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 ......