European Rankings

Well with my success (well a final table anyway) in Omaha at the grand challenge, I checked out the European rankings and I am ranked 10th in Europe for Omaha!!! LOL

If I can get to play more omaha events, I will attempt to keep in the top 10 - its a goal I have set myself.... watch this space..............................

THE Best Table I have played on................

It has to be without doubt, the table I was on for the £1000 main event at the Grand Challenge in Luton recently.

When we all sat down, I knew it was gonna be fun, but I didnt realise just how much fun!!
On the table were Simon Nowab (always banter between us two), Paul Parker (met him before and knew he could talk), Ian Woodley (played with him before, ALWAYS at it!!) and Paul Zimbler (Played with a couple of times).

Well I was in for a treat. It didnt feal at all like a £1000 comp, I was very relaxed and enjoyed the banter emensely.
Me and Simon have a history (all be it a short one) . At the Blonde Bash, we were on the same table, first hand I raised and bet the flop and took the pot. Simon rplied "Oi!! I am table captain!! Less of that please! I am going to raise your BB blind EVERYY time!" Well he did, but unfortunately for him I had KK - but thats another story.
Simon started off very aggressive, as always. I had it in my mind to get involved as often as I could and gave myself 2500 out of the 10000 as 'gambling chips'. There was this one time, I called Simon's early position raise with 5 7 o/s (from the button) . Flop came 5 6 7. I just let him bet into me (as I knew he would) and I just kept calling. I knew I had him, but then the river came an 8 and I knew i was in trouble, but the bet on the end was soo small, I had to call. Simon had Q 9.
Another hand I had called a raise by Simon, I had 7 2 o/s (again on the button) but this time Paul parker was in the pot as well. Flop came K high, Simon continues his bet, called by Paul and I also called. The turn came another K. All checked. Now at this point I wasnt sure if any of them had the K so I checked. I knew if Simon didnt have it, he would come out betting the pot on the river. Well the river came, and out bets Simon (and yes, a pot size bet). I already had it in my mind to re raise him say 3xpot to take it and then show him the 7 2 o/s. But Paul parker flat called Simon. At this point I thought Paul had the K so I folded.
Simon says to Paul "If youve got the K I am gonna twat you!!" Paul turned over one card, an Ace and siad thats good enough to take it isnt it? And you know what, it was!! Paul took that pot with an Ace high. If only I had had the balls to re raise BOTH of them, that pot was mine. Well with this, Simon was on Pauls case!! Was sooo funny to see Paul turn over just an Ace and say "thats good enough isn't it?" and see Simon muck his cards lol.
I was feeling confident with my reading after this and proceeded to take a pot from Ian Woodley (who didnt seem to like this as he called a clock on me after about 1 minute after that). It was a scary board which was flushing and str8ing, I bet the pot on the turn (roughly 1/3 of my stack at the time) with nothing! Paul Zimbler and Ian Woodley were in the pot and I could see Paul KNEW what i was at, but with Ian to act after him could only fold. Ian took an eternity and flat called - I had him on the flush draw now. Well the river was a blank and Ian checked. I riffled my remianing chips for about 2 minutes, then pushed them in the middle. Ian took about 4 minutes to pass and the pot was mine. I showed the bluff, Ace high. I am SURE Ian had nut flush draw with a pair also.
Another point worth a mention (there are plenty of others, but its like when you watch a comedian, and cant stop laughing all the way through, you come to the end and cannot remember much). An older gentleman came to our table (his name escapes me) with quite alot of chips and proceeded to say "at the break I only had 3000 chips, now I have all these) Paul Zimbler replied with "It wont take you long to give them to me" which the old guy replied "I will outlast you here",,, this was when Simon chipped in and said "maybe, but he will live ALOT longer than you!!!" Well I just couldnt stop laughing, nor could the rest of the table. This was followed by alot of "turn your hearing aid up" and "hurry up and pass before you die".
Paul Parker was badgering EVERYONE at EVERY oppotunity (MAN CAN HE TALK!!!!!) but it wasnt annoying, it was VERY funny. When anyone raised and got re raised, Paul would say "If you move all in here you will take this pot, he doesnt have a hand. Are you gonna let him get away with that?" etc.....
Well, I managed to get to within half an hour of the break for the night, still with 10,000 I had had no cards all night and found JJ in late position. I raised Paul Zimbler and Simons Blinds (not for the first time IMO taking them then showing 8 9 and 10 7), this time Paul re raised me all in. I thought for a while, had he had enough of me raising his blinds and was making a stand? or did he actually have a hand? Well I went for the first, with the hope he had AK if any hand. All in then and Paul truns over KK and I was out.
Disapointed as always to go out, but what a game!!!!!
Paul Zimbler went on to come close the next day, but was viciously outdrawn. Simon fell to Paul Zimbler (QQ vs AK) and Paul Parker went on to make final table, where in chip lead and involved for a HUGE pot which I think would of seen him go onto win that tourney , suffered an outdraw when holding AA - he did manage to talk them all into a 5 way split though. WD
All in all a VERY enjoyable comp, to me, THIS is what poker is all about. TOP GUYS!!!

Adventures at Luton so far.............

Well the Omaha £200 was a one rebuy and one add on tourney with 5000 starting chips.

Got off to a good start by doubling up early on holding AK hearts 78 o/s

Flop 10 J 2 Two hearts - all in on the turn (blank) and 10 harts hit the river. So I didnt need the rebuy, but took the add on.

Was playing solid poker, nicking pots whenever I thought it was totally safe to do so. Had Citrone and Trumper on my table for a long while - was fun.

Well I was approaching 40k when I again had nut flush draw on the flop, and when the turn bought a second club (making two harts(my nut flush draw) and two clubs (i also had flush draw to the 10) I couldnt resist taking on a smaller stack who pushed in on the turn. They showed trips and I got no help. Infact they also had a club draw which was bigger then my 10 - so although I thought I was a big favorite, I actually had very few outs. That put me down to 15K and I fought my way back to 25k but couldnt get anything to happen.
Well I made the final table with 20k (short stacked, but with Sunny a huge chip leader with neally 160k, most of the rest were between 30k to 70k) so one double up and I was right back in it.
So in the early hours of the morning, off to the Hotel for some well deserved rest (as the night before I had been playing a sat for the WSOP on UB which didnt finish till gone 6am). Anyway, 7am came and I was awoken by the sound of workmen and their drills. This went on and off for the next 4 hours!!!!!
With little sleep, it was back to the casino for the final. Blinds were 1000 2000 and 3 rounds later, I was still on 20kish (18k i think) when I was BB with 10c 9c 4h 5h . Flop came 7c 8c 2c. So low stacked I couldnt get away from the large stack who bet 3k. Blank turn and again they bet 3k. Blank river and again they bet 3k and again i called. They had a Jack high flush - he also made 2 pr on the flop so I couldnt of pushed him off the pot. That left me so low when finding KK 2 8 it all went in - lost to a str8

So a 7th place finish - only my 2nd live omaha game, my first giving me a 9th place finish so 2 tourneys played in omaha and 2 final tables made.

Now I had alot of time to kill till the 750 double chance started later that evening so just sat around and dozed.

The comp started late and I was off to a yo yo start. from 5k up to 6 down to 4 up to 7 down to 3.5. I then had AK o/s in early position. 1st position posted a 3xBB raise which I called, so did 4 other people. Flop came Ace Ace Ace!!! How was i gonna get paid from this?? Well the origional raiser bets out 500 which I call. All the rest fold. Turn comes and the origional raiser sets me all in!! Happy days back to 7k. Managed to get to just under 10k when the 1st break came and the forced 5k add on so now on neally 15k and get moved tables.

New table was VERY aggressive, a skandie with 25k was raising every hand and betting every flop. Also there was Stuart Nash Ian woodley and Rob Young.
I found AJc in late position and made it 1600 (Blinds 200 400). Folded to Rob (BB) who flat calls. Flop comes J 7 4 rainbow with one club. Rob checks and I think a solid bet will take this pot, and bet out 3000. 2 minutes, Rob picks up his whole stack and goes all in (15k total). So with a pot of now neally 22k I am asked to commit my remaining 10k.
Thought process was he didnt have trips, maybe overpair, maybe 10 J (or something similar) or a total steel.
Now being so tired, after 5 minutes I decided to call. I was either going to have 33k early on, or I was going home for a well needed sleep. Sure enough he had QQ . The turn gave me some more hope as it was a club, but the river was a blank and out I went.
So I blew 15k with AJ on top pair top kicker with blinds 200 400 - BADDDDD!!!
My only conselation is that I KNOW had I not been so tired, I would of passed that hand within a few seconds.
So, the main event to come on Saturday - I will be FULLY focused and on top of my Game, just need the form to come good for it.................................

Luton Grand Challenge Next Week!!

Well, I have had several comments as to "when are you going to update your blog" - shock to me as I didnt think many people read it!!!

I must admit to have been very lazy in this department.

Live poker since my last post,,,, played the £200 omaha at Luton Xmas Fessie and made Final table, only to go out 9th. Also won a STT for the main event as well. Made the second day (last 2 tables) but low stacked and couldnt double up.

As for online, I have now written an excel spreadsheet to keep track of my online game. It has a seperate page for each site I play on (4 mainly now : Blue Square, Ultimate Bet, Ladbrokes and Poker Stars). Each sheet keeps a day to day record of all my online poker, keeping each seperate (ie MTT's STT's and Cash - omaha/no limit etc).
Definately helps me to see exactly which parts of my game pay off and on which site.
Lads is a defo fav at the moment for No Limit (although small stakes of $2 $4 am making a good profit) Blue Square for Omaha P/L(mainly $5 $10). I am dabbling in UB's cash games at the moment with some success but it is alot slower. As for Poker Stars, not tried there yet for Cash.
Tournament play has also been good over the last month or so giving me a quadrupled bankroll over a 2 month period. Long may it continue!!

Notable MTT successes lately include winning the $99 rebuy on Blue Sqaure twice in a month (together with other final table finishes) winning the $12k on Blue Sqaure (together with other final table finishes) Making 7 final tables in the $12k on Lads best 2nd still no win there yet. Also making Final table in the $300 on Lads coming 3rd - was C/L and had AA and KK cracked within 4 hands to go out. Ultimate Bet MTT final table's - again best 3rd. Poker Stars $500k finished 90th going out with 10 10 to A Q for huge pot, but over 3700 runners so not too shabby.

As mentioned, my new site is Ultimate Bet - THE BEST structure for MTT's by the way. $100 f/o with 180 runners start with 2500 stack and 15 minute blinds. Doesnt sound that good does it? But when you realise that the blinds start at 10 20, then 20 40, then 30 60 and so on, it is easy to see why they have the best structure. 2 1/2 hours into a tourney and the blinds are just 100 200. PLENTY OF PLAY!!

This Sunday is a $500 entry MTT on UB with $1m guaranteed prize pool! ALso ALL final tablers will get a $12k WSOP package! I have qualified for this via a $30 MTT feeder (which I won) So Sunday could be a good day!!!

Well thats about it for now. Luton Grand Challenge next week where I will be playing the £200 omaha (with one rebuy and one add on), the £750 double chance and the £1000 main event. With Luton being a good hunting ground for me, I am expecting cash finishes there. Hopefully a win as well.

Till then,,,,,,,,,,,,