book is the honesty of the players to whom Wilson has gained access.

While they clearly love the game, they do not shirk from their woes - be they going broke, a compulsion to gamble winnings away on craps, or in some cases, brushes with the law which have led to jail time.

The difference between cash and tournament poker is explained, and the author offers his own thoughts on the future of the game - which you may, or may not, agree with.

This book is a great behind-the-scenes insight into the life of the pros. Less glamorous than one might expect, and laden with pitfalls.

Personally, I was amazed by the diabolical bankroll management skills some pros exhibit, but in awe of their ability to bounce back, and envious of their freewheeling approach to life.

There is, however, a note of caution for those who idealise the poker pro lifestyle, as several of the older players confess to having no financial planning in place for their retirement, and instead foresee their playing career extending well into their elderly years.

My one criticism would be on the production side.

While the book is well written, it would have benefited from a more scrupulous proof reading by someone who knew the poker scene well.

Several irritating mistakes on things such as the spelling of player names, and sudden switches between $ and £ signs disrupted my concentration on the narrative.

Still these are relatively trivial complaints. On the whole this is a compelling read, and a worthy addition to any poker library.

Time Flies...

...when you are enjoying yourself.

It feels almost surreal to recognise it's a year since I became a dad.

In that time our daughter has progressed from this...



to this...



to this...



She isn't walking yet, and she hasn't got any teeth, but my goodness she can crawl like a demon, and she eats better than some adults I know.

She also has a personality that isn't to be messed with! Much like her parents.

There have been plenty stressful moments over the last year, but Mrs Div and I wouldn't change it for anything. Nothing makes us happier than seeing our daughter happy.

Just writing that brings a tear to my eye.

How To Scramble Your Brains

Attempt to play simultaneous Pot Limit Omaha SNG.

One High/Low. One High only.

Much the same as trying to rub your tummy whilst patting your head.

Well, at least they weren't turbos!

I Think I'm On To Something...

...with my 'better to get killed in the little games and win the big ones' theory.

If it's running true, I should enter the Sunday night biggies this week, as I must have a karma stockpile larger than Everest by now.

Closes eyes, counts to ten, repeats mantra '85% means you still lose 15-in-a-hundred, 85% means you still lose 15-in-a-hundred, 85% means you still lose 15-in-a-hundred'

Seriously, it's all good fun. The only major hand I won tonight was when I got shortstacked and pushed into a reraise with 77. The guy insta-called with 99 and I hit my 7 to survive. So it's not all one way.

The daft thing is, I thought to myself, I'll play some micro games to get a few wins under my belt and build up my confidence before I play a bit higher, but I'm barely even cashing in the micros!

I'm not playing at 100%, but I'm playing well enough to beat people who open limp for 20% of their stack when the blinds are high, people whose play is so transparent I can name precisely what they are betting (the bare ace on a flush board into my made baby flush), people who have no strategic thought whatsoever.

All it needs is a few friendlier turn/river cards and all will be well again.

Recently I read an interview with Andy Black in which he cites discipline as the key attribute which made him a success in his early days.

Paraphrased he states that when you are playing lots of bad players, all you need to do is play solid, wait them out, and you will show a profit.

It's an approach I intuitively adopted when I first started playing, but then I got fancy move syndrome for a while.

Tonight I felt I was back to playing the basics well. Which is a good foundation to build on for the rest of fun month.

Hopefully I'll get some time at the weekend to take a shot at a few of the Stars 180 seaters. I like the look of them in terms of duration, buy-in, and scope for hitting a decent payday.

Famous last words!

Benefits of Blogging

This site isn't ever going to make me rich, but it does have some nice perks.

I've met some great people, had some fun nights out, enjoyed the writing challenge, and every so often there are additional benefits.

Like tonight's blogger tourney, which I completely forgot about until I read Mean Gene reporting he had been knocked out.

So I quickly logged in - 90 minutes late - and saw I still had 500 chips left, and had just been dealt 77 UTG. Err, all-in.

Called by 98s. Race. The Stars RNG saw fit to throw up another two sevens, and I was back in action.

Fifteen minutes later I'm flirting with an average chip stack. Miraculous.

Returning to the perks theme - Mrs Div was incredulous when I told her Full Tilt actually give me a few dollars each month for advertising - though it's probably more to do with page ranking than site visibility.

Nice to know her opinion of my blog is so high.

Another perk I recently discovered is free review copies.

Any poker books I've previously reviewed have been bought with my own money, so in the interests of balance I figure it's worth declaring my upcoming review of Swimming With The Devilfish will be courtesy of the publisher's PR machine.

Back to the tourney now. Unlike last year I've found a table where people actually chat. Having fun...

(Edit: Just busted out. How 65s can't beat KK I do not know!)

Bollard Tilt

I was planning some NLHE fun last night, until I took a call from Mrs Div.

"You're going to hate me", she blurted through the tears.

She needn't have said any more. I already knew the rest.

Well, that's what car insurance is for I suppose. In truth the damage isn't too bad, and, as the old cliche goes, nobody got hurt.

A hefty dent in the passenger door courtesy of an unnoticed bollard shouldn't pose too many challenges for the body shop.

There was no way I was fit to play NLHE after that news. The insurance premium rise would have paled into insignificance alongside what I could easily have donked off given the chance.

Instead I did the sensible thing, and launched another invasion of Brazil.

After several failed strategies involving cunning pincer movements, air bombardments and naval blockades, I stumbled upon the best strategy for winning a jungle campaign.

Build loads of infantry and artillery and march straight in, blasting the hell out of everything that gets in your way.

Relentless, brutal, merciless. It felt good. Strangely therapeutic.

Net result for the evening, our nice shiny new car has acquired a dent, but I'm benign dictator of all South America. Not a bad result I suppose.

Lucky Man

Tonight I'm babysitting/World Cup watching, whilst Mrs Div aka 'The Keeper' has a night out at Hamilton Park race course with her workmates.

Just who is the degenerate gambler in this household?

The first race was won at 10/1 by Outrageous Flirt. Given the propensity for the girls to bet on horses based on name, colours, attractiveness of stable lads, etc. I'm expecting some of them paid for their night out pretty quickly.

Last night the mundanity of the Brazil v Croatia game inspired me to fire up PokerStars for the first time in a while. I broke myself back in gently with a mighty $5 Hold Em SNG.

Which didn't last long, when my dominating Ace couldn't stand up to the chip leaders call of my re-raise and his A6 paired the six on the flop and sent me packing.

Such is life. It was just a bit of fun anyway.

It did however remind me of a conversation I recently had with Teacake, which touched on some of the luck v skill debates which have been ongoing within the blogosphere over the past few weeks.

He has been particularly unlucky in a few big situations recently - dominating Aces losing to kickers that pair, overpairs losing to baby pairs that make their sets, etc.

Which happens, and which isn't particularly unlucky when seen in the context of all the instances where they do hold up over time.

What IS unlucky is that it keeps happening in big situations - deep in online tourneys, or at live final tables, where losing a 3/1 shot can mean a difference of many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars.

The cards are blind to the situation, but the players aren't. As I said to him, it would be better to get killed in a $10 SNG and have the big hands hold up when it REALLY mattered.

For someone who plays only a single type of game, this isn't a consideration, but I'd guess almost everyone varies their games over time.

In my own case, I can generally be found playing anything from $5 SNG through $100 cash games online.

Seeing it from that perspective, I should probably class my minor accident last night as a 'good beat', since I'd rather it happened early in a $5 SNG than all-in pre-flop in one of my bigger buy-in cash games a la Greenstein v Farha. (Of course while Barry got done for over $350,000 losing a $300 pot would have more impact on me)

In keeping with my plan for the month of playing whatever the hell takes my fancy, I went from NLHE last night to PLO8 tonight.

I love watching people play PLO8 who have obviously transitioned from Hold Em without giving it a great deal of consideration.

The concept of a scoop, or drawing to the nuts, is entirely alien to most of them. Which makes for wild action in what should really be a pretty conservative game.

I always like to sit back for the first few orbits to spy the lie of the land, and pick out the guy who thinks reraising with 2s5h5s8c pre-flop out of position is a genius move.

Taking it seriously is a big no-no, but it is fun to play, and watch.

Which is at least part of the point of playing poker, is it not?

So tonight I'm enjoying myself. Embracing the good beats as long lost cousins, and revelling in the fact they don't actually mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

My Name Is Div...

...and I'm a gameaholic.

No poker all week. I physically didn't feel capable of playing on Monday or Tuesday due to lack of sleep and residual hangover pains. Showing my age with that statement for sure!

Instead I delved into a game I'd bought last year but never got into - Hearts of Iron II. By Wednesday I was hooked.

I've always been a sucker for strategy wargames. Which is probably reflected in my poker style. Fairly tight/aggressive, with the occasional creative move thrown in.

The patience which these games demands is certainly an attribute at the table.

On the downside, they are so damn time consuming, and I get so obsessive that time just flies by.

This week I've been playing as Argentina, and found myself in the situation where at a fairly late hour I say to myself 'I'll wrap up the conquest of Bolivia then head off to bed', only to have my lead troops storming across the Columbian border to the soundtrack of the dawn chorus outside my window.

Huh, where did the night go?

I can't motivate myself to get back to the tables until all of South America is mine. Which should be tomorrow night hopefully.

What a saddo!

Post Hangover

So Joe Speaker has been and gone. At least I'm hoping he's gone. I certainly haven't heard that he missed his flight!

This is his holiday, so I'll leave the full report to him, but I'm presuming his weekend notes go something along the lines:

Friday - travel, booze
Saturday - booze, poker, booze, girls
Sunday - football, booze, clubs, booze

I certainly had a blast, though my liver is feeling the pain.

Saturday night in particular was a real hoot. Other attendees including The Tank, and several of my other poker playing friends.

I didn't take many pictures, but here's a snapshot from my camera phone of two online MTT specialists battling it out in a £20 SNG.


Centre is Joe Speaker, and to his left, one of my oldest friends, and recent online winner, Teacake.

Special mention has to go to Mrs Div, who not only looked after the baby and gave me free rein for the entire weekend, but also sanctioned my attendance at some establishments of dubious moral provenance. Three cheers for my better half!

On the poker side, we dropped into The Cincinnati Club for a couple of hours, and got involved in a few satellites to the evening £10k guaranteed event.

In fact I only played one, which lasted an absolute eternity, through a combination of one very talkative drunk guy, and the short-stacks who wouldn't die.

So rare have been my live appearances this year that I felt like a total rookie again. The buzz of a semi-bluff check-raise on a very scary flop reminded me what I've been missing.

It felt even better when the semi-bluff got there on the turn and I raked a big pot when the villain's two-pair went down to my straight.

My chips then fell victim to the resilient short stacks. The rot starting when AK wasn't good enough to take down talkative drunk guy's AQ - all-in pre-flop.

Eventually I busted 5th. Which wasn't too upsetting, since the weekend was about socialising not poker - though the cash would have come in handy later.

Another member of the group, Rod Paradise, did somewhat better and scooped the £200 in the second satellite.

We won't be letting him forget his new nickname, coined by a visiting Californian - River Rod. Say no more!

I hope Joe Speaker enjoyed his trip to Scotland as much as I did. I'm hoping to catch up with him, and others, in Vegas later this year.

The Speaker Has Landed

Interim trip report from Mr Speaker: "No cavity search"

May Summary

Back in black. BACK IN BLACK.

Yes, I'm officially unstuck for the year, which means the online bankroll is now at a record high.

Given that I had hoped to win $6000 this year, that probably shouldn't be cause for great celebration, as I'm effectively almost back where I started with 5/12 of the year already gone, but it does feel good.

May saw me make a small but significant step forwards, as I finally faced up to the evidence of my bankroll, and recognised that I really should be playing $3/6 Limit Hold Em.

In fact, I'm actually bankrolled for $5/10 at a push, and I could certainly justify $4/8 - if there were more games available.

Yet for months, I've been stalling on making the move.

Two things gave me the spur I needed.

Firstly, my results started to turn around and my confidence returned. I found myself making more positional moves against the *right* opponents, and making good folds on the flop/turn based on my feel for the game.

Secondly, Iggy posted a link to a great article on the cost of the rake.

This made me realise the longer I scratched around at $2/4 and $1/2, the more I was punishing myself whilst lining the pockets of mysterious billionaires.

So from now on $3/6 is my preferred game. If I can't find a good game at that level, I'll still make use of the $2/4 tables as a fallback, but only when necessary.

So far I haven't seen any real difference in the standard of play. There's a warm fuzzy feeling - familiar only to poker players - which comes from sitting at a nine handed table and seeing five fish icons spread around the virtual felt.

The bets do feel more meaningful, but the beats haven't felt any worse.

Conversely the wins DO feel better. I was beginning to get quite blase about raking in pots at $1/2 and $2/4. They just didn't feel significant in the grand scheme of things.

I've pulled in a couple of $3/6 pots that have felt VERY nice indeed.

Moving up limits was one of my goals for 2006. Another of my goals was to meet more bloggers, which I'll be doing this weekend. Not only is Joe Speaker coming to town, but I think Matt Milne might be around too.

Those faithful few readers who follow me will know that another goal this year was to play more poker variants, which I've done by focusing on one variant on a month-by-month basis.

I'm taking a break from that in June, which I'm officially designating as 'poker is fun' month.

This month I'm going to play whatever the hell I feel like. Whether it be a NLH cash, PLO8 SNG, Stud MTT, whatever.

I might even take a few shots at satelliting into bigger events, where time constraints allow.

I'm back, and it feels good!

Fate Is A Fickle Thing

A few days ago I posted a link to a blog about eBay cheat Amir Massoud Tofangsazan.

At the time I just wanted to give the blog a little boost in the Google index, since it seemed like a worthy cause. Smart, witty guy outsmarts low-life fraudster and low-grade sex offender(and possible terrorist sympathiser).

Well, it seems I needn't have bothered since, judging by the site hit counter and comments, the news has spread far and wide very rapidly.

Amir is suddenly a very, very famous young crook.

Simultaneously, and completely oblivious to these events, the latest desperate collection of delusional exhibitionists and morons have settled into the Big Brother house.

Given the choice, I'd see and hear nothing more from any of them. Unfortunately for me, Mrs Div is somewhat addicted to this car crash TV, hence I can't avoid it.

Each of these people craves only one thing. Fame.

Not fame of the best player in Europe; mesmerising actress; brilliant scientist type - just fame of the 'do you know who I am' variety.

For most of them, it's a forlorn hope. They will get their 15 minutes, but ultimately the odds are they will drift back to their mediocre lives, to be remembered only as that psychotic girl who got shagged under a table live on TV, that really ignorant guy who pissed in the kitchen bin, that really, really stupid one (multiple cases), etc.

They will have a few weeks of parties, premieres, and interviews, but eventually the invites will dry up, and it will be back to the job pages for them.

Some of them do manage to forge alternative careers, as porn TV presenters or topless models.

Very rarely one of them gets sickeningly lucky and morphs into a Jade Goody type media 'celebrity' of the kind famous only for being famous, but shit happens. Sometimes rapists win the lottery.

From some reports, there's a fair chance a few of them will end up (even more) psychologically damaged, and of even less use to society than they already are.

What's certain is they will be nowhere near as famous and well remembered as they fervently desire to be.

Meanwhile, Amir wishes he could say the same. Such is life.

Poker Is A Game Of...

Poker is a game of chance
Poker is a game of people
Poker is a game of decisions
Poker is a game of skill
Poker is a game of bluffing
Poker is a game of incentives
Poker is a game of information
Poker is a game of uncertainty
Poker is a game of control
Poker is a game of situations

Not my thoughts on poker - though many of them I agree with - but rather those returned from a simple Google search.

To that list, I'd like to add one of my own:

Poker is a game of mental fortitude

Is there any other game in the world that can be so cruel, yet so rewarding?

Since taking up poker about two years ago, I've had highs and lows. Nights where I could do no wrong, and nights where I couldn't win a hand.

It's been an adventure, an experience, and a challenge.

More than most amateurs, I've taken to study. My poker library, and online resource lists are substantial and still growing.

Yet all the books in the world are no substitute for experience. Getting out there and putting my cash on the table, seeing the flops, making decisions, and feeling the elation of raking a big pot, the despair of my chips sliding in the direction of an opponent.

When I'm not playing, I'm reading; when I'm not reading, I'm writing; and when I'm not writing, I'm thinking. Much to the chagrin of the wife.

Every so often she catches me with a distant look on my face, and instinctively knows I'm rerunning a recent, or not so recent, hand in my mind.

Often that look is somewhat pained, since in poker it feels so natural to dwell on the negative, and discount the positive.

Which sets it apart from most other sports, where the positive is accentuated, and the negative allowed to slip away.

Generally after a football game it's easy to forget about the howlers - misplaced passes, sliced shots, missed tackles - and focus on the highs, whether they be a goal, a save, or just the result.

In poker, it's different. I need Poker Tracker to remind me when my Aces last won a 15BB pot, or my straight draw outdrew a flopped set, but I can still remember low points from the distant past.

These need not necessarily be suckouts - though they often are - but also terrible misplays. Slow plays gone bad, fishy calls, misread opponents. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes. Ours or theirs.

Which is where mental fortitude comes in. In very few sports can you play well against an inferior opponent, do everything right, induce or exploit their error, and still lose.

There's a helplessness that comes from getting the chips in the middle knowing you are ahead, only to see victory snatched away by a cruel turn of the cards.

With helplessness comes despair, especially since there are so few means of exacting retribution. The raging footballer can tackle more strongly; the boxer can punch harder; the athlete can throw further, jump higher, run faster.

Liberation through physical exertion. Waves of endorphins cascading through the brain. They may not win, but they can gain near instant resolution of their inner torment.

The poker player? They can tilt, and lose more.

Or, weather the storm, grit their teeth, and remind themselves it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Which is oh so tough to do. Human nature drives us towards instant gratification.

Sucked out on? We want revenge.

Down a buy-in from a silly mistake? We want to redeem ourselves. Now!

Poker just doesn't work that way. Sure a few bluffs can force the action, and regain some lost ground. In the short term, until our opponents recognise the changing dynamic of the game, and begin to take advantage.

Ultimately, folding a bad hand 'earns' us as much as betting a good one. Which is not an easy pathway to that sought after gratification.

The player with mental fortitude understands that, and gets on with their normal game.

The player without mental fortitude tilts, and lets a good decision gone bad become a series of bad decisions gone worse. As stronger players sense their deteriorating mental state and covet their chips mercilessly.

With experience comes the ability to ride out the storm, and maintain equilibrium.

It's not something which can be learned from a book, and different people will find their own coping mechanisms, but it's an essential part of the poker players armoury.

Reading other blogs has certainly been of assistance in fortifying myself against the cruel downswings.

Books are fine for learning about probabilities, pot odds, and strategies, but being able to see inside the minds of players in similar situations to my own, having them share their emotions and experiences, has helped me better understand my own feelings and enabled me to manage my responses to frustrating situations.

Equally, this blog has provided a safe outlet for my emotions, when otherwise they may have been expressed in a more reckless, and financially disastrous, manner at the table.

Maintaining mental fortitude is but one piece of the jigsaw which forms a good poker player, but it's an essential piece.

Inability to accurately compute pot odds will cost the occasional bet. Inability to maintain composure in the face of bad luck will cost your stack.

It's something I'm still working on, and I suggest you do too.

Amir Massoud Tofangsazan

Amir Massoud Tofangsazan. What a wanker!

Don't you just hate eBay rip-off merchants?

Is It That Time Already?

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

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

Registration code: 7330476

Last year I played like a vegetable.

Maybe I can manage something a little further up the food chain this time. A donkey perhaps.

New bloggers can sign up to play here.

Holiday

Does three nights away from home count as a holiday? It does when you have a ten month old baby!

Friday saw the Div family heading for Center Parcs in Whinfell Forest. Not the most exotic of locations, but a decent location for a short break.

The drive down went very smoothly despite the inclement weather, and I discovered yet another benefit of the array of gadgets in the new car.

Heading southbound on the M74 we were passed by a white Audi which was fairly whizzing along. Within a few hundred yards I was surprised to find us quickly catching him as he braked sharply in the middle lane.

The reason for his manoeuvre was perched atop a flyover about 1/4-mile ahead. A mobile police speedcam unit.

Fortunately for me the cruise control was dialed in at bang on 70mph. If I'd been driving manually, I'd probably have been scooting along a fair bit faster, and would be expecting 3 points and a fine to be dropping through my letterbox anyday now.

Upon arrival at Center Parcs we found ourselves housed in a chalet backing directly on to the surrounding forest, and were soon introduced to our neighbours - a couple of pheasants, who at various times of the weekend were joined by a succession of rabbits, ducks, and a solitary red squirrel.

All of whom kept the baby amused as they loitered outside within easy viewing range.

Which was just as well, since the incessant rain somewhat curtailed our own activity plans.

Saturday was very much indoor activities day, as we took the baby for her first ever foray into a swimming pool.

Given her love of bathtime we were hopeful she would enjoy the experience, but still somewhat apprehensive.

We needn't have worried. She loved it. So much so that we made a second visit on Sunday.

Saturday was also my chance to experience for the first time the namby pamby world of the luxury spa, where Mrs Div had booked me in for an 'Executive Combi' - a back, neck, face and head massage.

Which was sheer bliss, and possibly made even more blissful by the fact the masseuse was not just talented and personable, but also extremely pretty.

Slightly disconcerting was the realisation that her name (Kayleigh) and my estimate of her age (twentyish) meant there was a chance her parents were Marillion fans, who had named her after their most famous song - released when I was well through my secondary school years. Yikes, I AM that old!

On the subject of music, I actually found myself watching Eurovision on Saturday night. That's what having no internet access can do to a man.

As Europe fragments into smaller and smaller states, the performances on Eurovision get more and more amusing. This year half the acts seemed to be rip offs of western acts - the Ukrainian Kylie, Croatian Beyonce, etc.

The eventual winners - the Finnish Slipknot.

You absolutely could not make it up!

On Sunday we made the most of a small window of drier weather to go for a lengthy stroll around the camp. During which we discovered the Birds of Prey centre, where a variety of feathered predators were perched in open huts visible from the nearby paths.

Our initial reaction was one of awe, especially at the sight of a huge owl which looked capable of carrying off a small dog.

Watching a few of the birds spread their wings and attempt to fly off, only to be held close to the ground by the tethers around their legs made both of us feel very uncomfortable, and more than a little sad. We didn't loiter.

I couldn't help thinking such amazing creatures deserve a more dignified existence than to be objects of curiosity for human tourists.

As we meandered through a children's playpark, my attention was attracted by an innocuous confrontation between two toddlers, who were play boxing amidst a throng of children and parents.

Suddenly the taller and beefier of the two launched a flurry of bodyshots that would have made Ricky Hatton proud, sending the smaller kid to the ground amidst a torrent of tears.

The aghast parents rushed in to restore the peace, and extract a grudging apology from beefy kid.

I couldn't help but smile, after all boys will be boys, but at the same time I wonder what joys I have to look forward to as our baby grows up.

The mix of customers at the camp was a little surprising. Predictably the majority were family groups, mostly with kids ranging from toddlers to mid-teens, but there were also some small groups of late-teens through to mid-twenties, and even a few couples who appeared to be on romantic breaks.

If I was in either of the latter two categories, Center Parcs would be low down my list of preferred destinations. For the same price, a couple could hop over to Barcelona or Rome for the weekend, rather than spend it trudging around an artificial lake in the Cumbrian wetlands. Each to their own I suppose.

On the whole it was a nice enough weekend.

The facilities were fine, except for the atrocious lumpy beds - another reason to put it low down the romantic break list.

The staff were very good - with the exception of the waiters in pseudo-French bistro Chez Pierre. Sullen, slow, and aloof. Perhaps they were just in character.

We probably went a bit too soon for Baby Div to get much benefit from the facilities - swimming excepted - as it's really more geared towards slightly older kids.

The change of scene was nice, though I doubt we will be rushing back.

Barcelona

Mrs Div: 'Your blog's gotten pretty boring recently'
Me: 'Yeah, I know, but I'm not playing enough poker to write about it'
Mrs Div: 'Well, it's called Poker, Pique, and Parenthood. Write about something else.'

So true. Tonight is pique night...

I was REALLY looking forward to tonight's Champions League Final. The best club competition in the world, with two of the best footballing teams meeting in the final, in a great city, in a fantastic stadium.

For Celtic fans, we had the added spice of Henrik Larsson, one of the greatest ever players to grace our jersey, lining up for Barcelona in a game which would deliver a guaranteed Champions League place to Celtic were he to triumph.

Sometimes these occasions don't live up to the billing. Tonight, it looked like it would. Arsenal - the underdogs - started off great, and it looked like we were heading for a classic.

Until, that is, Norwegian referee Terje Hauge got involved.

How he managed to pull back play, and send off Jens Lehmann, I do not know.

Has the man ever heard of playing advantage?

The offence Mr Hauge punished is defined by FIFA as 'denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick.'

Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity!? THE BALL WAS IN THE NET. Barcelona had scored. But Mr Hauge had to call back play and reach for his pocket.

Play on, award the goal, and get on with the game. Is it really so difficult?

It's not like events unfolded slowly or unexpectedly. Lehmann tackled, the ball broke loose, Giuly scored within 2 seconds. Why make a harsh decision when the circumstances do not demand any decision be made? Utter bullshit!

Almost as bad was his decision to award a freekick - leading to the opening goal for Arsenal - after Emmanuel Eboue contrived to be blown over by a gust of wind.

Mr Hauge wasn't biased, he was just plain dreadful.

Why should this bother me? After all, Celtic got the result they wanted.

Even sweeter, our hero Henrik Larsson turned the game - laying on both equaliser and winner. Thus earning himself the medal he so richly deserves.

Next season we start in Pot 2 of The Champions League. No pre-qualifiers; no Bratislava. Thank God!

Better still, we know how much cash we will generate next season. The chequebook can be dusted off, and players lured not only with cash, but Champions League glamour.

The truth is, much as I'm delighted by the result, I feel for the thousands of genuine fans who went to Paris and were denied a fair fight.

The guys who will be sleeping on park benches in thee pouring rain tonight, the guys who paid upward of SEVEN THOUSAND EUROS for a touted ticket, the guys who'd never seen their team in a European final before, and may never again get the opportunity to attend such a grand event.

All of them denied the ultimate final by a referee who seemed only briefly acquainted with the rules, and who just couldn't handle the occasion. Tragic.

Rakeback On Absolute Poker Network

A bit more pimping for Rake The Rake. Don't forget to mention where you heard about them.

Original content coming soon, I promise!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is news that you need to spread quickly to your friends and in the forums where you are permitted to mention this sort of thing!

A new room has launched on the Absolute network and so if you are one of those people who have never been able to get rakeback from Absolute poker, you can now get it from the new skin Goal Poker by opening a new account. You WILL need to use a different email address when creating your account.

We are offering 28% rakeback there and you can find more details here

http://www.raketherake.com/PokerGoal.html

This is currently an EXCLUSIVE opportunity ONLY to RakeTheRake players and that is why we want you to help us spread the information to other players. By building up a large number of players we hope to be able to offer you the sort of freerolls and tournaments you associate with RTR including perhaps some World Cup tickets!

The sign up bonus is 200% up to $200

This has been a long time coming and we think it is a fantastic opportunity for those of you who have Absolute accounts without rakeback.

Please email jessica@raketherake.com with any questions on this

Good luck as ever.

RTR

Notes:
1) Remember to use a different email address if you already have a Absolute account
2) If you get an error message when you first try to deposit, then log out and log in again and this should fix it, otherwise contact their support.

Sheesh

No WSOP seat for me in the Virgin blogger freeroll.

I tend to play all freerolls pretty aggressively, and I also tend to make a habit of running into people who cannot put down middle pairs.

Presumably they find it as easy to make loose calls, as I find it to make aggressive plays. Two sides of the same coin.

Sometimes that's good. AK stacking 99 on a KKx flop! Sometimes it's bad. KJ v 66 who calls bets on every street.

Last night was bad. I just could not make a guy put down 99 against my unimproved AQ.

Which was a shame, since Virgin had laid on a really good structure, so pissing away half my stack on a semi-bluff was somewhat careless.

On the river, I made what I thought was a good bet. I pretty much had the guy on a middle pair, and I thought he would have me on either two overs or a higher pair.

There was also a missed 1-card club flush draw - I had the queen of clubs, which was one of the reasons I kept pushing the hand.

A 2/3 pot bet left me with around half my chips and looked like I was milking the hand. The only other plausible bet was all-in, but I felt that smelled too much of a busted draw, and was actually easier to call than the smaller bet.

After that, I managed to steal my way back to average chips, then lost most of them with top pair and an OESD v 2-pair. Wasn't my night for hitting the community cards.

The coup de grace was swift. A steal with the mighty 42s running into Aces.

Well, my cards were certainly live.

Pimpology

No poker action to report in the last few days.

I've crocked myself in multiple places (bad back/neck, and a dodgy knee ligament) and have been too busy steeping in Radox, being slathered in Ralgex and ingesting Ibuprofen to actually play any poker.

In lieu of poker musings, I thought I'd pimp a few worthy institutions.

It's one of the paradoxes of writing a well ranked, but lightly read, blog that my pimping is probably more effective through the indirect effect of boosting the Google page rank, than through my words directly influencing people to click through to other sites.

Regardless of that, let's start with what should be one of the biggest European poker stories of 2007...


Dusk Till Dawn is the chosen name for a new dedicated poker venue to be opened near Nottingham by Rob Yong.

The plan is ambitious to say the least. A huge tournament area, dedicated TV studio, Bellagio standard decor, high rollers room, and a cash free system which will be linked into the club's own online poker room.

The online poker room will also be offering an innovative reward scheme, as described on their website.

There is a fantastic diary thread on Blonde Poker where Rob is charting his progress (and setbacks) setting up the club.

I've very briefly met Rob Yong - though I doubt he'd even remember me - and he seems like a thoroughly genuine guy. A real livewire, an entrepreneur, and an obsessive poker enthusiast.

He also seems to have a real commitment to quality, not just in terms of decor and equipment, but service and staff training. I imagine he'd be a demanding boss, but a rewarding one to work for.

It's a huge risk setting up a venture on this scale, and I'd love to see him succeed.

If the club lives up to his ambitions, Nottingham East Midlands airport could be seeing a lot more inbound traffic not just from other UK cities, but Europe and beyond.

Dusk Till Dawn could easily become the best poker venue in Europe.


Some more pimping now. I've mentioned my rakeback provider before, but I want to reiterate, Rake The Rake give fantastic service.

Whenever I contact them, I get swift, detailed responses, which actually answer my query directly, rather than being a cut-and-paste of some corporate template.

As a low limit amateur, I get service which I believe equals, if not exceeds, that which the big sites give to their VIP members.

Their website is distinctly low-tech, but as an IT professional I long ago learned to value substance over style, and the rakeback payments hit my account on time each month.

Throw in monthly freerolls and other promotions, and you really can't go wrong with Rake The Rake for poker rakeback.

Of course, if you do decide to sign up with them, I'd appreciate if you mention my name. There will be a little something in it for me too.


Finally for now, there's yet another Blogger freeroll this Thursday on Virgin Poker.

I think it's limited to UK players only, so the field should be pretty small.

First prize is entry to a $1500 NLH WSOP event with travel included. The rest of the prizepool comprizes one quarter of a million V-points, which I think can be used as Virgin air miles.

A share of that would make a trip to Vegas very affordable, though I don't think they are valid on Virgin Galactic.

Cheers Richard!

Fight!

Not much time for poker this week, though I did have one very nice hand where no less than three players made a river flush, and thought they were good.

Since I was holding the stone cold nuts, that made me a very happy blogger.

I also had my first ever IRC-a-shot with Sir Al, as we discussed our respective world travel plans.

No poker was played on Friday, as I was out socialising, though I didn't get to kiss any girls. Nice to see Mr Speaker has got his mojo back in time for his world tour.

I'm off out again today, but I have managed to take a quick trawl through Bloglines this morning, and I see there's a few flame wars on the go.

Personally, I just can't be bothered with this sort of thing, so I haven't even checked out the comments on the various threads.

But I do have a suggestion for resolution and closure. The next WPBT event draws near - in Vegas, not only world gambling capital, but also a Mecca for fight fans.

So, let's get the combatants in the ring! I have a few thoughts on suitable attire.

Mixed games at the MGM, and sumo suits in the ring. Sounds like fun to me.

April Summary

Although my last few posts have pretty much covered it, for the sake of consistency and completeness I've decided to maintain the traditional monthly summary post.

In short, I made a statistically insignificant profit for the month. If the fates were kinder, it would have been a whole lot more.

So I'm still stuck for the year, but I've whittled the overall loss down to a couple of hundred dollars.

On the whole my game has been pretty good. I'm planning to persevere with LHE for the next month, and have earmarked turn play with overcards as something to work on.

I've got more thoughts on how the month went that are worthy of their own post. So expect that soon.

I also restarted my fitness regime this month, for health rather than aesthetic reasons.

Some thoughts on that will probably be forthcoming - though shoot me if this turns into a 'this week I lost 2lbs, and my 30" waist jeans fit me again' blog.

For now I'm off to play some cards and wallow in the uncommonly early end to the SPL season.

Seething

Three posts in a day. Something is definitely wrong! Yes, there is a bad beat rant (of sorts) ahead...

Just had to get the frustration off my chest, by means other than the chat box - don't tap on the fishtank, etc.

I had a good afternoon. A very short session squeezed in, with a very high BB win rate.

No spectacular play - just a few decent hands holding up.

Tonight I gave it all back - and then some - in one of those sessions where nothing goes right.

Of all the hands I lost, I started out behind in the grand total of two - one where I could not get a usually very tight player to put down 66 against my AK on a board laden with overcards, and one where I caught top pair and a straight draw from the BB against a guy who limped AA pre-flop. Yes, really, and of course I missed my draw.

Add to that a hotch potch of Ace-rags catching against big pairs, JJ losing to QJ, sets losing to rivered flushes etc. and it's a classic snapshot of the low limit tables.

This isn't a complaint. I need these guys to keep playing this way.

It's just so frustrating when so many bad calls turn out good in such a short space of time.

What makes it doubly frustrating is that quite often in these cases limit Hold Em starts to feel a bit like Omaha, in that the pots are so big, there's often a justifiable redraw even when I am 100% sure I am behind.

If they keep hitting their lucky turn card, why can't I hit my lucky river?

Yes, I know. Variance dear boy, variance.

For example, a big pot, raised pre-flop by myself with KJs. I don't catch my flush but a flop with two jacks and a ten is awfully nice.

When I bet and get called in multiple positions, bet again and get callers and a raise on a turned 7, it's highly likely 98 just got lucky - though of course I can't totally rule out JT, AJ, or maybe even J7.

Heck I might even still be ahead of QJ. Rule nothing entirely out on this one!

However, we are now looking at a monster pot, and given the high likelihood I'm losing to 98, it's still entirely justifiable to call the raise.

Assuming I'm losing to a straight, I've got three kings, one jack, three tens, and three sevens to hit on the river, with forty four cards unknown - if I'm correct in putting my opponent on 98 - so I'm approximately 7/2 to hit my card, in a pot that's laying me 14/1. That's an +EV call if ever I saw one.

The odds are so good they easily compensate for the rare occasions I'll be drawing much thinner against the likes of AJ or JT.

The river was a 3. He did have 98.

As it happens the other caller had T7, and he paid to see a showdown too - a true optimist!

Which meant my actual odds of hitting were 4/1, rather than 7/2. Still fantastic value.

Hitting one or two of those redraws is what turns a horrible night into a great night.

The challenge is to survive the horrible ones with my sanity intact, and enjoy the great ones. Which is why I'm writing this. Consider it not so much a blog post, as a DIY therapy session.

Star Spotting

I've never been glad to see Celtic get humped but, as today proves, there's a first time for everything!

More pertinently to this here poker blog, I'm about to become an acquaintance of a PokerStars Supernovan.

The Tank will be kicking off the final SitNGo of his quest at 6pm UK time, 1pm EST today.

Only one $55 turbo to go.



I pity those who end up opposing him. The railbirds will be out in force!

Sunday Morning Reflections

Not a great week on the poker front. Not an awful one either.

Running through the Poker Tracker stats reminds me why this can be such a frustrating game at times.

I've had some big hands hold up for big wins, and some big hands cracked for hefty losses.

Yet I can't complain. Most of the losers went down to perfectly legitimate draws, albeit some of the draws were born of highly dubious pre-flop calls.

Which despite the pain of the rivered winners, is a good situation to be in. Lots of money going in pre-flop when it's miles behind.

My mindset this week has been pretty good. I've even managed to dodge a few bullets that on other nights would have nailed me.

For example, twice in the space of an hour I ran JJ into AA.

On the first occasion the villain's play was so transparent I *knew* he'd flopped a set of Aces, and I folded on the flop. Someone else didn't and called the guy down to prove me correct.

On the second occasion I wasn't quite sure enough of his hand to put the Jacks down, but I was sure enough to check behind on the turn, thus saving(or is that earning?) two big bets from the missed check-raise attempt.

I'd like to be playing a whole lot more right now, as I'm definitely in the mood to put in the hours, but circumstances are conspiring against me.

Hopefully I'll get some time at the tables today.

Reviewing hand histories isn't something I was big on previously, but now I'm in the habit, I'm finding it very beneficial.

Not only from a learning perspective, but also for maintenance of equillibrium and sanity.

Taking a more detached view of proceedings when the adrenalin is no longer pumping, and my blood pressure is back to normal, is a great way of pushing setbacks aside and reaffirming my commitment to play better and win more at this infuriating, yet enthralling, game.

On The Up

A few good things happened last night.

I went to the gym. AA held up. QQ held up. TT out-raced AK.

If some poker guru can prove a causal link between gym attendance and good hands holding up, I could end up very, very fit!

On the downside, I discovered kissing the baby hello immediately after returning from work is not such a good idea when the baby has buttery fingers, and I'm wearing one of my favourite pale blue silk ties.

Not so much kiss-for-daddy, as tie-a-grabby. It's not looking good for the tie at present.

Other good news yesterday was Mrs Div booking a girly break to New York with her sister.

Which will leave me holding the baby for a few days in September but present me with a travel slot of my own later in the year.

Nothing set in stone yet, but I do have a tentative plan...

Happiness Is...

Happiness Is: Getting 4 bets in pre-flop with AA v KTs
Despair Is: K on flop, T on turn

Happiness Is: Raising QQ into a shoal of limpers and hitting a set on the turn
Despair Is: T4s making a straight on the river

Happiness Is: Raising JJ into another shoal of limpers
Despair Is: Not this time! Sometimes the best starting hand actually wins.

Last night was super annoying.

Not least because much as I lost again due almost entirely to big hands not holding up, I couldn't really complain about the draws that hit.

Although what the guy who 3-bet my pre-flop raise with KTs from the SB was thinking, I do not know. There were already about four limpers so it was hardly likely to be a button steal. Damn, that was a big pot to lose.

Really though, I'm still feeling pretty optimistic. I played better last night than I did on Saturday, and the tables seem as good on a school night as they do on a weekend.

All I need is a little bit of statistical balance to be restored and it will be all systems go.

Like Robert the Bruce's spider, I'll just need to try, try, and try again.

Weekend Woes

Saturday night was not a good night. I took an absolute pounding on the LHE tables.

Sunday morning is usually my day for an early rise to feed the baby, and
keep her entertained while Mrs Div gets the chance for a well deserved rest.

Once baby was fed, and put back down for a nap, as per her normal routine, I took the opportunity to go over my Poker Tracker records from the nightmarish evening before.

Reliving a few of the more brutal hands was a painful experience, but I felt better by the end since there was no evidence of tilt, and I did find a leak to work on.

Big pocket pairs were scarce - pocket Aces non-existent - and when they did appear invariably fell victim to some 3/1 shot where A-rag, KJo, Kxs, etc. called 2 or 3 bets cold and made their bigger pair.

AKo was a big loser - going 0 for 5 at one point. Either I missed completely, or caught but went down to a straight or flush on the turn or river.

The leak I think needs plugging is one which stems from something SSHE
advocates, and which I tend to agree with, but have been overdoing recently - that is, calling down in big pots, when it appears I am beaten.

There were numerous hands where several players saw a flop after I'd got 3 or 4 bets in pre-flop with AK, QQ, JJ, etc. only for it to seem by the turn that I was probably behind.

In my early LHE days, I probably folded a few too many hands to turn bets which were either bluff or semi-bluffs - for example someone betting with the bare Ace of diamonds on a 3-diamond board.

Now I think I'm doing the opposite - paying off 2-big bets on turn and river when the other guy really did make the straight or flush on the turn.

That's something I can eliminate by paying better attention to the habits of my opponents, so I'll be working on it over the next few sessions.

I don't think there is any way I could have turned Saturday into a winning day, but I could certainly have kept the losses smaller.

The pattern recently has been to post 3 or 4 successive modest winning sessions, only to give back 70% of the winnings in one big losing session.
That's a bad habit to get into. A bet saved, being a bet earned, as the
saying goes.

Sunday afternoon was the final Celtic v Rangers game of the season, and as turgid a 90 minutes as it's been my misfortune to witness in a while.

Whereas the Celtic players have an excuse - having wrapped up the league before Easter - the Rangers team merely succeeded in strengthening their reputation as overpaid, underachieving losers.

With Hearts dropping 3-points on Saturday I expected them to go all out for a victory. Instead they seemed relieved not to be beaten. Strange days indeed!

Vindication

Just a quickie to follow up my previous first impressions of Tribeca.

I don't indulge in full hand histories too often, but I wanted to illustrate the nature of these games. I also wanted to post a good Aces hand, since all too often we find ourselves bemoaning our bad luck when they get cracked.

I've annotated the hand with my thoughts at the time. I don't see how it could be played any differently, but I'm happy to be corrected if someone knows better.

On hand 3 of last night's session I put down Queens in a capped pre-flop pot, when the flop had an Ace. Correctly as it turned out, since another player had flopped a set of Aces and I was drawing dead.

Just as I was bemoaning my bad luck at running Queens into Aces this hand happened...

The Lady Killers 8161500-26552 Holdem Limit $1/$2
Hand Start.
Seat 1 : MP2 has $83.88
Seat 2 : MP3 has $99
Seat 3 : LP1 has $60.75
Seat 4 : Button has $999.58
Seat 5 : SB has $36.25
Seat 6 : Div(BB) has $47
Seat 7 : UTG has $9.75
Seat 8 : UTG+1 has $55.50
Seat 9 : MP1 has $62.25
Button is the dealer.
SB posted small blind.
Div posted big blind.
Game [26552] started with 9 players.
Dealing Hole Cards.
Seat 6 : Div has:

Div thinks: Wahoo!
UTG folded.
UTG+1 called $1
MP1 called $1
MP2 called $1
MP3 called $1
Div thinks: Bloody hell, somebody raise. I want to three-bet.
LP1 folded.
Button folded.
SB called $0.50
Div thinks: Crap.
Div raised $1
UTG+1 called $1
MP1 called $1
MP2 called $1 and raised $1
Div thinks: Wahoo x 2
MP3 called $2
SB called $2
Div called $1 and raised $1
UTG+1 called $2
MP1 called $2
MP2 called $1
MP3 called $1
SB called $1
(24 SB)
Dealing flop.
Board cards:

SB checked.
Div thinks: Hmmm, a real drawing board, though I do have the Ace of Clubs. I'll protect my hand with a cunning check-raise of MP2 who surely must bet.
Div checked.
UTG+1 checked.
MP1 checked.
MP2 bet $1
MP3 folded.
SB folded.
Div called $1 and raised $1
UTG+1 called $2
MP1 called $2
MP2 called $1
Div thinks: So much for protecting my hand!
(32 SB)
Dealing turn.
Board cards:

Div thinks: Excellent
Div bet $2
UTG+1 called $2
MP1 called $2
MP2 called $2
(20 BB)
Dealing river.
Board cards:

Div thinks: Hmmm, a good bad card. If someone has been calling down with 54s or the like, I may cry, but I was starting to fear QT so this is likely a good card. Value bet!
Div bet $2
UTG+1 folded.
MP1 called $2
MP2 called $2
(23 BB)
Showdown!
Seat 6 : Div has Ah Ad
Seat 6 : Div has Ah Ad
Div has Two Pair: Aces and 4s
Div wins $45 with Two Pair: Aces and 4s
Div thinks: Wahoo x 3. But I wish Tribeca showed the losing hands.
Hand is over.


I did say Tribeca seemed to be an action site!

Did you notice Seat 4s stack?

A Change Of Pace

Here's a little experiment.

I've been falling behind on my updating recently due to time constraints, so I thought I'd try to make use of my lunch half-hour at work to email in new posts to the blog. Starting now...

Last night I fired up yet another new site for the first time. Well, it was new to me. Doyle's Room is part of the Tribeca network - one of the few I've never played on before.

First impression was just wow! The software seems absolutely fine, but the standard of play is wild.

Last night I'd go as far as saying the players could give those on Party a run for their money in the LAG stakes. The variation from the rockish Crypto $1/2 LHE game was phenomenal.

Cold calling with any two cards. Three betting with 66 pre-flop. 20BB pots with guys showing down A-high. Amazing.

Of course I managed to donk off 15BB, as I struggled to reorient myself, and drop the post-flop aggression which can be rewarded on Crypto sites. It aint gonna work here unless you have the goods.

Four times I was dealt AQ. Four times I raised pre-flop and bet the (missed) flop. Every single time I lost to someone who either couldn't put down a baby pair, or who caught a piece of the flop.

Got some of it back on the fifth AQ, when I actually hit a Q and got paid off by yet another baby pair.

Missed opportunity was catching middle pair and the nut flush draw with ATs and jamming a 4-way pot, only to lose to the guy who cold called with AJ and made TPTK. That would have made me a winner for the evening. Sigh.

Going by first impressions, this has to be a long term ATM for me. These guys WILL pay off.

The Doyle's Room loyalty scheme uses Action Points. Never has there been a more appropriately named scheme, and I can't imagine it will take me too long to work off the very generous 110% sign-up bonus!

Kid With A New Toy

First things first. I've just wound up a quite extraordinary session of LHE, netting a miniscule profit to take me up to five successive winning sessions.

Not earth shattering, but a nice habit to get into, even when the opposition are truly clueless.

I started off pretty well, before running into a brick wall of immovable stupidity and bad cards.

Every big hand I was dealt in the mid-session went down in flames, leading to several of my now familiar outbursts of spluttering indignation.

Yet within a single orbit I managed a 25BB rally to drag the numbers back into the black, all thanks to the same sort of abysmal play that left me stuck in the first place.

As the hour was growing late, I took that as a sign it was time to get out while I was ahead.

Hand of the night had to be cracking Aces with Q8s from the SB, when the villain didn't see fit to raise pre-flop but couldn't get away from his overpair when the flush hit on the turn. Nor could the guy who'd flopped bottom two pair.

Anyway, that's all incidental to the main news.

On Saturday I flew down to London to take ownership of a new family car for the Div household. A Toyota Corolla Verso.

It was a pretty hectic schedule. Glasgow to London on the 7.30am flight. Met at the airport by the car dealer. Driven to their showroom to collect the car, then a 13-hour drive back to Scotland with the car.

A long drive, but a good way to get to grips with some of the new features, and to marvel at the economy of a 2.2 litre diesel engine.

Sixty plus miles to the gallon, I was beginning to think the fuel needle had stuck!

I've never been a petrol head. The Verso is only the 4th car I've owned in 18 years of driving.

The other three have all been small cars. One was pretty sporty - fantastic fun to drive - but it was effectively an oversized go-cart. No frills - not even power steering.

Yet I've already grown to appreciate the gadgets on the new car. Most notably the cruise control.

There's something of a paradox about the new purchase.

On the one hand, I've been giggling like a school boy as I've experimented with all the features.

As well as cruise control, I've been giddy with excitement whilst playing with the sat-nav, and I almost laughed with joy when I worked out how to turn on the front and rear manoeuvring cameras. (Seriously!)

Yet it's quintessentially a 'grown up' purchase. A family car to keep the baby safe, and provide storage space for the paraphernalia which is required when taking her out for more than a few hours.

It's got more airbags than The House of Commons, and boot capacity to rival a small van.

Today we took Baby Div to Blair Drummond Safari Park. She is still too small to fully appreciate the sight of all the animals, but we figured there'd be enough to keep her interested.

I think she probably enjoyed seeing so many other kids, and just experiencing the sounds and movement and colours, as much as getting up close to the tigers, rhinos, and elephants.

It's not the sort of trip I'd have been too keen on making in the old car.

It would have been a bit of a squeeze, and the crawling around the reserve on a sunny day with the windows shut and a clunky gearbox would have been an uncomfortable grind.

Aircon and a silky 6-speed gearbox turned a grind into a blast, and we had a nice day out. Sadly I didn't get to meet Camalla the Red Ruffed Lemur.

Neither Mrs Div nor I are too keen on taking the baby abroad when she is still very young, so we are expecting to mostly holiday in the UK for the next few years.

There's lots of places in Scotland we haven't yet visited, so the new car should be well utilised over the summer. Weather permitting of course.

Pure Poker Posting

My first in a while!

The return to limit hold em seems to be going ok so far, despite one session where I ran into a table of doom. Fishes who couldn't miss, and sharks who loved to tear chunks out of my stack.

I've been playing on Crypto for the last few days, and there's been a remarkable variation in the table quality. It's definitely tighter and more aggressive than Full Tilt, but not unbeatable.

When a quick glance around the table shows six other rocks or moneybags, it's clearly time to move on. Yet at the same time, there's a fair smattering of calling stations and the occasional maniac.

One person I enjoy reading is Peter Birks. He spreads his time around a variety of sites, and seems to understand how his style needs to adapt to differing environments.

That's something I'm still getting the hang of. My aggression factor has been amped up a little too high on some tables, when more subtlety is called for. Albeit I could argue the aggression factor has been overly suppressed by some of my opponents.

A case in point being the number of times I ran AJ/AT into people open limping AK/AQ and check-calling scary Ace high flops.

The better players managed to find a check-raise on the turn. Some just called me down.

Which gets confusing. Cunning players calling with vulnerable made hands. Fishy players calling with dubious draws. Discriminating between the two is key.

Frustratingly just as I was getting to grips with the variation in styles, the prime exponent of the limp-call with A-big managed to trap himself.

Holding AQ on a QQ3 flop with two diamonds, he check-called a bet and check-raised the turn only to run into a rag flush draw getting odds to call and hit on the river.

Which reaffirmed the argument that aggression is crucial in limit hold em. AQ losing to a hand that should never have seen a flop.

He was upset enough to leave the table almost instantly, probably bemoaning a supposed fishy win. Yet he'd let in a speculative hand cheaply to hit a big flop, and hadn't acted to price them out of a good draw.

So, aggression is essential, but it needs to be tempered with awareness of the environment and the nature of specific opponents.

There's a time to hammer home an advantage, and a time to let caution be your ally.

Unfortunately my poker watch isn't 100% accurate yet.

Still Here!

Blimey. Is that almost a week already?

Well, I do have a couple of valid reasons/excuses.

On the positive side, I lost Sunday to SPL title celebrations which entailed a sound thrashing of Killie, copious amounts of beer, and a traditional Scottish dinner of mixed pakora and chicken tandoori kebab.

Also on the positive side, I managed to get a couple of lengthy poker sessions in.

On the negative side, the lengthiest session was terrible. The other negative was one of the strangest 'injuries' I've ever received.

I'm planning to go over the poker separately, so let's stick to freak injuries for now...

Thursday night. Baby Div has now mastered crawling with a vengeance. In a week she went from 'oh look how cute she is trying to balance on her hands and knees' to 'bloody hell stop her, the front door is open!'.

Which is a nightmare when it comes to trying to get a nappy on her, but it's great fun to come back from work and play with her on the floor. Rolling around, pulling faces, making silly noises, and just generally enjoying life.

Until that is, she makes a bolt for freedom with me lunging after her, just as Mrs Div - sitting on the sofa - swings around in the opposite direction, her elbow connecting with laser precision and atomic timing, directly on the top of my head.

Which all sounds fairly innocuous, but the impact was phenomenal.

Being somewhat stroppy and occasionally mouthy, I've been in more than a few fights over the years. Ranging from playground battles through to the most recent fracas outside a Glasgow pub a few years ago.

Yet I can honestly say noone has landed a more effective shot on me than Mrs Div managed.

For about a minute I couldn't move, as shafts of piercing pain shot through my skull. Once my eyes had stopped watering, and the sharp pain subsided, I was left with a throbbing headache.

Two hours later Mrs Div was still rubbing her elbow and commenting on the residual pain. Which perhaps gives some indication how my head felt.

Next morning I still had a crashing headache, particularly down the left side, and both my eyes were slightly bloodshot. If I'd been suffering amnesia, I'd have been convinced someone had landed a perfect right hook to my left temple.

Work was hellish, as the headache didn't relent all day. Indeed it didn't entirely fade until Saturday evening, just in time to dissuade me from worries I'd had my skull fractured.

All from a single blow to the head 48 hours previously!

If Mrs Div is looking for a new career she might want to consider Ultimate Fighting. She seems to have the moves for it.

If only I could unleash her on some of the people I've run into on Crypto over the last few days, I might feel better. But that's for another post.

I Am Spartac.....

Och. Never mind Poker Champ.

Celtic are the true Champions.



Hail Hail!

Full Tilt Fun

An email from Full Tilt came along this week. It promised $100 cash for accruing a mere 300 Full Tilt Points. No deposit needed, and only a few hours play to clear.

Fortuitous timing, as I slip back into grind mode.

For the last couple of nights I've fired up a few $1/2 LHE tables and battered my way through. My aggression factor has been high, and I've been winning a lot of small pots without showdowns, and big pots when I've had the goods.

There's been the usual tomfoolery and variance. Last night one guy cracked KK on two successive hands with A2 and A5, before himself getting dealt AA on the third hand and having it stand up. No justice in the (short term) world!

Tonight I cleared the 300th point 3-tabling with session figures of:

+$82, +$16, -$41

How can this be so? Almost wiped out on one table, yet almost tripled through on another. Perhaps this will explain.



You gotta love online poker. Remember Miller et al on cold calling?

These calls are terrible and cost your opponents lots of money over the long-term.
Equally note the BB folding for 1 bet when getting 11/1 to call.

One of the things I've noticed the last few days is much as I've been sucked out on several times, I've been the sucker as opposed to suckee on multiple occasions too.

Most notably cracking AA with AK (kings on flop and turn), and AK with AJ (rivered 2-pair).

So many people just don't play aggressively enough. The don't reraise AK pre-flop, and only call down when they catch the Ace. They bet then only call the reraise with AA on a K-high flop. They make it cheap to suck out, then lamely bemoan my fishiness.

In contrast, anyone who wants to draw out on me better be prepared to pay! Though of course expensive mistakes can be made.

Such as, AQ raise pre-flop, button smooth call, Q-high flop, bet and called by buttons AA. He did finally get a raise in on the turn but I was too committed by then. Whoops.

I didn't have much cash on Full Tilt, but I've got some more now! Having not played LHE since last year, I'm quite happy with my reintroduction.

Green For Go

Hope you like the new design.

Although I am a computer geek by trade, CSS and graphics aren't my strong points. So I'm pretty pleased with this.

Still a few things needing doing. Most notably, a banner.

Thanks to Tripjax for his advice and encouragement, and Joe Speaker for the etard perspective.

Back soon.

March Summary

Another month of education taking priority over earning. Yet the fun factor was high, so I'm less bothered than I should be.

Stud-8 is an interesting and entertaining game to play. I think at the moment I prefer it to Omaha as a hi-lo game.

In Omaha it can be difficult to put people on a hand, as there's a tendency for some to make fairly impenetrable decisions. Whereas with several cards exposed, it can be a bit easier to put people on a high or low hand, and make a reasoned deduction as to where I stand.

On the down side, Stud variants take a lot more concentration than flop games, and multitabling is not a good idea. So, to make a significant impact on my bankroll - either positive or negative - I'd have to play at much higher fixed limits, or consider giving one of the Prima sites a whizz, as they offer big-bet Stud games.

Ahem, I think I'll set that idea aside for a little while yet...

One other reason I didn't play as much as I should have, was I got a little involved in a site redesign. Sure content is king, but it's nice to view it in a pleasing context.

Since I'm prone to fairly long posts, I felt an awful lot of scrolling was required to get through them. So, I'm going for a layout that makes better use of the whole screen.

It also leaves more space for me to squeeze in my nice card icons to illustrate hands.

I think I've managed to increase the screen utilisation without making it too cluttered, as you will see in a few days.

For April I'd originally contemplated trying another new game, but I'm not in the right frame of mind for that.

In the past week, I've been getting kinda fidgety and my raise finger has been getting very itchy.

Thus, it's back to the LHE tables this month. I hadn't used PokerTracker or PokerAce HUD for a few months, so I upgraded both and I'm ready to roll.

I see PokerAce HUD now charges $25 for the full version. Can't really argue with that, so the Neteller payment has been dispatched. Since Neteller peer-to-peer transfers are for a minimum of $30 (minus $1 fee) I've effectively tipped Josh $4 for all my free usage last year. Money well spent!

Whereas the last few months have been all about contemplation, hard thinking, and single tabling, this month I predict multitabling, number crunching, and machine gun aggression. A nice change of pace.

Finally I can't let March pass without mentioning the achievements of a few of the homegame regulars.

TeaCake and Dave are both tearing up the online MTTs right now. Dave has also been on a nice run at the cash tables.

Meanwhile Rod is not only sunning himself in the Bahamas, but has managed to satellite his way into a $1250 NLHE event at Crystal Sands Casino. Now that's what I call a holiday!