Cards don't discriminate

Still experiencing a kind of bad run, but it's just part of the game. I got 2nd in a small 38 man tourney at my local casino. Played well, and ran well overall. My K9 beating QQ 3 handed to take a player out, but the heads up was kind of brutal, had the guy dominated twice and he hit. But 2nd was decent.

There was cash game after it, but the tourney took longer than expected and I was really tired, so just headed home and got some food. (Really good move, starting to master the not playing tired or when not really in the mood! Positive EV ;))

I did however play the cash game (£1-£1) on the sunday, two key hands,

I'm on big blind, limp city, i raise to £8 with A10 spades, two callers (cut off and button) Flop comes 5-6-7 (two spades) I check, cut off checks, button bets £25 into a pot of £30+, I re-raise all in, £40 something more. Button calls he has 34 and I brick twice.

2nd hand

I limp with KJ, few callers, bb makes it £8, i call, button calls. Flop A-Q-10 (two hearts). So flopped the nuts! BB raiser bets £15, i flat call as does button. Turn 9 diamonds. Button bets £50, i'm all in for £70, button calls!!!!!!!! :D

Board pairs on the river and I know it's game over, BB had AA, Positives :- I didn't have more money behind me :D, and also I got all my money in with two callers with the nuts as an 80% favourite with one card to come. All good :D

I just left as I was down £195 for the day, and that was a £280ish pot, and felt going home was the better option. Why tilt off another £200 :D

So, the weekend was strange! It was in a small tourney and although the 2nd place cash prize was not earth shattering!

However, it served more than money, it showed me that I or indeed you do not run bad at any given time, and nobody runs bad really.

Don't get me wrong, it is fine to say you are "running bad" or whatever. But what you, or I really mean is that we are just experiencing the ugly side of variance. Think of times when you have needed two outs etc against someone, and hit it! That is just variance, the cards do not know who it is hurting, or who is "running bad" etc. It is just a snapshot of the game, and sometimes it's you, sometimes it's the other guy!

I have the £50 rebuy game in Dundee on 8th of June, should be a big prize pool (£10k plus) I will be trying to play more and more online this month, specifically tourneys. Planning to play GUKPT summer series, atleast the £200 and £300 games, £500, will depend on situation at the time.
Good Luck

Barry x x

It wasn't to be!

So I decided to play the £550 main event of the Edinburgh leg of the Coral British Poker Masters.

A small crack team from the Dundee cardroom made there way through for the main event, they fought bravely :P

Barry "gingertoys" Chalmers

Colin "power" Wu

Martin "quads" Smith

I was really positive about playing the event and really thought I was going to make the final table, now to expect it is asking a lot! Tournament poker, flips, hands have to hold up in key situations etc, however I really did expect it.

The tournament went something like this for me, getting off to a great start, I was up to around 27k after 3 levels, this was double the average stack! Then I went card dead for 3 and a half hours.

Now before anyone comments, I totally agree, poker is not about the cards, but it is about the situations, so if you like.

I WAS SITUATION DEAD FOR 3-4 HOURS!!!

Any time I raised with garbage or a marginal hand, I was re-raised, just as I readied myself to defend a possible re-steal in position, another player went over the top twice! Both players had hands, both times AA vs KK and AA vs QQ!!!

I just could not build on the 27k or even stop the rot, i was diluted down to around 13k.

I picked up 99, biggest hand in around 3 hours lol! Short stack goes all in, i go all in to isolate, he has AK, FLOP 6-7-8, river K :( F*********CK :D

I was down to around 5k, blinds 400-800 at this point, shove Q7 folded to me on button, SB wakes up with AA ahhaha, i end up hitting runner runner miracle straight with the 7 to get me up to around 12 ish.

My last hand was a microcosm for the last 3-4 hours of my tournament, folded to me, i have to shove any 2 cards with less than 10bb in my stack, it happens to be 72 of diamonds :D Big blind looks down and finds jacks!!! JUST SUMMED UP MY LAST 3 HOURS IN THE TOURNAMENT!

So I hit the rail in 33rd place from 105 runners, not the worst, but not what I aimed for, or was after.

So negatives from the experience :-

Just the result, I would really have liked to get to day 2 and put myself in a position to make the final table, some of the play I saw there was very poor, and justified me buying into play in that field as there was plenty dead money.

POSITIVES :D

Met a few great guys and got chatting with plenty like minded people, particularly the online high stakes cash player "the mole" Just a genuinely nice fun guy, and good to have at the table, we got on really well and had the rest of the table looking at us like we were in a mental institution!

It served as more motivation for me to play these big events and do well in them, the play is different, and yes the buy in is large, but the poker you are playing is true poker. Not short stack crapshoots that require more and more luck!

No regrets, if I didn't play, then I would be sitting wondering. Atleast I got my answer :D Money is replaceable, experiences are not ;)

I LASTED LONGER THAN MARTIN AND COLIN (LAST YEARS CHAMP) :D

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Back to the grind, next 4 weeks goals and to dos!

I will continue to play the local thursday game £50 Deepstack freezeout game, keeps my live tournament game ticking along.

I will play more of the live cash games at the local casino.

I will play more online tournaments

I will only play online cash games when I am 100% in the right frame of mind and ready to play a long session.

Upcoming tournaments...........

The next added money tournament in my local casino is early June (8th I think) £50 multiple rebuy, and there will be around £2500 added. I cashed for £800 in it last time, so will be going for outright win this time.

The GUKPT are having their summer series in Aberdeen 18th-21st June

£200 game, £300 and £500 main event.

45 Minute clock in all events, I will definitely play the £200 and £300 games, I might not play the main event as 45 minute clock is not great for that buy in. Would rather play a £500 Coral British Masters, but when I win the £200 and £300 games I will probably play it :D

It's been a crazy 8 weeks,

POSITIVES : decent tourney scores online and live and good live cash game results.

NEGATIVES: Online cash continues to be a rollercoaster, and of course my bankroll management needs evaluation ;)

Good Luck and take a shot now and again, it's good for your poker education ;)

Barry x x x

Decisively Indecisive

Ok quick recap.

Paul Hendersons tournament (ZERO CASH)

Gala £100 game (ZEROR CASH) Cash game losses sunday night £240 (don't think i was behind once, made a call when re-raised on river by nut straight, i had low straight, pay off wizard!!)

Key Hand that cripples me, I raise from the cut off with 3-3, button folds, and small blind folds. (have raised this persons big blind a few times and have it in my head 99.9999% sure he is gonna re-raise me with pretty much anything.

Blinds 400-800, I have 17k, I make it 2400, sure enough big blind makes it 2400 with 4000. I tank for a bit, as I say i think he is doing this move with any two cards. I re-raise him all in (he has 12k left. He calls with AK, ok he has a hand, but i'm ahead :D Board double pairs on the river and he wins with his A kicker, my 3's counterfeited.

I have 5k left, very next hand, guy raises, i shover for 5k with AQ, he calls with KJ, trip kings send me to the rail.

Cash games online, stuck in a small amount, ran it up, bust it out! Cannot even be bothered discussing it, no real amazing hands or bad beats (apart from a guy calling my all in on a Q-J-rag flop) I had Top two pair, he had AK, 10 river, what is it with some people refusing to fold AK :D)

So not been a great week and a bit, but it's just variance, playing really well and experienced a bit of a rough ride with flips, but I run sooooooo good in the long run that I don't care :D

OK POSITIVE MINDSET NOW :D

I really want to play this £500 main event of the British Masters Edinburgh leg, I really should try and sattelite into it or make the buy in elsewhere (believe me, I'm trying :D) As buying in with £550 of my own roll plus expenses is a bit of a shot, but you have to play these main events and take shots like this, if you want to make that score that could set you on your way in terms of the next level.

All in all, it really is going to depend on my mindset. The main even starts at 3pm on Saturday 16th May.

SO............If I remain confident this week and feel good about myself and my game, then I am buying into this tournament, it comes once a year, and I fancy it. Have always taken risks, and I want a shot at it :D I can make the £550 back if I work hard on those cash tables and stay disciplined in other tournaments! So it's just like a £550 loan from future winnings :D (SHIT I SOUND LIKE NICK LEESON :D)

Anyway, nothing much else to speak of, just really going through a lot of decisions, long term vegas for 2 month minimum plan (but that's another blog!!) When I win the £500 main event, i will just get a flight the following week ;)

Good luck at the tables, and TAKE RISKS AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS ahahahah xxxx