I'm Back....

Hi folks!

So I'm back from Bulgaria, it was *awesome* and well worth the 50p I spent in being there. Seriously, I spent less than £300 in a week, was pissed every night and ate out twice a day. If you haven't been, I recommend it highly!

Obviously I didn't play any poker whilst out there, although obviously I did do my nuts betting on which of us would be faster down various water slides. Tip: being a fat lad doesn't make you gravity proof, but doesn't make you as quick as you'd imagine, either. I also did my nuts on data roaming by forgetting to turn my mobile internet connection off, *sigh*.

Tip 2: Don't watch England get fucked by Germany in a bar full of Germans having spent the whole afternoon cursing them in their mother-tongue whilst drinking beer. Further, don't lose your lighter and then need a cigarette so bad after they make it 3-1 that you interrupt their celebrations to ask for a light. They took it rather well, I thought, but it was pretty embarrassing after I'd spent the whole day pointing out the lack of Germans in their team (Brasil, Poland, Tunisia and Turkey are just some of the countries they employ to do their football these days) and how we were gonna stuff them. Thanks, Fabio, you prick. Now fuck off and resign. What? You mean you value the £12m you'll get paid off if sacked more than you dignity? Of course you do, you arse, the Italians don't have a word for dignity. Or if they do, it's the same as 'snake faced cunt'.

Anyway, a week of sun, Germans, waterparks, beer (at 75p/pint) and women (considerably cheaper and more dangerous to your health!) later, I'm back to work, which is brilliant, because I love sitting in the office when it's nice outside... when there are Germans in the office taunting me at every opportunity, both over football and my conspicuous lack of a sun tan. Yes, I've been on holiday. No I don't have a tan. My personal melting point is a little over 25 deg, so meh :(

This week, I plan to plan at Circus on Weds to get back into the swing a bit, and then probably over at the G on Friday, too. I *may* squeeze in a little bit of Circus Thursdays, just for the craic too. Seems like I'm amenable to a little bit of gamble gamble this month too. Looking forward, I'm also gonna play the £200 G Club Championship, and I'm gonna sell half my action in that. If anyone is interested (straight 50:50 split after stakeback to backers) then leave a comment or PM me on the NPF.

Peace,

--mulhuzz

Sigh, Decent, But Sigh

So I wanted to recap my week.

It starts with doing ok in the Monday game at Circus, before going card dead, sigh. I finally 3bet ship 4 handed with A9o from the SB after Brennan's button open. Standard ship for my 10BBs, but he has AA, sigh. Thanks Brennan, happy birthday me. Still take £70 for fourth though. Can't really remember much about the tournament, before I go on to crush at cash for another £100 or so, through till the early hours with George and Lewis and playing DC. George gets there with 72 against my TT in the last hand of the night, so I decide I need sleep and go home as it's now 'officially' my birthday, and I want to go out on the lash the next night. 7am is more than good enough for me to go home!

The next night, I get fucking wankered, lose everyone in Madam Koo's and head to Circus for 45 mins, maybe an hour, win a proper internet hand with AKdd all in on a 8d 3x 4d Jd board for over £200 against 88 and 44. lol. Brick the river one time please sir, thanks, ship it! First time I've ever put the straddle on and woken up with a hand!! That was nice, ldo. I then go find the rest of the lads and get more drunk, before heading to get food and home. As we're in the take away, some dude (asian rudeboy wannabe gangster) tries to pay for a bottle of water with a £50 note, so he's immediately labelled 'cock' obv and then tries to talk to me. I tell him to fuck off, he pulls a knuckleduster out, I laugh in his face, as do all the lads I'm with. He offers me out, I step outside, he doesn't follow, I laugh more. Police arrive, he's knicked for possession of a little baggy of pills and for being a ladytard with a weapon. I laugh more.

Weds I head to Aspers for cash, lose a little with AK < QQ aipf (other guy was shortstacking, I 3bet from button over CO raise, he shoves, I call getting 90million to one, he wins). Then the game is going to break up, because there's a £11 sng announced as a satellite for the Nifty Fifty which started the Aspers game.

I absolutely crush this, I slow roll Barry because I've misread my hand, he was furious and I was super apologetic, but what can I say? I was hungover to fuck and spades and clubs look similar. I thought I was tank calling with a bare 8 on the end of a 4 spade board, rechecked my hand, I have As8c. Sorry Barry, I have the nuts, I call. He shows Ks2s. That's what happens when you call my raises with tripe. I slowroll you with the nuts. lol.

I then win a huge flip on the bubble when I hit one of my 2389028392839 outs on the river to make broadway after I shove button with AJs and BB tank calls 77. He had slightly less than me, and the chip leader (Benoit, not Bruno as I've been calling him!) had 2x me, so it's a pretty spewy call imo, but there we go, I was happy to go to the river needing any pair, any heart and any 9/K for my double gutter. K ball one time.

So to the Nifty. I have a pint with Ian 'Nemesis' Bertram pre game, and then catch up briefly with the Tretts. Unfortunately, they don't buy my claims that the game is cancelled and Dan goes on to take the lions share of the chop. I should've tried harder, obviously. Well done Dan!

For my part, I never get going, totally card dead and only win one pot of note pre break when I turn a flush and win a medium size pot from two tards. I lead the turn for 1500 into 3500 when one tard has 2200 total. I should have checked as he tank folds. Sigh. I'm up to about 9000 from 6000 at the break but still totally card dead.

After the break, I know that 100/200, 200/400 and 300/600 are really the levels where it's make or break for me. At 100/200 I manage to lose the minimum with 44 on a 467T hhh board when I check fold the turn to be shown 77.  Kinda butchered it, caus I check-called the flop planning to check-raise most turn cards. Worst card ever comes off, I don't have enough chips to bet fold though, so check-fold it is as there is literally nothing I'm beating.

I then get super card dead some more, all the way to 300/600 when I have about 6500. I've had difficulty finding spots because all the shorties on the table are too my right, so they often get in the pot before me. In the BB, I pick up 45o when my BB is raised from MP again! Brennan flats behind and I immediately peg him for a hand like AJ/AQ/55 etc. When he flats, I note that the raiser looks nervous, and annoyed that he's gonna be outta position. With a flat caller behind him, he has to be huge to call my shove (because he has only 9000 total) so I just shove because there's like 2800 in the middle and my tight image should make brennan fold out lots of hands in his range. Obviously I get tank called in one spot with an announcement of 'ok, I'll gamble' and then Brennan tank folds AQ. I read him so good. lol. Obviously I'm up against KQo and the first two cards give me the world with 23, then the board pairs and runs a K on the turn and I miss my up and down for the win. Sigh. I don't think I played too badly, but I just didn't know what to do with no hands at all and no spots. Meh.

So there we are. A weekly round-up. Thanks for reading!

In which I smash all boards ever in the face, and somehow conspire to lose.

First of all, before I get ranty, let me just say wpwpwpwpwpwpwp and shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip it to Rosco for winning the Coral British Masters Leeds game this weekend. I'm sure he'll be reporting more on this over at his blog. Well played sir, and super well deserved.

Ok then, on to the rant. So I'm off work, fancy playing some cards so head over to Aspers for a little cashytao action. The game is just getting underway as I rock up, so sit for £50 with Stephen Craik (terribad), a French lad called Bruno(?) (nice guy, good player, v capable and thinks I'm a total shark thanks to some brilliant speech play by James BOTR Howard...lol) and the usual collection of Chinese/Asian donks. I get building a nice stack early when I make a good call with TT on a K9xxx 2 heart board against Bruno. I also turn the nuts against a shortstacking Stephen and get paid off when I donkbet shove the river. I nitroll some other dude when after I lot of limps I pop it with AQo in the cut off. Get a couple of callers, and flop is Q8x 2heart board and my c-bet is check called in one spot. Now the pot is like £15 and the check caller in the hijack leads for like £3.50 on a K turn. It looks so milky I start wondering if he has a set, and he only has £20 back. I flat call because he always calls with sets, and always passes everything in his range that I beat, I think. On the river, a really bad J (because now all the queens he can conceivably have check/called and fired with now all have 2 pair. *sigh*. Any way, he bets £5.50 on the end, so I kinda nitroll call and he had A8. Ok, I can't raise for value I suppose, but just, wow.

So anyway, I'm crushing and playing pretty super when some tard raises early to £3, and I repop to £14 with AdKd in the hijack. Bruno, on the button, tells me this is a great spot for him to 4bet me, but passes (I'd have snapped, ldo) and the tard calls.

I turbo smash the K96dd board in the face, and the tard checks, having thought about betting, and I insta think 'draw' so I just shove. He calls and I'm shown the might QJo. Ten on the turn ldo and I obv miss the river diamond. Sigh. Wp sir, you play so ossm. I'm then told by two other players that they passed a ten. No diamonds. Mbn to be one outed.

So anyway, next hand I find AKo so I raise to £3.25 with the straddle and get called in 5 spots. I bet £10 on the K93r flop and some tard shoves for £16 total. I call and he shows KJo. Jack on the river, ldo. 3 outed. Back to back. Yip, nice hand, you played it awful ('i thought you were steaming', 'so shove pre, you have no fold equity and never have the best hand otf', 'what's fold equity', 'sigh')

So, there we are, gg profit, and I take a small £4 profit from playing like a hero.

I refuse to be tilted by this though, I played completely awesome, I think, and right now I feel I'm playing better than I ever have before. Within the next couple of months I'm going to be really working on my live tournament and cash game and by the end of the summer I hope to have played in (and scooped) a major live tournament like the DTD deepstack. I didn't think I was ever good enough in this kind of game, but recently a couple of people I really respect have said nice things about my game (you know who you are) and convinced me that I might well just be good enough value to take some shots. When I do, I'll probably sell some action, so I'll keep you all updated.

Thanks for reading, comments appreciated.

GL at the tables,

--mulhuzz

Circus Friday Game 5th June 2010

So I didn't blog in a while, I'll keep this as short as I can. Honest.

I get persuaded to play the Circus £15+£15 game on Friday and get further persuaded by BO$$HOG and Pads that having beers before would be fun. They were absolutely right, it was fun. Couple of beers in the telegraph (which is rammed) and then off to reg at Circus. Before we reg, I play my first ever game of AZBOKING with Sensh, BO$$HOG, Pads and Andy Blair. Obviously I bink it. Beginner's luck and such.

I get drawn a reasonably tough table, with Andy 'KQ4EVA' Blair (who I love listening to talk about poker whilst he's playing, it's like free coaching!), Lewis Clemment and Chris Day all here, plus some unknowns. Chris is tough to play against as he's just so aggro with a wide range, and I think it's pretty safe to say that Lewis is a top player who will be more than happy to have the button when I'm in the BB. Andy is directly to my left too, which should be fun. Chris is directly to my right and dealing, and he's always good crack. You know he's gonna be here for ages with loads of chips, or out early with his style.

A little into it, Chris coolers Andy for his first buyin with A7 > TT all in on a 7 high flop. Ace on the turn. Andy rebuys, and Chris coolers some other dude and very quickly has north of 20k, I guess, from the 6k start. He's being aggro and running good. Hitting every draw and such. Then Chris raises the button to 425 and I repop to about 1250 with AKs from the SB. Andy moves in from the BB and Chris passes. I don't like folding with 1/3 of the effective stack already in there when I'm flipping a lot. I make the call and AK > TT. Ul Andy, wp. Always a pleasure.

I like to threebet a little lighter against Chris than I normally would, and I make up for this by flatting less. The reason is that Chris can have a tendency to overplay hands a little, especially if he thinks 'he'd never reraise with X preflop' so you can get him to commit his chips with all sorts of draws and mid pairs. The flip side is that I'll rarely bluff him, particularly if I think he has a draw and the pot is about to bloat.

Later a couple of crucial hands come up. I threebet Chris' open with TT and he calls (that's not lighter than usual, I'll 3bet TT for value against most people..) and he calls OOP. He leads pot size on a 689 board and I just shove for 10k effective. He snaps with K7, I fade the world and double up to 20k-ish. My shove looks so weird here I think that Chris might think he has Ks, 7s, Ts and 5s for the best hand. He'll prolly also call with just like any pair. With hands that beat me, he probably bets smaller or even 'checks to the raiser' I think. Meh, maybe I got lucky that I wasn't behind but that he still called. I had a live AZBOdraw if I was behind, anyway.

A few orbits later, with the beers flowing, there are a couple of limpers (Chris included) into Rob Flett (new to table) in the BB. He promises to raise, so I overcall with 99. Not ideal, but meh. Flop is a dreamy 345. Rob checks, Chris bets, I raise for value from hands like A5, etc, and Rob flats. Chris then shoves for 6k more (with about the same in the middle) and I just flat. Rob then moves in for 1000 more than that. Sigh. Not beating anything now, I guess, but I call. Actually, I'm beating the world. Rob has 52 (he gave the 'I guess I'm going to work speech) and Chris has 65. I scream for a running King Queen ball, and that's exactly what I get, and all of a sudden I have 38k or so. We're not even at the break yet!!!

At the break, I tell pads how I'm crushing and he tells me how he's catching up. Some good banter there, of course. I decide to add on, just for the crack, and eat at the break, catching up with Dan and Mark Trett too.

After the break, some other stuff happens. Fast forward to Dan and Mark Trett getting moved to the table. I'm dealing now, and having banter, and watching the Tretts hoover up chips. Apparently when Mark writes his first book, the first chapter will be 'how to get there on the river' and Dan will guest author a section on 'how to flop trips and get paid everytime'. Dan and Mark both came to the table with less than me, and all of a sudden Dan has like 50k, Mark getting to about 35k -- by getting there on the river, obv ;) -- and I can't relax anymore. Now there's poker to be played, so I mix up a few pots, but I'm playing a little tight against them both as they both have position on me and I don't want to get into a spot where I could go broke if I play it wrong.

I haven't really moved chipwise for a while, small variations, going through blinds, taking blinds and limps and such. I'm delighted to continue the banter when the table splits and I get moved. I *really* want Pads' table, but it's not to be, although Dan joins me on a table with philn, KENLOCK and some kid called Phil, as well as another lad called Shaun that I know from around. At this point, let me say that it's the first time I'd met KENLOCK and we spoke for ages about a lot of stuff. He's a top top bloke, if you don't know him, introduce yourself. Needless to say, he knows his way around the felt too.

I start opening all buttons and also threebetting Dan Trett's early and mid position ranges in position for value. The lads in the blinds are starting to get sick of me, I think, and it's no surprise when Shaun shoves. I ask him how much more and he instantly draws in breath quickly, telling me he doesn't have a monster. I know I'm unlikely to be dominated with QTs and make the call for 12k or so. I bink against A3 and start to chip up again.  I then lose lots of it back when I flop two pair from the SB against and all in pre (for 2BBs) and KENLOCK who flatted the button. Ken has a straight and a flush draw, so when I shove he snaps and I can't fade the world this time ldo. I'm back to around 40k again when I open AQo early. Dan calls in the SB which is perfect for me, because it sets up a squeeze from philn in the BB. He duly obliges and I hold vs 78s by flopping an Ace in a 50k pot. Up towards 65k now. (I think that was the order of those hands, I may be wrong, but the net result is that when we move to the FT bubble I had 65k).

I raise from LP again (this time with KQs, a value hand!) and I get shoved on by the mighty Q7s. I make what I think is the most standard call in the world, and he flops a 7. That was the other kid called Phil. I guess he was just sick of me stealing his blinds, maybe. More like a frustrated shove than a value shove, esp when he had 25k or so. GG 50k pot.

I think I play another couple of pots, but get to the FT as a decent stack. Basically, this goes on for ages. Jean Barr limp folds AK to a Dan Trett all in (he lost a reasonable amount at the other table, but I don't remember how) because there was a limper behind. I was furious with that tbh. Anyway, I play like a bit of a hero, I think, but all of a sudden it becomes a little too tight so I start opening everypot that's folded to me, as does Dan. With less than 15BB in some spots, I just shove shove shove and pick up blinds all the time. Dan takes a stand with the 'miles ahead of my range' (my words, not his) KhJh. Unluckily for him (this is the 5th hand in a row I've shoved) I have Ah6h and hold to win a huge pot.

I can't be arsed to keep typing, but some dude gets KK a million times (and I fold JJ and AK to him pre) and later I'm offered a 5 way deal as chip leader. Lewis really has my back here and I turn it down because, frankly, 80% of the time I'm giving like £85 away. I offer a 5% discount on an ICM chop, but nobody other than Lewis knows what that means, so we play on. I start nibbling and nobbling and applying pressure, but then lose a rather large pot to TJ when he outflops me when I'm dominating. *sigh* -- back to average, TJ, furious that I didn't deal, starts giving it a bit of talk, so I stick the earphones in and decide to crush again. I do. 3 way chop at like 6:30 in the morning caus I had shit to do that morning and couldn't be wrecked. That was annoying. Good cash though, felt I played well.

In other news, that put me top of the new world cup league. weeeee..

In other other news, I did like £100 in a cash game at the G on Saturday after coming in pissed and having Scotty outflop my AA then play me like a fiddle for me to get it in drawing dead almost. That sucked. Still, when I made my first post at the NPF, I said I wanted to make £2500 this year from livepoker. It's June. Almost midyear review time, and I think I'm well on target for that, so that's something. Even if I do play like a fucking buffoon whilst pissed.

Thanks for reading. Sorry about the curtness at the end.

GL at the tables,


--mulhuzz

G League Final Report

So I turn up at the G well before play is due to begin, and I pretty much love my table draw. It looks pretty soft. There's a lad called Jamie, who definitely has some chops, but I have position on him. There are 2 super tight players and Christine, who I hate, so I'm looking forward to knocking her out (more on that, later).

Also at my table, directly to my left, is Glen the Geek. He has about 21k, so could put some real damage to my 31k stack. Before the game, I catch up with a few of the lads and have a pint with Nemesis and chat to Spoona, Sensh and CGK for a bit.  By 3pm, the cards are in the air. Unbelievably, only 36 of 50 players have turned up, and with £4100 in the prizepool with £2000 up top, I'm feeling confident I can do well.

It would be impossible for me to report all the banter, action and good times from this tournament, so I'm just going to select a couple of things. First of the bat, thanks to the G for a slick and well run tournament and especially to Candice and the Big Cheese for just having a good time and running things so smoothly.

Early doors my plan is to be tight. Blinds start at 50/100 with a 25 minute clock throughout, so I don't need to get funky at any point with over 300 BBs. I know that a lot of people would limp lots of small pairs and suited connectors with my stack, but obviously it's effective stacks that we're concerned about, and more than one person at my table had between 40-60BBs. I don't need to get involved and I'm hoping when the blinds go up I can play a few pots profitably.

Not how it turns out, though. Within the first level, there's a little less action from the short stacks than I expected, so I start playing a normal game, loosening up a little. I raise AQo in late position in the second or first level and someone ships the whole farm from the BB. It's about 3k more to me, and frankly, I don't need the flip so I sigh and pass. Later still, the Geek limps UTG and I check my option with K4ss in the BB. I lose a small pot when I brick a flush draw. Good thing I do, Glenn has trips and the NFD by the turn on an AA36ss board with A8ss. I lose a couple of small pots when I brick the world twice with OESFDs, when I've over limped or overcalled with suited connectors in late position. This is pretty standard I think, I've only lost a tenth of my stack and I'm not worried at all.

An interesting hand happens the next orbit when I'm in the BB. With the blinds at 100/200 (first hand at this level), Glen makes it 700 UTG and I elect just to flat in the BB with AhKh. I'm out of position, and I think Glen will overshove most pairs 88+ here when I raise and I don't need a decision for 20k chips, thanks. I'd rather control the pot size, out of position as I am, and I check fold a 9JQ one heart flop. This flop smashes Glen's range in the face, and I'm drawing to a ten ball at best. Turns out if I'd lead the flop, I would have picked it up as Glen shows TT. Unless he liked his OESD on the flop. Ha. Still, I don't mind check-folding here. I'm looking to control the potsize anyway. Against a smaller stack I'd have probably raised pre and called a shove, but it's suicide against the only stack on the table that can significantly dent me.

 I'm down to about 24k at one stage, and I'm not happy. I can't hit the board for toffee and I'm bricking draws. When a new player raises early and everyone else folds I shove AKo in the BB for about 5k effective. He calls with KK. Flop brings 3 diamonds, turn is an Ace and he's dead because the case King is diamonds and would make me a flush. I run pretty good.  From then on, I tear it up, I start checking to induce bluffs, floating and barrelling and generally playing my A game. I lose a pot to Christine when she tank calls QJo in the BB to my EP raise with AQs and we check it down (she always check calls every street, I hadn't hit the board, so I'm not betting really as it doesn't seem like a value bet with A high. She calls the entire range she's beating me with and the board is J high).

I then take a couple of hits with standard cut off raises running into '3BB more' shoves from the BB. I'm never flipping with him, sigh, he always has a value hand and it's pretty frustrating. He then spews these chips away by bluffing B v B and limp folding 7BBs, but then I go double him again with A9s running into AA for about 30p more. *sigh* I don't give up though, and flop trips to get three streets of value from one idiot, and then raise with 78s in late position again. The BB (him again!) shoves on me and I snap. He has AQo. Finally a hand where I'm not dominated. Persistence is virtue and I flop 2pair. One hand later I raise in the hijack with QJhh and get shoved on for not much more by a different big blind. I'm priced into call and hope I'm not dominated. He has 99. Nice. I flop two pair and turn a house. Nice. That's the 2 table bubble and we're joined now by Nemesis with mirrrrions of chips and Glen the Geek rejoins, having been moved just after he took my 700 in level 3. Other players I don't know.

Nemesis has position on me, so I tighten up a bit because he's capable of three betting light. Jamie, a teacher, who I have a lot of time for and was excellent banter all day (including agreeing to put a £5 bounty on Christine's head) gets coolered when he shoves the short stack from the button and before I can even finish saying 'I'm calling you light' I snap him off with JJ. He has TT and my stack is north of 45k for the first time. Ul Jamie, good playing with you.

I win a pot against Nemesis when I limp the button with JTs (horrid, I know, but I've been stealing his blinds a little and I want to play a pot with him for a change!). He raises as expected and I flat. I call his bet on the flop QJx board, call again on the turn which puts a third spade up there, and tell him that I'm going to call a third barrel on the river, so he checks and I check behind. He never calls Ace high here, but he might raise and I don't want that. My stack is north of 65k now with only those couple of showdowns. We're short handed and near the final table bubble

A few hands later, Ian gets me back. I raise in MP with JJ and Iain shoves. I was really close to calling, but I passed. Truth is, I didn't want to lose a flip when I think I can outplay everyone else at the table. I was closer than Nemesis thinks I was to calling, he told me he thinks I need KK+ to call here. I'm calling with 99+ and AQ+ normally, but the table dynamics dictated a fold. He shows me K8s. Nice hand, you fish! :D Ian was continuing to apply pressure to people and wanted to be the table captain. I was fine to let him and pick off the weaklings. Heh.

Eventually, I don't know how, we make the final. I have 63k from 490k total. First hand the geek moves all in for 20k. I tank fold AJs and Nemesis wakes up with QQ. Obviously I'd have rivered an Ace. Sigh. Right fold though.

Some sick hands later I take out christine who's been bitching about ten not being paid because she had about 5BBs. This woman is so standard. I fucking hate her. When it's her BB at 1/2k, I make it 7k UTG with ATdd. This is totally below my usual UTG range, but I want that fiver, considering she only has 4.8k or so. She calls with K5o. Board runs TT33X and she complains about badly done by she is. I really want to tell her to fuck off, but I don't. Play better. Or talk less. I don't care which.

Rob Taylor is our bubble boy when he shoves something and Nemesis snaps. Ian is playing well, but the deck is smashing him in the face! I've never seen anyone run that good.

Anyway, this is long now, so we'll avoid the drama of making the deal and Stephen Craik not wanting it, then wanting it after Nemesis punished him with a shove every single time he raised. Basically, I have £500 locked up and can win a further £500 by winning it. I decide not to ladder and try to rechop later, I'm playing for the win so when I raise the button with 44 and Iain ships the SB, I auto call. He has AK. River is the cruelest Ace ever for a third of the chips in play. *sigh*. I mean, it's standard, but meh.

Ian then smashes the deck some more, cracking KK with QTs by flopping a house when Spoona already passed QT. Wow. He then got Dave in some other ridic spot and finally Spoona, who rocked the short stack admirably, and played super all day long, when Ian turned a 6 ftw in A6 v AT aipref.

I had such fun. £500 is my holiday spending sorted. Great game and wpwpwpwpwpwp Ian. You might run like God, but you played great, too. Well done to everyone that final tabled, of course too.

Ok, enough now. Comments appreciated.

Gl at the tables,

--mulhuzz

*sigh* why can't I play better? -- The story of my weekend.

So I played the Friday night tourney at the G.

Cardguard puts a bounty on my head and even though I'm playing like a hero, JJ < AK and I can no longer beat Stumpy for the £300 seat. Bah. Wp Stumpy though, well deserved sir.

I then play cash and spunk off with two overcards, NFD and a broadway draw on the turn when some total moron bets £40 into an £11 pot. *sigh* Incidently, I also made quads and got very little action. Scotty raises early to £3.75, I 3bet to £12.25 with KK and some tard shoves ATo for about £20. Scotty was 4betting AQ all day there, but now he has to pass and I flop quads. Thanks for that, retard. *sigh*

Also, I spazz out of the G Online Final, making the money, but not very much. Still, it's £25 for free when AZBO < AQ. *sigh*

Saturday night was the most fun I've had playing poker in fucking ages. A cracking, although pretty short, DC game at the G with Russ the Suit, Chris Carr, Sensh, Cardguard, the Geek, Nemesis, Craig Mac, Scotty and a few others.

Sensh runs like God, obviously, making a ridic call on the turn in 6card PLO8 where the other three players in the hand already have nut nut. Sensh has a set and an ueberwrap with a flush draw, and he binks the river. Still, I only lose about a tenner on that hand, if he folds, I win about a £5er, so meh.

Later, I make a cracking call against Scotty in this hand: 7 card PLO8:

I have A23467T with some suits and flat cgks raise from the button, but say that 'I think I'm supposed to pot it here'. Scotty, who has limped, says 'yeah, i think I'm supposed to pot it too' but just calls.

Flop is a worldy K45r. I now have an ueberwrap for the high and the low, and a pair. I check, Scotty bets £5 and is called by cgk and Sensh, so I come along as well. Turn is a pretty bricky Qc, which puts a flush draw out there (I have three club blockers) and a broadway gutshot. Scotty bets £16, cgk passes and Sensh calls too. Now I have to call also, I don't like raising because I can be dead to half the pot a decent amount of the time here.

River is an offsuit 4. So now I have trips, but someone could easily have KK/QQ for the world.

I check, scotty bets £44 all in and Sensh mucks.  i had sensh on like A23KQXX, and I tank for ages before deciding that scotty has bricked the world here. He has AKQJTXX so often here I think, and his 3/4 pot sized shove just doesn't make sense to me. With him last to act, I think he'd check behind any small value hand like 5s full or the other 4 with a house, and he'd make a smaller bet with KK/QQ. After tanking for eternity, I call and Scotty immediately tells me 'I think you're good' so I flash a 4 and win the pot. He tells me later he had the nut low draw, nut flush draw, a broadway wrap and 2 pair, so good read me :D

On Sunday night, I head over to Circus and get my stack in first hand (I've turned up late) with AKcc. Phil Butler raises to 200 in EP at 25/50 and I make it 725 in MP. With the action back on Phil, he makes it 2000. I read him for having JJ/QQ and folding to a shove, so I oblige and shove. He sigh-snap calls with KK, I turn a Royal Draw and river the Ace. I run so good.

I don't play any big pots really, but I get three streets of value from Malcom, some old fish, twice with AK and KK respectively, both on KXXXX boards. With the addon, my stack is north of 27k (almost twice the average) when I'm moved tables.

I'm reading my table well, so I'm annoyed to be moved, but Dan Trett (with a million billion chips) and Sensh (with about 23k) are on the table, so all is well. This'll be tough, I think, but great banter. There is also Rob 'larfingravy' Richardson, who's a really nice bloke (and, ul for him, stuck between Dan and Sensh, gg blinds...). In addition to these cracking lads, there's a total fish and friend of 'I Call', an old lady to my left, and the biggest prick in the north east two to my right. There's also another arse directly to my right, who's had some choice things to say about me in the past.

A few hands in, I Call 2 raises to 800 at 2/400 and 4 players call. I have TT in the SB so re-pop it to 3300. Everyone passes, except the arse directly to my right, who, with a stack of 7000 or 8000, flat calls. I check fold the AJX flop and berate him for calling and not shoving/folding. He goes into 'but I won the pot' mode, which is so ridic, and then he calls me an arse so I get a little bit lippy. Sensh is laughing, but Dan's a bit pissed at my attitude, and rightly so really. I'm never mornally a prick at the poker table, but this dude just gets under my skin.

Two hands later, I flat an EP raise from sensh with, you guessed it, AQcc. The situation is so ripe for Dan to squeeze light from the big blind, and I only flat so that I can shove over him, really. Dan obliges, makes it 4400 and then sensh shoves. *sigh*. I have to pass, as does Dan. They both had 99, apparently. Nice bet, Sensh.

Then I think the very next hand, I get AJs and it folds to me late. I look like I'm steaming, I kinda am a bit, and I raise, thinking Dan will raise light. He raises, Rob Richardson ships for a little bit more and it's back on me. Now, I only have AJ, and Rob's range is TT+, AK here I think, but as long as he doesn't have AA, I'm getting the right price to call, as long as Dan folds. Now, like I say, I think Dan's light here *a lot* so he folds if I shove about 70% of the time, I think. So I shove. Dan's not light. He has AK. Sigh.

The thing about Dan is that he has an image where people always think he's light. And he is so capable of being light a lot and just taking pots away from people with solid aggressive poker. The corollary of that is that sometimes he will have a hand, and will catch you with your pants down. I'm not scared of anyone on the Newcastle poker scene, I think I've got some game and I'll mix it with anyone, but if there's anyone that I feel a little uncomfortable having on my table, it's Dan. He puts people to decisions all the time, and there have been pots when we've 3 and 4 bet (and even 5 bet, iirc) each other with fuck all. He's so hard for me to read too so is a really dangerous opponent. If Dan's in the zone, he's probably the toughest player on the scene for me. He also has an awesome blog, Full Trett Poker, which he and his brother Mark write. If you don't read this on the regular, what are you doing with your life? Go read it now, I'll wait here.

So there we go, a weekend round up.

Note to self: Dan isn't always light. ;)

Today after work I'm off to the G for the league final. There's £4k in the prizepool and I start with the most chips by virtue of having won the league. I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Gl at the tables,.

--mulhuzz

Good times at the cash table

So bored after work yesterday, I take a trip to Aspers for for something to do. I buy into the £5 donk fest and try to build a stack quickly. I keep running my suited connectors into big hands though, so pretty quickly I look like the biggest donk at the table. Would you believe that everyone thinks I'm an idiot for shipping with 89s, getting called by AKs (why does the BB always have a hand!) and then telling everyone 'if you're not getting it in behind, you're not getting it in enough'. Obviously almost zero percent of these players have ever ground the margins in SnGs online. They thought I was joking -- I wasn't, or that alternatively I'm an idiot -- I'm not. ;)

I then wander past the cash table and chat to Bomber for a bit, sweating a couple of his hands and telling him 'I want action from you Bomber!!'. He proceeds to donk about £20 whilst I'm watching and I feel only a little bit responsible. I mean, there was no way he was calling an UTG raise with K5ss unless I was there! He encourages me to sit down and play a while, so I think about it, fully aware that I have to work early and that if I sit down now, it'll be a long session, but then decide to go have a cigarette and think about it.

I don't play cash that often, particularly live full ring, because frankly, I'm not that good. I'm a little too tight and weak passive if I'm honest. I much prefer shorthanded games, particularly heads up cash. Looking around the table, there were lots of decent players, including Gaz Walker, Ridla, Bomber and a lad called Graham who I know to be a solid player. There also look like there could be a couple of softer players though, so I grab the next open seat because with SamJ dealing, the banter on the table is flowing nicely. I decide to sit for £60 with the blinds at 25p/50p and the occasional straddle from Ridla.

Pretty early in, I flat a small raise on the button with JTs, and four players, take a flop. It's a pretty marvellous JTx rainbow flop from me. Small blind leads for £3, I make it £8 and he ships for £40. I snap, obv, and he flips QQ. How he doesn't 3bet pre is completely beyond me if I'm honest. The turn is a 9 adding more outs, but he bricks the world and I make a nice start. Getting it in good only to have people turn more outs than they flopped is a common theme for me tonight.

With that in mind, Gaz has the straddle on (he pushed a couple of times already tonight, generally being banterous and having fun) and I find AA UTG. I make it £4.50, and get called in about 4 spots.  Bomber takes a little while before he calls, and it kinds looked like he was thinking of 3betting preflop, so when the flop comes down Q24 with two clubs, I'm just hoping that he doesn't have QQ and I know I'm gonna be trying to get my money in. I lead for £16 and Bomber instajams for £45 total. Everyone else folds and I call. I can't ever pass here I don't think. He is nice enough to show me the AzobKING in clubs, so he has a bare draw. Are Aces ever holding against the Azbo? I think not!! Turn is a ten, and this time I can't brick the world as a club on the river seals it.  I ask the table if I'm allowed to call Bomber a cunt, and Keith thinks it's fine, so I do. Nice hand sir, you truely are the AzboKING and I was owned. :D

I must admit, after the profit from the first hand, I'm just about even, maybe down a small piece and a little tilted. I put the straddle on next hand and check with A3hh. Flop is 335dd and I lead, get a caller before Waaaaaalker check raises me. I'm content to shove and get called by a flush draw. He tanks for a long time and then calls, flips 94dd. Turn is a 5 to give him and up and down but this time I manage to fade the world again I've got the double up my Aces deserved!

I go pretty quiet for a while, then limp in the BB to the straddle with 66. Flop comes 68x with two diamonds. I win a nice pot getting it in against Gaz and a tourist. Gaz had a open-ender with 97 and tourist decided that A8 no diamonds was a nice spot to go broke in. Turn's an 8 and I fill up. Pass the sugar pls!

A little later, and i've been pretty tight, there's a raise from EP to £4, a flat caller and I raise the SB to £20 with AA. Original raiser passes, then it's coolertime as I get reshipped on for £45 by KK. AA holds and I take another little pot.

A couple of other hands where I felt I was too weakpassive:
Later in the evening, Adam (who has replaced Gaz, and seems a totally solid player) raises the hijack and I just flat in the cutoff with TT. This tempts Graham to flat on the button and we see a flop. Flop isn't great, but no shocking with J89. Adam fires £6, I flat and Graham passes. The turn is some awful card, like a 3 or something and I fold the Adam's bet. He does get flatted by some other dude who had a bare 7 for a gutshot. Pretty sick, imo. He bricks obv and Adam shows 89s. Nh sir.  I think I should have three bet for value here. I should have realised that Adam's range contains hands like 89s in late position, but he hadn't played many pots (except against one dude, really) and I don't know him that well, so I just flatted. A bit still really.

Later still, I have J4o in the BB and lots of limpers we see a 44X rainbow flop. I check, someone bets, gets one caller and I flat behind planning to lead any turn.  Turn is irrelevant and I lead £6 which gets the original player out, but then I'm raised to £16 by a MP limper. I think a flat is fine here, because I don't want to fold out any draws or X's (I think it was an 8). I'm planning to check-raise most river cards too, so I check and now the bet is only £12.50 on a K river. Player has maybe £30 behind that, and for some reason, I decide that I should only call here, because the bet looks so fishy. That makes total sense, because he also has a 4 but my kicker is good. *sigh* £30 of missed value there. I should have led the river...SamJ rightly berates me for playing like a tard.

That's pretty much all I can remember from the night and I left at around 1:30am with a lovely £220 profit for the evening. I must admit, I should play cash more often, I have some really obvious leaks which I can work on, but the banter with Ridla, Gaz, Bomber, SamJ and the other guys, including James 'Brickontheriver' Howerd who dealt for a while (and was the architect or my two biggest pots, and yes I did say 'thanks for the brick on the river, James' --< I'm such a tard, was tremendous. It's nights like these when I remember why I love live poker. So good. So fun. I genuinely would have said that if I'd been stuck a couple of hundo too.

Oh, and my needle of the night goes to Bomber who says 'Mulhuzz, do you know Brickontheriver? He used to be somebody.' :D

Banteriffic.

Gl at the tables,

--mulhuzz