Currently sitting in front of my computer in the nude, wondering if I should get dressed in a basketball jersey and shorts to grind tournaments online or put some more dignified clothes on to go and play live Pot Limit Omaha. I'm painfully aware that I've only been putting in one or two nights online in the last month or two and have only been breaking even. Live Omaha on the other hand has been freaking sweat in the last week especially, I think I'm winning £4100 in the last week in the regular £1/2 game, which basically boils down to being on the right end of a few 1k pots. I think I should be trying to play more online tournaments but its hard to stick at something you're having a rough patch at when you're running really well in a different area.
I've really not been playing too much poker in the last week anyway. Last week I visited Lydia in Birmingham for a cool houseparty; I got totally wrecked after drinking some bright green liquid which turned out to be a mix of all the spirits he had in the owners collection. I'm not usually too much of a lightweight, but Im afraid to say I fettled like a bitch and spent the early part of the next morning throwing up. I also went to visit Lizzie in Brighton for her 20th on Tuesday which was great, another night of getting drink and seeing one of my favoritist people in the whole wide world.
Sigh, I've missed the 20 cubed and the daily 80k so I guess I'll go play in London.
Later taters xxxx
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Sorry for the absence
Wow it turns out i've been really rubbish at updating this. As it happens I've been running a blog on a different site, Blackbeltpoker.com.
At the beginning of April I had a conversation with my friend Nik Persuad who convinced me to do this 'grading' for his new company Blackbelt. It entailed 50 poker players grinding out the small stakes for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week (with 1 workshop per week). The first week was NL50 or PLO50, the second NL100/PLO100 and the third NL200/PLO200, and had to be played a minimum of 4 tables (or 2 for heads up). The best 8 of the 50 would get a $4k/month sponsorship package and $20k to play about 5 WSOP events. To cut a long story short I've had an immensely stressful and hard working month in which I managed to complete the 4 weeks (which only 31 players managed to do) and turn a small profit (which less were able to do). In the end I finished just shy of the top8 and qualified for a $1500/month sponsorship package (which I have dually declined). Obviously while it's a compliment that someone wants to spend $1500 every month on my poker ability, I'm very disappointed as I certainly thought myself in the top10 players of the 50 and therefore had a great chance of getting the better sponsorship deal.
I suppose that's about all I have to say as this grinding has literally been my whole last month. I played mtts every sunday (my day off) and keep on making final 2/3 tables of majors but can't seem to get that 5 figure score breakthrough. At least now I'm much more prepared to grind than I ever was before.
Thanks to those of you who have been supportive and berated me for not updating my blog. I love you all very much.
At the beginning of April I had a conversation with my friend Nik Persuad who convinced me to do this 'grading' for his new company Blackbelt. It entailed 50 poker players grinding out the small stakes for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week (with 1 workshop per week). The first week was NL50 or PLO50, the second NL100/PLO100 and the third NL200/PLO200, and had to be played a minimum of 4 tables (or 2 for heads up). The best 8 of the 50 would get a $4k/month sponsorship package and $20k to play about 5 WSOP events. To cut a long story short I've had an immensely stressful and hard working month in which I managed to complete the 4 weeks (which only 31 players managed to do) and turn a small profit (which less were able to do). In the end I finished just shy of the top8 and qualified for a $1500/month sponsorship package (which I have dually declined). Obviously while it's a compliment that someone wants to spend $1500 every month on my poker ability, I'm very disappointed as I certainly thought myself in the top10 players of the 50 and therefore had a great chance of getting the better sponsorship deal.
I suppose that's about all I have to say as this grinding has literally been my whole last month. I played mtts every sunday (my day off) and keep on making final 2/3 tables of majors but can't seem to get that 5 figure score breakthrough. At least now I'm much more prepared to grind than I ever was before.
Thanks to those of you who have been supportive and berated me for not updating my blog. I love you all very much.
Friday, 27 March 2009
I've once again been really rubbish at updating, theres been a load of stuff going on and I've spent little time online (and when I have I've been too lazy). First things first, my grandfather passed away early Sunday morning, so it's been a really emotional week, which was unbelievably hard because I had to sandwich it between a £500 and a £1500 which I couldn't unregister from or anything. Now they're done and dusted I can take a week or so (before SCOOP starts) and be with my family. The Guardian wrote a really nice obituary http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/26/tim-brinton-obituary
I've been thinking a lot about the future recently, I'm certain I don't want to be grinding 5/10 or something equally depressing when I'm 40, so I've created a figure which I want to reach then I can finish with poker and go back to school. If I reach my figure and I either decide that the amount of money wasn't as much as I think it is now or I'm not yet bored with poker then I'll just put my whole roll into savings and become 100% staked. Even if none of this ever happens, it feels so much better to have a plan to be working towards rather than just 'tearing shit up 5 days a week'.
I've continued my trend of running like ass in tournaments but being 100% golden in cash, I shorted abit of 5/10NL at the Vic on sunday and won like £2k and have won £2.5k at the international playing PLO basically because im about 8 and 2 on huge set vs wrap+FD flips. I'm aware that I will not run this good forever but at some point I will start winning flips deep in online mtts.
I played a few GUKPT London events, busting in lv2 of the £500 PLO, losing an 18 card wrap vs an overpair and a flushdraw in a 3 bet pot (I do lose PLO flips sometimes), and I busted late last night in the £1500 main event, eventually getting it in with QQ vs KK. Kind of nice that in both spots it's all super standard and I don't need to sweat how I played too hard.
So i suspect I shall be off to sunny Kent for a few days for the funeral, and then i'll relax on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday is my dear Mothers birthday, and then the Spring Championship of Online Poker begins on Pokerstars on Thursday, so expect lots of blogging, I'm probably going to stay clear of the High Stakes events, just playing almost all of the low and medium ones.
Once again thank you to everyone who's been there when I've needed to talk about my Grandfather (Amy and Poppy again especially), your love and support has been really appreciated.
I've been thinking a lot about the future recently, I'm certain I don't want to be grinding 5/10 or something equally depressing when I'm 40, so I've created a figure which I want to reach then I can finish with poker and go back to school. If I reach my figure and I either decide that the amount of money wasn't as much as I think it is now or I'm not yet bored with poker then I'll just put my whole roll into savings and become 100% staked. Even if none of this ever happens, it feels so much better to have a plan to be working towards rather than just 'tearing shit up 5 days a week'.
I've continued my trend of running like ass in tournaments but being 100% golden in cash, I shorted abit of 5/10NL at the Vic on sunday and won like £2k and have won £2.5k at the international playing PLO basically because im about 8 and 2 on huge set vs wrap+FD flips. I'm aware that I will not run this good forever but at some point I will start winning flips deep in online mtts.
I played a few GUKPT London events, busting in lv2 of the £500 PLO, losing an 18 card wrap vs an overpair and a flushdraw in a 3 bet pot (I do lose PLO flips sometimes), and I busted late last night in the £1500 main event, eventually getting it in with QQ vs KK. Kind of nice that in both spots it's all super standard and I don't need to sweat how I played too hard.
So i suspect I shall be off to sunny Kent for a few days for the funeral, and then i'll relax on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday is my dear Mothers birthday, and then the Spring Championship of Online Poker begins on Pokerstars on Thursday, so expect lots of blogging, I'm probably going to stay clear of the High Stakes events, just playing almost all of the low and medium ones.
Once again thank you to everyone who's been there when I've needed to talk about my Grandfather (Amy and Poppy again especially), your love and support has been really appreciated.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Lots going on in the live world of poker
Sorry I haven't blogged in a week or so. I meant to do a Paris trip report but the festival at the international kinda dragged on and little things have kept coming up, so i'll do a shortened version now.
Basically, I ran horribly at mtts in the last 10 days, blanking 3 500euro events, 2 250euro events, the £150, £200 PLO and finally going deep in the £500 before essentially bubbling it. Luckily for me, my inability to run bad at either cash holdem or pot limit omaha means i'm actually winning for the period (which is pretty impressive when you consider i decided not to take a shot at 5/10 PLO in Paris so i've not played any bigger than 5/5.
Away from poker Paris was a lot of fun; and I feel it was important for me to take a week or so away from London just to try and get my head around my current MTT downswing. Obviously it didn't work too well, and I literally do not know what I'd do if I wasn't on a 2000bb 1/2 PLO upswing in 2009. It's mainly because of that that I feel so good about poker at the moment, and I'm probably going to continue playing some live mtts over the next few weeks; theres a festival at the empire this week then its GUKPT london straight after.
So yeah, i'll probably hit up the empire tomorrow/thursday (I can't make the main event because im seeing an old friend again), spew off a bunch online on Sunday trying to get out of makeup then relax and wait for the vic.
As always, thanks for all the comments and support, I love you all.
Basically, I ran horribly at mtts in the last 10 days, blanking 3 500euro events, 2 250euro events, the £150, £200 PLO and finally going deep in the £500 before essentially bubbling it. Luckily for me, my inability to run bad at either cash holdem or pot limit omaha means i'm actually winning for the period (which is pretty impressive when you consider i decided not to take a shot at 5/10 PLO in Paris so i've not played any bigger than 5/5.
Away from poker Paris was a lot of fun; and I feel it was important for me to take a week or so away from London just to try and get my head around my current MTT downswing. Obviously it didn't work too well, and I literally do not know what I'd do if I wasn't on a 2000bb 1/2 PLO upswing in 2009. It's mainly because of that that I feel so good about poker at the moment, and I'm probably going to continue playing some live mtts over the next few weeks; theres a festival at the empire this week then its GUKPT london straight after.
So yeah, i'll probably hit up the empire tomorrow/thursday (I can't make the main event because im seeing an old friend again), spew off a bunch online on Sunday trying to get out of makeup then relax and wait for the vic.
As always, thanks for all the comments and support, I love you all.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Whoops, didn't blog in a while.
Yeah, i've not really been in this last week at all. Had a bad Sunday online, not running especially bad, just not shipping anything or getting especially deep in much. The other side of the coin is that my friend and fellow nitreg mr HotKarlMC shipped the Sunday 500 on stars, picking up a cool $91k. Very well done sir, the cream on the cake being that he satted in, plays on his own money and did not make a deal at the final table.
On Monday I decided to play the International's £50 HORSE London Poker Masters warmup event for abit of a giggle. There were 56 runners, creating a first prize of £860. Simon Hennessey and I decided to crossbook to spice things up abit (I busted him in razz in 15th place), as well as a 20 player £20 last longer, meaning the first place was worth more to me in prop bets then it was in prize money. To cut a long story short, I was very bored, the buyin was too small and I spent 9 hours coming 10th -_-
Tuesday arrived and I somehow found myself back at the International with my brother to play two £20 comps (I haven't decided if this is more or less tilting than playing a live low stakes limit tournament), but we had a really cool time, and I managed to drop £40 at Yo Sushi. I also met up with Baneris, Ed Marsh and his friend. The highlight of the tournament was me taking the term "hero call" to a whole new level.
Blinds 150/300
Preflop action; 5 folds, CO (7k chips) open limps, I open limp the BTN with 63s (7.5k chips). Sb completes, BB checks. They both cover us.
Flop (1200); As Kh 5s
BB;Check, SB;Check, CO; Bets 800, Hero;raise to 1600, 2 folds, CO;raise to 2400, Hero;call.
Turn (6000) 6c
CO;Bet 4700 all in, Hero;call 4700
Thoughts?
After I busted the tournament I went and played the juicy 1/2 PLO game and won about £1400 in an hour or so and decided to go home and get some sleep, despite feeling kinda bad for hitting and running.
I've kind of taken the last few days of poker, been up to Cambridge abit to chill and see people, which is always fun. Caught up with Nel today before somehow managing room for 2 deserts, then had my silly little operation (which went fine) and now i'm just chilling at home.
I'm glad to have taken a few days off, especially as i've got a large stake live poker tournament every day from Saturday to the 7th March. It'll probably be really draining, but i'm definitely looking forward to the challenge (as well as the glamour of Paris).
I guess that's about all. Thank you to both Poppy and Amy who were especially nice to me when they found out I was having my operation (even though as i said, it was nothing at all), your kind words were still very much appriciated.
Thanks very much xx
Oh, and a small p.s. My friend Kris posted a really interesting video on religion and game theory on his facebook. While I don't agree with his arguments, he forms them in such a smart and sophisticated manner. I think he's got the makings of an excellent poker player. I suggest you check the videos out and possibly subscribe to his blog; http://kperovic.blogspot.com
On Monday I decided to play the International's £50 HORSE London Poker Masters warmup event for abit of a giggle. There were 56 runners, creating a first prize of £860. Simon Hennessey and I decided to crossbook to spice things up abit (I busted him in razz in 15th place), as well as a 20 player £20 last longer, meaning the first place was worth more to me in prop bets then it was in prize money. To cut a long story short, I was very bored, the buyin was too small and I spent 9 hours coming 10th -_-
Tuesday arrived and I somehow found myself back at the International with my brother to play two £20 comps (I haven't decided if this is more or less tilting than playing a live low stakes limit tournament), but we had a really cool time, and I managed to drop £40 at Yo Sushi. I also met up with Baneris, Ed Marsh and his friend. The highlight of the tournament was me taking the term "hero call" to a whole new level.
Blinds 150/300
Preflop action; 5 folds, CO (7k chips) open limps, I open limp the BTN with 63s (7.5k chips). Sb completes, BB checks. They both cover us.
Flop (1200); As Kh 5s
BB;Check, SB;Check, CO; Bets 800, Hero;raise to 1600, 2 folds, CO;raise to 2400, Hero;call.
Turn (6000) 6c
CO;Bet 4700 all in, Hero;call 4700
Thoughts?
After I busted the tournament I went and played the juicy 1/2 PLO game and won about £1400 in an hour or so and decided to go home and get some sleep, despite feeling kinda bad for hitting and running.
I've kind of taken the last few days of poker, been up to Cambridge abit to chill and see people, which is always fun. Caught up with Nel today before somehow managing room for 2 deserts, then had my silly little operation (which went fine) and now i'm just chilling at home.
I'm glad to have taken a few days off, especially as i've got a large stake live poker tournament every day from Saturday to the 7th March. It'll probably be really draining, but i'm definitely looking forward to the challenge (as well as the glamour of Paris).
I guess that's about all. Thank you to both Poppy and Amy who were especially nice to me when they found out I was having my operation (even though as i said, it was nothing at all), your kind words were still very much appriciated.
Thanks very much xx
Oh, and a small p.s. My friend Kris posted a really interesting video on religion and game theory on his facebook. While I don't agree with his arguments, he forms them in such a smart and sophisticated manner. I think he's got the makings of an excellent poker player. I suggest you check the videos out and possibly subscribe to his blog; http://kperovic.blogspot.com
Monday, 16 February 2009
Cambridge...Leicester...then oh yeah...FUCK SUNDAYS
Some day i'm going to ship a major. It will be a very happy day for all concerned, i'll win 6 figures and we can all have a big party. Before then i'm going to have to keep on going deep and losing big flips (absolutely redic flips in the case on the mill this week). I was so unbelievably angry that I didn't have time to pokerhand this, but the short story is that I have 12bbs at 5k/10k, utg limps, sb completes, I ship 88, utg folds and sb snaps JTo and obviously binks. I really really want to hurt something.
I also went deep in the $129 FTOPS knockout, coming 250/9000 for like $500 inc knockouts. That was just a fairly standard 4bet shove HJ vs BTN with 88 and losing to AQ for a huge stack. In general I havn't been running very well or poorly recently. I've just not been hitting the exact flops and the right time, but I'm sure that'll change soon.
Other than poker, I was in Cambridge at the start of the week and was able to catch up with Nel which was fun, I then mozied on down to Leicester for Thursday-Saturday to generally chill+celebrate Amyday. Although it was really great to see everyone again, it made me sad that going away, everyone else's life moves on; and even though mine has been taking me to really exciting places, it's been away from all the uni guys, which kind of had me feeling abit left behind. That aside, I had a really good time with a lot of people I really care about and am already missing them.
My schedule is kind of packed over the next month or so, I wanna play 2/3 nights online this week before playing live (probably Thursday), then I'm going to play the £250 in Luton at the weekend. The week after that I'm going to play the £50 HORSE at the int, go to Cambridge for 2 days (got a minor operation), play live again that thursday night (and hang with my brother) then be all ready for; Paris on the 28th-5th, The London Poker Masters 5th-8th and maybe the GUKPT at the Vic straight after that.
I'll be a very very busy Joe in the forthcoming month or so, but i'll try and blog at least 2/3 times per week (sorry ive been abit rubbish). Thanks to everyone whos been reading and chatting to me about it on facebook/msn/aim for your love and support.
Nighty night xx
I also went deep in the $129 FTOPS knockout, coming 250/9000 for like $500 inc knockouts. That was just a fairly standard 4bet shove HJ vs BTN with 88 and losing to AQ for a huge stack. In general I havn't been running very well or poorly recently. I've just not been hitting the exact flops and the right time, but I'm sure that'll change soon.
Other than poker, I was in Cambridge at the start of the week and was able to catch up with Nel which was fun, I then mozied on down to Leicester for Thursday-Saturday to generally chill+celebrate Amyday. Although it was really great to see everyone again, it made me sad that going away, everyone else's life moves on; and even though mine has been taking me to really exciting places, it's been away from all the uni guys, which kind of had me feeling abit left behind. That aside, I had a really good time with a lot of people I really care about and am already missing them.
My schedule is kind of packed over the next month or so, I wanna play 2/3 nights online this week before playing live (probably Thursday), then I'm going to play the £250 in Luton at the weekend. The week after that I'm going to play the £50 HORSE at the int, go to Cambridge for 2 days (got a minor operation), play live again that thursday night (and hang with my brother) then be all ready for; Paris on the 28th-5th, The London Poker Masters 5th-8th and maybe the GUKPT at the Vic straight after that.
I'll be a very very busy Joe in the forthcoming month or so, but i'll try and blog at least 2/3 times per week (sorry ive been abit rubbish). Thanks to everyone whos been reading and chatting to me about it on facebook/msn/aim for your love and support.
Nighty night xx
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Live poker ahoy
Today is the first sunday i've taken off online poker in about 6 months. No mtts, no volume, no mirrion. Superbowl sunday seems reason enough to take the day off, plus Ed final tabled the £300 at the International (and I have 10% of him) so I'll go down and sweat him/play some deep £1/2 PLO then watch the superbowl there with my brother.
All this live poker madness started on thursday when after blasting about 11 mtts, I decided to cut my session short and head to the Vic to play some cash. After about 3 hours there and still being within £50 of my original buyin at all times, I decided to move on to the gutshot where the PLO games can get fairly big on a thursday. Oh boy was I right! After about 6 hours of standard 200bb PLO, we'd somehow managed to get about £7k on the table, and then Chen showed up, immediately losing 2 1K buyins to pump the money up to around £9k, specifically in one hand against me (sorry for live hand history):
This was Chen's exact first hand in which he straddles for £5. I opened for £18 UTG with ATJ8hhxx. Folds around to chen who calls.
Flop (£44): Jh5s7s
Chen: Bet £40
Hero: Call £40
Turn (£124) 7h
Chen: Bet £120
Joe: Call £120
River (£364) Qh
Chen: Check
Joe: Bet £225
Chen: Raise All-in (after a very long dwell)
Joe: Call (after longer dwell)
Chen tabled something along the lines of AKQT for a big bluff and I took down a 1000bb pot. I don't especially want to go into my thought process of why I played certain streets the way I did (namely 4th and 5th) as I play a lot with Chen and I think it would be harmful to both of us for me to post the reasons online, but basically, it feels great to make a huge hero call and be right.
I left that game after about 17 hours and went home to get some sleep (after phoning Mike to tell him he should go down and play) for the £300 freezeout the next day. Long story short, I busto'd it pretty quick. Got fairly well outplayed in one hand, and then eventually busting for my last 5k (25bbs) with JThh on a 972xcc board in which I was actually beating 45cc lol. Since there were 2 guys I had percentages with still in the tournament, I decided to stay for a few hours, and won about £460 playing cash anyway.
So yeah, this weekend reminded me how much I love playing live poker (when im running good). Im about to head back down to sweat Ed, play some PLO, watch the Liverpool/Cheslea game, crossbook Marcus in the £30 freezeout that im putting my brother in then watch the superbowl. Have a great superbowl sunday everyone.
All this live poker madness started on thursday when after blasting about 11 mtts, I decided to cut my session short and head to the Vic to play some cash. After about 3 hours there and still being within £50 of my original buyin at all times, I decided to move on to the gutshot where the PLO games can get fairly big on a thursday. Oh boy was I right! After about 6 hours of standard 200bb PLO, we'd somehow managed to get about £7k on the table, and then Chen showed up, immediately losing 2 1K buyins to pump the money up to around £9k, specifically in one hand against me (sorry for live hand history):
This was Chen's exact first hand in which he straddles for £5. I opened for £18 UTG with ATJ8hhxx. Folds around to chen who calls.
Flop (£44): Jh5s7s
Chen: Bet £40
Hero: Call £40
Turn (£124) 7h
Chen: Bet £120
Joe: Call £120
River (£364) Qh
Chen: Check
Joe: Bet £225
Chen: Raise All-in (after a very long dwell)
Joe: Call (after longer dwell)
Chen tabled something along the lines of AKQT for a big bluff and I took down a 1000bb pot. I don't especially want to go into my thought process of why I played certain streets the way I did (namely 4th and 5th) as I play a lot with Chen and I think it would be harmful to both of us for me to post the reasons online, but basically, it feels great to make a huge hero call and be right.
I left that game after about 17 hours and went home to get some sleep (after phoning Mike to tell him he should go down and play) for the £300 freezeout the next day. Long story short, I busto'd it pretty quick. Got fairly well outplayed in one hand, and then eventually busting for my last 5k (25bbs) with JThh on a 972xcc board in which I was actually beating 45cc lol. Since there were 2 guys I had percentages with still in the tournament, I decided to stay for a few hours, and won about £460 playing cash anyway.
So yeah, this weekend reminded me how much I love playing live poker (when im running good). Im about to head back down to sweat Ed, play some PLO, watch the Liverpool/Cheslea game, crossbook Marcus in the £30 freezeout that im putting my brother in then watch the superbowl. Have a great superbowl sunday everyone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
