Beg, Steal and Borrow that run good

In the last 2 years where poker has moved from a second income, to hobby and then to a career (although not in a playing sense) those who know me really well know that I will never stop playing live, although opportunities are limited and I am living in a poker wilderness.

This is generally the reason that my own personal reasons for finding tilt tend to come from others. I can handle the consequences of making a bad decision, but the bad decisions of others tilt me beyond the bounds of normal rage. Yes, I understand that level 1 players always have it and you can’t get them off a mediocre hand even if you had a crowbar, yes I know that basic math’s and equity calculations are beyond them but I love to play them as if they no what I am trying to represent. Dealing with this issue is my current personal challenge, the logic of not doing it harks back to Super/System where Mr. Brunson tells us there is no point in trying advanced or trick plays against a low level player as they don’t understand what you are doing. What constituted a low lever player when Doyle wrote this book, given the way the game of NLH played now, is a really scary thought.

So on my last venture to a casino tournament I decided to take @daleroxxu up on his offer of run good by voting for him in the British Poker Awards. If you read my blog I the subject, save the time as epic fail is the term you want. Given that run good is obviously not passed down from you players to someone as old school as myself, I was encouraged to play after receiving a retweet (now an official word!) from Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott. Realising that we had a few things in common, we both use Twitter and have loads of tolerance of others, I should take this as a sign that the old school karma will help me more than a twenty something team online pro.

I was worried that perhaps things were not really going to plan when I had only won one pot before the first break. Given that I had made the nut flush on the turn and "I've got top pair" boy kept on betting in to it, I was happy with an over average stack.

It’s an interesting thing when you elect not to play many hands in a casino game. You watch some appalling play, learn everything about your opponents and watch the luck boxes garner chips. The comedy never stops when you elect to play your first in earnest after an hour, and three people want to come in to a pot with you.

The final table was reached with little drama, although I was nursing the short stack there is always a good spot on the horizon. One of the regulars opened for 5 BBs (his normal PFR, although he has a wide range), I looked down at AA and shoved. The chip leader on my left called, and Mr. 5 BBs ran to the hills. The leader turned AhKs, the board caused no unexpected variance and I was in business. Players got knocked out, the only backwards step was calling a shove with 77, I was happy to see J6o but the running cards to give him a straight was a little irritating.

Everything else ran like clockwork, and I found myself heads up with a chip lead. I then managed to lose an all in pot on a flip, tried to shove with AQ into 1010. Not to worry, I had a tasty profit, a spring in my step and a hand from @devilfish2011

Who said the children is the future?

An old one I enjoyed looking back over

In the summer of 2009, i made my 10th trip to Las Vegas. I went with a friend, Kerr, who had won the trip from my current employers. It was just as things had turned bad for me in business and the money had run out. I put on a brave face, and escaped from my problems with a now rapidly depleting bankroll. We had fun, and I made a tidy profit on a run of 10 tournamnets and 1 cash session in one week. Although I had been to Vegas so many times before, I had never been when the WSOP was on, or stayed on Fremont street for any length of time. Both experiences are highly recommended




Being a lucky guest of one of the National winners, Kerr Harris, saw me and 19 excited other board our flight to Las Vegas, Nevada on the 6th of June to take part in the Poker in the Pub Final Table, and have a week of fun in the gambling capital of the world.

After a few drinks onboard the flight, several at the Golden Nugget casino bar, and several at the pool bar courtesy of Dave Brannan of @livinglovingit, someone had the bright idea of playing the 8pm NL Holdem tournament at Binions. Not being able to resist a game at the spiritual home of poker and the WSOP, it seemed like a great idea! After an hour it seemed like a terrible idea, when alcohol and jet lag took its toll and most of us crashed out.

Day 2 took us to the PITP final table, which was held at the Golden Nugget in their main convention room which was set up for their own poker tournament. The full report can be read here on the forum.
For all you poker fans, there was no shortage of tournaments at any given time of the day, from $50 up to $10,000 at the World Series (more on that later), and cash games from $1/$2 no limit and upwards. My first cash was at the 9pm $35 re-buy at Fitzgerald’s, pulling down $300 and covering the drinks bill for the first two days!!
Monday stared with breakfast in the hotel, sitting next to Padraig Parkinson and “Mad” Marty Wilson, followed by a whirlwind tour of some of the strip hotels including stops at the Ice Bar at Mandalay Bay, Nine Fine Irishmen at New York New York, the Card Room at Bellagio and finishing with a trip to the World Series of Poker at the Rio.

I had absolutely no idea how accessible the tournament table were, and how friendly everyone would be. There is no hiding from the public and the table are as close to you as this computer is to me. We stood watching the six-handed Holdem with Chris Ferguson on our right, Neil Channing in front of us, and Clonie Gowan on the left. Neil Channing stood up and came over for a chat about poker and Scottish Football. We moved on to the H.O.R.S.E tourney to watch Daniel Negraneu, Mike Matasow and others. As the 7 card stud was down to heads up, we watched until it finished with Jeff Lisandro being presented with his 2nd bracelet in two years.

We made our second visit to the Rio on Wednesday and were spellbound watching the $10,000 lowball draw Championship. Standing as close to the 8 tables as you would be in your own pub, we watched Greg Raymer, Huck Seed, Scotty Nyguen, Andy Black, Johnny Chan, Roland De Wolfe, John Juanda and numerous others fight it out. I even spoke briefly to Daniel Negraneu and Doyle Brunson, while Kerr spoke to Ross Boatman who was watching his brother and Michael Greco battle in the NL Shootout tourney. The days highlight came outside the main entrance having a cigarette with Andy Black telling us wonderful stories about final table blow ups and being beaten by amateurs like us who only play good cards!

All this inspired us to enter event number 19 at the Binions Poker Classic. A field of nearly 200 sat down for NL Holdem which included both Padraig Parkinson and Marty Wilson’s partners Katherine & Veronique and "Oklahoma" Jonny Hale. Kerr lasted until just before the dinner break, and with a bit of skill and some luck, I made it to the money, and held out to reach the final table. I was just starting to realise what I had achieved until my pair of Jacks were cracked by AQ. It was a most surreal experience going “All In” with Padraig Parkinson and Marty Wilson cheering “Scotland, Scotland” from the rail as the cards were dealt out. They also helped to lighten the breaks with Padraig Parkinson tale about his 3rd place finish at the World Series in 1999, or should I say his lack of memory due to after game celebrations, and how they used to sleep 6 to a room back in the day when it was all about getting to Vegas just to play the World Series. Sadly Katherine and Veronique, were knocked out just after me, not a good final table for Europe, but what an amazing experience and a great laugh.

So after 10 poker tournaments, and 4 cashes it was time to go home. Where else can you meet so many Poker people, play so many games and really feel part of the game. Here is to next year and I for one will be doing my very best to make sure I qualify to be on that plane.

You have to start back somehere

So, decision was made. Leave the office, go to town, and reg for the 8pm at the Plymouth G Casino. Carefully thinking that I didn't want to know if it was re-buy or not as that would colour my decision.

I sat on the bus contemplating a twitter post by @daleroxxu saying that a vote for him in the The British Poker Awards would lead to eternal run good. As I had voted for my own company, Poker in the Pub and @daleroxxu that very afternoon, I should have realised that karma was indeed a real bitch.

So Mr G Casino, what is the point of a £10 freezeout? Do most Friday regulars normally go to Gala Bingo, next door? And why do 54 players think that 40% juice is good value?

Having not played most of level 1 apart from couple of limps on the button and SB, I got involved in my "real" hand at the and of the level. Two players limp from mid position, and I stick in a standard 3x from the button with A10o I got a call form the BB (calling station), another from the 15 year old looking kid, and a fold from the old guy who was now getting 4/1 against a button raise.

So the K 10 4 rainbow flop did worry me a bit, but then the BB checks and the 15 year old 1/2 pot donk bets me, I quickly make the call while thinking how to take it away from his obvious top pair. Obviously the BB calling station really should have left the party, but like an annoying drunk uncle with a cab waiting outside he won't go home.

The 10 on the turn really removed all plans of who to get the kid off the pot, as now I wanted his lunch money. Again he led out for the same bet, 300 into a pot of 1500. While I considered KK, even my real 15 year old son would have raised pre-flop, and probably re-raised my button with that hand, so I know he has a single king and probably no much of a kicker, happy days!

I raised him up to 1300, just to show I wasn't messing about, obviously that taxi driver had not rung the bell, as uncle station called, and then so did the kid. The river was a KING, which fell with what sounded like a resounding thud on the table, the kid leads for 2k without pausing for breath, I stretch back in the seat, swear and muck (while trying to think when I last folded a boat), and uncle station instacalled, and turned over Q10, the kid showed K6 to scoop the pot, and I burst out laughing.

Like a kindly, but confused uncle, the BB asks what is funny. With a pained look I explained, "I folded better than you, as the kid may as well have had a post it note one his head with a big fat King printed on it", he flashed an embarassed look, the kid smiled.

He does not realise that he was about 5% on the turn, and I hope we meet again. It didn't happen last night, the table was broken, I found cards in bad spots, and no cards in good spots. I doubled with JJ v 99, then found A10s on the button, shoved and the SB found AQo, so gg wp.

During the coming week, our companies efforts at running the GSOP live event in Manchester will prove that advertising works as I will be debuting on Red Kings on the Ongame network.

I am sure that nobody has even noticed................yet