"QUIET TIMES"

Neteller: Current $197
Party: Start $50; Last week;$0 ;Current $48 (-2)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $32; Current; $31 (-1)
Total: Start $185; Last week $281 ; Current $278 (-3)


I have closed my CD account and put the proceeds into my Neteller account for the time being. Needless to say I couldn't get any sort of a coherent account out of CD about the gratuitous change of rules regarding clearing the bonus. That being the case, the only response was to bid them a cheery goodbye.

I've reopened my Party account, so that I can get a game when there are no suitable tables available on Inter. Not that I had the problem much, as I have only just survived there. I was down to my last 5 dollars before managing to claw my way back up again with some reasonable play. Because I have so limited a bankroll there (I'm taking part in "J" and the gang's "Inter challenge" to start with $50 on the site and work the way up to $1000 - it seems pretty distant at the moment) it is difficult to progress as I can't risk playing on the higher level tables. Once I clear the $50 bonus it will give me more options. I'm half way there at the moment.

Meanwhile a study of my stats from Poker Office has revealed a leak in the blinds. I am getting the most hammer from the small blind position - it should be from the big blind. I have been playing too many hands and will drastically curtail the number I opt to play. It will be interesting to check out the stats again in a couple of months or so.

"FALLING OUT OF LOVE WITH CD POKER"

Neteller: Current $73
CD: Start $94; Last week;$122 ;Current $174 (+52)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $37; Current; $32 (-5)
Total Start $185; Last week $234 ; Current $281 (+47)


I was just casually checking on progress towards my $80 bonus on CD Poker last night, when I was surprised by the totally unannounced news that the points requirement to make the bonus had changed from 4800 points to 8000. This pissed me off mightily as you might imagine, so I emailed customer support asking what was going on.

Here is the reply...

"Thank you for contacting CDPoker.

Hi this is Jojo of CD Poker Support!

Brian, we have received your email and we understand how you feel. We always strive to provide excellent experience to all our valued players. Our poker room management has decided that due to current trend in the online gaming industry, this change will serve the purpose of our poker room to be at par with competitors. Rest assured that this modification will benefit all our players eventually.

We are confident that this will not, in one way or another, affect our existing relationship. We aim to offer a high level of customer support to each and every player at CD Poker."

Well that is all very fine and dandy but doesn't even attempt to answer my question as to why the goalposts moved. Jojo should be Home Secretary with that range of evasiveness. I don't have good feelings about this one.

Meanwhile the actual poker went fine and would have been even better if it hadn't been for a couple of ridiculous "bad beats" which cost me about $40. The worst was two queens which hit a third on the flop. Capped betting before and after the flop. Guy hits a runner, runner inside straight on the river to beat me. He even apologised!!

"NOT MUCH HAPPENS, AS HAPPENS SOMETIMES."

Neteller: Current $73
CD: Start $94; Last week;$137 ;Current $128 (-9)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $32; Current; $37 (+5)
Total Start $185; Last week $244 ; Current $240 (-4)

It's been one of those up a little bit, down a little bit but no great excitement sort of weeks. It might have been better had one of the large multiway pots I was involved in turned up trumps but it wasn't to be. One of them was particularly sad. The world and his dog opted into a hand with me limping in also with QJ off. I hit a Q for top pair on the turn and it held up on the river, with lots of folk calling down because of the size of the pot, but sadly I lost to KQ off. So it goes.

Still I'm more than three quarters of the way to the bonus now, which is a very decent $80.

I'm still opening a second table on Inter from time to time, but not making a lot of progress so far. I'm having to play .25/.5 because of my very low bank roll. I really could do with clearing the $50 bonus there so that I can reasonably take a chance on moving up a level.

"BOUNCING BACK"

Neteller: Current $73
CD: Start $94; Last week;$62 ;Current $137 (+75)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $25; Current; 32 (+7)
Total Start $185; Last week $160 ; Current $242 (+82)


A great week, which has done a lot to restore confidence in my play after the wearisome few weeks that have preceeded it. Everything just seemed to flow nicely right from the start. My blind steals succeeded and my premium hands held up when I needed them to. I hit some nice flops too, none better than when JK of diamonds in the small blind hit 10Q diamonds on the flop and then the 9 diamonds on the turn. My first ever straight flush in just over a year of playing. I only made about $9 with it, but it was nice to see.

I was pleased with the way I managed a maniac on one occasion too. He was the full monty: raising 80% pre flop and raising and re-raising post flop. He was creating big pots every time, with two or three players at the table always ready to take him on. (This was nice for getting points towards my bonus too). I bided my time until I had the right hands, taking him down on three occasions for about $25 in total. His bankroll fluctuated wildly throughout his time with us and he eventually left about $20 down.

Just to bring me back to reality, my session on Saturday saw me play for an hour and ten minutes, seeing 13% of flops and losing $19, without winning one hand. The main loser was a flopped straight which was beaten by a full house on the river - he had Q7 off - there's no justice, but we knew that didn't we folks.

I've also been doing some two tabling on Inter but there hasn't been much movement. It's tricky because my bankroll there is so low, I can't afford to take any chances - we live in hope!

"Slump continues"

Neteller: Current $73
CD: Start $94; Last week;$69 ;Current $62 (-7)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $45; Current; 25 (-20)
Total Start $185; Last week $187 ; $160 (-27)

My dispiriting slump continues. That these kind of prolonged downturns can happen is underlined by Pete Birk's blog where he too reports a heavy loss on the month, even at sites and levels he normally cleans up on.

I had a foray into the world of "No Limit" on CD, but the whole of my losses there can be traced to one hand where my pair of kings were bashed on the head by a pair of Aces. He even hit on the river, though of course he didn't need to. My skill level at No Limit is too low to work with such a limited bankroll, so I'm trying to retrieve the thing with Limit games.

On CD I had myself right up over $100 by the middle of the week but a severe downturn in fortunes dropped me straigh back down again. I hope I see the end to this wearing run soon.