"TOURNAMENT SUCCESSES BOOST BANKROLL"

Neteller: Last week $230; Current $230 (-)
Inter: Last week $13; Current; $5 (-8)
Ladbrokes: Last week $205; Current $216 (+$11)
PokerStars: Last week $101; Current $232 (+$121)

Total: Last week $549; Current $673 (+$124)

Profit for month = $126
Profit for year = $543

Well this has been the week of my big breakthrough in tournaments. Not only did I win the Bloggerment last week but I also came 3rd in another tournament (I was chip leader going into the final 3, but hit some bad beats - so it goes). I also won a few dollars in another tournament which I entered inadvertently. It was a Limit tournament - which I have to confess it took me quite some time to notice, as I had really poor hands early on. Finally I hit a hand and got really irritated when I couldn't find the slider - then it dawned on me! :-) Anyway, since I was there, I ploughed on - it was a 450 entrants jobby and I eventually bailed out 4½ hours later in 25th place. I won't be entering any more of those, well not deliberately anyway.

Meanwhile I've cleared my bonus on Stars. I then went back to play a night on the cash tables on Laddies. What a contrast - they are much looser. I can hold my own on Stars, but it is like pulling teeth making any money. On Laddies my chances are much better.

So, I think I'll use the Stars account for tourneys and possibly sit and goes and Laddies and another account for cash games. I'm not quite sure where to go for the third account (suggestions welcome)? Interpoker are talking about changing their bonus scheme, so that might be a goer. Basically I need something that it is possible to work off in a reasonable time, playing low level No Limit. Laddies are hopeless for this purpose - you have to make a massive number of "player points" just to buy in to a freeroll. I'm not looking for a lot - just some of my rake back.

VICTORY IN THE BLOGGERMENT!!!

Well blow me if Paddy's victory at the Open didn't translate into a follow up triumph in the bloggerment!

I trundled along early on getting nowhere slowly, until shortly after the first break. "Bluescouse" (who gave me a good pasting a few weeks back) made a big reraise just in front of me. I went all in with my pair of 10's and took down his 8's.

That effectively turned round the whole thing for me. I was able to do some stealing thereafter and got through to the bubble, which proved to be a very extended experience - particularly since I was dying for a pee at the time :-)

Anyway, I hung on in there with fortunes fluctuating back and forth and eventually Mike Saban was the man to suffer and it came down to a three way between "Hammerheid", "Spid" and myself. This too proved to be a long drawn out battle with many more fluctuations, but when I managed to take "Hammer" down, I ended up with a huge chip advantage against "Spid" and the rest was inevitable.

I have to say it would have been great fun even if I hadn't won, but winning made it all the better!

"No biting fish"

Neteller: Last week $230; Current $230 (-)
Inter: Last week $13; Current; $13 (-)
Ladbrokes: Last week $205; Current $205 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $121; Current $101 (-$20)

Total: Last week $569; Current $549 (-$20)

An indifferent week poker wise. I haven't played badly as far as I can tell. I have just been unfortunate in not finding someone with an encouraging but second best hand at the times when I have had really good ones. This has been a real feature of the week. If I get Aces or Kings and put in a decent pre-flop bet, nobody calls, even though there have been callers for similar sized bets earlier. If I hit heavily on the river and put in a pot sized bet to suggest top pair, everyone folds. SIGH. It's just the way things run sometimes and at least I haven't been letting it irritate me and then made poor moves as a result.

One hand I did learn from came early in the week when I had a pair of Kings. The big stack at the table bet out for 5x the big blind and I doubled him and he called. The flop came with an Ace and he bet out heavily and I felt I had to fold. I think I should have put him to a decision with an "all in" over his bet. If he had Aces - so it goes. If not he would only have had 3 outs against me with AK or the like. One to file away as I try to develop my No Limit game. If he'd called I'd likely have lost but it has to be equity value long term.

Meanwhile I've been watching Harrington win the Open, which is good news as I had a few quid on him (basically on the principle that he was "due"). Now, can the luck of the Irish carry on into the Bloggerment tonight? We shall see.

"Maniac"

Neteller: Last week $230; Current $230 (-)
Inter: Last week $13; Current; $13 (-)
Ladbrokes: Last week $205; Current $205 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $67; Current $121 (+$54)

Total: Last week $515; Current $569 (+$54)

There is a pleasant poker website to be found at www.raisetheriver.com run by a couple of the guys from the blogger tournament at PokerStars which I've been playing at for the past few weeks. On it they are trying to drum up some trade for a fantasy football league on the premier league free site. I like that sort of thing (though I'm not much good at it I have to say). Check it out if you fancy taking on Red Star Kronsdat!

Meanwhile I have been playing a little bit of No Limit on Stars and the odd tournament. Some progress at the cash games but no luck on the tourneys - and let's face it you can't get anywhere without some at that game. Still, it doesn't cost anything but time.

Hand of the week was undoubtedly on Stars the other night where I had a maniac on the table who was going all in with a full stack two or three time per orbit. He was seriously winding up some of the others at the table. About half an hour later he did it again from early position and I was looking at two Queens. I called him all in and took down his 10 4 off (I kid you not) to universal approval from the rest of the table. Funny enough he turned up again last night on a table I was playing and was perfectly conventional. Perhaps he was just pissed on the first occasion - he certainly played like he was.

"TOURNAMENT PLAY"

Neteller: Last week $230; Current $230 (-)
Inter: Last week $8; Current; $13 (+$5)
Ladbrokes: Last week $202; Current $205 (+$3)
PokerStars: Last week $101; Current $67 (-$34)

Total: Last week $547; Current $515 (-$32)

Not a lot of play this week. I lost a little bit on Stars mainly through poor play I have to say - inability to resist calling hands I "knew" I should fold on a couple of occasions. I also lost an "all in" to a full house on the river beating my nut flush - so it goes.

Meanwhile I've mainly been playing little player points tournaments on Inter using my large number of player points there. I think I'm getting a better feel for it all the time and I came 5th in one of them and would have gone further had my AK not been beaten by A3s, but there you go. It's very much a cheap learning exercise as far as I'm concerned and at least I think that I'm improving.

One thing I have learned is that its not a good idea to call an "all in" even if you have a good hand - it is usually just a "coin flip" at best. It is much better to be the one that has gone "all in" first so that you have the fold equity as well as the opportunity to double up should you be called. The exception to this is when you have a much bigger stack than the other player going all in, then you should call as it won't bust you if you get the wrong end of the 50/50 situation. All this is meat and drink to the regular tournament player I dare say, but it has taken me time to work out as I'm very much a novice in the tournament arena. It's cheap and good fun.