“I raise”

Played my first live poker tournament since May tonight. I would love to say it ended as well as my last one (1st place, £500) however sadly I’m now home and the game is still running.

The game was a £25 freeze out* with one optional re-buy or add-on (*so not a freeze out at all, but I decided not to correct them). Essentially a £50 freezeout. Given the blind structure (5000 starting stack, 100/200 blinds doubling every 20mins) and a very passive table I decided to gamble for my "first buy-in" and play some poker, I was quickly down to 3500, then doubled through with A9 v KJ (I moved all-in pre-flop from the SB after 4 limpers). Then came the following hand…

Blinds 200/400, I have 7k in EP/MP with A7h.

I raise to 1200 (seriously the table was that weak)

guy who was playing loose re-raised min to 2400 (he has approx 6000).

Fold to me, I call. This was kind of a dubious call, I’m getting 3-1, however this guy has not re-raised pre-flop all game, but he has called with pretty big hands. I’m putting him on an AA-JJ range, simply because he called a similar raise before with AK.

Flop Ah5h5c

I pause and check. I’m about 70% certain I have the best hand here, my only concern is that he is varying his play with AK. I’m checking because we’re both fairly shallow in chips, and his action both physical and chip wise will pretty much tell me where I am.

He instantly moves all in totally aggro, I beat him into the pot calling.

He flips KK.

Turn K.

Chips!

After this I meandered around the starting stack, played a few pots but had no good hands and wasn’t able to hit/steal anything. Then with the blinds at 400/800 and me with a 4000 stack the follwoing hand occurs…

I’m BB with K2o, 3 limpers.

Flop KcJcJh

I move all in.

UTG limper insta-calls, others fold. I’m stood up by this point saying my goodbyes.

He flips over 6c7c !!!

I sit back down for 3 seconds whilst the 9c is dealt on the turn. Fun fun.

Frustrating evening, but I can’t do more than get my money in whilst mathematicaly ahead.

So observations… I forgot just how BAD live poker players at the local casino’s are! Friday night and a decent sized buy-in, so you had a combination of the local sharks (all of about 4 of them) the miserable old gamblers, the mums/grans who "used to play bridge" and then about a billion 18-25 year olds who want to be Phil Hellmuth but seriously do not have a clue. No word of a lie, I heard "I only called because they were suited" three times tonight. Every time I hear it I laugh really loudly thinking it’s an ironic comment, but no these guys mean it. Other good one tonight, I have AQ in BB, button limps, SB short stack lady moves all in for about 3x BB, I call (stupid I know, I was reading the house rules and didn’t notice the Button had limped). button calls.

BEFORE the flop, the button, some young kid says "we check it down with her all in, you’re stupid otherwise". I laugh, and remind him that’s called collusion but nod my head.

Flop KJ2, I check… he moves all in. Oh dear.

I fold, he flips….. K 3 !!!

Turn A, and the short stack old lady wins with A10.

Dissapointing evening, however if you can win your first pot or two, unlike me, these games are easy money! So I’ll be playing a lot more local live poker in the near future. I may even venture into the cash games (£1/2 PL) however the random chance play of these guys may negate quite a bit of my edge in that game, I’m not sure, will have a think.

Wow, long time no write. Not much really to say related to this blog. I’ve been super busy with my new job and have really neglected my poker. I have still been playing occaisionally but nothing spectular and no major hours put in. Been running bad in the stt’s, but then I tend to do so when I don’t keep my hand in and am not really focusing properly.

Bizzarely I took 4th place in a Pot Limit Omaha H/L mtt the other night for a few hundred, which I found amusing given my limited knowledge of Omaha H/L. Basically just used solid tournament strategy and played really aggro in position.

Even more bizzarely, the US goverment have finally gone completely insane and banned online poker. Apparently the taxation of this industry for the US govt. would be worth in excess of $3billion, however they felt it was more important to ban it completely and preserve their neo-right wing "family values". Yeah ok, that makes sense. So, the knock on effect for us European players isn’t going to be good, the good ole boys in the US of A account for 80% of online players, share prices are plumetting and the industry is in a bit of a panic. We await with baited breath to see the full out come of this truely odd scenario.

Anyways, for the time being, I’m now back into my poker and will be updating more often with my high and lows, may aswell make the most of it whilst everyone is still around.