Upwardly mobile !

Managed to play one game of poker yesterday using my laptop and a free internet connection at the sales ring in Newmarket - an STT on Betfair, just to make sure I qualify for a freeroll on there in December.

Not much changes - not that it is weeks or months since I played - as I was comfortably dominating the table until a couple of unlucky (for me) hands took me down and then out.

Tried to get the laptop to work in a pub with a wireless connection last night but it refused to let me log on so I've still got work to do there, but I can't say that I am missing not playing so no addiction here !

Money is being spent on foals by wealthier people than me here today - top price so far 350,000 guineas with a few over 200,000 and several over 100,000. In our breeding enterprise any of these prices would put us in dreamland but it is what keeps all small breeders going - the hope and possibility that you could just strike it rich with something your mare might produce.

Been quiet again

Not had much to post on here as I have not played much poker recently (not successfully anyway) but that changed this evening with a second place in a freeroll on a new site (to me anyway) - Maharajah Club.

Places 2-10 were worth $111 so it put me in profit, for now, for the month.

There were only 60 entrants which was surprising as the first prize was a $7500 package to the Asian Poker Classic in Goa in the first week of March 2007. It was won by a fellow PuntersLounger, Washman - really well played mate and good luck in the live tournament.

My next few posts are most likely be on the subject of horses as I will be in Newmarket for the Tattersalls 'December' Sales, which end on 30th November !

Then on 2nd December it is up to Newcastle for the second APAT live tournament where I hope to last longer than the first hand on the second day ......

Not what I had hoped ......

..... for my 100th post on this blog

because it is about how poker can drive you crazy some times !

No-one plays without getting what they consider 'bad-beats' but tonight it was the hands I didn't play which laughed at me.

Twice I folded 22 to large raises and both times I would have beaten the AA I would have been calling. Worse than that, in the first instance not too long later the same player got me all-in with his AA v my KK, and in the second example the same player got me all-in with his KK v my 77. No surprises that in neither case did my lower pair get lucky when it mattered.

But what can you do ? Just accept it, sleep on it, and hope for better luck next time.

Shoe

If you don't usually follow my link to the cartoon 'Shoe' try it now - on the homepage you need to click on 'The Strip'. I think it's been really good this week, especially 1st November (you can navigate back though the whole week and further back).

Almost !

13th August : "Played in the PokerRoom / PokerPlayer Team Challenge on Wednesday and made my second final table in the last three tournaments, improving this time to 5th from 10th two games ago (nowhere inbetween). The winner of each tournament gets to represent PokerRoom in a live game against a team of Norwegian players - plus there is a $1000 prize fund in each qualifier (freerolls)".

7th September : "Played in the PokerRoom / PokerPlayer Team Challenge and made my third final table in the last four tournaments, again finishing 5th despite having been chip leader with 6 left in. Made a series of poor decisions at the end and was lucky with 88 v KK - 8 on river - to keep me in the final 30 or so, so can't really complain. One more to go next month and then this particular gravy train reaches the end of the line !"

This afternoon : Played in the final PokerRoom / PokerPlayer Team Challenge qualifier and made my fourth final table in the last six tournaments, this time reverting to finishing 10th for the second time.

What was supposed to be the final qualifier last month was the same evening as the Betfair / PokerPlayer Grand Prix live final in London so couldn't play, but there was some problem with the site not allowing non-depositors to play in error so the extra one was held this afternoon.

The tournament proved yet again that it likes me (until the final table !) with the following hands standing out along the way (my cards first) :-

Q2 v A5 : flop of 234 gives my opponent a straight but he just calls my smallish bet. With a Q on the turn giving me 2 pair I put in a larger bet and he raises all-in, which I call, and am saved by another Q on the river !

KJ v J6 : put my opponent all-in after flop of J6x, which not surprisingly he called, to be saved by a 10 on the turn and another 10 on the river - so now both got 2 pair but my K is the bigger kicker !

Ad10 v AA : my opponent raised me all-in pre-flop and after a flop of xdxd10d I thought the flush might save me, but instead it was the 10 on the turn !

and to get me to the final table : was lying 7th and decided to put the guy in 11th all-in with my KJ only to be called by A 10, but was saved by a J on the river !

First two hands on the final table were AQ and KJc so raised to 4k with both and got no callers so now lying 3rd or 4th. Next hand I get A3h and debate whether I can get away with a third raise on the trot, but in the last one of these I just sat back while my chips just eroded away so decide to just go for it - but then got carried away when risked another 8k calling someone's raise all-in, and was sunk by 10 10 (although had a straight draw after the flop !).

Thoroughly enjoyed this series though and rather than withdraw today's $20 I shall invest it in a few more MTTs on PokerRoom. Not much point playing their STTs because I can't crack 5th place ! Watch this space ......

I still love ......

...... Poker 770 !

I got £5 from them just for logging in a couple of weeks ago and then £10 tonight 'for Halloween'.

Played my usual 5 player $5 STT (just one) and won getting the following hand along the way :-

heads up and dealt 67os, opponent calls my BB - flop comes 676 !

I check, so does he.

turn is a 7 !

I check, so does he.

river is the final 6 !

Do I go all-in ? No, like a moron I bet 100 thinking he might raise big, but of course (I realise now) he just calls. Doh !

I wait for his 'nh' in the chat box but it doesn't come, but he didn't win another hand so I didn't really mind !