Mar 23rd - £10+£1 NL Hold'Em - LCI Club (Brighton)

Thursday night is 'rookie' night down at the LCI and to be fair its a good game.

Poker is player very ABC like with very little raising as either a) the player is not aware of the strength of his hand or b) the player doesn't want to keep spending tenners by being outdrawn in all-in situations.

Most of the players on a Thursday are students and as such don't come out with wads of cash. They're much less likely to call you unless they, themselves, have a good hand so bluffing is fine except if they call then shut-up shop!

I had no rebuys this evening but did get the top-up as I'd only 3.5k at the break. You get 1000 points for your tenner and, as I mentioned, nobody on my table had the 'all-in' mentality so the first 90 mins were played steadily and without incident.

The other thing about rookies is that they don't know when to STOP shipping chips into a pot if they think there is a chance they might win AFTER the flop.

With blinds at 200/400 I'm in LP with A-A and around 6k in chips. There's a raise to 1k in front of me and I duly re-raise another 1k (keeping it friendly) which is duly called.

The flop comes 9-9-2. My opponent bets 2k and I duly call as I don't want to scare him off.

A TEN appears on the turn and suddenly his little face lights up and he goes all-in for about 1.8k. Well of course I ain't going nowhere so duly call. "I need a Jack", he says, as he flips K-Q.

Another 9 appears on the river and I've doubled up.

I double up agin a short time later when my K-J gets nicely paid off on a flop of J-2-3 and the BB decides his J-5 is winning. Needless to say he gets no help on the turn or river and I'm now in cruise mode with 25k in chips and here comes the final table.

With blinds at 1k-2k there's no rush.

I'm dealt the Qd-9d in the BB and three of us see a flop of Jd-8c-3h. The player to my immediate right bets 2k and once the button player calls also I'm priced in for a 10 to appear.

The 4c is next. No help to anyone I figure but again the player to my right makes a 2k bet which again is called which again prices me in for a call.

Wooohoooo. The 10d falls on the river and, from my 15k stack left, I bet 5k. "POT", says the voice next to me and proceeds to shovel in around 30k in chips. The button passes and I muse my predicament. "Must be a split pot", I say as I call all-in for 15k. He flips J-10 (two pair) and I'm a happy bunny!

With 50k in chips I now slooooow down. Players drop one by one and with 3 of use left I have 90k, Player B has 20k and Player C has 60k.

I get 7-7 on the button which I originally flat call. The BB raises the pot...I re-raise...he goes all-in and I call. He flips J-J and I'm not even at the races as he hits a Jack on the flop!!

My last hand is Jh-9h v Kc-8c. Nobody hits anything and I'm out in 3rd for a pay of £235. Never mind...thats over £200 profit and I can live with that. Shame about my 7-7 v J-J though!

Entries ->49 - Place -> 3rd - Win -> £214 ($375) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$3092

(*) Got some good news from my solicitor today. Apparently the bailiffs are set to dump my current tenants from my home in NW London on April 6th. Home at last :)