To give some gambling spice to 2009 I have decided to put twenty large of the Queen's coin on a horse.
I'm hoping this little black stallion will come romping home for me.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Poker in the Black Isle
Arrived up in the north of Scotland amongst gusts of sleet to visit Big Bro and family. Once the kiddlywinks were despatched to bed we kicked off with a $1 18 man tourney with me talking bro through each decision. After doubling up with Pocket Kings hitting top trips against trip nines on the flop after folding the first fifty hands we took that puppy down without losing a showdown ansd without getting our money in bad once. My bro's friend arrived from Germany at the weekend so there may be some live action going on.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
No Cigar
Well it's been a poker free holiday as you might have gathered. Internet connection is too dodgy and my Dad's computer is slower than a week in jail.
I did abandon the Moll on Sunday Christmas shopping in Glasgow for a 'quick' NL tourney in the same Casino I played at last time. 70 players sticking in £230 quid each. Starting stacks of 15,000 and blinds kicking off at 25/50. I folded all my hands for the first 40 minutes. When I raised in early position with QQ it was folded round to me quickly and I realised that everyone was paying some attention. It even got a comment so I realised my tight image was well established. I then kept it pretty tight but through in the occasional loose raise in late position and maintained my stack. When two new players moved to the table one made a raise and I reraised in position with KK . I called and a flop 0f 99Q and faced a raise which I flat called. The river brought a third 9 and he shoved. I decided AA was not something I could be scared of. A fourth nine was pretty unlikely so I put him on a Queen or a bluff and called and he showed the Queen and doubled me up.
I take down another small pot with a delayed c-bet from Jacks OOP on a dry flop. With a larger stack I got involved a little bit more putting a medium-shortish stack semi-loose button raiser to a decision for all his chips with AJ and getting a quick fold. I then made my first mistake raising from the button with Ace rage thinking it was blind on blind but having missed a call from UTG. A Qxx flop and I fire out with a near pot sized bet and get called. I check the turn and he shoves and I lose my first pot.
The field begins to thin and I survive the first two breaks and have a slightly peeved Moll now done with Xmas shopping on my hands.
My stack begins to dwindle and I reach Allin or fold territory. I decide to make my move early to make a call less likely and pick my spots carefully and don't get any callers and keep around the 25-35K mark. I come up against a button raise and reraise to 12,000 against a stack around 20K. He shoves and my pocket tens hold up against his fives taking my up to safe territory. I probably miss a few chances to steal blinds at this stage and play a little too conservatively and my stack begins to dwindle. I reach allin or fold territory and down to two tables get a long hard think from the BB after an UTH with AKs. She decides to lay it down and I avoid a probable race although it may have been AQ.
I squeak through to the final table of 10 with just the top 6 paying. With hefty blinds and a very short stack I raise allin with AK twice and take down the blinds. AA from early position again doesn't get any callers despiting offering the big blind almost 2-1 odds.
I have 40,000 left with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and we are down to the last 7. It is folded to me in the small blind and I look down at a distinctly poor T7o. Noone else is going to be forced to make their move this round so I have to decide if I steal 15,000 now or wait for a hand. I plump for the shove and the Big Blind calls with QJs. He rightly puts me on a pretty wide range and I realise he must see me as playing fairly loose having witnessed a shove a round from me.
Neither of us get any help so I leave as bubble boy and leave the rest to decide who gets the £2K+ prize-money and head out for a night in Airdrie.
Next poker session should be my brother's house where I take on him and his pal in some short handed home game action and no doubt some online action too.
I did abandon the Moll on Sunday Christmas shopping in Glasgow for a 'quick' NL tourney in the same Casino I played at last time. 70 players sticking in £230 quid each. Starting stacks of 15,000 and blinds kicking off at 25/50. I folded all my hands for the first 40 minutes. When I raised in early position with QQ it was folded round to me quickly and I realised that everyone was paying some attention. It even got a comment so I realised my tight image was well established. I then kept it pretty tight but through in the occasional loose raise in late position and maintained my stack. When two new players moved to the table one made a raise and I reraised in position with KK . I called and a flop 0f 99Q and faced a raise which I flat called. The river brought a third 9 and he shoved. I decided AA was not something I could be scared of. A fourth nine was pretty unlikely so I put him on a Queen or a bluff and called and he showed the Queen and doubled me up.
I take down another small pot with a delayed c-bet from Jacks OOP on a dry flop. With a larger stack I got involved a little bit more putting a medium-shortish stack semi-loose button raiser to a decision for all his chips with AJ and getting a quick fold. I then made my first mistake raising from the button with Ace rage thinking it was blind on blind but having missed a call from UTG. A Qxx flop and I fire out with a near pot sized bet and get called. I check the turn and he shoves and I lose my first pot.
The field begins to thin and I survive the first two breaks and have a slightly peeved Moll now done with Xmas shopping on my hands.
My stack begins to dwindle and I reach Allin or fold territory. I decide to make my move early to make a call less likely and pick my spots carefully and don't get any callers and keep around the 25-35K mark. I come up against a button raise and reraise to 12,000 against a stack around 20K. He shoves and my pocket tens hold up against his fives taking my up to safe territory. I probably miss a few chances to steal blinds at this stage and play a little too conservatively and my stack begins to dwindle. I reach allin or fold territory and down to two tables get a long hard think from the BB after an UTH with AKs. She decides to lay it down and I avoid a probable race although it may have been AQ.
I squeak through to the final table of 10 with just the top 6 paying. With hefty blinds and a very short stack I raise allin with AK twice and take down the blinds. AA from early position again doesn't get any callers despiting offering the big blind almost 2-1 odds.
I have 40,000 left with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and we are down to the last 7. It is folded to me in the small blind and I look down at a distinctly poor T7o. Noone else is going to be forced to make their move this round so I have to decide if I steal 15,000 now or wait for a hand. I plump for the shove and the Big Blind calls with QJs. He rightly puts me on a pretty wide range and I realise he must see me as playing fairly loose having witnessed a shove a round from me.
Neither of us get any help so I leave as bubble boy and leave the rest to decide who gets the £2K+ prize-money and head out for a night in Airdrie.
Next poker session should be my brother's house where I take on him and his pal in some short handed home game action and no doubt some online action too.
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