Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh

Merry Chritmas and a happy new year fishcakes!

Mini heater??

Played live at the Cactus Jack club in Bridge-end just outside Derry on Sunday after my nice ship on Saturday night. It was a 160 Euro Freeze-out and I got off to an absolute flying start, some of the play you see from live players is just LOL. I really cudnt be bothered boring u all with the details, but its enough to simply say that in one hand a guy stacks off 150 bbs to me with JJ on an A323 board with me holding AA.

Managed to build and hold a big stack through-out but ran out of steam somewhat and bubbled it in 12th, sigh.

Monday it was back to the grind online and was going well in a few, but ultimately it was in only one, the $26 19.5k gtd on Full Tilt, that I made any notable headway, finishing 3rd for $2.5k

Today I only registered for a handful and pretty quickly was 2 tabling the daily 80k on stars and the 8.30pm $50 on FTP, ended up busting the 80k in 70th odd but I managed to build a chip lead stack in the 25k with 24 left and 8.2k ftw...

Plodded along til the final table where I couldn't really build that decisive tourney winning stack, eventually busted 6th for $1600 when my 10 10 filled a boat on the river of a AJJ410 board, but obvs no good vrs a slow played AJ!!

So, in the grand scheme of things its been a pretty good few days, just hoping that the run good stays with me a little bit longer cos it feels nice to be a luck-box now and then :) way to watch the rest of Ironman laters fishies

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Lol so its Saturday night and I'm just after chopping the 7.30pm 20r on Full Tilt after doing a deal Heads Up with "TheDylan". Actually had a decent chiplead HU, but then I doubled him 88 vrs JJ so that evened things out. He is a good regular so we decided to discuss a deal - we took 8k each and played for the remaining $840, which I also managed to luckbox - so managed to bag just under 9k!!

Feels absolutely great to be honest and this is my biggest score for quite some time, at last all the grinding has paid off :) felt I was knocking on the door making deep runs a lot recently and it is seriously just a great feeling to win a MTT like this with such nice money for the winner....

Was actually very close to heading out on the beer tonight and it was pretty much a last minute decision to play - lol doesn't it always work out like that!?? In all honesty I was determined to put in as many hours as possible before Xmas week and boyyyyyyy am I glad i decided to swap a night on the tiles for a night on the grind!!

Soooo, a very nice time for some shippage, this completely eats up whatever makeup I had and a very timely nice cash out to boot, weeeeeeeeee

Die Poker

I really wish I had something positive to write about every entry but poker is way too gay for that. It's 6am now, and just after bubbling the final table of the 14k $20r 6 max on full tilt with 4.5k ftw. Sweet.

Gut wrenching it really is, as I managed to build a chip lead with 9 left sitting with over 70 bbs, 290k @ 2/4k. However a few hands later I run QQ into Aces in what was an awful cooler imo. I wish I could post the hand but having trouble saving full tilt hand histories. Anyways, I flat a button raise (4 handed) with the Queens, and proceed to get it all-in on after check raising the 335 flop, FML. Surely there is no getting away from it here??

It left me with 20 blinds but I cant pull it together again and obv its another final table bubble... feels so shitty to go from hero to zero in the space of a few hands.. poker can die lol

Another Day, Another Dollar

So, as I start another day at the grind I thought I'd make a little post. Its almost impossible to keep this blog updated on everything that happens poker wise, unless its very newsworthy. And unfortantely, when faced with the harsh reality of tournament poker, it is true that the vast, vast majority of time you're going to be confronted with failure, thats simply the nature of the beast.

So, with that in mind, here are a few things that have happened the last week or so poker wise that escaped the mind when posting a regular blog:

- 8th December, 7th in a $69 40k gtd on Full Tilt for $1500. Particular disappointment. Was 2/7 with $12k ftw when I misplayed one hand badly and ending up busting a few hands later :(

- 9th December, Final Tabled the $28 big antes Tourney on Stars, finishing 4th for $500, $1400 ftw

- Couple of final tables in the $20 180 mans on stars but disapointing to finish 8th and 4th. These tournies are very much a personal favouritie of mine, its just a pity they don't fill up a bit quicker.

- Step 5 on Pokerstars. Manged to win consecutive Step 3 and 4 and went straight into the $700 Step 5. Busted 7th AK < A10 which is the bubble in these so back to square one. In retrospect, playing the Step 5 was a mistake, after reading PocketFives apparently the best route once you reach Step 5 is to unreg and play the $700 MTT qualifier for the PCA instead. Understandably there is very little value in terms of the players in Step 5/6, so lesson learnt there. Gonna play a few more of these Steps in the next week, see if I can get close to shipping a nice wee package to the Bahamas :)

- 15th Decemeber, 13th in $69 $24 gtd on Full Tilt, was really feeling good about this one with $7.5k ftw as I had a really loose table image, but was coolered running QQ into AA in a 3 bet pot on a 9 high flop fml

So, that's about it, time to get back to the multi-tabling task in hand, gl

Runner Runner Fun

Played live again yesterday, the monthly £70 Freeze out in the Fortune Rooms Cookstown.

Got off to a very good start getting up to over 30k at 75/150 after my set of 9s get full value from A5 on a A79 5 board, all the money flying in on the turn. Lost a few pots and was sitting with 22k at 300/600, when a notorious monkey min raises to 1200 utg, I lick my lips seeing QQ in BB. Middle aged guy on button also flicks in the 1200 and I elect to "squeeze" to 4k. UTG monkey obvs flats as does the button.

Flop is a decent AKQ rainbow. I check to set up the check shove allin. UTG monkey bets 5k, button jams for 15k and I snap with my set. Button has been coolered holding AKdd for top 2. As I'm sitting watchin the turn and river roll out im simply focused on avoiding a King or Ace, and am relieved to see niether. However, as it turns out, a diamond on the turn has give him the backdoor flush draw and the river completes it!! LOL, so I'm a little shocked at this stage and dont really know what is going on but the dealer ships the 45k pot to the guy, and for the second week in a row Ive been all in with a flopped set only to be undone by runner runner :(

This left me crippled but grind for a while before losing a flip to bust mid game. Well done to "maccakidatc" for shipping the tourney for £1200! :)

Playin a ton of MTTs atm, so time to get the grind on and ship something, laters.

Expect the unexpected

Took a mad notion of firing up a fair few MTTs at 12am (Friday) after coming home from a local pub game I helped run and I sure as hell am glad I did! Finished at 6am with a sweet end result - shipped 2 tournies, the $5k gtd $50 6 max on stars for $2300 and a $10 KO tourney on Full Tilt for just under $1400 weeeeeeeeeeeee

Obviously I am well chuffed with the results of this unexpected session and things could have been even better as I ran deep in a few others but couldn't quite make it an extremely sick night lol

The feeling of winning a tourney is something else. To win 2 in the space of half an hour is great! I guess it helps ease the pain of the Galway satty disaster, after which I really did feel very, very pissed off with poker. This game we play really is a sick sick roller-coaster ride, and I may enjoy this brief and all too seldom feeling of vindication, satisfaction and relief while I can :)

FML

I just don't get it, last 7, 2 get tickets, of the Galway satty. This muppet has to be braindead...

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4964101

A live effort!

Depsite suffering quite a brutal hungover from Saturday nights exploits, I decided to play the 165 euro Freezeout at the Gold Club letterkenny yesterday.

There was a very surprising turnout of 113 players and with a 15k starting stack and half hour clock with all the levels included it turned out to be a very enjoyable game!

Got up to around 21k at 150/300/25 but lost around 8k with AcKh on a A xh xh xh board vrs guys limped J10hh. After this was pretty much on the back foot and grinded for an age but still managed to build back to 26k at 600/1200 when I pick up 88 late position 7 handed. Thought about simply open jamming to pick up the blinds and antes but ended up making it 2600, LAG fella reships 22k on me from the button. I decide its a decent chance to double up as the guy had already jammed on one of my opens the previous orbit and I swiftly call. He tables KJ off, and the door card is a delightful 8!! Nice life and already Im planning my assault on the table with a 50k stack. mmmmmm well not quite, as the safe flop of 8 10 2 was destroyed by a Q on the turn, and a fooking A ball on the river!! Quite a frustrating way to lose the hand but I guess its simply a race preflop anyways. Actually somehow manage to turn 3k at 600/1200/75 into 14k at 800/1500/75 but KJ comes back to crush me again vrs my AQcc to bust around 40th sighhhhhhhh.

Even though it was very frustrating to bust the way I did I have to say I really enjoyed the tournament, it reminded me of how I much i really enjoy live poker, when u have a well structured tourney with a decent sized field. So kudos to the Gold Club who put on a really good show and its a certainly a tournament I will check out again. Dermybigface was the last man from Omagh standing finishing 5th for 1400.

Galway is coming up this weekend, and I had planned to go down and maybe play a few side events but now im not so sure. Will see how online goes this week so will not rule anything out just yet...

FFS!!!

Havent updated in a wile, partly due to very little happening poker wise. And partly because of you ,Thierry Henry, u c**t!!! Was uber pissed off after the Ireland-France game. Just didnt feel like writing anything. The Irish played those french pansies off their own pitch, only to be undone by that handball and some shocking officiating by the ref and linesmen!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Anyways, enough about that, the subject really does gut me!!

Poker hasnt been going great last week or so, but tbh havent really put in a ton of volume, and today was the first full session I put in all week. Havent been able to get a lot going in the tournies I have been playin, due to mix of the usual factors.

Still going OK in a few as I write, but I did just bubble the final table of the $11 cubed on full tilt which sucks, but hopefully can pull something outta the bag in whats left and have something nice to write about next time!

One time Ireland!!

Haven't posted in a few days, mainly because poker wise there hasn't much been happening since last week.

Went out for a "few beers" to watch the Ireland vrs France game on saturday but that soon escalated into a full blown 2 day session, very messy indeed. Thought Ireland were a lil bit unlucky and we certainly had the chances to get a better result. However, tough as its gonna be, the Irish lads seems confident, so hopefully tonight they can produce something very special.

Spent Monday recovering and hardly played, but Tuesday played a full session. Had a couple of deep runs, and was disappointed to bust the $20 cubed on stars in 13th place, with $8.5k FTW.

So, def no repeat of Saturdays exploits tonight, just gonna watch the match at home while playing a few donkaments,.. Come on ye Boys in Green!!

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh

Just after busting the $162 50k on stars for $1800 in 8th place, but in all honestly I'm gutted that i didn't get closer to the cool $15.5k for first :(

Managed to satellite into this one for $30 and was really looking forward to taking a shot at a major prize-pool with a very manageable field size. Played solid throughout and picked up some nice hands and a few good spots, and before I knew it I was at the final table with just 8 players to beat to claim a huge first prize!!

First hand in I picked up KK in the BB and 3 bet the eventual villain who folded to the pressure. 8 hands in however, and I lose this massive hand for the chip-lead:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4878881

Had quite a bit of history with this guy from 2 tables out who was playing a very good LAG game. We had traded 3 bets pre-flops in previous encounters and tbh I didn't have much hesitation in shipping my 30 bigs in with a hand with as much value that 10 10 holds. Also, I felt a certain % of his range folds to the 4 bet shove.

Maybe some people fold the 10s in this spot, and try and ladder up the pay jumps a little, but I can honestly say this isn't my style and I'm happy with how the hand played out but obvs not the insta dead flop, ty very much stars!!

Soooooo, in the end up I narrowly missed out on a huge payday that really would have changed things for me. Hopefully the next time I get close to such a huge score I can run a little better!! Laters, off to rail this Macca fish and watch him blowup in a couple of donkfests he's got chips in LOL

Victory :)

Just after winning the $22 big antes 360 cap on stars for $1300 and change which was more than needed as had played close to 50 mtts during the past 2 days and the buy-ins certainly add up.

Had a big stack from mid game on in this one which always helps, when i get a big stack going my confidence increases and i don't donate it back easily, usually anyways :) Sorta gifted the win Heads up tbh, and even thou we were super deep, it only lasted about 8 hands. These 2 hands back to back sealed the deal:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4872011

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4872011

Crazy stuff!!

Also ran deep in a $20 6 max on stars but finished 11th when my AK ran into the table monkeys A7 soooooted aipf. Other than that didn't run particularly well, either all day Monday, or tonight's session which began about 7pm.

So, always nice to bag a victory and hopefully will kick on in the coming days/weeks!!

I've been chomping at the bit all day to get playing the new Call of Duty, Modern Warfare for the PS3. It looks amazing and have heard all good reports on it so time to test it out for myself weeeeeeeeee!

Fortune Rooms Monthly Donkfest

On Saturday night, a few of us went into town for a few drinks to watch the David Haye vrs Nickolay Valouv bust-up. Sky Sports do a really good job at marketing such events and i have to say i was really looking forward to seeing this one which was billed as "David and Goliath". The "beast from the east" really is a huge guy lol and when he squared up to Haye in the first round i really couldn't see how Haye could actually hurt this man mountain!

The fight itself was pretty disappointing and quite a non event imo, but i guess in the end up Haye sorta deserved it but really there was nothing between them and neither seemed to really hurt each other, except when Haye caught him in the 12th and nearly chopped the big tree to the ground!!

Stayed out in town for the night after that but was a low key affair mainly because i didn't want to deal with a stinking hangover for the Fortune Rooms Cookstown £70 Monthly Freeze-out on the sunday.....

This tourney always gets a full house and today was no exception and 53 fish made up the field, meaning the £1450 ftw was well worth hanging around for...

Lost a few hands early on and was down to around 13k of the original 18k but had no need to panic at 100/200. Flatted a late position raise with 45cc, flopped the flush draw and filled it on the turn, getting 3k of value but failing to get a 7k blast called on the river. Few hands later i limp behind with A3ss and the flop comes a bootiful 10s 9s 4s. Guy in bb donks for pot, i flat. turn is a brick but he somehow folds when i min raise his turn bet, nooooooooo

Win and lose a few smallish pots but was cruising along and reached a high point of 32k at 300/600. Had a fair few raises snapped off and suddenly found myself with around 17k at 500/1k/100. Got moved to a new table where everyone seemed happy to limp into every pot so i figured I could chip up a little by shoving on the passive players. A few hands in I get busy and shove my 16k with A8ss at one of the chronic limpers only to be insta isolated by the button behind and i was obvs in bad shape vrs his JJ. However, "me being me" i binked an 8 on the flop and an 8 on the river and I was back in the game!!

Didn't really pick up much for the next few levels and the structure was pretty fast so I soon found myself floating around the 10-15 bb mark, open shoving anything decent when the opportunity presented itself and managed to sneak by, until my exit hand, when i shoved 27k @1.5/3k/200 with QJ from the Hi-jack, only to run into the BBs AK. Despite turning a flush draw to go with my flopped gut-shot i bricked the river and was toast in 16th place!

Hung about for a while railing "deadnit1" who was on the ultra grind and "dermybigface" but both didn't quite make it to the business end of things. Played a bit of blackjack but obvs had no success, most rigged game ever!!

So a bit disappointed not to do better in the tourney but the structure really does catch up with you (average stack at the final table was a shocking 8 bigs) and didn't really find a lot of good spots and was pretty much starved of any run of decent holdings. In fact, my run in the tourney was much like the boxing, by and large, a non event.

So, as Im writing this, just starting the days grind online, got 5 tables going at the minute with a ton more soon to start, so will hopefully have something positive to report in the next entry, laters.

a little about me

So, i've just took a random notion, that, after following various poker players blogs for quite a while now, i may as well go and start one myself!!!

Don't really know where to start but I suppose saying as the blog will cover mostly my poker playing i guess I'll give a little background there...

Im 24 now, and started playing poker sort of by accident really and like countless others I started off randomly playing a home game with friends when i was at college about 5 years ago, and was instantly hooked tbh, right from the off!!

Was obvs a big donkey at first, but I slowly started to get the hang of the game and began playing small local tournaments in the famous "el tel casino" in town lol, done ok playin these and they really gave me an even greater taste for the game and bigger tournaments.

It was about 3-4 years ago that I really started playing more and more and this inevitably lead to me discovering online poker. I started off playing some small sit n gos and a few tournaments, but really didnt know what i was doing in all honesty and, unfortunately, (unlike the dream "one $5 deposit" stories u hear wayyyy too often about online poker) it was quite a few deposits later before I started making some inroads....

After some studying, reading forums like PocketFives, talking poker with other players and reading poker books I had a few decent results online in mtts, but looking back i know that my game back then was very very unpolished but back even then, 2-3 years ago, online was nowhere near as tough as it is now, and i sorta luckboxed my way along.

I managed to pull a few decent scores together including a final table of the Sunday Warmup and a couple of chops in the then daily 50k on pokerstars which left me with a decent bankroll. However, i have never been the best at managing my bankroll and after a year of basically playin full time in the student area of belfast i was busto again, lol, however much of that was down to partying, living costs and non poker related loses, but in all honestly i can say it was a great years criac and wudnt change it for the world.

So thats kinda where im at at the minute, havent really been able to reclaim that roll as such and am now a backed player, but feel like im a much more rounded player, being a poker x factor subscriber has helped my game a ton and having put in a hell of a lot of mtt volume over the last couple of years, i hope now i can kick on to bigger and better things!!

I play mostly on stars (mully_85) and full tilt (mully07) where u will find me grinding mid stakes mtts.

I don't know what else to write now lol, this is where im at, and this blog i suppose will chart my grind at mid stakes mtts online, and indeed some live tourneys as well - later!!