First Tourney in weeks = Final Table!

I have still not played live poker in 5 weeks now!!! :O WTF etc I'm in danger of turning into an online player and talking about 5 bet shoving, equity crap, ranges etc and talking like WTF IMO, FML etc!!

I tried to get down to casino this weekend, but had stuff on the friday night and was too tired to play Saturday, so just left it.

Online cash has been going good on the ipoker site, and have built up a decent seperate online there, so just gonna continue to grind that up.

I did join another skin on the ipoker site, Neil Channing and Nik Persaud's Blackbeltpoker.com It's not only a poker site, there is like a social networking bit for poker players. I think it's a great concept.

Believe it or not it was Neil Channing who personally informed me of a $5k depositors FREEROLL!!! Not that me and Neil are great friends etc, but I have spoken with him and through emails about a few bits and pieces! I think he is a phenomenal player, and lives the sort of life anyone in UK poker would hope to aspire to. (i.e total high stakes degenerate and playing every day in the vic!!! WANT :D)

Anyway, I registered for the site and entered the $5k depositors freeroll with 275 runners. I should point out my girlfriend Jo did aswell!! She has the poker bug, she did play (if u could call it that) before I met her, so i've gave her the gingertoys crash course, and she has had some decent performances, and she finished for 21st out of 275 herself, WELL DONE :D x x x

This was my first tournament, online or live in around 3 weeks I think (played $20k GTD on stars and came 55th out of 1500+ on that)

I managed to play really well, and the structure was better than some buy in tournaments online. 3k starting stack, 15 min clock, blinds start 10/20. JUST AMAZING VALUE and A GOOD GAME!

In the end I managed to make the final table, the final featured Neil Channing and Nik Persaud and another one of their site pros. Again proving that poker is a game of skill!! :P

I finished in 4th place, my JJ>AQ, Q on the river :( That earned me a cash for $300, but more than that it was a great game, with good British banter amongst Channing, Persaud etc (At the final table someone was like, god cant believe Im at final table with you guys, can I have an autograph, obviously intended for Channing!) I responded "Yeah who will I make it out to" :D My comment was well received :D

All in all a great tournament, and Channing and Persaud have a possible little gem on their hands. There was a definite sense of a community on the site (my first time playing on it) and even my girlfriend felt the same and really enjoyed it.

There is always the question as to what is better, Live poker or Online poker. I have always said, "I like live, because of the banter, community, needles with regular friends that play etc"

On this showing, Blackbeltpoker.com appears to be a sort of hybrid of everything positive about online and live poker.

Cheers

Barry xx

Coming Soon To A Casino Near You

Disclaimers:- Following blog has the sarcasm/tongue in cheek button switched on!!!!

I know a few of you have missed me :D So where have I been! I have mainly been trying to sort out other bits and pieces within my life, when u are a genius/phenom/intelligent bastard like myself :P Then you have to take time away from things sometimes, whether it's poker/or anything else.

I have not played live cash or tournament poker in a month, and I feel great for it. Previous to that I played for near on 4 months solid, and I mean solid, online and live everyday. Thanks to previously discussed record keeping, in the 4 months from May to September I built a very decent bankroll, culminating in me going down to London for the WSOPE and cash games at the vic, London was a negative in financial aspects, but up there as a major positive in my poker life!!

Once back from London I played some cash games in Dundee, through a combination of running way below my usual and I think a sort of anti-climax from playing down in London, I kind of just didn't want to be at the table, for whatever reason.

So I did what I did earlier in the year, I went away and took a break from live play. I don't care what anyone says about online poker, there is no better training ground and more efficient way to play the game.

From the comfort of the bat cave, I have spent a month playing a little cash games on celebpoker (with 30% rakeback, live casinos wake up, we at least need player points for drinks or something!!) Watching high stakes poker (finally got them downloaded and onto dvds so i can watch on 40" screen, it never looked or sounded so good!!!) I have also been reading the odd strategy article, interview with pros etc.

THE RESULT.................

In general, I feel so good to be playing football twice a week and running again, touch wood, my ankle has not snapped again, so I should be able to get back into shape by xmas! Being in shape makes such a difference in terms of mood, concentration and energy etc. I mean I have been killing games as a fat bastard, so when lean, you may as well just send me your money!! :D

I am now ready to play live again, I feel fresher/clearer/centered (and any other new age stuff u want to slot in there) Still clearly insane though!!

Just now I feel I want to actually go down to the casino and play cash games, or play a tournament.

At the moment I am going to continue to build a separate bankroll online, and not make any withdrawals etc from it, and let it build.

The new tournament schedule at the local Gala casino looks very good, and should see a rise in the number of players and pot sizes, so will see how they go and try and make the ones I can.

Expect to see gingertoys at a local casino near you ;)

Barry x x

Less Soul Reading, More Soul Searching

Since returning from my London trip, I've not played much live poker at all. I did attend the local casino for a few cash sessions last week, but through a combination of coolers and me playing less than my A-game, it culminated in two negative sessions!

I had a look through my live records for both cash games and tournaments, and I am showing a decent profit since I started keeping results way back in May. (BIG THANK YOU TO MARTIN BRINDLEY CHANNING FOR KICKING MY ASS INTO DOING THIS! :D)

As I said I'm not really in a rush to play any of the tournaments in the local casino, I will no doubt come down for the Thursday tournament now and again, as it's a decent game and for the social aspect. Also the cash games are both good fun, and good value.

However, I have a few ideas I want to pursue (some poker, some non poker!) So kind of prioritizing these.

So plans for the next few months.

Goal 1, I am back training, running and playing football twice a week, want to get my health back where it used to be! For too long I've resigned to being a degenerate poker player, it's just laziness, and letting it affect your health is a negative EV play! You have less energy at the tables, and mood is also affected. Been at it solid for two weeks and starting to feel better already.

Goal 2, Start with a separate lump sum in an online poker account, and follow STRINGENT bankroll management rules, and this money does not get touched, see where it is in a year! As mentioned previously, my live cash games and live tournaments since may show a substantial profit, but it's too easy for this money to get mixed up with living costs! And get spent on take aways, cinema tickets, car running costs, clothes etc etc! So by having a seperate roll online that does not get touched, will allow a sort of compounding interest to take place, because profits reinvested etc. Going to treat it like as a challenge.

Goal 3, Play more online tourneys, and try satellite into larger events and maybe play some decent live local tourneys.

Goal 4, Work on a few other interesting projects, some money making, some just purely character and soul building!

So to sum up, I am going to put energy into other areas of my life, I love poker.. I genuinely believe I have a natural ability for the game, and with hard work and perseverance, I know I will get where I want to be in the game.

However, I know that like anything in life, it is important to find balance. I intend to put some time and effort into other areas of my life, and the hope is I get more out of life, and as a result, more out of poker.

Good Luck

Barry xx

London's Burning (yeah a hole in my pocket!! :P)

I arrived last Wednesday, it was the case of getting into the hotel, getting few hours sleep, then hitting the cash games at the Vic. First night I finished down £480 playing £1-£2 NL. Due to a big semi bluff against a woman who had an overpair (and we all know woman and overpair mucked are never in the same sentence!)

I then had a few other sessions at the vic, and manged to get into the groove, and the next day I made £280, and after two more sessions I was in a profit at the cash games for the trip. I ended the trip showing a small profit in the cash games, which was great considering the £480 hole on the first night.

(Side note I just remembered, for all the hours of cash games and tournament poker I played down there, I did not get Aces or Kings Once, I did get Queens 5 times though :P)

SO THE WSOPE £1k EVENT AN GINGERTOYS SHOT AT A BRACELET!!!!!!!

PLAYING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS!! :D (Top right of pic, should spot my head!)

So it wasn't to be! I managed to register for the £1k WSOPE event at the Empire Casino in London, 3k starting stack, but they changed the structure to blinds starting at 25-25, with a 1hr clock. So it added a bit of play to the game. I played the Day 1A, the Friday, 12 pm start. It was a great experience, Phil Hellmuth was at the table right next to me, and no matter what anyone says about him, every player in that room had their eyes fixated on him, and rightly so. He is the all time bracelet leader, and when it comes to holdem tournaments, he is the best.

It was so good to sit and play in a tournament like that, everywhere you looked there was stars "There is Barry Greenstein, fuck Roland de Wolfe aswell, holy shit it's Erik Seidel" That was the inner conversation I had with myself!!

So anyway, there were a lot of bright lights and poker "celebrities", and what the WSOPE definitely know how to do is put on a show, with all the lights, glitz and glamour.

The tournament was actually pretty uneventful in terms of play for me, the cards (like always) had no sense of occasion, that this was my FIRST bracelet event etc :D They just said nope! My high point in chips was around 3900, made a nice Queen high flush and value bet a guy who was a face i recognise, but cant put a name to him!!

I lasted 3hrs into the tournament, blinds were at 50-100, and it's folded to my AJ suited in the cut off, i raise 3x, button ships me for 1k more, sb folds, bb folds and I obviously insta call with the AJ suited, he has 1010 and the flop is brick city for gingertoys (SIDE NOTE, I finished 24th in Sunday warmup this year (1st place $112k!!) with the same situation AJ against 1010!!! Coinflip away from god knows what in both events!! SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :P

I did manage to speak with WSOP main event winner, and multiple bracelet winner, genius, and genuinely nice guy HUCK SEED!! We spoke for around 10-15 minutes at the break, topics included, golf in scotland, the structure of the tournament, bankroll management and his toilet in his hotel room not flushing! A genuinely nice and inspirational guy.

I also promised I would not act like a fan boy and get autographs of anyone!! I stuck to that!! However, I was on my phone at the break, and Barry Greenstein (LEGEND) and Erik Seidel (ALSO LEGEND) were around, so I grabbed a quick picture with both of them.

In summation, the WSOPE £1k event was everything I wanted it to be, filled with top players, a shot at a bracelet, and I promised myself last year I would play it this year, and Im glad I met that goal.

As usual, I like to set out some plans near end of a blog (mainly for myself like a notepad!)

So.....

I intend to focus mainly on cash games in local casino, I dont feel the tournaments offer me any great value these days, and to put in the required amount of hours of play, for what is in the prize pool, I think I can use the time more efficiently in online cash games or indeed live cash games. So I will be down for as many cash games at my local casino as possible!!

Continue my good work at online cash games, and build bankroll, and develop online cash game

Play more online tournaments (they are + ev, arguably the best form of training for the bigger deeper stacked live games I am planning on playing)

Put money aside from cash/game tournament scores to play bigger events, Coral, GUKPT, maybe even some DTD games etc.

So London wasn't to be, but I wanted to play it, and did. I had a great time, with absolutely no regrets, it was, like poker always is, a learning experience..........And I am still learning x x

Good Luck

Barry x x

London Calling

Just a quick blog, my train leaves for London in 8hrs 4mins, still got to pack a bag and go to sleep! I have decided to just go to my bed, listen to some music and get some sleep. The past few months have been serious poker degenerate behaviour, going to bed at 5am and getting up at 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Then all of a sudden I need to be up at 8 o'clock and be on trains!!

A little update on the trip, I have always planned this trip to be for cash games, and a bit of a change of scenery and to relax a bit on a poker "holiday" :D....

However, I remember sitting last year thinking, "I really want to play the WSOPE £1k buy in event next year", I have looked at the structure sheet and it isn't the best, it is obviously a shot etc etc, but I do like to follow through with goals that I set! However, stumping up the £1075 buy in myself, is a tad out of my MTT bankroll :D So I did what a lot of players do and sell off % stakes of myself, I wont go into all the details, of who backed me and for what etc. But suffice to say, I am now close to being able to play the event thanks to some fellow players showing a bit of faith, and of course me stumping up the majority of the buy in!!

I say close, because I am not far away from the required amount of % sold to enable me to pay the rest!!

I will naturally be grinding the cash games like an absolute demon aswell! Empire casino offer £1-£2 starting no limit, all the way up, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. Who needs a hotel???? :D

So it looks like I am actually going to get to play the £1k WSOPE buy in event, it's a shot at a bracelet! Yeah the structure aint the best etc, but 1hr clock and a little bit of luck, who knows...I could come back home with a fucking bracelet :D Sorry but I think it's well worth a punt! :D

Good Luck ME this time :D

Barry x x x

$100 to $1800 easy! Keeping it? (getting easier :P)

RUN LIKE BARRY BULLETIN!!

I deposited $100 into Pokerstars on 01/09/09, I was in the mood for a game of cash! I have since then, thanks to a large part skill and larger part "RUNNING LIKE BARRY" managed to get it up to around $1800 ($1774 was high point i think).

This happened thanks to hands like these

• http://www.pokerhand.org/?4650718
• http://www.pokerhand.org/?4660947

You will notice that I played some 50/$1 and $1/$2, I also played some $2-$4. Now obviously not bankroll management etc, I put the $100 in for a game, and grinded away until I had around $500-$600, I then moved up to $1-$2. Reasons??? I was running well, and playing well and when the two combine, I'm sure you all agree u just feel sort of in the zone! :P

I then managed to get it up to around $900, then up to $1744.

I took the first sort of major beat, just because it was a large pot, I had taking a few others previously, but not all in pre flop for those stacks.

This is the hand that cost me a $400 pot http://www.pokerhand.org/?4669070

Ok, it's a cooler, nobody likes to see there aces cracked, and certainly not all in pre flop in a cash game. But it's happened to me lots! SERIOUSLY, I SOMETIMES DO RUN JUST LIKE THE REST OF YOU. Well in the short run, and only sometimes :P

However, I am really proud to say that the damage was majorly limited, I was playing two tables of $1-$2 and after that pot, and another beat, I did start to play a bit like Kev Wallace if he loses a flip early on in a cash game. I was playing far too many hands, and bluffing the river far too much.

Now this is not the first time I have ran a small deposit into a decent wee roll, inf act lost count of how many times. HOWEVER, i can only remember a few times where I have actually taking the money out!! As a result I noticed I was playing not great, so I have withdrawn $1k from pokerstars, and popped this nice wee chunk into my live roll. Left the remaining few hundred in pokerstars, and will now drop down levels, and grind it back up ;) PLAN, take out another $1k :P

So regardless what happens, I got $1k for $100 in 7 days, it beats the stock market :P

Oh! I actually managed to satellite into event 1 of the WCOOP from that same $100, so that was another $215 from it :P Although I beat half the massive 8k field, i got punted out after being card dead forever!

So great weeeeee week online, and a timely boost to the bankroll for the upcoming London trip. I must say the week reinforced the sheer magnitude of possibility online poker provides. I consider myself a live player, and I still play much better live than online. However, the sheer ease of which you can get a game (many games, limits and levels to choose from, instantly 24hrs a day) and the speed of hands, probably at least 3 times the amount of hands per hour u get live.

All in all it just feels more optimal!

This blog has dragged on too much, and if u are patient enough to get to this part then u deserve a quick finish! Something I here martin is good at.

OK..... I have been staying away from local tourneys, not getting great fields and not really felt like playing a smaller live tourney with those structures. It's always been a social draw, and I will no doubt play one there soon!

I plan to get down to casino for as many cash games as I can.

Scottish Championships at Edinburgh this week, not sure if I am going to play any of them, for similar reasons to Dundee games, and also perhaps money would be better used down in London games.

I leave for London on 16th of September for one week with Mr Wu.

I hope to come back with trip paid for, and a minimum of £1 profit :P haha

Good luck, and remember "RUN LIKE BARRY" :P haha

Thank God for cash games!

Dundee Festival finished on the early hours of bank holiday monday, all in all a good weekend of poker.

Tournament results! £500 game that i satellited into for £20, absolute garbage, any time I hit a hand infront and bet (someone folded) then if i hit a strongish hand, I would have to laydown (correctly I may add!!) Lucky I had 20% of a player who went onto do a deal and cash for £1500, so it still shipped me £300!

I played the £100 freezeout on the Sunday night, I wasn't really in the mood and was enjoying another lively cash game, but decided to contribute my hard earned £100 to the donkfest! I was actually playing cash for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the tournament, so missed first few hands. I then decided to take my seat, right into the small blind, dealt AA! :D Cut a long story jack, I re-raise pre flop an early position raiser. Flop comes j rag rag, i bet, he re-raises (EXTREMELY loose mainiac player!) I ship all in, he calls and has JJ :D First hand, left me with few hundred which I put in next hand, and that was that!

Thanks to the cash games on Saturday and Sunday I made a really healthy profit, combined with % of friends tourney cash, festival was a positive boost to the bankroll.

It's my birthday this Sunday, so not sure what poker plans this weekend. I really want to play the $530 buy in WCOOP tournament on pokerstars, we shall see. Cash games going well, and trying to really build roll with them and take occasional shots at some tourneys.

I have built up a nice little roll in pokerstars, so have some options ;) Even thinking of playing the 6 max $215 buy in event tommorow.

So in short this is my schedule/plans for the month.

• Play as many WCOOP events as I can
• Play some of the tournaments at Scottish Poker Championships
• Continue to build bankroll with cash games
• Have fun in London, cash games, tourney and who knows, maybe WSOPE ;)

Good Luck

Barry