Feb 10th - Feb 12th - Various

Its a continual learning process is playing NL Hold'Em. In three of the five last tournaments I've played it I've gone gone to me overplaying Ace-mini kicker and its one of those things I have to shake off in order to move on up. Meanwhile though here are some thoughts from this past weekends tournies!

Feb 10th - €50+€5 NL Hold'Em - Fitzwilliam (Dublin)

From around 70 starters I got half way before I ran into a hand that I simply overplayed and got taken out with. Again I managed to last through to the break without taking the rebuy and was happy to be sat on around 10k once the chips were in the air for the serious part of the evening.

Again...everything was running smoothly until I got moved table and within 3 hands it was all over. I pick up 9-9 in mid position and, with blinds at 200-400, I raise to 2000. This would usually be enough to clear out the table but on this ocassion I then get re-raised to 5k. Back to me and I'm very aware that a re-raise of this size is of a player with a pair bigger than mine.

I'm now getting almost 4/1 on the call (3k for a 11k pot) so I call and pray. The flop is A-J-6.

In situations like this, where an Ace falls on the flop, I simply move in and pray my opponent does not have the Ace and will fold. This time is no different. I'm all-in for 5700. After a bit of umming & arring though he calls with Q-Q and I'm out with no help on the turn or river. My question is...would YOU have made that call?

Feb 11th - €500+€40 NL Hold'Em - Fitzwilliam (Dublin)

This was the BIG event for me this year so far as I attempt to play in more of the bigger type of event in the hope that one day I'll do well and win a shed load of money. There were 75 runners and I finished 17th.

I was never in difficulty throughout the 6 hours of play I was there and my chips went into the pot ONLY if I felt I was winning. The problem was though that in all that time I couldn't double through ONCE. I picked up 1k here...2k there...lost 1k here...lost 2k there etc etc but at no time did I have my entire stack in the middle with another player calling and that was a pain.

With the antes at 800-1500 and my stack at 10700 I was getting a bit desperate for this 'double up' and on the BB I get A-9. The SB, who had a stack of chips raised me to 3k and so without much hesitation I re-raised all-in. He called instantly and flipped A-Q.

Needless to say I didn't win and so went away within 7 of the prize pool.

Feb 12th - $200+$15 NL Hold'Em - Pokerstars

This is a pretty much needless affair as its ridiculous that you not only have to battle through over 5000 runners (5507 today) but you have to get lucky with the software. You know...hold KK and get beat by AA etc etc.

Tonight my 7-7 was beat up by J-J so no bad beat story except to say that its amazing how 'juiced' the deals can be just so as you'll get your money in the middle and then get wiped out.

Later tonight I played in the $10 'rebuy' event on Stars...finished 42nd and won almost $300...in a field of 1856 so I can't be THAT bad a player!

Entries -> xxx - Place -> xxx - Loss -> €650 + $215 ($995) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$1858