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Closing balance £562.96
(down £18.07 today)
Another day of poor results as my downswing continues. I entered four Bounty Hunters today but once again found the cards weren’t falling in my favour. I managed to run AK into AA to end my deepest run, then ran my AA into 34 and lost to end my shortest run!
Such is the nature of MTTs, I’ll be back for another try tomorrow afternoon.
July poker points 389
6621852HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker18/07/2012 16:36NL Hold'em £5 + £0.7555/80-£5.756623976HNLT0.1GBPSkyPoker18/07/2012 14:45NL Hold'em £1 + £0.12/6£0.46622206HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker18/07/2012 13:41NL Hold'em £5 + £0.7526/30-£5.756621562HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker18/07/2012 13:12NL Hold'em £3 + £0.326/46-£2.176621209HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker18/07/2012 12:39NL Hold'em £3 + £0.323/53-£3.3
don't get too down m8,
just got 2b patient.
these downswings happen m8,hang in there & i'm sure things will come good again.
ur still over £500 up so don't feel to bad,it's frustrating,i know but we both know how these challenges work don't we....
so up & down & emotional too.
just concentrate on the end game of reaching your target figure,however long it may take,& you will be fine.
dev
lol
dev
Closing balance £564.81
(up £1.85 today)
In my first three tournaments today I carried on where I left off yesterday; losing all flips, failing to fade draws, running the second nuts into the nuts, etc.
However, the good news is that I actually managed to win the fourth tournament!
The bad news is that it was only a £1 rebuy with a measly 10 runners (if you exclude satellites not many MTTs run in the afternoon these days and fields are all small). My prize was £15.50, not bad considering, but I have to fess-up to spending a total of £8.80 including rebuys and the add-on due to a severe case of bad runnage in the first hour (including AK<35 all-in on an 62A flop for a 140BB pot in level 2).
So I needed second place just to break even, first to make a profit. I thought I was destined to be runner-up when my HU opponent came back from a 25/75 chip deficit to take a dominating lead by serial limping, serial calling and hitting every board. He also had a knack of folding when I had it and calling when I didn't. I regained the lead after open jamming K9s and getting there against his A8o. Eventually his bad tactics caused his downfall when he open-limped A4 on the small blind. I held J2o on the big blind, the flop came down AJ2 and the chips went in. I’d have folded the J2o to a raise. Although the stakes were tiny I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 ¾ hours this tournament took to play out and I was delighted to win, all of a sudden poker was fun again.
Thanks for the encouraging words in the replies above guys. I won’t be changing anything about the way I play; there’s absolutely no reason why what’s worked for me in the past shouldn’t work for me again in the future. The only adjustment I’m going to make is keep the average buy-in and the volume a bit lower while I’m running bad to minimise losses. Today’s tiny bink is certainly a confidence booster, hopefully it’s a sign things will turn around for me soon.
July poker points 405
6627736HNL 0.1GBPSkyPoker19/07/2012 17:21NL Hold'em £1 + £0.11/10£14.46627646HNL 0.3GBPSkyPoker19/07/2012 15:54NL Hold'em £3 + £0.331/36-£3.36625855HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker19/07/2012 15:19NL Hold'em £2 + £0.310/35-£0.756625692HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker19/07/2012 14:35NL Hold'em £2 + £0.320/32-£2.3
Closing balance £564.81
(no change)
Took a rest from poker today.
Closing balance £589.34
(up £24.53 today)
After a day off poker I returned to enter four micro-stakes MTTs.
To my delight I managed to take down my third game of the day; a £2.20 Scary tournament. It returned a pleasing £34.80 due to a relatively healthy field of 58 runners. It would probably attract less than half that number on a weekday. The win came courtesy of 2 out of 3 flips going my way and making several big holds in 60/40s and 70/30s aipf situations. Obviously you need to run well to stand any chance in a game with only 3 minute levels, and so it was, I picked up the right hands at the right times and flopped nicely in some key spots.
A couple of awful calls helped me too, particularly when an above average stack on the big blind called my button open shove with his J3o. Admittedly my button stealing range is wide when I have a big stack and we're on the bubble, but even so I don’t think he should ever be calling for his tournament life that light despite stacks being shallow. Anyhow, my AJ held-up and he was eliminated. That hand gave me the chip lead with 9 left, a lead I didn’t relinquish for the remainder of the game. The only time I got it in behind and won was the final hand. With my HU opponent down to only 4BB my open shove with K8 was standard, as was his call with A9, the 8 on the river won me the pot. With a big lead at the time I'd still have been favourite even if I lost that one.
Final tournament of the day was the Mini Bounty Hunter. I busted in level 10, there was an EP 3x raise and two flat-callers. I had 12 big blinds and pocket 99 on the BB. With 10 big blinds already in the pot it was the perfect shove spot. The original raiser re-shoved to isolate and the two callers folded. I’d correctly put him on AK but didn’t win the race this time. My play was +ev and I’d play it exactly the same way every time.
July poker points 418
6636388HNL0.3GBPSkyPoker22/07/2012 01:16NL Hold'em £3 + £0.3135/431-£1.626635703HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker21/07/2012 17:07NL Hold'em £2 + £0.318/46-£1.556637651HNLSAT0.16GBPSkyPoker21/07/2012 16:56NL Hold'em £1.44 + £0.1652/69-£1.66636238HNLST0.2GBPSkyPoker21/07/2012 16:48NL Hold'em £2 + £0.21/58£32.6
back on track.
best wishes m8,
dev
Closing balance £594.96
(up £5.62 today)
It was just the two morning £3.30 Bounty Hunters for me today. In the 9-45 I was donked out by A9<A3 aipf (my flopped 9 on the flop losing to a running flush). I made final table in the 10-45, but could only manage fifth place, my exit there coming in an unavoidable final table flip with 99<AJ aipf.
July poker points 424
6639474HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker22/07/2012 13:42NL Hold'em £3 + £0.35/43£7.796639218HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker22/07/2012 12:33NL Hold'em £3 + £0.332/48-£2.17
Closing balance £590.13
(down £4.83 today)
After a busy morning I logged on at lunchtime and entered the first two Bounty Hunters going. In the first game I busted in one of those unavoidable tournament situations; my AK running into 33 on an AK3 flop, the case 3 on the river delivering the ‘coup de grace’. In the second I ran JJ into KK on a draw heavy ten-high flop in a late stages cooler, another spot where I’m never folding.
After a trip into town I got back in the mid-afternoon when hardly any MTTs run, satellites excluded. The only game going off at a suitable start time for me was a £1.10 freezeout. The field was weak but I picked up almost exclusively junk hands and couldn’t find a way past the calling stations and gamblers.
So no joy for me today, but on ward and upward, I’ll back to see if I can do better tomorrow.
July poker points 431
6645894HNL0.1GBPSkyPoker23/07/2012 18:01NL Hold'em £1 + £0.113/34-£1.16646718HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker23/07/2012 15:17NL Hold'em £1 + £0.052/2-£1.056644094HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker23/07/2012 15:10NL Hold'em £2 + £0.39/30-£0.386643893HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker23/07/2012 14:36NL Hold'em £2 + £0.329/36-£2.3
Afternoon delight. No way past the calling stations for me today, typical example;
PlayerActionCardsAmountPotBalanceheywood40 Small blind 10.00 10.00 1720.00 g Big blind 20.00 30.00 4265.00 Your hole cards A 10 chico67 Fold GaryQQQ Raise 50.00 80.00 1920.00 fodwarrior Fold heywood40 Fold g Call 30.00 110.00 4235.00 Flop A Q K g Bet 20.00 130.00 4215.00 GaryQQQ Raise 70.00 200.00 1850.00 g Call 50.00 250.00 4165.00 Turn 2 g Bet 20.00 270.00 4145.00 GaryQQQ Raise 150.00 420.00 1700.00 g Call 130.00 550.00 4015.00 River Q g Check GaryQQQ Check g Show 5 J GaryQQQ Muck A 10 g Win Flush to the Ace 550.00 4565.00
Closing balance £603.26
(up £13.13 today)
First game for me today was the 10-45 Bounty Hunter. It went off with an unusually small field of 33 runners, undoubtedly due to the long-awaited sunny weather. I was nearly an early casualty after losing most of my stack to a bingo player. He bizarrely decided to donk shove 6x pot at a 295 rainbow flop with pocket 33. Based on previous history I made the call with my pocket JJ. He hit his miracle two-outer on the river to double-up and put me in trouble. I fought my way back (taking revenge by busting the 33 maniac on the way) to make it to final table, though as one of the shorter stacks. My exit came in third place, a fairly pleasing result considering the early beat, also my prize was sweetened by the overlay.
In the afternoon I tried a £2.30 game but fell victim to another bingo play in the very first hand; my pocket QQ losing to 53o. With no other suitable MTTs imminent I decided to quit for the day.
July poker points 438
6648676HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker24/07/2012 15:51NL Hold'em £2 + £0.326/26-£2.36648157HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker24/07/2012 12:47NL Hold'em £3 + £0.33/33£15.43
Bingo!
PlayerActionCardsAmountPotBalancereidza25 Small blind 15.00 15.00 2080.00 rainman001 Big blind 30.00 45.00 1995.00 Your hole cards J J MYTIMENOW Fold bingo player Raise 120.00 165.00 1815.00 GaryQQQ Call 120.00 285.00 2680.00 reidza25 Fold rainman001 Fold Flop 2 9 5 bingo player All-in 1815.00 2100.00 0.00 GaryQQQ Call 1815.00 3915.00 865.00 bingo player Show 3 3 GaryQQQ Show J J Turn 10 River 3 bingo player Win Three 3s 3915.00 3915.00
best wishes,
dev
Closing balance £597.41
(down £5.85 today)
There wasn’t much time for poker for me today and I only played in the two morning £3.30 Bounty Hunters and a few HU matches.
In the 9-45 as pre-flop raiser I played a flopped draw aggressively and missed. After a long think the villain called my all-in bluff on the river with his top pair and I was out.
In the 10-45 I made the final two tables but went out when I open- shoved A6 from the small blind, the chip leader on the big blind called with J7 which improved to two pairs.
July poker points 448
6651934HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker25/07/2012 13:07NL Hold'em £3 + £0.311/45-£3.36651637HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker25/07/2012 12:47NL Hold'em £3 + £0.350/66-£3.36653595HNLT,HU0.15GBPSkyPoker25/07/2012 10:51NL Hold'em £3 + £0.151/2£2.856653836HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker25/07/2012 10:43NL Hold'em £1 + £0.052/2-£1.056653786HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker25/07/2012 10:29NL Hold'em £1 + £0.052/2-£1.05
Been following your progress on this mission gary very impressive thus far, gary BRM is key i might go and try a challenge myself just if nothing else to give myself a goal to aim at + teach myself better BRM.
Hopefully the heater is only round the corner to lift you of this ledge you have been stuck on for a few weeks good luck mate.....
July 26th/27th 2012
Didn’t play, decided to enjoy some outside activities in the sunny weather and take a short break from poker.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 202 July 28th 2012
Closing balance £636.93
(up £39.52 today)
After three days away from the tables I didn’t exactly get the warmest welcome back. In the very first hand of the first tournament I went with my notes and 4-bet shoved on a 3-betting maniac with AhKh. My notes were correct; he made the call for his stack with A7o. Unfortunately the deck had other ideas; my opponent won the hand and I waved goodbye to my £5.75 buy-in.
Next up I entered a £2.30 Bounty Hunter, I came eighth for a min-cash after losing a standard late stages flip.
My third game was a £3 speed rebuy. It nearly got wrecked by another AhKh bad-beat. Two hands after the add-on period closed I 3-bet shoved it over ATo, got called and managed to lose again to leave me in ninth place of the nine left. However, all’s well that ends well in poker. I fought back and went on to take a pleasing victory. In a speed tournament it’s mainly a preflop game in the late stages, you need to run well in all-in situations and I did. I picked up strong hole cards several times and made big holds in a couple of cooler situations; AK holding over AQ aipf for example. The only time I got lucky from behind was when I open jammed 98o on the button during 3-handed play. I was down to 12BB at the time and was looking for an urgent double after losing an AJ<66 flip. The SB called with AJ, I spiked one of my cards to beat his overcards and scoop the pot.
In the evening I returned to have a go at the Mini Bounty Hunter. It started well including two head prizes and a double-up with a straight flush in the first hour, but my luck wasn’t to last. A big aipf pot saw my 88 lose to ace-rag. Then I lost two flips for bounties. My bust-out came with AA<QT against a maniac with a monster stack, he was very good at calling everything and getting there. I found myself unable to fade his flush draw with one card to come.
So I had some bad runnage today, but I don’t mind whatsoever as it was more than made up for by the bink in the rebuy. It’s pleasing to return after a short break and report a profitable day.
July poker points 474
6666037HNL0.3GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 00:11NL Hold'em £3 + £0.3164/413-£1.046665888HNLT0.3GBPSkyPoker28/07/2012 17:27NL Hold'em £3 + £0.31/15£53.76665155HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker28/07/2012 16:20NL Hold'em £5 + £0.7562/63-£5.756665225HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker28/07/2012 16:16NL Hold'em £2 + £0.38/54£2.51
nice 2 see ur back to winning ways.
keep going m8,
not too far 2go now.
dev
Closing balance £637.09
(up 16p today)
As usual on a Sunday I entered the two morning £3.30 Bounty Hunters. In the 9-45 I ran deep but went out on the final table bubble after jamming my KQ on the SB into AK on the BB. With stacks getting very shallow it was an unavoidable cooler.
In the 10-45 AhKh came back to spoil the party again (see yesterday), after 90 minutes of play I picked it up in a perfect SB squeeze-shove spot and found myself two callers with TT and 66. Unfortunately I couldn’t improve for a treble-up and busted out just short of the money. Apart from a HU game and a couple of freerolls that was it for the day.
July poker points 481
6669126HNL0.0GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 21:32NL Hold'em £0 + £0187/478£06667808OPL0.0GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 16:11PL Omaha Hi £0 + £0159/380£06673066HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 16:03NL Hold'em £1 + £0.051/2£0.956669690HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 13:29NL Hold'em £3 + £0.310/46-£2.176669374HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker29/07/2012 12:03NL Hold'em £3 + £0.37/52£1.38
Closing balance £642.34
(up £5.25 today)
I entered five micro/low stakes MTTs today, making small cashes in two to finish slightly up on the day.
My best chance of a decent score came in a £3.30 freezeout in which I finished third. I felt I was the best player left with three remaining, but I was destined to fall victim to a nasty cooler when defending my big blind to a button min-raise with 8s6s. The flop came down 88J, obviously I’m never folding my hand with stacks fairly shallow, unfortunately my aggressive opponent held pocket jacks and I was drawing to only one out.
For the second time in a row I busted a £5.75 Bounty Hunter in the very first hand. After late registering in the 1-30 I picking up AK suited which I 3-bet shoved on the BB to a 5x raise from the SB. In these Bounty Hunters you have to be prepared to get all your chips in with AKs 100BB deep without reads. There are so many loose gamblers in the field that AKs is comfortably ahead of a random player’s pre-flop raise/call range. This time I was racing against pocket tens and didn’t improve. The £5.75 Bounty Hunters continue to be the Achilles heel of this quest, no matter how hard I try I still haven’t managed to take one down after more than 100 attempts.
My other cash was a min-cash in a small £2.30 Bounty Hunter. With only 15BB left at final table I snap called with pocket nines on the BB when the SB open-shoved, I lost the race against his KTo.
July poker points 501 (£4.01)
6675368HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 17:30NL Hold'em £2 + £0.35/30£1.156674754HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 16:42NL Hold'em £5 + £0.7576/78-£5.756676170HNL0.3GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 16:20NL Hold'em £3 + £0.33/34£126674871HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 15:33NL Hold'em £2 + £0.37/17-£1.556674315HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 14:34NL Hold'em £2 + £0.310/20-£1.556677149HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker30/07/2012 13:46NL Hold'em £1 + £0.051/2£0.95
Closing balance £643.72
(up £1.38 today)
The first game for me today was the 10-45 Bounty Hunter. It was great to see it attract a bumper field of 99 runners, the new late registration option undoubtedly being a factor. Unfortunately I bubbled the event in 12th/99, however I made a small profit on my buy-in thanks to head prizes.
Next I entered the 1-30pm Bounty Hunter, annoyingly I bubbled again, this time 12th/83 in another bigger than average field boosted by late registrations. My exit hand was TT<KQ aipf, I flipped badly today, in both of my tournaments those key late flips just didn’t want to go my way.
July poker points 512 (£4.10)
6679341HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker31/07/2012 16:28NL Hold'em £5 + £0.7512/83-£0.116679080HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker31/07/2012 13:46NL Hold'em £3 + £0.312/99£1.49
Flippin’ awful. I just couldn’t win those late stages races today, one of my two bubble exits;
PlayerActionCardsAmountPotBalanceKerrnal Small blind 300.00 300.00 22245.00 drareging Big blind 600.00 900.00 18632.50 Your hole cards 10 10 sowden03 Fold littlewo03 Fold GaryQQQ All-in 7915.00 8815.00 0.00 RIVERACE0 Fold Kerrnal Fold drareging Call 7315.00 16130.00 11317.50 drareging Show Q K GaryQQQ Show 10 10 Flop Q K 2 Turn 5 River J drareging Win Two Pairs, Kings and Queens 16130.00 27447.50
Closing balance £648.94
(up £5.22 today)
I got home in time to get the two morning £3.30 Bounty Hunters today. In the 9-45 I finished in 3rd/84, though my prize was relatively small as I failed to win any head-prizes. It may have been better if my 98 had held in a 3-way all-in on a 98x flop on the final table bubble; annoyingly a straight ran-out on the board chop the bumper pot 3 ways and deny me a head-prize. At the final table I was very short and 5th/6 when a massive 4-way all-in pot saw quad eights eliminate 3 players and ladder me up to third place. In the 10-45 I didn’t get anywhere, exiting with a flopped nut-flush draw and overcard that failed to improve when a hit would have seen me treble-up.
In the afternoon I tried a small £1 rebuy, though at least 75% of my attention was focussed on the Olympics and less than 25% on the poker. I busted after 2 hours of play when my nut-flush draw and two overcards were unable to improve against a maniac with flopped top pair. In the middle was a pot worth the chip lead, my hand was 54/46 favourite when the chips went in but I was unable to improve. No regrets, I’d play the hand exactly the same way again.
After a lengthy downswing I’m relieved to see my balance is slowly climbing again, in fact nine of my last eleven playing days have returned a profit. Upwards progress is very welcome of course, though it’s going a bit slower that I’d like. I feel I’m playing well, it would be nice if a bink or two came my way to speed things up a little.
August poker points 9
6685788HNL0.1GBPSkyPoker01/08/2012 16:43NL Hold'em £1 + £0.18/16-£1.16683959HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker01/08/2012 13:30NL Hold'em £3 + £0.354/81-£3.36683637HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker01/08/2012 12:22NL Hold'em £3 + £0.33/84£11.82
Closing balance £670.76
(up £21.82 today)
I came close to breaking my £5.75 Bounty Hunter jinx this morning but had to settle for another third place after a ding-dong final table battle. It started badly; in level 1 I found myself down to only 600 chips after my AK met the Q8o of a bingo player on an AQ8 flop. I fought all the way back and was up to second in chips before taking a vicious beat with 8 players left; my flopped set of aces losing to Ks9s on a QdAsJh flop. That left put me back below average, but I fought back again. All three stacks were level at one point during 3-handed play, chips were traded back and forth, but with stacks getting increasingly shallow the inevitable all-in pre-flop confrontation didn’t go my way when my A9 lost to JJ blind vs blind. I’d have been heads-up and chip leader had I won that pot. Losing left me half a big blind and condemned to finishing third. On such things poker tournaments are decided.
In the afternoon I entered a cheapie, just a £1 freezeout, only paying minimal attention to the poker while I watched the Olympics. I had a fun run in a weak field but found myself struck down once again by a case of late stages run-bad. At the final table with 4 left from 73 entrants I 3-bet shoved AK from the SB over a button open. The button made what I consider to be a terrible call with A3o, a hold would have seen him eliminated and given me 60% of the chips in play. However, he got there and I found myself down to fourth of four with only 15BB. I went out in the next orbit when I open shoved 55 from the button and lost the flip against KJ.
August poker points 18
6689992HNL 0.1GBPSkyPoker02/08/2012 17:19NL Hold'em £1 + £0.14/73£6.26688840HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker02/08/2012 14:05NL Hold'em £5 + £0.753/46£15.62
Closing balance £670.76
Didn’t play
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 209 August 4th 2012
Closing balance £702.49
(up £31.73 today)
Most of my attention is being focussed on the Olympics coverage at the moment, so I’m sticking to low/micro stakes poker games for the time being.
My only run of note today came in an evening £5.75 Bounty Hunter. It was another near miss as I came 2nd from 64 runners. I don't mind admitting I ran super well to get deep by making two big suckouts on the way; QQ>AA and 88>99, both aipf, and both times I spiked my 3-outer on the river. I feel no guilt whatsoever for dishing out the suck-outs as I've seen so many go against me lately, including beats I took in other tournaments today.
When heads-up I held the lead a couple of times, but I have to admit I was out-played by the winner, he was very strong and made life hell. For that reason I didn’t feel too bad being runner-up this time because the best man won, it was more annoying when I finished second in other £5.75s earlier in this quest due to bad beats.
While it’s frustrating that I still haven’t managed to break my £5.75 quest duck despite another good opportunity, it certainly is pleasing to see my balance go past the £700 mark again. My pre-downswing peak balance of £708.33 is now firmly in my sights.
August poker points 46
6697909HNL0.3GBPSkyPoker05/08/2012 00:32NL Hold'em £3 + £0.3208/392-£3.36698595HNLB0.75GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 21:36NL Hold'em £5 + £0.752/64£44.26698435HNL0.3GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 18:06NL Hold'em £3 + £0.334/56-£3.36700385HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 18:06NL Hold'em £1 + £0.051/2£0.956700358HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 18:01NL Hold'em £1 + £0.052/2-£1.056700224HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 17:27NL Hold'em £1 + £0.051/2£0.956698590HNL0.1GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 17:12NL Hold'em £1 + £0.17/28-£1.16696956HNL0.2GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 16:56NL Hold'em £2 + £0.246/79-£2.26700020HNLT,HU0.05GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 16:43NL Hold'em £1 + £0.051/2£0.956696696HNLB0.3GBPSkyPoker04/08/2012 15:14NL Hold'em £2 + £0.39/42-£1.55
keep it going m8,
best wishes
dev