A Truly Sad and Devastating week :-(

This week has been very sad, I have lost a great friend who I met from playing live poker, my friend Jon Chan (Sik Jong Chan) passed away on sunday the 27th January 2008 at the age of 68, Jon was involved in a tragic accident and had to go to hospital where his injuries to his brain were so bad he sadly could not pull through.

Jon was the most amazing guy I have ever met, he may of been 68 but he acted like a 21 year old his energy and charisma would light up any room he could make anyone who was in a bad mood smile and laugh! He would burst into our local Poker club showing us his tai-chi which truly was incredible.

He would always be joking and having great fun with everybody at the poker table. Not only was Jon a great character he was an excellent cash game player and he would consistently win week after week at the poker table he was simply a true talent to the game, he was always gracious and polite in victory and defeat. Me and Jon became very good friends in the time we knew eachother and I will never forget him for as long as I live. I am truly proud to have known Jon and to of had him as a friend because he was an amazing guy. His family are really nice people and you can tell his children were brought up by an exceptional role model that Jon was. (Jon is pictured above here with his daughter Kitty.)

Jon always lived everyday in a happy and enthusiastic manner not only that but he was as fit as a 30 year old and as strong as one too. It is so sad that such a great man has been taken from us and he can never be replaced. We could all learn a little something from Jons attitude to life and we should never take anything for granted. Everyone that knew Jon will never forget him and all are so pleased that they did meet such an exceptional person.

I hope you are having fun playing poker in heaven Jon we will all sorely miss you. God bless.

I feel like a Yoyo :-S

Well Its been an interesting week I've made a Royal Flush with AKss, my 1st in a cash game on good old ladbrokes > lJAMESl wins $886.48 with a Royal Flush, Spades... I shoved the river after a reraise on the flop and a checked turn and the guy insta called board was Qs Qc 10s 7h Js Never saw his hand as it was mucked but I imagine trip queens poor him if he had a boat!

I think I've worked out I'm up for the month around 14k$ so far but the last few days or so has been tough I haven't played my best Poker and to be honest I've tilted a bit.. which is neither cool nor acceptable!

I won two MTT's last Tuesday an 11$ rebuy and a 109$ (1 add-on 1 rebuy) wsop satellites I didn't rebuy in either or use the add-on. There were only 24 entrants in 11$ rebuy which got me through to the 109$ which had around 26 players in which I also won. That got me into the final the next day for the 1090$ Weekly final for the WSOP in Vegas where 1 in 14 qualify for the 14k$ package.

On the wednesday I rushed home from a 6aside game where I had managed to show my true elite Poker player fitness and run to the sidelines to be sick for most of the time off the pitch, what a lightweight!

Somehow I managed to come on at the end and score 2 goals to give "Bouncebackability FC" the win we (the rest of the team that wasn't sick) deserved!

So I got in and in almost 2 mins the tournament was due to commence, I got dealt pocket Kings in like the 4th hand which I played so bad on a flop of 10-9-4 2 spades ended up losing almost all my stack to a set of 9's. I was really annoyed with myself and I went out a few hands later with 66 vs AJo allin pre! Hopefully I've learnt from the mistake I made, its one that I don't make very often laying down a big overpair to a potential made set I should of had no problem laying my Kings down considering it was so early on in the tournament... Live and Learn!

On the cash scene I was flying up untill the last few days where I have been up and down like a Yoyo I have taken some beats too but its no excuse to the tilting I have followed through with!

Some of the calls I have been making are so loose at times it has paid off but others well.. I'll let you be the judge!

I am playing NL 200£ I am dealt AKcc on the button, 3 limpers,

I raise to 14£ 1 caller a loose player the flop comes 8s-4s-8c

he bets out 4£ he has about a 100£ stack a weak bet in my opinion I reraise to 32£ He calls.

The turn brings the 3 of diamonds

He checks to me I'm now putting him on a draw.. Should I shove here as I'm thinking he is on a draw? I check behind anyway.

River brings a deuce of clubs he instantly shoves his last 68£ or so into the middle, I have a think before deciding the 2 is a safe card and I am probably good with ace high. I call and he shows q10ss a missed flush draw why he didn't shove the flop I have no idea but still this is a loose call from me although correct and I take down the pot.

I will be updating the other hands shortly.

GL :-D

God Save our Queen

Last night I decided to go the local poker club with a mate of mine called Quinny. Was just for a 30£ freezeout just a good bit of fun in the evening. Everyone had sat at there tables ready for the game to commence and Quinny does his usual thing and decides to tell us one of his jokes It gave the table a good laugh, So here it is...

Dolly Parton and the Queen die on the same day, There spirits both go to the gates of heaven where they find God waiting outside for them. They both get ready to go through the gates when God suddenly stops them..

"I'm sorry Dolly, your Majesty but there is only one place left in heaven I'm afraid!"

Dolly Parton "What do you mean?!"

God "Well you are both going to have to compete for the place and prove to me who is more worthy to be here!"

So Dolly looks at the queen in an evil glare and suddenly flops her breasts out and starts juggling them about shouting

"Look at these, surely there why I should be in heaven there perfect!"

The Queen looks at Dolly in disgust but instead of saying anything rude she slowly walks off to a toilet where she flushes the chain without even uttering a word. Dolly looks at the Queen with a baffled face.

So Dolly asks "OK God who is worthy to enter the gates of heaven?!"

God replies "I'm sorry Dolly, come in your majesty make yourself at home"

Dolly shouts "Why does she deserve to be in heaven God, all she did was flush a stupid toilet chain?!"

God replies "Come on Dolly, everyone knows in heaven a Royal flush beats a Pair!"

AQ hmmm..

At the start of the year (2008) I decided to deposit a small amount of money into Ladbrokes Poker and give there software a trial. Where my alias is currently lJAMESl I found there software to be lightning quick and there deposit and withdrawl methods are extremely quick and efficient. I put 200$ into my ladbrokes account and decided to give 1-2$ a little trial, I do not recommend this for anyone who is trying to build a bankroll but I was prepared to lose the money without any real bother just to get a feel for the site. A couple of hours later I found myself quadrupled up and found the site pretty soft at NL 200$ this could of possibly just been due to the fact I was on a weak table.

So I gave it another try the next day I sat on NL 200$ this time I found myself tripled up at the end of the session. I now had around 1400$ in my account from a starting amount of 200$.

To be honest I was pretty happy with the way things were goin in just two days. I decided to do something again I don't personally recommend with a 1400$ Bankroll and that was give NL 400$ a taster.

I sat for a while stayed pretty tight and aggressive and watched a couple of aggressive scandinavian players wipe eachother out, show bluffs to each other and then berate eachothers play. I managed to double up early on with Jacks full where a scandinavian player tried bluffin me on the river by shoving with AKcc a missed gutshot straight draw on a J 10 6 6 9 board.

My stack was now around 900$... I found myself in the cut-off in which there had been 3 limpers so I decided to squeeze the pot slightly with AcQh I raised to 8 bb = 32$

I got two callers who I both had positon on an aggressive loose scandinavian player and a tight british player who I was a bit wary of.

The flop came Ks Qs 7h both players checked so I led out a 1/3rd pot bet around 35$ to see where I was, the tight british player folded and the loose scandinavian flat called.

I assumed now he was on a draw possibly a straight or flush draw or maybe he had a weak queen I didn't think he had a King as I felt being his playing style he would of reraised me on the flop same with a flush draw.

The turn brought the 8 of spades the board now read Ks Qs 7h 8s The scandi player checked to me I decided to fire small and see his reaction I fired around a 1/3rd of the pot again he reraised me around 5-6 times my bet, Alarm bells rang I genuinely believed this bet was not one of a player holding a flush in his hand but infact one of a player who was representing a flush, I decided to call the bet.

The river brought the 2 of clubs a blank in my mind the board read Ks Qs 7h 8s 2c

My best hand being A pair of Queens and an Ace kicker. On the river the scandi player fired almost his full stack (525$) into a 550$ pot.

I had to click the time bank because in all honesty this was a very good bet I was 100% sure he did not have a king and I was pretty sure he did not have a flush I couldn't see him playing a set like this and If he had a flush why would he bet so big on the river? Surely he would value bet his flush.

After a long think and believing I was facing J10 or maybe even A8 with the ace of spades I called the bet and the scandi player showed 9-10os a missed gutshot straight draw.

I took down the 1500$ pot and was pretty happy with my call and my thought process on the hand but I don't particularly believe I played the hand that well but I believe if I didn't play the hand in this weak manner I wouldn't of been able to win such a big pot and of induced such a huge bluff.

I have won a bit more since and I currently have 3800$ in my ladbrokes account since the new year from my 200$ deposit. Hopefully I can build this into a decent bankroll and move up to the higher stakes.

Any thoughts about the hand please feel free to make a comment

Thanks and Goodluck James :)