Jan 20th - 23rd (Dublin, Pokerstars, London)

Jan 20th - €50+€10 NL Hold'Em - Fitzwilliam (Dublin)

This turned out to be a 'can't really be arsed' session as I got pretty much nowhere and went out just after the break.

I'd turned up early at the Fitz to try and play in the €100 Omaha game (cash) which although the sit down is a MINIMUM €100 most people sit down with at least €500 which only increases their win & loss rate on any given hand. Me??? I sit down with €100 and three hands later have over a €1000 as I win the 3 hands in style and the majority of the multi-handed. Anyway...to cut a long story short...I leave the table winning €1400 and then play the tournament with no concentration levels left!

I lose my initial buy in on some crazy 'one outer' gamble...hold on to the break with 7k in tow and then pursuade myself that my chances of a double up are great holding 4-4 and so throw them into the middle. Man with A-Q calls and I'm history when a Queen falls on the flop!

Back to the table games where I get a BRAG on the 3-card poker game for €25 (€1000 win) lose a bit back on the magic wheel (roulette) then play a bit more cash game winning €200 before giving up on the night just over €2k up.

Entries -> 90 - Place -> ??? - Loss -> €110 ($132) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$1160

Jan 21st - $10+$1 NL Hold'Em - Pokerstars

PokerStars Tournament #18043946, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $10.00/$1.00
498 players
Total Prize Pool: $19520.00
Tournament started - 2006/01/21 - 11:00:00 (ET)

Dear ukpoker,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $4,880.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

You earned 448.71 tournament leader points in this tournament. For information about our tournament leader board, see our web site at http://www.pokerstars.com/tlb_tournament_rankings.html


Congratulations!
Thank you for participating.

Enough said really!!

Jan 22nd - $200+$15 NL Hold'Em - Pokerstars

What with winning last nights $10 tournament I was well looking forward to playing in tonights $200 event. With 4000+ runners though its a REAL crap shoot so you just have to hope the software plays ball with you. It didn't!!

After 1 hour of play I still have 2570 in chips (from a start point of 2500) and over 1000 players have departed. FIRST hand back after the break though things change!

I'm on the button and get dealt Q-Q. There's a raise to 400 from UTG+1 then another raise to 1300 from a guy in MP. What do I do?

Holding Q-Q you can ALWAYS take on the first raiser. The 2nd raise, although to 1300, just seemed to be taking advantage of the UTG player raise. I decided to go all-in and pray. I did. The UTG player folded quicker than you could say BOO but the MP player called and flipped KK. Arghhhh!!!

A flop of A-6-J-9-7 meant an early bath for me but with with 3000+ people still there then it was better than finishing 4 hours later on the bubble!

Entries -> 4000+ - Place -> ??? - Loss -> $215 Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$945

Jan 23rd - £200+£20 NL Hold'Em - Grosvenor (London)

I was over in London today on business so dropped into the Grosvenor Casino in Edgware Rd, London W1 so see how much the place had changed in all the years I hadn't been there! Whilst the carpet may have changed the people certainly hadn't and I still recognised people from the early 1990's when I'd go down there of a Saturday afternoon and play in a £50 7-card stud game! Scary!

Tonights tournament (and for the next few Mondays) was (is) a £200 NL 'double chance' freezeout. This is a game whereby you get half your chips up front then the other half at any time during the first hour or on the hour if you've not already had them. Clear??

Anyway I got my 2k starting stack and proceeded to double through nicely. Holding Jd-7d and on a flop of Jh-4h-2s I'd bet out to 500 straight away indicating a big hand...in this case top pair! I get one caller. The 2c falls next. I decide to gamble that the caller was on a flush draw and so can't possibly call an all-in bet at this point so I go all-in! He calls...Ooops! He then proceeds to stand up and shout 'one card...one card' whilst flipping the Ah-6h. A harmless non-heat none Ace falls on the river and I'm looking good!

Just before the hour mark I get the Qh-10h and with 4 other callers we see a flop of Jd-Kh-7c. Not a bad flop for me and once its checked all around I get to see the 2h fall on the turn. Now I ain't going anywhere!

Some bloke in front of me then bets 2k and gets a caller from the guy immediately to my right. Oh goodie I think and call also. The river cards bricks me with the Jc and once a player to my right makes the bet I was snookered. Pooey!

I get my 2k 'extra' chips and start round 2 with around 5k. That goes to 4k when a bluff doesn't succeed and then I get a run of cards that would make even Phil Helmuth go on tilt...9-2, 7-3, 8-2 etc etc.

With 2600 in chips left I go all-in with the Jh-Kh and get called by a player with Ah-9h. An Ace on the flop seals my fate and its au-revoir Grosvenors...for now??

Entries -> 90 - Place -> 63rd - Loss -> £220 ($385) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$560