Here's what I can remember of this week (week 3):
Weekend - I spent most of the weekend hanging out with my nephews playing Monopoly, playing pitch and putt golf, taking them to the funfair etc so no poker.
Monday - played an LPPL game at the Hampshire Rose - did not do too well. But I enjoyed the beer so all was not lost.
Tuesday - spent the evening with my 2 brothers - watched Pompey play football at Fratton park so no poker.
Wednesday - my younger brother invited my to play footy with his work team/mates so I did that instead of playing poker. But I staked my older brother in a £10 re buy at Duffs - unfortunately he did not win this time.
Thursday - I visited some friends so no poker.
Friday - played a great little home game at Johns house. He had invited some friends over who regularly played poker in the LPPL in his area and we end up playing 2 bounty cash tournaments. I did OK winning one of the tournaments and coming second in the other.
So not too much activity this week. There is a decent sized tournament at Duffs on Saturday (£10k guarantee) and also in the evening a £50 freezeout at Big Slick so I may go to one of these tournaments. Other than that I will just see what happens.....
Saturday, October 31, 2009
UK trip - week 2
I entered 3 tournaments this week in between visiting friends, playing football and board games with my nephews and niece and sorting out some business.
The first on Monday was a £5 re buy at Duffs with about 18 players and I think 5 being paid. I went out in 6th or 7th place after losing 2 races. First I took on a short stack with 7-7 v AK and he hit. Then a couple of hands later I pushed all-in with my aces and managed to get a caller with K9diamonds. The first card out was the ace of diamonds giving me top set but the next 2 were also diamonds giving my opponent a flush. The board did not pair and that was that.
I went to Duffs again on Wednesday to play a freeze out but it was cancelled due to the final of a league they run so instead I entered a single table £10 re buy with 9 players and 3 getting paid. I finished 4th - the second bubble of the week.
Then on the Thursday I went to the local casino - the Grosverner in Gunwharf Quays - they had a £35 freeze out and when I signed up they told me they expected 35 players. So it was a real disappointment when only 21 signed up. Still played down to the final table where I went a little card-dead. Eventually I found a couple of hands to chip up on but lost on a blind v blind match up where I hit middle pair on the flop and my opponent hit top pair. Again I finished on the bubble - I think I was 6th or 7th and 5 were being paid.
So 3 tournaments and 3 bubbles. I figure this is not too bad as luck figures quite a bit in the later stages of a tournament as I open up and gamble a little bit. If you go card dead at the wrong time you are completely dependant on playing the other players and occasionally, that weak folding machine you target with your blind-stealing raise wakes up with a monster hand.
The first on Monday was a £5 re buy at Duffs with about 18 players and I think 5 being paid. I went out in 6th or 7th place after losing 2 races. First I took on a short stack with 7-7 v AK and he hit. Then a couple of hands later I pushed all-in with my aces and managed to get a caller with K9diamonds. The first card out was the ace of diamonds giving me top set but the next 2 were also diamonds giving my opponent a flush. The board did not pair and that was that.
I went to Duffs again on Wednesday to play a freeze out but it was cancelled due to the final of a league they run so instead I entered a single table £10 re buy with 9 players and 3 getting paid. I finished 4th - the second bubble of the week.
Then on the Thursday I went to the local casino - the Grosverner in Gunwharf Quays - they had a £35 freeze out and when I signed up they told me they expected 35 players. So it was a real disappointment when only 21 signed up. Still played down to the final table where I went a little card-dead. Eventually I found a couple of hands to chip up on but lost on a blind v blind match up where I hit middle pair on the flop and my opponent hit top pair. Again I finished on the bubble - I think I was 6th or 7th and 5 were being paid.
So 3 tournaments and 3 bubbles. I figure this is not too bad as luck figures quite a bit in the later stages of a tournament as I open up and gamble a little bit. If you go card dead at the wrong time you are completely dependant on playing the other players and occasionally, that weak folding machine you target with your blind-stealing raise wakes up with a monster hand.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
UK trip - first win
It seems my luck gets better when I stay off the beer. I entered the £10 rebuy at a card club called "Big Slick" in Portsmouth and ended up chopping the event 3 ways.
I bought in for the maximum allowed (£20 for 2k) and did not need to put any more money in until the add-on period where I again took the maximum £20 add-on. So my total cost was £40 and the prize amount I won in the chop was £500 so this gives me a little spending money for the next week.
My brothers friend Andy also cashed in this event for £190 so well done Andy. He had entered late and I had to lend him some money to do the rebuy/addon but it was well worth it and he paid me back with his winnings. He was a lot better player that I thought and I was very impressed with his endgame even if I did end up knocking him out - sorry mate :-)
So that was a nice climax to week 1 in the UK. Hopefully I will enter a few more events next week and see what happens.
I bought in for the maximum allowed (£20 for 2k) and did not need to put any more money in until the add-on period where I again took the maximum £20 add-on. So my total cost was £40 and the prize amount I won in the chop was £500 so this gives me a little spending money for the next week.
My brothers friend Andy also cashed in this event for £190 so well done Andy. He had entered late and I had to lend him some money to do the rebuy/addon but it was well worth it and he paid me back with his winnings. He was a lot better player that I thought and I was very impressed with his endgame even if I did end up knocking him out - sorry mate :-)
So that was a nice climax to week 1 in the UK. Hopefully I will enter a few more events next week and see what happens.
Friday, October 16, 2009
UK week 1
I arrived on Saturday and have played as follows:
Sat evening - £10 rebuy at local snooker club - 5 paid - I went out 8th with 99 v KK so missed the money. This was a fun tourney with mostly social players so quite easy to chip up but I lost half my stack on one hand with a made straight v 2 pair (all in on turn) where the other person rivered the full house and then the 99 v KK to finish me off.
Sunday - played LPPL league game at Portsmouth Labour club - fun social league with 16 players for this event. I finished 3rd after pushing all-in 4-4 v QQ 3 handed and being punished by the lovely Claire who had her ladies hold up. I still had a few chips which went in with K high a few hands later and lost to Ace high.
Monday - played another LPPL league game at the Hampshire Rose pub where I lost 2/3 of my stack on about the 5th hand on a 7-2-2 board with a big pair v 3-2. And yes, I did raise preflop and he did call! Oops!! Still it was another fun night.
Tuesday - yet another LPPL league game at the Heroes pub where I finished 5th out of 15 runners after pushing my short stack with K-10 suited and not getting lucky against A-8.
Wednesday - no poker, instead I went to Wembley to watch England play footy (soccer) - a great day out.
Thursday - I should have been playing in Thanet in the GUKPT but for one reason and another this did not happen. I was quite disappointed to say the least and sulked at home most of the night. I did manage to play a little online poker.
Friday (today) - also supposed to be in Thanet but am not. It looks like I will try one of the local card rooms £10 rebuy events. I need to win something soon to pay for my trip!!
One problem I have had is that I have drunk several pints of beer every day since I have been here and particularly at night during the poker tournaments. I need to resist the urge to drink alcohol if I am going to win any poker tournaments. For the most part the first week has been more fun than business but I really need to get into "work mode" soon.
Next week, another update....
Sat evening - £10 rebuy at local snooker club - 5 paid - I went out 8th with 99 v KK so missed the money. This was a fun tourney with mostly social players so quite easy to chip up but I lost half my stack on one hand with a made straight v 2 pair (all in on turn) where the other person rivered the full house and then the 99 v KK to finish me off.
Sunday - played LPPL league game at Portsmouth Labour club - fun social league with 16 players for this event. I finished 3rd after pushing all-in 4-4 v QQ 3 handed and being punished by the lovely Claire who had her ladies hold up. I still had a few chips which went in with K high a few hands later and lost to Ace high.
Monday - played another LPPL league game at the Hampshire Rose pub where I lost 2/3 of my stack on about the 5th hand on a 7-2-2 board with a big pair v 3-2. And yes, I did raise preflop and he did call! Oops!! Still it was another fun night.
Tuesday - yet another LPPL league game at the Heroes pub where I finished 5th out of 15 runners after pushing my short stack with K-10 suited and not getting lucky against A-8.
Wednesday - no poker, instead I went to Wembley to watch England play footy (soccer) - a great day out.
Thursday - I should have been playing in Thanet in the GUKPT but for one reason and another this did not happen. I was quite disappointed to say the least and sulked at home most of the night. I did manage to play a little online poker.
Friday (today) - also supposed to be in Thanet but am not. It looks like I will try one of the local card rooms £10 rebuy events. I need to win something soon to pay for my trip!!
One problem I have had is that I have drunk several pints of beer every day since I have been here and particularly at night during the poker tournaments. I need to resist the urge to drink alcohol if I am going to win any poker tournaments. For the most part the first week has been more fun than business but I really need to get into "work mode" soon.
Next week, another update....
Monday, October 12, 2009
Back in the UK
Ive gone back to UK to visit family and play some poker. There are some new cardrooms that I want to check out and I will also revisit with the LPPL folks who enjoy a social game of poker.
It looks like poker in the UK has gone through a real growth spurt and is more popular than ever. The local snooker club runs a league with regular cash games. So do the casinos. So do the new card rooms. And there seems to be several social leagues running in the pubs. I even noticed a whole bunch of poker magazines I had never seen before that focussed on UK and Europe events.
One of the UK events is the GUKPT and is on while I am in the UK. I hope to play one or two of the side tournaments in the GKUPT to see how this compares to the WSOP and EPT. Should be an interesting experience. Most UK casinos and poker rooms are much smaller that what is in USA so I am expecting a much more intimate tournament experience. I will writeup a report after I have played.
Other than that I will watch some soccer games, drink some beer in the pubs, visit with family and old friends and hopefully have a fun month.
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