A GRIM MONTH

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $54; Current $47 (-7)
Full Tilt: Last week $60; Current $57 (-3)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 155; Current 141 (-13)

Total = $717 (-23)

Loss on month = $106

Profit for year = +$155

Well, the merry month of May hasn't been very merry for my poker. That must be the worst monthly setback on my roll for a long time.

This definitely calls for a rethink. I will try another month of SnG's and if I don't get the bankroll heading north again, I'm going to have to change my game.

It's difficult to know if it's my play or if I am just having a "bad trot". There is plenty of evidence to support the "bad trot" theory. I went out on the first hand of the Blogger when I went all in with KK v AK - he hit his 3 outer. I had AA beaten by AJs hitting the flush. A6s v A3 he hit a 3. AA v AK, he hit a straight. QQ v K7s he hit a flush. "Read 'em and weep" as they say.

So, retrench and like Robert the Bruce, try, try again I suppose.

BREAKEVEN

Neteller: Last week $437; Current $437 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $41; Current $54 (+13)
Full Tilt: Last week $60; Current $60 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 168; Current 155 (-13)

Total = $740 (-)

Well it's better than losing as I have been recently. Not much point in a breakdown as some of my play has involved cash games (for the first time in ages and not particularly successfully).

The positive side came from a couple of tournaments that I finished well up in: 2nd in a 45 man one and 3rd in a 27 man one.

Bad beat of the week came when my 10 9 suited hit a flush on the flop only to be beaten by the mighty Q4 off making a full house. SIGH.

So, I might continue with the odd multi-table sng on Stars. I'll also have another go on Big Slick but I haven't had much luck there so far.

A DISAPPOINTING WEEK

Neteller: Last week $352; Current $437 (+85)
PokerStars: Last week $41; Current $41 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $60; Current $60 (-)
Inter: Last week $31; Current $31 (-)
Big Slick: Last week 221; Current 168 (-53)

Total = $740 (-53)

Played

$11 10 Man SnG's: Played 7; 3rd = 1; 5th = 3; 6th = 2; 8th = 1.
$5.5 6 Man SnG's: Played 2; 2nd = 1; 4th = 1.
$5.5 30 Man SnGs: Played 1; 5th.

League game: 4/7.

A very disappointing week's Poker all round. After coming 3rd in the first game of the week, I couldn't make progress in any of them. That 3rd would have been better had it not been for the cooler of the week. I had 77 v 66. The flop came 76Q. Turn 10; River 6!!!! Come on...his one and only out. That set the tone. I wasn't able to hit a flop to save my life for the rest of the week.

Come the league game on Friday night, morale was low, so I was unsurprised that I was overtaken at the death by kenn. Funny enough the key hand was one I had nothing to do with. Like myself, with 5 folk left, kenn was shortstacked and he went all in on the button with A6s. It looked curtains for him, when he was called by A10 but a 6 on the river saw him double up and he went on to finish 2nd while I was 4th. Good fun though and like General McArthur - I will return! I like playing these games as the standard is good, so there is a sense of achievement in doing well in them.

That is an interesting point. I'm having trouble winning outright in the face to face game at the local cricket club. I cash regularly but winning is difficult. The problem is that the standard of the other players varies from dreadful to, well "a bit average". Two or three of the "a bit average" players tend to be able to double up and again, against the dreadful ones, which makes them difficult to catch up with when I am only playing a quarter of the hands they are. I'm going to have to think out a strategy to cope with this. I think I'm going to have to try a loose aggressive game early on, which isn't my normal style at all. I usually play very tight aggressive early and then open my range as the blinds get higher. I need to adapt my game to the people I am playing against. Obvious really.

BUBBLING UNDER

Neteller: Last week $592; Current $352 (240 to BS)
Virgin: E88; E88 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $47; Current $41 (-6)
Full Tilt: Last week $60; Current $60 (-)
Inter: Last week $36; Current $31 (-5)
Big Slick: Last week 240; Current 221 (-19)

Total = $793 (-30)

Played

10 player $10+1 games: 9; 1st = 1; 2nd = 1; 4th = 3; 5th = 2; 6th = 2.

10 player $5.5 game: 4th = 1

$4,000 guaranteed: $10+1 71/547 for +$3.5

Bloggerment: 6/11

RtR League: 3/5

The most notable (and irritating) feature of poker this week has been the number of times I've lost on the bubble when I've been in with the best hand. If those hands had gone my way I'd have been in for a comfortable profit instead of a modest loss. I lost with KK beaten by 10 10 on the river; A10s beaten by A5 and 99 beaten by A10. On one of my 5th places my AK v 55 hit an Ace on the flop only for a 5 to appear on the river. SIGH. You have to expect these runs and I expect to see things going positive again soon (well, I hope so anyway).

I had a punt on the $4,000 guaranteed on Friday night after the RtR game. This was an interesting experience. I had made decent progress to be in the money when my all in with AQs was speculatively called by the chip leader with 86 off. He hit an 8 and that was that. Annoying but I'll definitely be back - this was very soft and I'm sure I'm +ev there.

The RtR league game was another tight, if short handed, affair. I eventually lost out in third leaving BurnlyMik and Kenn to fight it out. If Kenn won he's probably gone into the lead, so I'll need to finish ahead of him next week in the final game.

FALLING OUT OF LOVE WITH CD

Neteller: Last week $40; Current $592 (-)
Virgin: E88; E88 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $47; Current $47 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $60; Current $60 (-)
Inter: Last week $0; Current $36

Total = $823 (+1)

Profit for month = $57
Profit for year = $261

I've played the following this week:

$10+1 10 player SNGs = 5: 3rd = 1; 4th = 1; 5th = 2; 10th = 1.
$5.5 6 player SNGs = 6: 1st = 2; 2nd = 1; 3rd = 1; 4th = 2.

I started the week playing $10 games on CD as planned but the beggars didn't weigh in with the bonus and tournament tokens they had promised, even after I emailed them to point out their non-appearance. They said wait 3 days. I waited 6 and still nothing. That being the case I've bailed out from CD and I'm opening an account on "Big Slick" (another ipoker skin) where Raisetheriver.com have a good deal going.

In the meantime Interpoker had offered me $20 to make a comeback there, so I thought I may as well. That proved profitable in the "sixpack" games and made up for the losses I had on CD.

I was a bit annoyed with myself in the game I finished 10th in. I let a maniac I had position on irritate me. He'd doubled up and a bit more betting on air and I couldn't resist calling his all in on the button against my big blind when I had 88. He had K4 off and hit a King on the river. A wicked bad beat, but I shouldn't have been in the hand so early on (and I knew it when I played it...SIGH).

Meanwhile I finished 2nd to BurnleyMik in the RtR league game to hold on to 1st place with 2 more games to go. However any one of three players could still beat me if they get the right run of results. Tense stuff :-)

A BIT OF SHUNTING ABOUT.

Neteller: Last week $40; Current $394 (+354)
Virgin: E88; E88 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $149; Current $47 (-102)
CD: Last week $37; Current $233 (+196)
Full Tilt: Last week $243; Current $60 (-183)

Total = $822 (+73)

Since there is a lot of stuff out there saying that the iPoker network is very soft for SnG's, I decided to play some $10+1 games on there and compare them with the FT games I have been playing this year. The results from only 4 games were decisive. While I only managed four games, I won two of them at a canter and there is no doubt whatsoever that they are much softer than the games on FT. In fact I would say that they are directly comparable to the standard on the $5 games on FT (i.e pretty poor - my roi on these is 20%).

That being the case, the decision was easy. I had to change my focus to playing on iPoker. As it happened CD sent me a reload bonus offer including some tokens for tournaments, so that made my decision easier. I've closed the Titan and Littlewoods accounts, moved money out of FT and Stars and reloaded on CD. The RaisetheRiver folk have a useful sounding rakeback type deal with another iPoker skin, so I'll probably move to that after I've done what I can with the CD bonus.

Games played were:

90 player $3.3 games = 2; 37/90 and 13/90. Close but no cigar.
9 player $5.5 games = 5. 1st = 1; 2nd = 1; 3rd = 1; 4th = 1; 5th = 1.
10 player $10+1 games = 4. 1st = 2; 7th = 1; 9th = 1.

Despite the fact that I had a good week, you tend to remember the bad beats most vividly (though when you're winning overall they are much easier to bear). I had KQs all in late on beaten by K5o hiting a 5. I then had about 400t$ left and caught AA. My all in was called by the same player with 96 off and he beat me with a straight. Oh how I laughed :-(

Nastiest one I saw though was one I wasn't in, thank goodness. A guy hit quad 8's on the flop and was then beaten by quad Queens! Now I wouldn't have wanted to be his cat.

I only finished 3rd in the RtR league game this week, which was won by kenn. He played very well, especially with one hand when we were down to three, kenn, myself and hammerheed. Sadly kenn (who had a big stack from the start due to taking out dD with Aces) had position on me. This told when I raised heavily with AK to try to take out the short stacked hammer and kenn then went all in over the top of me. I couldn't call because in icm terms it was ridiculous to do so, which of course kenn knew. Hammer gave him a damned good fight in the heads up though, despite being short stacked to start with.

BACK ON TRACK

Neteller: Last week $40; Current $40 (-)
Virgin: E86; E88 (+2)
PokerStars: Last week $149; Current $149 (-)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $32; Current $37 (+-)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $210; Current $243 (+33)

Total = $749 (+35)

A much better week to report this time. Despite being above $200 I decided to keep playing $5 SnG's, since my roi was much higher than on the $10 ones. This seems to have paid off.

9 player $5.5 games: Played 8: 1st = 2; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 1; 4th = 1; 5th = 1; 6th = 1.

18 player $5.5 game: 5/18.

2 player $2.25 head's up games: 4: 1st = 4.

As an experiment I also played some head's up games and I won all of them. I'm not going to make my fortune from $2 games, but it is interesting to play these and sharpen that part of my game. It looks like there is going to be a challenge on Raise the River for the best score in 20 of these, which will be a good laugh.

Meanwhile in the Raise the River league game I finished 3rd this week, but the winner was the player in joint 2nd place behind me in the table, Mair, so she is now very close behind me in points. The next four weeks look like being an exciting battle.

Mair deserved to win last night as she was on very good form, building up a big stack and then trying to break players by calling their all ins around bubble time. She suffered some setbacks but battled back, still firing away. I lost out when my all in raise with 55 was called by hammerheed, one of whose two high cards hit (so it goes). The dangerous BurnleyMik was out first, so it is unlikely he can catch us now. That takes a serious contender out of the picture.

Meanwhile in my face to face game at the cricket club I was beaten late on in the same way by the same player as last week - my big pocket pair (queens this time) is called by Ace/rag and an Ace falls. Give me strength...or a return to statistical normality!

A WEEK TO FORGET

Neteller: Last week $40; Current $40 (-)
Virgin: E86; E86 (-)
PokerStars: Last week $166; Current $149 (-17)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $32; Current $37 (+5)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $252; Current $210 (-42)

Total = $702 (-54)

It's been one of those weeks where I could do no right. They happen.

I've played:

7 x 9 player $10 + 1 games.

2nd = 1; 5th = 3; 6th = 1; 7th = 1; 9th = 1.

Blogger 10th/20.

...which says all that needs to be said really. I hit nothing all week. In the game where I came 9th, I went all in with KK and my opponent had AA. In the very next game I walked a flopped straight into quads.

I got so fed up I went and played some limit for a change, but just broke even.

I even lost in my local game at the cricket club when my all in late on with KK was called by A4. He hit the A on the turn.

You just have to roll with the punches and hope the turn around comes soon.

Meanwhile I came 3rd in the latest RtR league game after an epic battle with BurnleyMik, kenn, and Mair. Mair was very unlucky when her AK lost to Kenn's AQ (hitting two of the ladies no less), but kenn had already come back from the brink of death to be there at all, winning all in after all in with total air. Mik took it down to come into contention with the other two. Good fun, but we could have done with more players.

SOME NEW PASTURES DISCOVERED.

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $40 (-)
Virgin: E66; E72 (+6)
PokerStars: Last week $190; Current $171 (-19)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $28; Current $43 (+15)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $197; Current $248 (+51)

Total = $766 (+50)

Profit this month = $48
Profit this year = $204

Some profitable $5.5 9 player games bumped me over $200 so I played a $10+1 game and won that. Since I had some time this week, (holidays) I had a look around for longer games and found some $3+.3 90 player "headhunter" donk fests on FT. I came 3rd in the first one I entered (+ 8 "heads") which bumped me up nicely. I went deep in the other 3 I played, but didn't make the money. However "heads" claimed meant that I spent almost nothing on entry. Definitely worth revisiting when I have the time as I am surely +ev on these.

I made another discovery totally by accident. I had an hour to kill before going out one night and thought I'd play a quick 6 manner on CD for a change. I found I'd entered a Limit turbo by mistake. I adapted quickly, dusting down my old limit game and won the thing at a canter. The play of the others was atrocious. I just played ABC poker and they were calling down my bets with overcards, bottom pair and damn all. Amazing. I must go back and see if they are this bad all the time or I just got lucky with the table.

I tried a few games on Stars to see if I could bump my roll there back over $200, but no joy. Still, you can't have everything.

9 player $5.5 games = 6. 1st = 1; 3rd = 1; 4th = 2; 6th = 1; 7th = 1.
9 player $10+1 games = 2. 1st = 1; 4th = 1.
90 player $3+.3 games = 4. 3rd, 16th, 25th, 45th.
6 player $6+.6 game = 1. 4th.
6 player (limit) game = 1. 1st.
Bloggerment: 12/33
RtR league: 2/7

Running bad.

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $206; Current $199 (-7)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $34; Current $28 (-6)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $216; Current $295 (-21)

Total = $704 (-34)

A poor week, which started with and 8 game losing sequence - my longest ever. The usual thing - key hands on the bubble when KJ beat my AJ with a king on the river; AQs v AJ where he hits 4 of a suit, that kind of crap. I started playing a few 9 player games just to break things up a bit and eventually turned things round. I was -52 on the week at one point, so finishing -34 almost seems like success.

These things have to be expected of course but the result is that I am back playing $5.5 games again which is a bit of a shame.

Still, discipline is everything and I will stick to my plan and wait until I am above $200 on FT before I move up to $10+1 games again.

Stats for the week:

1 x $10+1 6 player: 4th.
6 x $5.5 6 player: 2nd = 1; 3rd = 1; 4th = 1; 5th = 3.
7 x $5.5 9 player: 2nd = 2; 3rd = 3; 4th = 2
1 x $5.5 10 player: 7th.

Conclusions? No wins is poor. Perhaps I should be playing 9/10 man games. I'll ruminate on it.

Ups and Downs

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $189; Current $206 (+17)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $34; Current $34 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $215; Current $216 (+1)

Total = $738 (+20)

The poker week started really well, with two wins and a second in my $10+1 6 max games on FT. Sadly this was then followed by a downswing when I hit my biggest sequence of losing games so far...5. The net result was that I ended up more or less back where I started.

Stats for the week go:

Played 11: Won = 2; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 1; 4th = 3; 5th = 3.

I'm a bit disenchanted with 3 x 5th places, however on one of these I had the horrorshow bad beat of a flopped full house - losing to quads, also flopped! I defy anyone not to get shafted in those circumstances. Other memorable exits were KQs losing to KQ when he hit 4 clubs and in one of my second place showings I would have won if AK had held up against A10 (10 on the river). So it goes. Needless to say I sucked out myself in some cases, but these don't stick in the memory quite as much.

I played three longer games on Stars winning a $5 18 player and losing the other two.

The RaisetheRiver gang are organising another league on Friday nights this time at Virgin. I dare say I will join in as I enjoy these games - though I don't really need another poker site!

Meanwhile I won our weekly face to face game at the local cricket club. Memorable hand of the night was folding QJ under the gun and then looking at a flop of QQQ! Two guys had boats. I could have saved myself a lot of work there!

A CANNY MONTH

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $204; Current $187 (-)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $34; Current $34 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $284; Current $215 (+31)

Total = $718 (+31)

Profit for month $150
Profit this year $156

Not a lot of poker this week but what has been played has been profitable.

8 x 6 5+.5 6 player games: 1st = 2; 2nd = 2; 3rd = 3; 5th = 1.
1 x 10+1 6 player game: 2nd.
1 x 5+.5 9 player game: 4th.

Sharkscope tells me I have now played 93 games with an roi of 26%.

The game in which I came 5th was interesting in that I ended up down to only 340 chips at the 30/60 level (caught by slow played trips) battled my way back to parity and there were still 6 folk playing at the 80/160 level - unprecedented in my experience up to now. I lost a race with 66 v AK.

In one of the games where I came third, I was proud of myself for laying down KK when a third flush card appeared on the turn along with an all in from my opponant. I'd denied him the odds up to then but felt I had to believe him. The same player busted two other players with underpairs hitting his two outers both times. He eventually busted me when he called my all in with QJs with A2 and hit A22 on the flop. You just have to shrug your shoulders and move on. I wish I'd sharkied him, as I'm sure he must be a loser long term.

So the current thinking is to establish myself at the 10+1 level on FT and use some of the other accounts for playing longer games when I have the time.

...and I knew it couldn't last...

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $204; Current $187 (-17)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $34; Current $34 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $87; Current $87 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $212; Current $184 (-28)

Total = $687 (-45)

Everything went so swimmingly last week that I knew it couldn't last and it didn't.

I went out in the Bloggerment when a player (who will be nameless) called down my AA with Axs despite being denied pot odds to do it. He hit on the river and that left me weakened and I went out later, (7th of 25 I think). I'm not used to that sort of play in the Blogger.

My six handed games started with one second in 7 games before I made a comeback with two wins and two seconds, but a run of three losses left me down on the week there.

Stats went:

3x10+1 games: 2 x 3rd and 1 x 4th.

12x5.5 games: 2 x 1st; 3 x 2nd; 3 x 3rd; 3 x 4th; 1 x 5th.

One of the games I won was interesting in that I went heads up with 580 v 8420 chips and won it. I was feeling positive about my heads up game, so I joined in the rtr heads up tourney on Stars on Friday night. I had a good battle with The Cloud, who got me in the end when his 3's held up against my AK. Honour was satisfied when he went on to win the thing - well done.

Good practice for an important part of the game.

A ROCK ON WEEK!

Neteller: Last week $90; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $193; Current $204 (+11)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
CD: Last week $0; Current $34 (+34)
Littlewoods: Last week $22; Current $87 (+65)
Full Tilt: Last week $171; Current $212 (+41)

Total = $732 (+151)

I've had a really good poker week, probably because I've been on holiday and therefore I've not generally been tired when I've been playing.

I've broken through the $200 mark playing 6 player sng's on Full Tilt. My agreement with myself was that, once I'd achieved that (doubling my starting stake on the site) I would have a punt on $10 games (dropping down to the $5 games if I go below $200). I came second in one of the two $10 games I played and would have won it, but for losing a coin flip. Stats for the week go...

FT 6 player sng's.

$5 = 7 games. 1st = 2; 2nd = 4; 3rd = 1.

$10 = 2 games. 2nd = 1; 4th = 1.

Sadly I played well in the Bloggerment, but after an awesomely long bubble session with Maujz, Hammerheid and Weegem, I went out when Weegem called my all in with 5's with K's (like you do). This meant that my Stars roll dropped below $200, so I played a 9 man sng there and rectified things a bit by winning it.

Meanwhile CD (which I'd quit playing on) offered me $15 to come back - so I did and won some money there too.

My little local game at the cricket club has now gone weekly and I won there too. Hand of the night had to be my poor chess playing mate Alan's. He had had a miserable run of cards all night and got to the stage where the blinds meant he had to go all in with any two - in his case, inevitably, the two were 72 off! One chap calls him and the flop comes 723. Turn 2! River 9. Alan proudly turns over his 72 for the full house. Then the other guy turns over (you guessed it) 2 9's! If it happened on Stars they would say it was rigged.

Finally, to cap an excellent poker week, I won the Raise the River League final game on Littlewoods. It was the expected harum scarum stuff as Ricky Rosa and BurnleyMik battled it out to see who would win the league, while kenn was his usual bash'em all self. Ricky was beaten on the final table to hand the title to Mik and eventually it came down to a final three battle between Kenn (big chip leader thanks to rivering Zagga with a pair of deuces) Mik and myself.

The crucial hand came when my Aces held up all in against both of them all in and then Ax did for Kenn's Kx in the subsequent all in hand. Not a big win financially but a major boost to the ego to finish ahead of so many strong players - I've definitely got a much better handle on how to play these things.

So good fun and I made some money - couldn't be better.

MORE 6 PACKS.

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $199; Current $193 (-6)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $22; Current $22 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $152; Current $171 (+19)

Total = $581 (+13)

Poker was simple this week. I played the bloggerment on Sunday night and finished 5/24, which was ok, except that it was out of the money and so a tad disappointing. I'm going to have to put in some time on Stars soon to get the bankroll going in the right direction again.

I played 13 six player games with the following results...

1st = 2.
2nd = 4.
3rd = 4.
5th = 2.
6th = 1.

It's easy to see where the improvement needs to come. There is no excuse for going out 5th or 6th in these things, though I did have the excuse, such as it is, of having good hands each time it happened. Disappointing also not to convert more bubbles into the money, but so it goes. My notes tell me that on three occasions I went out to coin flips where my overcards didn't hit against a small pair.

My best run is 4 games of these consecutively in the money and my worst run is also 4 games without scoring in the 25 I have now played.

Playing short handed.

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $204; Current $199 (-5)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $22; Current $22 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $132; Current $152 (+20)

Total = $568 (+15)

Profit for month $6.

This week I made my main format the 6 player $5 games on FT. Results were:

Played: 11; Won 4; 2nd 1; 3rd 4; 4th 2 for a profit of $28.

I played 6 x 9 player games finishing 2nd twice for a loss of $8.

I seem to have a good feel for the short handed sit and go's and I was particularly pleased at winning 4 out of 5 of my head's up situations. The watchwords in these are patience and aggression. Wait for a hand in the right situation and then go for it vigourously seems to pay dividends for me.

I've only made $6 on the month but I'm not bothered, as this has been a learning experience for me. I think the most significant point is that I have made +52% on the stake I put into Full Tilt and I am running with a positive expectation at this style of poker. The plan now is to get to $200 in FT and then up the stakes I play for and see if I can still run positively. Lose and I drop back down again.

"A Chip and a chair".

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $209; Current $204 (-5)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105 (-)
Littlewoods: Last week $22; Current $22 (-)
Full Tilt: Last week $110; Current $132 (+22)

Total = $553 (+17)

I had a hilarious experience heads up in a 9 player sit and go early this week. I went into the heads up part of the contest with just over 3000 chips v 10,000+. We battled away,until I had a slight chip advantage and my opponent called my big blind and I checked with 35. The flop came 346. I went all in with my pair and open ended straight draw. He called with AJ and hit the J, while I missed all of my outs. This left me with 240 chips to his 13,260.

Since we were at 200/400 blinds I was all in automatically in the next hand and won it. I then went all in without looking for the next three hands until he finally cracked and called the third one, which I won with total air. My chips were at least now numbered in the thousands again and I went to war going all in with any 7 or bigger in the small blind and going over the top all in if he called my big blind (which was a big habit he had). I could feel the tilt all the way from Texas and eventually he cracked when I had gone into the chip lead and called my all in when I had A10. He had 95! Nothing hit and I won. I wouldn't like to be his cat. :-)

As Cogsgoine on RtR commented, his non-calling of my early all ins was nothing short of criminal.

Anyway I was happy with that one, when along came another last night. I was down to 25 (count them) chips with 5 players left and the blinds 100/200 and managed to get back into the game sufficiently to finish 3rd and was at one point level with the other 2 after the bubble burst.

The vital importance of constant aggression during the bubble period was fully demonstrated in both cases. I definitely think I am getting the hang of what is required for these.

Played this week:

2 x 18 player SnG's: Lost both; -11
8 x 9 player SnG's: 1st=1; 2nd=2; 3rd=2;Lost 3. +19
1 x 6 player SnG: 1st=1; +14

So, I'm not making a fortune, but as my game improves I expect to increase my roi and I will also move up to $10 games.

BACK ON TRACK AT FT

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $220; Current $209 (-11)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105
Littlewoods: Last week $27; Current $22 (-5)
Full Tilt: Last week $77; Current $110 (+33)

Total = $536 (+17)

I played 7 x 18 player $5+.5 games on FT, winning one and coming second in one. I final tabled all of the games I lost with a 5th, 3x6th and a 9th. The usual bad beats for and against were registered. I was in a strong position in one game when my KK was beaten by at 1010 that hit. In another game my KK was beaten by A7 hitting. However I got my revenge on that beggar
when my 88 v his Aces hit a straight! You just have to live with this sort of thing. It's going to happen and you have to convince yourself that so long as you are making +ev decisions it will come out right in the long term.

I also played a $2 x 18 player and won that as well.

Mind you my more aggressive style in the RtR league game came unstuck when, with 6 from 16 left I went all in with Q8s after an early position limper posted. Two better hands called me and that was that. Oh well, you have to try.

FULL TILT - AN APTLY NAMED SITE.

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $90
PokerStars: Last week $223; Current $220 (-3)
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105
Littlewoods: Last week $44; Current $27 (-17)
Full Tilt: Last week $100; Current $77 (-23)

Total = $519 (-43)

I decided to open an account on Full Tilt as they were reputed to have a good structure for Sit and Go's, as indeed they do. It is indeed a nice gradual affair. The only problem is that I haven't been able to make much of an impression there. The record is Played 9; Won 0; 2nd 2; 3rd 0; Lost 7. Not good to put it mildly.

I'm not entirely sure why, as I don't think I've been playing badly. Still, it's hardly a massive sample, so I'll bash on and see if I can turn things round.

None of my other games played on Littlewoods or Stars went particularly well either - it's just been that sort of poker week.

I'll take a break and hopefully return to form soon.

The RtR League game ended quickly and ignominiously too, when I went all in with JJ against Kenn's AQ and he hit one. A coin flip of course, but I shouldn't have gone there really, early on, and normally I wouldn't. That "all in" button is so tempting!

A BIT OF REORGANISATION OF THE BANKROLL.

Neteller: Last week $190; Current $190
PokerStars: Last week $223; Current $223
Titan: Last week $105; Current $105
Littlewoods: Last week $44; Current $44

Start of Year Total = $562

I've taken some money out and reorganised the bankroll to start the new poker year. I had too much money sitting in sites I wasn't playing at. For the time being I'm going to concentrate on Littlewoods and Stars.

Poker highlight of a week when I didn't play much (too busy with other things) was the League game at Littlewoods with the RtR folk. I eventually finished 3rd (in the money) but could have done better had a couple of key hands gone my way. As the winner BurnleyMik commented my more aggressive play made a significant difference I think. Trapping Mair with a set gave me a good stack going towards the bubble but that phase seemed to take forever due to the shortstack's hitting their hands repeatedly. A good game where, for once, I can't remember a particularly bad error.

So objectives for the year...

1. $1,000 profit for the year.
2. Reach the final table in 200+ player tournament.
3. Play $10 + $1 Sit and Goes with a return on investment of +15%.

Achieve the second two and the first one won't be a problem!