RookieITB

Hitting Form At The Right Time...?

2007-05-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

Monday (21st) and Tuesday (22nd) both went fairly well online. Monday I finalled in two out of 14 tournies, one Full Tilt $30 rebuy, finished 6th for about $500. The other was a $75 FO on Betfair which i finished 2nd for $2200, where my 44 couldn't hold vs AQ heads up. I finished the night up just over $2k. Then on Tuesday night I hit 3 final tables out of 12 tournaments and cashed in another one on top! My best result was again a 2nd for $2200 in the Party $20 rebuy. I took a sick beat to lose in this too, i trap check raise all in on the turn with KK on a J 6 4 4 board, only for him to call with J5, and the river brought one of his two outs obviously! Sickener. Still it was a $2100 winning night so not a bad two nights really considering such a bad Sunday!
Havent played since, arrived in Ireland on Wednesday evening after the flight was delayed for 2 1/2 hours!!! Travelled from Dublin to Drogheda this afternoon (Thursday 24th) and arrived at the hotel, which is beautiful and i must thank Mike Lacey for sorting it out for me.
Shopping Mall literally next door, which i have already visited and bought my two pair of trainers! Got a text from Chris "NoFlopsHomer" Hall saying he was in a satellite at the Poker Club so me and Aisling wandered down there. Nice club, just being done up really as you can still smell the paint on the wall as you walk through the place! Apparently there are plenty of mad players there, so should be fun tomorrow! 15k chips and a one hour clock means that, believe it or not, i will be a rock tomorrow! At least until the 150/300 level which is when i plan to make moves to try and build a stack. Play starts at 4pm tomorrow afternoon.
One Time dear poker god's. One Time. :)

A Long Time Away..

2007-05-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of posting over the last month or two. I have been quite busy, i went to Vegas (wow!) at the beginning of April for 8 nights. What an experience! I might be underage to gamble over there but it is breathtaking just being there. I loved just walking down the strip casino by casino. Absolutely amazing!
Although im not old enough to play i did manage to play at the Plaza, a couple of sit and go's. Crapshoot's really, but a game is a game! I didn't do any good in them (mainly due to the girlfriend taking me out of two of them! LMAO). I didn't think i would be going all the way to Vegas to be taken out of a couple of SNG's by the girlfriend!!!
Came back mid April and messed about since then online. I only had one real result, I won a seat for the Green Joker Poker festival Main Event on 25th May, a 1000 Euro buy in plus expenses paid, all for only $200. Other than that it seemed as though i couldnt win a pot i played in and all multi's were going pear shaped! By the 2nd week in May i was approx $3.5k down on Multi's for the month.
Then, on the 13th of May i had booked up to go to Blackpool on a one week intensive driving course hoping to come back on the following friday with a driving licence. On the sunday when we got to Blackpool I played a few multi's, being sunday they were decent ones. I ran well in the $100 rebuy on Ladbrokes, with 700+ runners i made final table, only then realising that there was added $15k WSOP packages for the top 2. I was sitting about 6/10 on the final and was looking to ladder up and make moves when we got to the last 5 really.
It was not long before we got to 4 players and i am sitting 4/4 as it is a crapshoot! I win a hand and move into 3/4, then next hand i shove on the button with AK and get a call from the CL with AT. This is it, if i win this pot i will be CL and most certainly have the package locked up as well as the 20k+ for second. Flop J 4 7, NICE, Turn 7, NICE, River 4, NOOOOOOOO! YOU LUCKY $!*&!! So sick, he rivers a split and i am still in 3rd of 4. Next hand 4th place goes out, so i am sitting 3/3 with crapshoot blinds! I have just over half of 2nd places so obviously need to make moves if i want top 2. I make my final stand when i shove with K9 and get looked up by AK to which i dont improve. Truly Gutting, but the $13k return was a nice one which amazingly puts me up approx 9k on the month!
Now it's Tuesday, and i enter usual nightly tournaments, including the Mansion $100k tournie, and i also decide to play the Daddy on Ladbrokes. Get down to 40 left and on the break on Mansion before Aisling (girlfriend) tells me she is also in the tournie too! For she had registered and played the first 3 hours without telling me and had managed to be sitting around 5/40! I was in about 18th so offered a 20% swap to which she agreed, top 20 paid.
Soon after the break i reraise all in from the SB with KQ over a cut off standard raise, the cut off passes and shows AJ, i show nothing. Next hand and i get AKs. The same guy makes a standard raise, so i reraise again all in. The bb now calls!!! And the raiser folds! I think i must be behind, and hope im racing, NOPE! Im winning, as the BB shows AQ and i now am in a pot ahead to go top 4 in chips..... the flop is a sick A Q x and i dont improve. Thats all from me in that one, except for my 20% in Aisling which i am happy to say she did brilliantly in making it to 6th for $3k! What a result for Ling, APAT better watch out in a couple of weeks as she is going to take it down :)
Just as Ling went out of Ladbrokes i was doing well in Mansion 100k. I managed to make the final, albeit short. But i was pleased i had got that far and guarenteed a decent win. I ended up pushing with A9s 6 handed and running into A10 and going out for $4600. Not a bad return for a $100 freezeout really. So the week in Blackpool was turning into a great poker week! Not to mention the driving was going brilliantly too!
I passed my theory test on the Tuesday and had the main test booked for Friday at 9.37am. I drove well and got through the whole 40 minutes without making much of a mistake (at least i thought!) and pulled up back at the driving centre. The examiner then says "Im afraid you havent passed today".. And goes on to explain that apparently i went through a gap early on too fast and that this was a serious fault (One serious fault and your out!), other than that my whole drive was lovely, and i only got 3 minor faults (out of an allowed 12)!! Gutted, but not the end of the world. Now have another test booked at the beginning of July so fingers crossed i can pass then.
Since then i played only on Sunday night, which went bad, and lost $2k on Multis. Nevermind, back to the grinding tonight and hopefully get a result or two!
Green Joker Poker is friday and me and Aisling are leaving on Wednesday and flying back on Monday, me hopefully carrying a cheque for 40000 Euro +!

Cardiff Cooler

2007-03-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

After my recent run of form resulting in me buying into the main event as i had decided. I started on Day 1, and finished approximately 3 hours later.. A little disappointing.
I was on the button with 2s 5s and called the preflop raise from CO with the intention of making a play at the pot. When the sb and bb both called aswell i was a little annoyed but i still had position and aggression in me! I was on approx 8500 at this point and had a tight image on my table tbh as my table was quite LAG i had to sit back and watch for a while.. When the flop came out 3s 6s 8c i was rather happy! They all suprisingly checked round to me, and i bet 800 into the 1200 pot. The sb dwelled for couple of seconds before announcing raise and making it 2000 to play.
IMO here, i have two options, fold or shove... being a SLAG (super loose aggresive) that i am, i opted for the push of 6.5k more. My opponent, who i do not know his name, dwelled up for a good minute before finally making a call with 66... Yes thats right, the second nuts. I'll be honest, i wanted to punch the guy for the slowroll but instead, when my draw missed, i just got up and walked off without saying anything lol.
This was the first real play that i had made at a decent pot, and to win these tournies, your plays have to come off.. Oh well, not to be. Back to the online donkaments then!.. :D

Decision Made...

2007-03-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post, have not played any poker since the win. But have decided to play the GUKPT Cardiff on Thursday (1,000 buy in). I bought in last night at Grosvenor Southampton and was told i will be playing on Thursday. I will be leaving thursday morning and hopefully be there until sunday, meaning ive gone deep in the tournament!
Im all bought in now so no changing my mind! lol.. Wish me luck.....

Welcome Home

2007-03-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

I receive a phone call on a Friday saying my mate has a holiday to sell as his parents cannot go, and whether i would like to buy it for cheap. 2 people, all inclusive to Malta for 7 nights for just £470 - Too good to refuse. So i buy it, treating Dad in the process by asking him to come with, he accepted so we were off to the airport on the Tuesday!
Then it went bad, all packed up and prepared for a holiday, we get to Gatwick and go to check in. Dad hands them his passport, which he forgot to mention he washed in the washing machine the week before!! They refuse it because the back main page was split! After a bit of moaning and swearing there is nothing we can do - he cannot go. I have to make a decision and after a bit of consideration i decide not to waste it and have a relaxing week in the sun (or not!). The sun didnt shine, there was nothing to do and i sat bored for the majority of the week. I did find a casino mind you so it wasnt all bad! LOL.
I come home and finally start playing online yesterday (18th March). I am doing poorly in tournies and decide to play some cash, within an hour or two i am $800 up on betfair, which i was just testing out the software on really! Now Tribecca has closed i have been looking for a new site to play and i must say Betfair structures are very good. Anyway, i then decide to have a bash at the big game, $25/$50 going on Party had 8 players in so i take a seat with $3000. 2 rounds later im on BB and have $3500. I am dealt 22 and one player makes it $175, 3 calls so i call. Flop 2 2 7 - I ALMOST WET MYSELF! lol. I check, preflop raiser bets $500, and they fold to me, i flat call, turn 8, i check and he pushes for more than my stack! INSTA CALL! lol, and they ship the pot to me. I come off the table 3 hands later! Thanks Alot!
All tournaments went poor but cash was very good because of the above hand mainly. I ended the day $4177 up.
Today has been another bad multi day early on. Sundays are always costly. And with just one tournament remaining out of 7 entered, i was down $1200 (It is Sunday!!). I had also lost around $1k on cash today too so was looking for a bit of help. The last tournie was the $320 - $50k gtd FO on Betfair. Come 10pm and i was sitting 1/18. $15k to the winner and guarenteed $600 i was getting very excited. From that point i set myself the target of 1st for $15k or 2nd for $10k at worst. I would have been disappointed with anything less as there was so much play in the tournament i should be able to use my stack. I make the final 2/9 and am going well, bullying is working and i feel good. The final table took some time due to the amount of play, but i manage to make it heads up 2/1 down in chips. Target achieved, but now i want to win. I get back to evens on him when we tangle on the KQJ flop. My Q 10 no match for his K10 and im gone in 2nd for a very nice $10000. $8100 profit today so am very very very happy! And now have a decision, GUKPT cardiff next week..... To play or not to play? That is the question..........

My Prayers : Answered

2007-02-27T17:47:00.000-08:00

Last comment on last post : "just let me keep winning please!". I didnt think this would happen, but it seems someone loves me and i have kept winning. LOL. In fact, not only have i won, but i have had my biggest ever cash in an online MTT to date, by a clear margin too.
20th Feb - I wake up earlier and decide to play some 3pm comps accross Party and Stars. 5 hours later and i am Heads up in the $30 rebuy on Party. I was down to 500k to his 1.4m. 1st was $5000, 2nd $3200. I managed to double up, and was on just over 900k when i doubled through him again, leaving him with 28k and blinds of 10k/20k. Yes, its over! I thought to myself, not to be, he somehow managed to win every autocall allin for the next 3/4 and was soon level in chips again! I couldnt believe it, i thought the hard work had been done and amazingly he returned from the dead. We ended up getting it in preflop with my KQ vs his 10 10. I spiked the Q and he couldnt return from his 20k again and i took down $5k. Beautiful win, i was obviously very happy! So happy that it turns out i spent just over $1k on tournaments that day, i think this is called Happy Tilt! LOL. I ended the day up $4154. Nice little earner.
I had the weekend off as i was in Cardiff for the APAT event, i was flying high, got my 10k start stack upto 29k without many showdowns at all.. I was playing soom brilliant LAG poker, and although i had such a loose reputation on my table, not many of the players had what it takes to do something about it. I was in heaven lol. I find AK on the button.. I had raised every button for the last 6 orbits, so this was going to be no different. With blinds at 300/600 they folded round to me, and i make it 1700 (Standard! For me anyway!). Sb dwells and folds. BB thinks for a sec before reraising 2.5k more. He leaves himself 8k behind and it doesnt take me long to make the 3bet allin. He gives a long dwell, i know i am racing at worst now and am pleased to have put him to a decision, hoping he folds a small PP. He calls, and announces "I have kicker problems". Beautiful words to hear, meaning i am winning. He shows A6, this pot will put me on 45k and one of the Chip Leaders if i win. The flop 10 10 J. Turn is a sickening 6. And even though i still have 9 outs to win the pot and 3 outs to split i miss and he rakes in the pot. I eventually ran JJ into QQ a couple of levels later to knock me out. I went with Tom and my Dad (Turny) who both went out earlier than me, in unfortunate circumstances.
Tom drops me home at about 2.30pm on Monday and i see that i have been drawn out to play the Mansion $100 FO for this week. 8pm start and i enter a couple of other comps also. Come 10pm i am absolutely shattered and decide to gamble for some chips in 3 comps i had left. Never went so well in two of them but in the Mansion not too long later i was 1/90 remaining with top 63 paying. I decided to play properly. And was playing very loose. With 30 left i lost alot of my stack but managed to get it all back with interest when my AQs beat AJ and my 99 rivered QQ quite nastily. I made the final and had about 20 people railing me and 8 on msn talking. Thanks so much to them as they helped alot. Also a shareholder of 10% Colchester Kev, was already knocking one out!! By the time there was 7 left it had turned into a crapshoot. I was sitting 4th in chips and the CL to my right on the CO open pushed. I had 200k and blinds of 8000/16000 and had 99. I thought this would guarentee me Heads up. Now although i was probably a race at best, i always Play to win the tournie. I called and he showed AQ.. Despite the KJ flop i held up and was loving it aswell as the Railers and Colchester Kev who had shot another load prematurely, sigh. I got to 3 left as 2nd in chips and although still very crapshootish i was managing to win alot more pots than my opponents. I did lose a big pot though to second in chips on a bluff just before we got heads up. This left me with 450k and him 1.2m with blinds 25k/50k. I shoved on the sb with 89s and received a call from him with A7. I flopped the 9 and held and the AYARRR's were everywhere.. I finally won it when he pushed into my bb with K7 and i called with A 10 and i held up. I got my fair share of luck without doubt. I shipped home for this... Wait for it..................... $24k!!!!!!! Less the 10% for kev i won $21600 which equals £11000, wow, what a feeling that was, i couldnt believe it and had some brill railers and all of you congratulating me. Thanks so much. And Congrats to kev, who knows how to invest ;)
This amazingly, puts me $24948 in profit over the month of February. And to think i was moaning at being nearly $3000 down not too long ago this month. Oh how things change.
What a nice feeling i got while updating this :D Until next time, tschuss!

Finally..

2007-02-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

I couldnt remember what a winning day felt like this month, until Friday (16th). I finally managed to get a decent (ish) cash on the board. I played a few tournaments, but the successful one was the $50 FO on Party. 494 Entries and i make final 5 in 4th position. I managed to get the chips in wayyyyyy ahead, AQ vs A5 to go joint leader in the tournie, unsurprisingly the 5 popped up on the turn and im out in 5th for $1300 and change. Rather annoying, i was eyeing up the juicy $6150 for 1st from a way out. Still put me in profit to the tune of $822 on Friday, cutting my losses on the month's MTT down to $1500.
Then again yesterday i had a nice result, getting nowhere in earlier Multis on the night i entered the $15k Gtd $10 FO on Stars. 2094 entries. Get 3 handed all even-ish in chips and a 3 way chop of $2600 each and play for $538.50. I ended up getting 2nd but still a nice result which puts me in profit of $1900 on the day and $500+ on the month!
Oh, how i hate variance, just let me keep winning please!! lol..

Family Result

2007-02-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

Not alot to post about online this month, i havent played much due to TV work (with Sky Poker!).. And when i have played i have normally lost. No real results getting annoying now!
I am currently $2200 down through online multis, $200 up on SNG. But the one that has been keeping me afloat is the £1300 i have won over this last week that Sky Poker has been open! I have won on the cash tables which are so soft it is beautiful. lol.
Decided to play a bit live this week, Monday Night was the £50 Freezeout at Grosvenor. A last minute decision meant i went down with Turny (Dad) to play it and we had a 25% swap. I started off slow, by the break upto 8000. There were only 38 runners but amazingly top 9 were still being paid, quite silly IMO with there only being £1900 in the prize pool. I won a few more pots and started getting aggresive around the time there were 15 or so left. I soon had my stack upto 25k which was more than average at around 2nd/3rd in chips. I didnt let the pressure off and managed to make the Final 2nd in chips with 40k. Sat to my right on the final was Turny, who was short on around 7k with the blinds now at 400/800.
I sat back for the first few places on the final, and watched Turny double his stack after winning a race. With blinds at 600/1200 and my stack at approx 35k i call an all in from the big blind for 3.5k more after seeing just an ace, he shows A9, and typically i squeeze out A2 !!! I get lucky though when the board come K 10 8 8 4 for the split. Next hand i get 22 on the sb and the same guy pushes again. I dont like it and decide to fold this time! Right decision as he has Aces!
Now im on the button, with a tight player on the sb, Woman, and on the bb a guy that is normally quite tight too. Blinds have gone up to 800/1600 and i have 22, all fold to me. I make it 4600 and sb folds, bb makes up for 3k more. He is 3rd in chips at the time behind me in 2nd. The flop was beautiful, K 8 2 rainbow. He checks and i decide to make a weak continuation bet, 4600 again, please sense weakness and raise!!! lol. He flat calls. Ok, im putting him on KJ or KT right now and figure he's a bit unsure whether he is winning or not. Turn is 7, meaning there is no Flush draw and he surely hasnt got any straight draw! He checks, so after some thinking i decide to check behind trying to make him think his King is good. River is a Q, i know i am winning. He bets outs 3k and i instantly move all in having him covered for another 12k or so. He dwells for ages and then eventually calls. His hand........ 66. Send it! LOL.
That was a lovely hand and soon after it was me and Turny heads up - amazing father son 1,2. Only once had we done this before. Todays date was 12/02/07, the date that we done it before was 18/02/06. 6 days off of a year ago. We split £1130 and i finished it heads up for the win, although it wasnt serious lol.
Wednesday night was the £50 freezeout at stanleys. With a disappointing 24 runners i managed to grind my way to 3rd for £180. Still, 2 tournies 2 cashes isnt bad i guess.
Need to get back into form before i go skint! lol. ONE TIME!

Luton Grand Challenge Main Event Day 2

2007-02-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

So, i had a small sleep, not much to be honest. Coming back to day 2 feeling confident i might add. I had dropped down to 17k before i found JJ and raised to 3600, (600/1200). I found the loose aggresive player of the table calling me, the flop come lovely for me, 7 4 2. He asked how much i had behind to which i replied about 13k. He bets 6k which i come over the top of and he calls with AQ ?!. Turn and river blanks and i scoop the pot to put me on around 35k, lovely.
I pick up a pot here and there, get made to fold to reraises occasionally but all in all it is going well. I then pick up Aces when in Mid Pos with about 35k behind. Blinds now being 800/1600 i raise to the same as every other raise ive made, 4600. Folds to the sb, the same guy with AQ earlier, he announces all in and i beat him into the pot. He shows JJ, the flop could have been nicer than the Q 10 8 and the K on the turn didnt make me feel much better. But a 2 river was what came and doubled me up to around 70k and put me in with a real chance in the tournament.
The day went by, blinds going up, players moving about as others got knocked out. Myself, feeling confident, raising many pots and playing solid poker. Before i new it we were down to 19 players and a saver was made, £1k for 19th, as was 10th-18th. By the time this was made i had built to around 100k and was sitting around top 5 of the tournament. I had some good players on my table, Jeff Rogers to my left, Ray Brown, and Nick Perssuad are the main ones i remember.
I found JJ with around 16 left and blinds now at 1000/2000. I was in mid pos and made it 6k. All fold to bb who is massive CL who reraises to 14k. I call for 8k and see a flop. It was a nice one for my JJ, 10 6 2. He bet out 10k, a weak bet in relation to the pot, i have about 80k behind now and decide to call and see how he acts first on the turn. Turn, 5. With no hesitation he fires out 30k. A MUCH stronger bet. I dwell for a while and fold, he shows AA. Brilliant! I have just saved my tournament! Although i am down to 70k now. The blinds now up to 1500/3000 and i go card dead. Its also not too easy to steal, as the guy with all the chips likes to play many hands. I raise once i get reraised, and im down to about 55k.
We are now on the bubble for the final table (10 left). I am one of the shorties and am playing for first, not trying to scrape to final. I find AJ on the cut off and raise into the chip leaders bb, i make it 11000 (2000/4000). The bb calls and then bets 10k (weak) into me on a 5 6 9 flop. I think for a moment and then push in for 37k more, obviously hoping he would pass. He calls and shows 67. 7 on the turn and 2 on the river means im out in 10th.
I got my money back. I was happy with how i played throughout, the main thing i was pleased about was how i handled myself when i took the tough times with QQ and AA. I pushed myself to get up and get on with it. My biggest buyin and i was very very happy with it. I hope to be testing myself again in a similar tournament soon.

Luton Grand Challenge Main Event Day 1

2007-01-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

As i said in my last update, because i finished 2nd in the £12k on DTD i would enter the Main Event, £1000+50, at Luton this weekend. I sold 30% shares of myself so i wouldnt have to pay so much, which is about what i wanted to sell. So the big day arrives, 102 entries, and i am told by Tikay i am on his table, and when i get there i have Jim Reid two to my right, Tikay one to my right, and Irish Dennis on my left and Johnny Hewston two to my left, and then Tony Nicholls on his left. Those guys, along with a couple other solid players made for a tough table really.
The first hand i played was QQ in the first level, on the button. Starting Stacks are 10k. Tikay raises to 275 (25/50 blinds) from the cut off. I make it 975 from the button. Johnny Hewston has a think and then announces 5k more on top. I dwell for a minute and then fold, face up. He shows me AA and i am so pleased i have saved myself a very early exit! I then called a 100 raise on my bb with Kd 6d. Flop was lovely, Kh 10d 6s. I bet out half pot and let him raise to 500. I just flat call and then check raise his 600 bet on the turn, only for him to fold. That got my QQ money back anyway.
A level or two went by and then i got QQ again, reraised a bet again and Hewston comes over the top again! I am so much closer to putting them in this time but opt for the fold AGAIN! He shows 10 10, silly me! I'm left on 7.5k when i could be on 15k now!
I build up to 11k again with some steals. Then things change, when im on the bb (300/600). Irish Dennis raises utg to 1800. A new player to the table moves in for approx 5600. And i am literally praying in my head for Aces now! I look at one, Ace, please please, one time! The Second one, ACE! Ok, keep calm, take your time. I then push over the top. Im happy to isolate between me and the all in guy. Dennis thinks for a minute or two and then folds his QQ. The pusher has K 10 ... board, J 10 2 6 10. And all i hear is cry's of "Hit Me Baby! Yeah, Hit me!!". I just sit there, i could be on around 20k now, above average and room to play, instead im left with 4900 and really only one move in me.
So i push from the next C.O with 89 of clubs, they all pass. Then i raise next hand to 1800 with AQo. Button calls, i know i am pushing ANY flop now.. 10 J 3. Oh well, at least i have outs! In they go, he calls with KQ, and misses, so i double up! And am back in with a shout. I get moved tables for the last level of the night, 400/800.
My new table is a rather aggressive one. I set myself a target, to build my now 12k stack, upto 24k to give myself a decent shot when i come back tomorrow. I steal a few pots in position and its all going good, and i end the day on 24k with no real hands in the final hour. I have lost on 4 lots of Queen's tonight, once with Aces and am still in the tournament with just above average stack. I will settle with that. 44 players return for day two with 18 getting paid.

Catch Up

2007-01-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a while, so i thought i better catch up.

It's been a good week to be honest. Started last Thursday with a win in an $20 rebuy on Blonde for $1600. Saturday, i deposited on Party, $1200 to play the $50 SNG's on their site. I normally fair well in these. And i got off to a good start, by Monday i was $400 up. Tuesday, however, was a different day. I couldn't win anything on there! Getting beats left right and centre - if i was favourite or not. So much so i ended up losing $1200 - which left my account on $400 lol. I gotten fed up on SnG's by now.. And, after taking advice from a rather rotund friend called Shieldsy, i played some more Multi's.
I started with a $20 rebuy on Blue Square, where i managed to get down to last 4 with a big Chip Lead. I got them in with 88 vs A7 (vs 2nd CL), if i win this pot then i am pretty much guarenteed 1st, $2.6k. It wasn't to be, with an Ace hitting the turn i leave shortly after in 4th place for $511.I played a few more rebuys on B Sq which are no good. I also played the Party $50 freezeout and the Dusk Til Dawn £50 freezeout. In the Party there were about 350 entrants, i had got to 80 left and had built an above average stack, when i got them in with JJ vs 55 for the CL. Of course, the 5 hits and im left too short to come back from. Dusk Til Dawn was also going well, i was sitting 7/35 before i said to a friend, Foaming Homer, that if i win this or get 2nd i would play the Main Event at Luton this weekend.
Things, all of a sudden, started to go right, steals working and hands holding up at crucial points meant i went to the final table 1st of 10. About 40 minutes on and we are two remaining, i have the Chip Lead on my opponent, but he just wants to do one thing - Open Push for 30+ bb's. I could tell this was going to be no fun. Eventually i made a call, maybe rash, with KQ only to find he had A8, which held up. 2nd for £2200 though isn't too shabby. I was a little dissappointed with the Heads up tbh, we had played poker throughout the final table, and i feel i got heads up with probably the worst player of the 10, normally a good thing but he wouldn't continue to play poker! If i wanted to see a flop, i would have to call his all in first! lol. Still, a nice profit was had, so cant argue. And yes, i shall be playing the Luton Main Event this weekend (£1000). Update on this to follow.
Yesterday, 17th, i went to play a £20 rebuy at Bishops Stortford. Only 25 players turned up, but after some early bad luck (meaning i put £120 into the tournament) i soon got moving and again went CL to the final. 30 minutes later, i had taken it down for £545. I played some good poker and made moves at all the right times. One guy kept folding his bb to my button raise because, as he said, "im scared of you, youre too good!"!!! - That, is just a licence to steal!
It's been a profitable couple of days, im still awaiting that big win though.. Let's hope it can come this weekend at Luton though, fingers crossed!

Late Start.

2007-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

09/01/07

Been Ill this morning so was in and out of the bed to the toilet lol. I finally got up at around 4-5pm to find out my team had a pool match so i wasnt able to stay in and play sadly.
Got home just before midnight so entered the $75 fo on Laddies and was running well until i made a booboo on one hand finishing 18/48. That wasnt going to stop me though, i went on to enter the $3 rebuy on stars spending $9 total finishing 741/3341.. Also entered the DTD $25 fo for no return (35/136).
Then a couple of cashes appeared, first in the $25 fo on Blonde, i made the final in fairly decent shape but tried making a steal, reraising in preflop with 68 soooooted (never loses), got a call from JJ and sadly this time it lost! lol... 9th for $139 in that one. My next cash came from the $27 rebuy on Blonde, 11th this time for a profit of $50. In the mean time i had been knocked out of the $100 fo on Mansion early doors, but had built a half decent stack in the $150 fo on Stars. I was sitting just below avg with 53 left and gtd $430, when i tried forcing a guy off QJ on a board of QQ 10 7 by reraising all in LOL! Sadly the fish couldnt fold and i was outta there!
I played one last one, the $36 rebuy on Blonde again and finished 37/160 with my A 10 losing out to 66. A loss of $108 in that one.
A profitable night with a few cashes in there, coulda been alot more though with one final table, one bubble for final and another decent finish in a big field, if my steals had worked, or a bit of luck had gone my way i could be more than $105 up on the night. Oh well, there's always tomorrow...!

Start off with a profit!

2007-01-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

08/01/07

I started at about midday, playing some sng's. Played 8 in all (4 tables at a time), $55+5 turbo's on stars, 9 manners. Results : 3rd/4th/4th/5th/9th/7th/3rd/1st - ending up with a $34.50 loss to start the day.
I then moved onto playing a few small multi's, a £20+2 freezeout on DTD (19th of 96) top 10 pay, a $21 rebuy on Blonde, spending $105 total and finishing a poor 35/54 that entered. My last afternoon multi was to be the $250+20 fo on laddies, with only 19 runners, i managed to go out 11th. Not a good start to the day, at this time i was down approx $450.
I had a break for 10 minutes and then logged onto Stars and played a couple of satellites for sunday million (all i really wanted was the tournament $). i came nowhere in both, spending $31 and $16.80. putting me nearly $500 down.
Wondering what to play next i got drawn toward a $30/$60 Fixed Limit Heads Up cash game on DTD. I sat with $1200 and my oppo had just a bit more. I managed to get up to $2200 pretty soon and then lost a capped pot on most streets with AA on a board of 7 5 4 Q 10 - he hit his 10 7 for two pair on the river, i got back to $1920 and decided that was a nice profit for 30 minutes work! lol. Finally a win, and i was now in profit for the day around the tune of $220.
Monday nights there is always a £10 rebuy at Leighton Buzzard (i live in Luton so not far) and i decided to go. They dont get big fields really but its friendly enough and enjoyable. I put £30 into the tournie and finished 1st of 19 that entered... Sadly this week was the smallest pot for a while, but £190 for the win is better than nothing i guess! And it also put's me around $600 up for the day.
Got in about 2.30am and was tired but still entered the $100 Mansion f.o. as there was too much value to be had, no luck in that but still roughly $500 up on the day is ok.

The Beginning.

2007-01-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog. It's the first time i've tried doing anything like this so I hope you enjoy reading it. I will be doing as everyone else does with these - post my results, good or bad, and hope you enjoy! I may post some hands also from tournaments, cash or sit and go's..

Don't know what else to say on the subject really except tell you my screen name's on each site I play on so you know me if you see me!

Ladbrokes : rookieITB
Blue Sq : ItbRookie
Blonde Poker : RookITB
Party Poker : BPRookieITB
Dusk Til Dawn (Crypto) : rookieITB
Pokerstar's : rookieITB
Ultimate Bet : rooksITB

Quite straight forward and easy to remember really! lol...