A SCOTTISH TRIUMPH!!

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $35; Current $31 (-4)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $63 (+6)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 246; Current 236 (-10)

Total = $851 (-8)

My poker highlight of the week has nothing to do with me.

Mary ("mair") on the Raise the River forum has won the individual prize at the APAT inter-forum tournament in Blackpool. This was an absolutely superb effort in a tournament with 200 starters, played over two days. I followed this along with Paddy Harrington's progress in the open - making it a double. Sadly I didn't have any money on Mary however (though I did on Paddy). An honourable mention also to Lou Saban who went out 10th (on the bubble) when her A10 was felled by the mighty 98, hitting two 9's on the flop.

The Raise the River team did really well too, finishing 2nd overall to Bristol (out of 20 teams). So - great stuff all round.

Meanwhile what poker I have played personally has been sadly less thrilling. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to make my fortune as a sit-and-go player. I am +ev at them, but not at a rate that means I can win anything much. Basically I need to concentrate hard to do well in them and I haven't the energy after a day at work.

Sooooooooooooo.

I'm going to investigate another strategy. I'm going to multi-table some limit to make a bit of dosh during the week and use some of it to play small tournaments. I know I can win at low level limit with very little need for concentration. Then, when I have the time and energy, I'll have a go at some tourneys at the weekend. These are much more fun and lucrative too if I can be successful. It's a plan.

I BLAME ANDY MURRAY!

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $45; Current $35 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $57; Current $57 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 264; Current 246 (-18)

Total = $861 (-18)

Stats for the week make less than thrilling reading...

Played = 15.

1st = 2; 2nd = 1; 4th = 3; 5th = 2; 6th = 2; 7th = 3; 8th = 1; 10th = 1.

I started the week well enough with the two good cashes coming in the first 5 games, but I then hit a losing run of 7 (the longest I can remember for a good while). They also included going out very early in a number of games (10th is inexcusable). The reason was very simple. I was playing and watching Murray's games on the BBC at the same time. This is not conducive to good poker and I proved it. This is a mistake I don't intend to repeat. However I managed to end this run with a win and this put me back up near some sort of respectability for the week.

Still, I was on a winner with Spain in Euro 08 - a fiver at 5/1, converted very nicely by Mr Torres.

I also won my face-to-face game for the 3rd week out of 4, so I suppose cash wise I'm up for the week. I'm doing my best to try to up the standard here - telling folk about good websites and passing on poker books etc. The standard of some of the other players is definitely improving. It's good to see more players than just me picking off the calling stations.

I have to admit to a huge suck out on my final hand though. I ended up heads up against one of the most improved players with a 5 - 1 stack advantage to me. I was grinding him down when I copped 88 in the small blind, raised 3BB and he went all in and I called. He showed AA. The flop came 567 rainbow! Turn...Q. River...9! To his credit he took it better than I would have done!