Statistics

Having just read AJCairns blog "3 times the big blind" (see link opposite) I looked up my stats on poker tracker to see how I compare.
These are taken from a smaller sample than AJ's and are a little out of date, but here goes :

Total Tournament Hands 13,920

Most Dealt Hand : 83o - No surpise there
Least dealt hand : KTs - could have sworn it was AA

Best win percentage : AA 87.69%
Worst win percentage : 15 Hands I have never won with, every one suited, why is that ?

Most money won : 44
Most money lost : QJo

Most raised pre-flop : QQ
Lease raised pre-flop : There are lots of hands (I am a rock ;) )

Best Hands

Straight Flush : 1
4 of a kind : 34

Most played players :

Jackhigh 11
Capefear 10
Xaarcasm 8
Goodurge 8
Spig 7
AJCairns 6
Sucrose 6
Panama04 6
MmmmmPaul 6
Baby_mari 6
Shalima 5
USARacing 5

Satellites

I'm a big fan of satellite tournaments as a general rule, they provide a good way for decent players with limited funds to enter some worthwhile tournaments and pitch their skills against the big boys.
I know some players disagree on this point, Highstack has said he would rather play STT's to win the money to buy in direct, I know Gatsby is a fan of the sats so I guess its each to his own.
Recently I've been playing sats for the $5k Gtd, £10k Gtd and £15k Gtd on Betfair with differing amounts of success.
The $5k remains my favourite with a win and a couple of final tables recently, I've also played the £10k without much success, but the £15k Gtd remains tantalisingly out of my reach, I can never seem to qualify for it, all my bad beat stories seem to revolve around satellites for this particular tournament.
As I'm still fuming from my latest demise, I'm afraid I'm going to inflict a hand history on you, I was going well in this sat, held the chip lead for a while before running two pair into a flush and halving my stack, I was on a recovery mission and was delighted to see KK when this happened
------HAND 4------
Game #3237562484: Hold'em NL (300/600) - 2006/08/28 - 17:39:46 (GMT)
Table "£15K_MONDAY 3300933 - 1" Seat 7 is the button.
Seat 2: Xxzuluxx (14080 in chips)
Seat 3: postus (7555 in chips)
Seat 4: lynchem (10440 in chips)
Seat 5: holker (5312.50 in chips)
Seat 7: ViceCity (7210 in chips)
Seat 8: 000si01 (2809 in chips)
Seat 9: ruffo (12117 in chips)
Seat 10: Kenpat001 (4845 in chips)
000si01: posts the ante 75
ruffo: posts the ante 75
Kenpat001: posts the ante 75
Xxzuluxx: posts the ante 75
postus: posts the ante 75
lynchem: posts the ante 75
holker: posts the ante 75
ViceCity: posts the ante 75
000si01: posts small blind 300
ruffo: posts big blind 600
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to holker [Ks Kc]
Kenpat001: raises to 4770 and is all-in
Xxzuluxx: folds
postus: folds
lynchem: folds
holker: raises to 5237.50 and is all-in
ViceCity: folds
000si01: folds
ruffo: folds
Returned uncalled bets 467.50 to holker
----- FLOP ----- [Ad Td 4h]
----- TURN ----- [Ad Td 4h][5c]
----- RIVER ----- [Ad Td 4h 5c][9h]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
holker: shows [Ks Kc] (A Pair of Kings, Ace high)
Kenpat001: shows [7h Ah] (A Pair of Aces, Ten high)
Kenpat001 collects 11040 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 11040 Main pot 11040 Rake 0
Board [Ad Td 4h 5c 9h]
Seat 2: Xxzuluxx folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: postus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: lynchem folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: holker showed [Ks Kc] and lost
Seat 7: ViceCity (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: 000si01 (small blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: ruffo (big blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 10: Kenpat001 showed [7h Ah] and won (11040) with A Pair of Aces, Ten high

One of these days I will qualify, and when I do, watch out, because I'm going to win the bloody thing

(Rant Over)

Another Final Table

I made another final table tonight, in my favourite late night tournament, the $5k Gtd on Betfair.
Fairly steady away in the early stages, but manged to stay in touch by virtue of hitting the flop from my BB on a couple of occaisions to win a couple of decent pots I wouldn't have contested from any other position, and made it to the break in mid position with about average chips.
Nothing much after the break except QQ on my BB which I duly raised, only to see the whole table (5 limpers) fold it back to me.
Had the pleasure of fellow Flashmobber, Brabzinho on my table for a while, and briefly DaJazzMan also before he moved tables again.
Limped past the bubble in 19th with 20 to pay, had a couple of hands hold up to get into a decent position, then after a good call with ATs against an attempted steal by the button with A8o was outdrawn with an 8 on the river was back in the cellar.
Just about scraped onto the final table but then won a couple of pots to get back to about 5th, where I sat for 20 minutes letting the blinds slowly kill me.
Raised in early position with Ac8c but had to fold to a re-raise and an all in Re-Reraise, then had to watch as 3 clubs hit the board.
Eventually went out in 7th position for $200, after, short-stacked, I defended my BB with Th7h against what I though was an attempted steal, but was infact KK.
But still, two final tables out of three attempts in this tournie in the last few days give cause for optimism for a second win to boost the bankroll, and after all $200 is not to be sneezed at.

Back in the swing

After a couple of weeks off and a couple of half-hearted attempts this afternoon, I was back on the mtt trail tonight with an entry into what is becoming my favourite tournament, the 1:00am $5k Gtd on Betfair.
My attempt to qualify via the satellite route failed miserably when my full house lost to a bigger full house on level 4...........such is life.
So after forking out the full $25 + $2 to enter I was determined to give it a decent shot.
A couple of hands early on and I mange to treble up into a position where I can afford to be patient, and patience is the name of the game as I'm card dead for over an hour.
Then I cant win a hand until I outdraw KK with JJ and I limp into the money in 20th place of 20 to get paid, I need to make a stand somewhere, and a couple of all ins with 55 which stands up against AK and then the following hand immediatley after has me thinking lady luck is smiling on me.

------HAND 5------
Game #2317359493: Hold'em NL (400/800) - 2006/08/24 - 03:13:26 (GMT)
Table "$5K WEDNESDAY GTD 3268772 - 2" Seat 3 is the button.
Seat 1: Billzer (25475 in chips)
Seat 2: g.culo (19677.50 in chips)
Seat 3: topbuzz (19210 in chips)
Seat 4: Grant2000 (10415 in chips)
Seat 5: timesplit (14270 in chips)
Seat 6: Undrseige (24730 in chips)
Seat 7: Simonli (4020 in chips)
Seat 8: holker (3030 in chips)
Seat 9: Topboss (2895 in chips)
Seat 10: Simpleton (10557.50 in chips)
Grant2000: posts the ante 100
timesplit: posts the ante 100
Undrseige: posts the ante 100
Simonli: posts the ante 100
holker: posts the ante 100
Topboss: posts the ante 100
Simpleton: posts the ante 100
Billzer: posts the ante 100
g.culo: posts the ante 100
topbuzz: posts the ante 100
Grant2000: posts small blind 400
timesplit: posts big blind 800
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to holker [Qh Js]
Undrseige: folds
Simonli: folds
holker: raises to 2930 and is all-in
Topboss: is all-in 2795
Simpleton: folds
Billzer: folds
g.culo: folds
topbuzz: folds
Grant2000: raises to 10315 and is all-in
timesplit: folds
Returned uncalled bets 7,385 to Grant2000
----- FLOP ----- [4s 6d Qs]
----- TURN ----- [4s 6d Qs][Jc]
----- RIVER ----- [4s 6d Qs Jc][9d]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
Grant2000: shows [Kc Ks] (A Pair of Kings, Queen high)
holker: shows [Qh Js] (Two Pairs, Queens and Jacks, Nine high)
Topboss: shows [Ad Ah] (A Pair of Aces, Queen high)
holker collects 270 from Side pot #1
holker collects 10185 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 10455 Main pot 10185 Side pot #1 270 Rake 0
Board [4s 6d Qs Jc 9d]
Seat 4: Grant2000 showed [Kc Ks] and lost
Seat 8: holker showed [Qh Js] and won (10455) with Two Pairs, Queens and Jacks, Nine high
Seat 9: Topboss showed [Ad Ah] and lost

AA a couple of hands later and Im in third position, but no fairy-tale ending as I have two pair outdrawn to a flush on the river to go out in 10th for $100, not the big win I was hoping for, but hey, a hundred dollars is a hundred dollars. It will do for starters

No Poker

Well it seems I'm a bit overdue for an update, but I haven't actually played any poker for a couple of weeks now.
I've been on holiday from work, and to be honest I've been too busy to play. I've had a few days out in Spain and a trip across to Tangiers in Morocco.
Tangiers was a bit of an eye opener, I went with my wife and youngest daughter on an organised tour, which I cant say I would recommend to anyone. I think we would have been better off on our own, which is what I would do next time we visit. I would also like to see a bit more of Morocco, maybe Casablanca and Marrakesh, I think forming an opinion of Moroco on a trip to Tangiers is like formimg an opinion on England on the basis of a day in Portsmouth.
We had a day out in Spain to a little town called Ronda, this is one of the pueblos blancos, or white towns of Andalucia. The town is split by a huge gorge, El Tajo, and we had lunch in a small restaurant over looking the gorge with its 130 metre drop and spectacular scenery.
What has surprised me most since moving to Gibraltar, is the beauty of some of the surrounding countryside over the border in Spain. Not the fish n chips and british beer of the Costa del Sol, but the Costa de la Luz, Tarifa and Cadiz, and also the mountains inland and the National Park, Los Alcornocales.
Well, the holiday is over soon, and ts back to work on Wednesday, and the hire car also goes back so I will be playing some more poker to get the blog back on topic, so until the next update, good luck on the tables.

The nearly man

My recent strategy of playing more live games, less online and at higher stakes than previously, seems at first glance to be pretty unsuccessful, however I feel positive about my game at the moment and Im sure a decent payday is just around the corner.
Played in the Betfair $5k Gtd tournament three times last week, qualifying via sattelite on two occaisions, made the money just once for $50, but overall felt I played well and was a little unlucky not to have done better.
Also played live on Thursday in a £20 rebuy, where I never saw a flop for the whole of the first hour until the rebuy period ended, hit a couple of hands after the rebuy, and despite my rock like image managed to get some action and built my stack up to around average by the time we went to two tables. Thats when my recent bad luck continued, not really a bad beat but a little unfortunate I thought. Dealt 57o on the big blind and with no pre-flop raise, I limped in to see the flop, which was a very welcome 57J rainbow, SB checked, I raise to 3 x BB (3000 chips) The original limper calls, SB is all in for 3500, and obviously we both call. Flop is Kh leaving two hearts on the board so I push all in for about another 4k, Opponent calls with Kh9h Top pair and a flush draw, and hits his 9 on the river for two bigger pair to send me home.
Have had a couple of days off poker since, as I've not been feeling too great, have a couple of weeks off work coming up also so I may not get to update as often as I would like, as Im sure I'll be busy exploring southern spain.
You may also notice a new addition to the blog in the form of a site meter logging the number of hits on the site, I was pleased and quite surpised to see hits from USA, Canada, Singapore and the Czech Republic as well as UK, Gibraltar and Spain.