"BANKROLL MANAGMENT"

Neteller: Current $0
Inter: Last week $414; Current; $485 (+$71)
William Hill: Last week $0; Current $89 (+$89)
Total: Last week $405 (-$185 of my original stake); Current $575 (+$160)

I decided to indulge in a bit of bankroll management.

The bonus on the Inter account has been cleared for the month, leaving me at a very nice $485. At this rate I should make the $1000 target by Christmas I would have thought - barring a terrible attack of the dreaded variance. That is certainly my current target.

Since William Hill have an attractive $70 bonus for playing five hours there in September, I decided to tackle that for the rest of the month, using some money from Inter. I have now put this back into Neteller ready to attack the October bonus on Inter. All did not go smoothly however and I had a bit of bother getting the William Hill account running. This is the first time I've ever had that - normally Poker sites are very good at taking money off you (if nothing else).

I've also taken my "start up" money out, so I am now playing almost completely with money I have won since I started playing again - a nice feeling.

Things have gone quite well on William Hill. Since it is in the same network as Inter, I am essentially playing the same people.

I did have some trouble from a maniac one evening. He wasn't hard to spot - the usual form - raising every other pair of cards and continuation bets thereafter. I took the normal approach of waiting for the right hand and thought I had it when I called his raise from the big blind with a pair of eights to go heads up with him. The flop came 2 8 10 and I thought "gotcha". I duely check raised him on the turn, which was a nothing card. On the river, which was a Q, I did it again only to be "threebet". I saw it and he had J9 off for a straight. SIGH. He wasn't just doing this to me however, he was hitting all sorts of unlikely things against everyone else too and the table was distinctly going on tilt. At least I didn't lose anything else to him. Sometimes folk just get lucky.

"QUIET TIMES AGAIN"

Neteller: Current $144
Party: Start $50; Last week;$38 ;Current $32 (-6)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $386; Current; $414 (+$28)
Total: Start $185; Last week $568 ; Current $590 (+$22)

I didn't play a lot in the last week and what I did play was fairly uneventful.

The exception was going into a game with two queens and flopping two more!! Of course I had to slow play it, as I couldn't expect a lot of action. Fortunately someone had paired the other card on the flop, which at least gave me a bit of action which I was able to nurse along until check raising on the river. I've had quads (including A's) at least 5 times since I started playing about 18 months ago, but I've never had a straight flush. I've been close (4 cards and one to come) on a couple of occasions but never been there. Thinking about it, I reckon I have seen other players hit one on probably about three occasions.

Meanwhile I have just about cleared my September bonus on Inter.

Once I have achieved that, I will find another site to work off a bonus on (probably Royal Vegas where I have an account that I have never actually activated). Then I will return to Inter in October for the next month's bonus.

The bonus offer is certainly working for Inter in terms of attracting action on the tables. As I write this there are 10 full ring game tables going at 1/2 - about 150% more than you would have seen before the new offer.

One thing I have been experimenting with is changing my play from raising and reraising on "autopilot" when I have AA or AKs. On tight tables I have been limping with them, particularly in late position to try to improve my earnings. It seems to be working ok, but sadly I don't have the actual stats as "office" isn't supported on Inter. I'll try to note what happens over the coming weeks and see if there are any conclusions I can draw.

"CHANGED TIMES AT INTER"

Neteller: Current $197
Party: Start $50; Last week;$56 ;Current $38 (-18)
Inter: Start $50; Last week $337; Current; $386 (+$49)
Total: Start $185; Last week $537 ; Current $568 (+$31)

The new bonus system on Inter has certainly had a magical effect on the number of $1/$2 full ring game tables available. You can only now earn a bonus on $1/$2 tables and above, though at up to $100 per month for 500 raked hands played it is certainly generous and achievable. Where previosly you were sometimes lucky to find a full ring game table you can now find at least 5 at any given time. Most games are pretty weak/tight since there are obviously lots of folk trying to work off their bonus now.

I haven't actually played that much since I have been away on holiday, back at work or engaged in such manly activities as taking down trees and turning them into logs and wood chippings. Still it will be autumn soon and an end to such things.

Here is my best hand from what I have played.

To my mind there is nothing better, if you are going to get AA, than getting them in the big blind. There is every chance that some will raise you on a blind steal, if nothing else, which at least gives you something to work with. It is disappointing to get them late, raise and then have everyone fold. In this hand I was a bit worried about trips when JV86 kept raising me, but it transpired he merely had top pair, good kicker.

Game #3339516754: Hold'em FL ($1/$2) - 2006/09/04 - 13:57:52 (ET)
Table "NiceFrance" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 1: kronsdat ($100.15 in chips)
Seat 2: julepikk ($62.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Inv19 ($59.88 in chips)
Seat 4: Thor_kgb ($97.75 in chips)
Seat 5: MickH1 ($109.87 in chips)
Seat 6: rawallace ($32 in chips)
Seat 7: JV86 ($31.25 in chips)
Seat 8: stillslim ($19.25 in chips)
Seat 9: Real_fab sits out
Seat 10: bundys ($100 in chips)
bundys: posts small blind $0.50
kronsdat: posts big blind $1
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to kronsdat [Ah As]
julepikk: folds
Inv19: folds
Thor_kgb: folds
MickH1: raises $2
rawallace: folds
JV86: raises $3
stillslim: folds
bundys: folds
kronsdat: raises $3
MickH1: calls $2
JV86: calls $1
----- FLOP ----- [7d 6c Js]
kronsdat: bets $1
MickH1: calls $1
JV86: raises $2
kronsdat: calls $1
MickH1: calls $1
----- TURN ----- [7d 6c Js][9d]
kronsdat: bets $2
MickH1: calls $2
JV86: raises $4
kronsdat: calls $2
MickH1: calls $2
----- RIVER ----- [7d 6c Js 9d][7c]
kronsdat: checks
MickH1: checks
JV86: bets $2
kronsdat: calls $2
MickH1: calls $2
----- SHOW DOWN -----
JV86: shows [Jc Kh] (Two Pairs, Jacks and Sevens, King high)
kronsdat: shows [Ah As] (Two Pairs, Aces and Sevens, Jack high)
MickH1: mucks hand [Ks Ad]
kronsdat collects $34.75 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot $36.50 Main pot $34.75 Rake $1.75