May Poker News

May 28th, 2007

I've been in Sheffield for the past week, visiting friends and playing some poker. 2 tournaments, 0 cashes. It's not that I'm playing badly, most of my tournament play has been very good. Picking loads of small pots and never showing down. Unfortunately, I make these big mistakes at critical times. For instance, I represented an Ace on an Ace high flop and was min-raised against a player new to table. For whatever reason I 3-bet bluffed for about a 3rd of my stack. Why? There was no need.

He pushed, I folded. Then lost a coin-flip and was KO'd.

Next day, £500 double chance tournament. Small pots, small pots, build a stack and then gift 1/4 of my stack away, bluffing when there was no need to. The final hand was a ridiculous bad beat. Blinds 100/200. Indian guy raises in 2nd position to 700. I pick up Aces and make it 2500 with another 6000 behind. He auto-calls and the flop comes 878. He auto-pushes. I think "great, thanks for the chips" and call instantly. He flips over K8 of Diamonds! Absolutely sick.

May 18th, 2007

The other day in a €5-5-10 NLH cash game at the Aviation Club, one of the best hands I've ever witnessed went down.

A young Parisian guy sporting some retro white shades raises €35 blind from middle poition. Long haired German UTG peeks at his cards and limps. I throw €5 to the blind-raiser implying that it was a 100% guaranteed limp raise forthcoming. He laughs, "I know". Back around to limper, who auto-bumps it up to €120. Parisian looks at his cards and while laughing his ass off min-raises to €240. German calls.

Flop came 55Q and both players get their chips in the middle sharpish. Parisian guy seemingly just messing about proclaims, "I have Aces!" with a huge smile on his face. River falls and he flips over Aces! Scooping the pot worth over €3,000.

May 8th, 2007

I didn't play the WPT Paris main event after getting KO'd from a €500 rebuy super-satellite after about 2 hours. My record in these is terrible, no idea why I played.

Today, so far, has been my worst losing day in the cash games at the Aviation Club. The game of choice was €5-5 NLH with obligatory 10 straddle. One guy with a puffy afro was sitting with about €8,000 when I first sat down, an hour later he was rebuying. That's how much action there was.

I went on mini-tilt after being bluffed out of a pot which I had raised on the turn with 2 pair, Jacks and Deuces. The board was 2JJ8, the guy had 2-barrelled the flop and turn. He then 3-bet all-in for a approx €2,000 after I raised the turn. It was sick, I didn't even bother to put him on hand or think about the hand, just insta-mucked. He slammed 75 of diamonds on the table. Sometimes, I play poker so badly.

Next hand, I went all-in blind pre-flop after a very good Russian player made it 40 or 50 to go. No action & I reveal 89 off and scoop the pot.

Couple hands after that I raised it €50 pre-flop UTG with AK spades. Russian, afro and other French guy call. Flop was rainbow T82, checked around. Turn came Q of Spades, giving me the flush / straight draw. Russian leads for 140, afro makes 300, I call as does the French guy. Russian comes back over the top and makes it €900 total. Afro calls, as do I. French guy folds. River comes a off-suit 9. Checked around, I bluff all-in representing KJ for approx €1,300 and Russian auto-calls with J9. Now I know how Eric Seidel felt versus Johnny Chan at the WSOP final table.

What I should have done, was watch the military parade on the Champs-Elysee instead of playing this morning!

May 4th, 2007

Grrrr, I turned up an hour late for the €1,000 tournament yesterday at the Aviation Club in Paris. Thanks for the misprinted time, pokerineurope.com.

My original stack of 5,000 had only reduced by 275 chips, but the blind level had risen to 50/100. A Flemish guy decided he was going to raise every hand pre-flop, so I started re-popping him whenever in position. He laid down Ace King face up, I flipped over one of my pocket fours, suggesting a bluff. I loved it! He was getting so frustrated.

Apart from beating up on him I didn't get involved in many pots. That's until the blinds were 100/200 and 25 ante. Early limper, I raise it in MP to 800 holding KT diamonds. Alarmingly cold called by semi-fish and the early limper. Flop came QJ6, limper bet out 1,300. I pushed with the open ended straight draw for another 3,000, a good proportion of his stack, believing my tight image could get him to fold a Queen. Alas, he called with Ace Queen and hit another Queen on the turn. No miracle 9 and that was the end of that.

At least the cash games are going very well. I played 10-20 NLH with ultra-tight Dave Colclough today and another Englishman, who was nearly crying after I rivered 2 pair against him. He was tilting pretty badly all-day after being limp-raised by Colclough after making €900 pre-flop.

I'm running hot, hopefully it continues for the next few weeks.