Best Month Since turning Pro :)

This month I decided to try out multi-tabling before this month I was playing 4 tables maximum at any time and after I was advised by some friends I went out and bought a second 24" monitor for my desktop So now I could play upto 8 tables at 1st this was pretty tough and I was timing out alot and gettting a bit stressed with it all, but after a day or so I soon got used to it and started making some decent profit. I was playing anything from £100nl upto £500nl with the occasional game of £1000nl I made just over $55,000 this month and this is nearly double of my previous record in a month. This has definately been my best month due to the increase in tables I am now able to play and also a few new theories I have been trying out in my game. I also won the monthly tournament on Sky Poker known as the Five-0 which is a 110£ buyin tournament with a maximum of 50 runners, I had a bit of TV time where they showed highlights of me winning the tournament and a couple of plays I made, I had alot of positive comments from Sky Poker Presenter Tony "Tikay" Kendall which was very flattering.

I also won the cash leaderboard on Sky Poker which had been won two months in a row by the same player who this time finished 2nd behind myself I had to put in alot of hours to win this league so its a nice achievement to win but I wont be entering next month as it takes up too much time in my opinion for such a small prize at the end of it, the Cash League Points (CLP's) are awarded per hand won, based on the blind limits you can read this on this link here https://www.skypoker.com/secure/poker/sky_lobby?action=show_static&page=loyalty_poker-league just under the heading How we award the League Points.

So I won the most hands in the month of March and was therefore top of the league . The league table can be seen here my alias is lJAMESl... https://www.skypoker.com/secure/poker/sky_lobby?action=show_static&page=loyalty_previous-tables

Usually on a poker blog you see a badbeat that someone has given out to the blogger but I am going to mention one I gave out as In all fairness it was unreal I didn't do anything wrong in my opinion but it is still a horrible one.

I am playing £300nl couple of hands in a TAG reg is on the bb I raise to 12£ 4 bb with pocket 3s The TAG reg calls who I know is a good player and has the ability to bluff and mix things up.

The flop comes A-A-10 rainbow the TAG checks I check behind.

Turn card comes a 3.. board now reads A-A-10-3 I have made a fullhouse 3-3-3-A-A

The TAG bets out £18 into around £25 pot I now put him on an ace so I'm pretty confident I'm infront so decide to re-raise I raise to £61 which he then re-raises me to £161 should I call or am I infact behind to Pocket 10s, A-10 or really unlikely A-3? Here I put him on a strong ace like AQ/AJ maybe even AK as he sometimes cold calls AK, so shove the rest of my chips in which he insta-calls. He turns over A-10 so its a cooler really I don't think I'm folding here as its too easy for him to make this move with a big ace... the river brings a... 3!! And I give out the sickest beat I've ever given anyone since I've played poker hitting a 1 outer on the river for a pot thats just under £600 It's definately nicer to give out a badbeat rather than recieve that's for sure he played his hand well and was very unlucky at the end of the day.. but it does make a change to dish one out rather than recieve one :)

All in all this month had alot of Poker involved and at the end of the month I was honestly getting a bit bored of playing these last few days, so I am planning on a week break before I start again but I am delighted with my monthly result and hope things can only get better :)

Poccer - Bouncebackability

Last weekend I decided to enter a team Bouncebackability (Me, Dwayne, Keiran, Jon & Ross) into an event called Poccer a day of football and poker started in the day with a 5aside tournament which we did really well in, we won every group game then won the quarter finals, semi's and lost in the final 1-0 :( after completely dominating the game and hitting the post 3 times there one shot was enough to give them the win as we just couldn't find the back of the net. But runners up not too bad on our first ever appearance at Poccer. Anyway then we played the poker tournament good blind levels and decent deep stack tourney with 108 players a few of our players went out early to a huge round of applause by everyone playing there was a really good atmosphere at Poccer everyone was really friendly including the main organiser Clinton a nice friendly guy who was very helpful. We ended up getting 3 players to the last 14 of the tournament (myself, Keiran and Dwayne) Dwayne went out in 14th after being badly short stacked and not seeing any cards to get a double up from but he is always known for hanging in there whilst everyone else makes mistakes and ends up going out. Keiran went out in 11th after a dubious call from the eventual winner. The player raised from the button to 10k blinds 1-2k Keiran in the big blind had around 60k and shoved allin the player insta called with AQo :-s Keiran flipped over 99 and the guy who seemed to hit everything that night hit his queen on the turn. I got to the final table and ended up finishing 4th after a guy shoved utg blinds being 8k-16k I had around 70k in the Big blind looked down at a6 of diamonds and made the call as I knew he could be shoving UTG any 2 he flipped QJo and hit his Jack.

A bit dissappointing to go out after all that play (around 8/9 hours) I felt I played well but at the end of the day it all comes down to Luck when the blinds are that big and I'm not a huge favourite anyway but I got it in good :).

Well After our Poker team did so well having 3 players make the final 14 and finish 2nd overall in the Poker team event just missing out on 1st place, everyone absolutely loved Poccer and I'm really glad I decided to enter a team because it was a great day fun with some quality banter! Also we have been invited back to the grand final in September due to finishing 2nd overall in the team events ...where we hope to win both events this time :)

http://www.poccer.co.uk/poccer4.html

The Update...

I haven't posted since the death of Jon it was a very sad time for me and I wanted to leave his memory as the main headline for a while. Jons funeral was a very sad one but it had a fantastic turn out and it truly showed what a popular guy Jon was he will be terribly missed, God bless you Jon your memory will live on forever.

In January I had a good month and made $20k In february I made $23k so two great months for me. I have been playing professionally 5 months now, March being my 6 month into professional poker and I am really enjoying it I feel that I am improving all the time. I have recently moved on to multi-tabling up to 8 cash tables at a time, before this I only really did 4 maximum it is alot tougher playing this many tables and I've really had to be sharp and energetic at all times, I'm sure it will become easier and more natural through time.

I recently attended the Vic for a tournament with a couple of friends we decided to enter the 300£ freezeout 150 runners 1st prize £17,000 not bad value at all :).

Starting stack 6000 chips so its definately a marathon and not a sprint.... 4th hand In I get pocket Queens blinds 25-50, Im in the small blind there are 2 limpers So i decide to bump it up to 250 total.

They both call flop comes 7s-4c-3d I fire out 600 1st to act 1st guy folds 2nd player flat calls. To be honest I don't particularly like this flop it may be a rainbow but its not that nice especially if someone has limped with a small pocket pair or low suited connectors. Anyway the turn comes Queen of diamonds.. perfect :).. I carry on betting to disguise my hand really no point in checking here I want to build up the pot and if i bet noway he can put me on top set.. So I go ahead and fire 900 into the pot the player pauses for like 10 seconds and then moves allin I'm like Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! I have to check the board twice 7s-4c-3d-Qd ... Yes I have top set but it's not the nuts I think for a little bit and I say "Theres noway you have 5-6 you wouldn't move allin here u would reel me in, I call!" He takes off his sunglasses and says "do you have queens?" I reply "yeah!" I'm expecting for him to show me pocket 4s here for a lower set but he flips 5 of diamonds... At this point I'm thinking Oh dear, but then flips the 7 of diamonds...

I say "Oh two pair... no a draw?!" So he has a gutshot straight draw 2nd pair which is irrelevant and a flush draw so I'm about 75% favourite to win the hand at this point.. In cash his play is not so bad but in a tournament this is horrible hes risking his tournament life on a draw.

River comes the Ace of Diamonds and gives him his flush and I am out of the tournament, I really have to be honest here I was absolutely devastated, I waited 6 hours to play that tournament to end up going out 1st out of 150 entrants 4th hand, instead of doubling through... not only is it embarrassing because although I did nothing wrong and was seriously unlucky... but it just dents your confidence, I've always hated tournaments but I usually do pretty well in them but I am a cash player through and through. The whole table one by one so "Unlucky!!" whilst I just look at the board in disbelief.

"The guy then says sorry man but I lost 36k online today and am feeling tilty" I had to pause and count to 10 after that comment as my blood just boiled like a kettle, I walked away and my mates who were still in the tournament start saying "Noway not again.. it must of been sick?" They know how I run in tournaments and its not good at all hence why I don't like them.

Anyway I began chatting with Marc Goodwin and Julian Thew (who are both really nice friendly guys) and tell them about my beat I just felt like I needed to say something to someone who would understand. I was seriously in shock, but thats Poker a cruel cruel game at times.

I later played some cash for the rest of the night met up with some friends online who I was really glad I met and I had a great time at the Vic even after my tournament devastation and will definately be popping back soon for another attempt and hopefully next time things will run better for me.

Good Luck