'SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL'

See you in Vegas:
I have fulfilled one of my goals and targets that I set myself last year.
WIN AT LEAST 1 SEAT TO ANY MAJOR EVENT
Rob Sherwood a respected tournament Pro player who plays as Filth online said I ought to try qualifying for the WSOP 2006 and that Pokerstars were doing some good Satellites to this event. I gave it some thought and ‘why not’ was one of them so I looked about for tourneys and found one for me to have a play. A one seat GTD qualifier to the WSOP in July $12,000 package. Entry $33 re-buy till the first break 183 runners and the girlfriend is stopping at her mum’s house - I’m in bring it on. My strategy was to see some flops try catching some serial re-buyers for their chips and take it from there. Played hyper aggressive knowing I could re-buy and managed to get to the break on about 7.5k where I added on for $30 another 2k.

I decided after the break I’m on the attack it’s only £40 total and no point sitting about only to get busted when AA gets cracked. I play very aggressive poker and it’s paying me big style. Seemed to be a lot of inexperience and once you twigged who was who - stealing was so easy it was embarrassing. Some cottoned on to the stealing and were re-raising but If you called or re-re-raised (with better holdings obviously) even maniacs get hands ;) then led out they were backing off. Ok it’s all well and good when they aren’t getting the hands to play back at you but maybe it was my night.

After a few hours I was chip leader on about 70k and I thought hey Toshiwonka you could win this if you leave the cork on the wine bottle. Long story short I battled it out with no major swings until Final Table blinds 3000/6000 and me on about 150k thinking omg I can definitely win this… One player was soo lucky against me it’s unreal and I could have easily tilted my chips away but I felt as though I could win this by hook or by crook. I get KK and have about 200k leading the charge against 2nd stack of 160k others round the 100 mark and raise to 36k blinds at 6000/12000 player on 100k goes all-in and I call instantly he shows 66. Flop K 10 J rainbow Turn Q River A OMG lucky tw@T. Onwards upwards then I get AK against same player and push all – in he calls with 33 and they stand up.

I was playing for 1st place now I’ve got 100k but I’m still in with a chance. I know the rocks and can pinch some more bring on AA I push all – in and the short stack calls 60k with 97 and hits a straight. What a waste of time AGAIN. Anyway although I'm short stacked no-one wants to play so I start pushing and pushing and pushing and no replies till my stack is over 100k again. Take a rain check here and the fight is on eventually I am Heads up with 450k against 250k if I remember correctly.

My plan here is not to fukk up and let him in to double up, I’ve got this far I have to win now. My plan is to fire a few raises in and see how passive he is to my play so I start raising and he starts folding great... I make couple of limps from the button, lead out on flop to take it there for a little variety things; are going very well. I get Ak and make my normal raise this time he goes all – in for 200k now I think I can outplay this player but I can’t pass here. I call and he has AQ and my hand stands up to win me my seat at WSOP Get innnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

To say I’m over the moon here would be an understatement; I’m in training now and looking forwards to the event for £40 LMAO

Good Luck & See you at the tables and in Vegassssssssssssss

Some stuff I typed earlier:
Playing six-pacs has kept me playing poker recreationally and earning a steady few quid in the process. However, I just can’t seem to break free on them and get a good run going. Here I’m getting all serious about the game again due to my competitive nature, well, that’s what I keep telling myself. I think that if I continue playing these I need to adjust my game and tweak it slightly, maybe tighten up a little here and there because I think I gamble too much sometimes. Don’t get me wrong they have improved my game no end and I believe they are a good way of honing poker skills, especially making moves etc. but the swings are nothing like cash games so you’re never really storming away with the band. (missing the big swings) not.

Now for a recreational player these mini tournaments have everything and yes it’s good in a sense that you can play hours of relatively high stakes ave £200 six-pacs running terribly and only be doing 1k – 2k. I mean if it was cash table play you’d be doing your bollocks probably 10k – 20k running as bad. I have been toying with moving back to cash but I’m also still aware of my erratic play when not focused on the job in hand.

I have made a conscious decision that when I go back to play cash it will be £5/10 NL 6 or 10 seated. These are the stakes I am most comfortable with for some reason and this is not a bankroll decision. I have based it on my abilities and my comfort zone as far as starting hand requirements go. Basically on the 10/20 tables raising with small suited connectors pains me i.e. 4 x BB £80 no thanks, that’s how I feel, uncomfortable with the thought! Now stick me on £5/£10 and I don’t hesitate with whatever hand I like to play and the Careful Hebrew in me doesn’t infiltrate my mindset. Maybe it’s a little psychological here as my 19k loss was on 10/20 and my premiums never won a race never mind 4 5 suited but that’s where I’m heading when I do go back. More beats to follow. . .

Someone gave me an interesting article to read the other day about TILT and the different effects it can have on people. I know when I’m on tilt or (emotionally unbalanced) I can always tell when I sit down at a table if I’m up for it or not. Discipline here would work wonders for my profit margins because if I could walk away when I don’t feel right I would be winning a lot more online than at present. Some interesting stuff in the article and I also have some strong opinions on mindset and the psychology of poker which I plan to write about soon, it is actually what attracted me to poker in the first place. Poker the game of ‘LIFE’…

Anyway, whilst on the subject of tilt…
My girlfriend is the best at tilting me followed by the kids and last but not least the dog. I get guaranteed peace and quiet while ‘Footballers Wives’ is on the box, you could hear a fekking pin drop in our house till the adverts come on and then all hell breaks loose… The dog get’s kicked off the couch while she goes in the kitchen for a cup of tea… He (the dog), when he realises she’s not looking, jumps back on the couch and wakes up my Son who comes running into my office screaming “BALAMORY” “BALAMORY” if you don’t know what balamory is stay that way (don’t have kids).

The dog realises now he’s fukked the job up and comes hiding under my feet throwing a few farts in as he grunts and wipes his nose on my leg, creeping cos he been a naughty boy. I have my son sat on my knee now watching ‘Josie Jump’ and ‘Archie The Inventor’ who don’t really like kids if they were honest ‘you can just tell’ and then SHE walks in behind me saying “The dog’s just woke him up”…. Har Har I aren’t no rocket scientist but I have managed to work that one out TY, as my stack which I’ve been nursing for over three hours dwindles into a tiny fragment of it’s former self. “That’s your fekking fault that is” I say. “What is” the reply. “This cnut here has just hit Runner Runner against my set and hit a four flush on the River”. “Oh and that’s my fault is it?” she shouts...

Not really but by the time ‘Josie’ has finished ‘Jumping’ and Archie’s made a ship out of yoghurt pots I’m beat and upset about wasting my time so I find a six-pac where I can donate some more LOOOOOOOL. This is a typical night of poker for me, I should get out more.

Adios