Thanks January - You're Alright

My best month by far. In fact this is actually more than double my best month ever.

If I can run like this all the time, then I am a happy man.

On top of the graph I also made about 300-400 in omalol and another 900 or so in fpps. So about a $9500 month. (Although I only keep 1/2 the graph due to getting staked, which is ok though as even with only 1/2 the graph it still beats my best month lol)

Next month I want: 1) Play atleast 40K hands, and atleast 6-8K of those at 400NL.
2) Make 10K not including fpps
3) 18K vpps (this month I was just short of 15K)


I am playing in a team even tonight at the Alea Casino here in Glasgow. Five players per, twenty teams, 100 players, fifty pound a player, 5K prize pool. If you are bored and want to know how it works, here is a link to the Blonde forum thread about it here. I'll write about how I did tomorrow.

Some Random Vids I Watched Today

I spend way too much time on youtube and other sites. Here are a few of my all time fav vids.

Karma is a bitch




Flight of the Conchords is too good




I watched this goal when I was like eleven years old and Gilmour was my hero, I went bananas when he scored. It is from Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Five. I must have watched that tape 200 times.


Here is another vid from the '93 playoffs when the Leafs beat Detroit in Joe Louis Arena in game 7. I think the 93 playoffs were the greatest playoffs in hockey history, maybe even sports history. The Leafs playing three consecutive 7 game series', the Kings-Leafs series was the toughest hockey ever played, the Habs winning 10 OT games to win the cup, and the McSorley stick call that Demers used in game 2 in Montreal. The Habs lose that game and go to LA down 2-0 it may have been over. Desjardins hat trick as well. Anyways, here is Borchevsky in OT in game 7 in round 1.




I will post more, but I was watching these today. Man oh man I wish I had been older when the Leafs made this run. Such a sick playoffs that I didnt appreciate at the time.

Ship the Cash Yo

Got home from school, read some 2+2, watched some videos on tsn.ca (Canadian Sports Channel back home), then ordered a chicken kebab with some chips. Wife came home, we ate dinner and watched two episodes of Peep Show. (That show is genuinely incredible). The she went to the gym and I did some grinding. Three hours later, $1005 and 1400 vpps. Life is good.

Heater

I am most definitely-absolutely-no doubt about it on a heater.

I am running so sick. What sucks is that I know it wont last forever, but thats ok.

Examples:

***** Hand History for Game 24130541215 *****
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, January 21, 06:51:36 ET 2009
Table Finsen II (Real Money)
Seat 6 is the button
Seat 1: sixpuck ( $200.00 USD )
Seat 2: Iberico ( $248.80 USD )
Seat 3: Galam ( $37.00 USD )
Seat 4: MCLegend ( $419.10 USD )
Seat 5: 8fivesuited ( $200.00 USD )
Seat 6: Knightsridge ( $249.65 USD )
Seat 7: refeohknarf ( $40.00 USD )
Seat 8: SurfRipper ( $126.35 USD )
refeohknarf posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
SurfRipper posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Knightsridge [ Qd As ]
sixpuck folds
Iberico folds
Galam folds
MCLegend raises [$6.00 USD]
8fivesuited folds
Knightsridge raises [$18.00 USD]
refeohknarf folds
SurfRipper folds
MCLegend calls [$12.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8s, Qs, Js ]
MCLegend bets [$32.00 USD]
Knightsridge raises [$85.00 USD]
MCLegend raises [$369.10 USD]
Knightsridge calls [$146.65 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9d ]
** Dealing River ** [ 2s ]
MCLegend shows [Jh, Jc ]
Knightsridge shows [Qd, As ]
Knightsridge wins $499.30 USD from main pot


***** Hand History for Game 24230610042 *****
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Saturday, January 24, 06:29:07 ET 2009
Table Leonid (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Seat 1: Billy_Low ( $250.95 USD )
Seat 2: bet2live ( $40.00 USD )
Seat 3: WHERErMYnutZ ( $240.05 USD )
Seat 4: Knightsridge ( $351.40 USD )
Seat 5: zefi666 ( $44.00 USD )
Seat 7: wildogg2k5 ( $200.00 USD )
Seat 8: Mucky12 ( $271.95 USD )
Seat 9: Schmo800 ( $249.25 USD )
WHERErMYnutZ posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
Knightsridge posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Knightsridge [ Kc Ks ]
zefi666 folds
wildogg2k5 folds
Mucky12 folds
Schmo800 folds
Billy_Low raises [$6.00 USD]
bet2live folds
WHERErMYnutZ folds
Knightsridge raises [$18.00 USD]
Billy_Low calls [$14.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 4d, Kd, Td ]
Knightsridge bets [$25.00 USD]
Billy_Low raises [$80.00 USD]
Knightsridge raises [$306.40 USD]
Billy_Low calls [$150.95 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jd ]
** Dealing River ** [ Th ]
Knightsridge shows [Kc, Ks ]
Knightsridge wins $499.90 USD from main pot
Billy_Low doesn't show [6d, 7d ]


***** Hand History for Game 24227118214 *****
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Saturday, January 24, 04:31:04 ET 2009
Table Mertona (Real Money)
Seat 9 is the button
Seat 1: urodoc ( $61.00 USD )
Seat 3: yeshwana ( $234.15 USD )
Seat 4: RebelGimbert ( $90.00 USD )
Seat 6: disruptor44 ( $212.00 USD )
Seat 7: Knightsridge ( $239.50 USD )
Seat 8: Dr. Fells ( $222.00 USD )
Seat 9: MrJoski ( $182.45 USD )
urodoc posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
yeshwana posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Knightsridge [ Kc As ]
RebelGimbert raises [$6.00 USD]
disruptor44 folds
Knightsridge raises [$18.00 USD]
Dr. Fells folds
MrJoski folds
urodoc folds
yeshwana calls [$16.00 USD]
RebelGimbert folds
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9s, 6s, 5s ]
yeshwana checks
Knightsridge bets [$25.00 USD]
yeshwana raises [$93.00 USD]
Knightsridge raises [$196.50 USD]
yeshwana calls [$123.15 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Qs ]
** Dealing River ** [ Td ]
yeshwana shows [Kd, Ks ]
Knightsridge shows [Kc, As ]
Knightsridge wins $472.30 USD from main pot

In each example, I dont fault my play at all. I think I played them fine. I disagree quite heavily how KK in hand 3 played it, raise that every time imo, and also 67s in hand 2. I just dont think calling a three bet with 67s there is profitable. Most flops will not nail 67s and it means having to call a big flop bet to see a turn. Maybe I am way off base, but the times you do hit a flop with 67s, many times it will miss the other player so calling 18 to win say 40 (18+flop bet which 67s raises=40 or so) is not great poker when it only happens every 4th-5th time. The JJ hand played itself. I am not folding top pair nut flush draw ever there so thats just unlucky. C'est la vie.

I ended up making $2500 last week (Monday-Sunday) and this week I am up almost $3200 thus far. Last Sunday was my first $1K day and I have had two more $1K days since then. I am hoping to get in another session tomorrow to cap off the week.

I was talking to the guy who stakes me and he mentioned if I wanted to go to 400NL to see what its like we can talk about it for this coming week. LOL. I was playing 50NL 2 months ago.

Oh, and Vanessa Rousso sat at a table with me last night. I would never have noticed except the chat box was going mental with people asking her questions. We only played one hand together and she min raised me lol.

***** Hand History for Game 24204167581 *****
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Friday, January 23, 11:09:28 ET 2009
Table Cruithne VII (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Seat 2: prtrs ( $52.70 USD )
Seat 3: Knightsridge ( $200.00 USD )
Seat 5: LadyMaverick ( $206.75 USD )
Seat 6: uptownslim ( $494.60 USD )
Seat 7: Landoit ( $210.15 USD )
Seat 8: DaDestroyer ( $197.00 USD )
Seat 9: bet2live ( $40.00 USD )
LadyMaverick posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
uptownslim posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Knightsridge [ 5c 9s ]
Landoit folds
DaDestroyer folds
bet2live folds
prtrs folds
Knightsridge raises [$4.00 USD]
LadyMaverick calls [$3.00 USD]
uptownslim calls [$2.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qd, 3d, Qs ]
LadyMaverick checks
uptownslim checks
Knightsridge bets [$8.00 USD]
LadyMaverick raises [$16.00 USD]
uptownslim folds
Knightsridge calls [$8.00 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 6s ]
LadyMaverick checks
Knightsridge bets [$22.00 USD]
LadyMaverick folds
Knightsridge wins $41.85 USD from main pot

I Like Poker

It took a little while, but today I had my first $1000 day. I am a little in awe at how much I grinded the tables to be able to put days like this together. When I first started my blog, and pretty much playing online poker seriously, I was playing for pennies, and a $15 day was great. In no way do I think 'I have arrived at poker perfection', nor do I think $1K days will be the norm, but I did not get lucky to make as much as I did today. I am playing good solid poker and it feels so sick to know I earned the money rather than luckboxing my way in.

I hope there are a lot more days like this in the future.

PS: The largest pot I have ever played online was today

***** Hand History for Game 24021034542 *****
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, January 18, 12:58:17 ET 2009
Table Rigel V (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button
Seat 1: river_r4t85 ( $295.05 USD )
Seat 2: x--SoSick--x ( $178.00 USD )
Seat 3: Knightsridge ( $297.90 USD )
Seat 4: dorla99 ( $141.50 USD )
Seat 5: fripotin ( $166.00 USD )
Seat 6: sbrick5 ( $520.55 USD )
Seat 7: mistoukzz ( $92.45 USD )
Seat 8: ariolis30 ( $120.00 USD )
Seat 9: lllFSlll ( $289.65 USD )
lllFSlll posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
river_r4t85 posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Knightsridge [ 9c 9s ]
x--SoSick--x folds
Knightsridge raises [$6.00 USD]
dorla99 folds
fripotin folds
sbrick5 calls [$6.00 USD]
mistoukzz folds
ariolis30 folds
lllFSlll folds
river_r4t85 calls [$4.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9h, 6s, Kh ]
river_r4t85 checks
Knightsridge bets [$12.00 USD]
sbrick5 raises [$34.00 USD]
river_r4t85 calls [$34.00 USD]
Knightsridge raises [$279.90 USD]
sbrick5 calls [$257.90 USD]
river_r4t85 folds
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jc ]
** Dealing River ** [ Qs ]
Knightsridge shows [9c, 9s ]
Knightsridge wins $633.80 USD from main pot
sbrick5 doesn't show [Kd, As ]

200NL + Heater = Good Times

Played 200NL last night and tonight and I had 2 of my best cash sessions ever. If I had continued either session I am 90% sure I could have eclipsed $1000 on atleast one of them (I have never hit $1K in a day yet), but last night I was a little tired, and tonight the wife and I were eating dinner then chilling.

I can only hope this run continues for a looooooooong time.

Update and Moving On Up

Well last week I didnt play very much as I was in Ireland for the weekend. My wife's grandmother had her 90th birthday so it was a big family thing.

Convo from the night:

me: 'Happy Birthday Granny (I call her granny cause everyone does) is your birthday today or is it later this week?'
her: 'Yes, the dinner was very good'
me: 'Yeah, ok, umm, what do you think of the music tonight, not bad eh?'
her: 'Oh goodness no, not me for me, the dancing is for the young ones.'

So in a way, I guess a 90 year old woman shot me down.

Anyways, I made $300 in holdem and about another $100 or so in omaha last week. I am even more excited for this week though because I contacted my staker about moving up to 200NL and he is all for it. So I am going to grind the 200NL tables for a little while. Should be fun. I start tonight when he is doing a session with me over skype. Im not sure if I am playing and he talks me through or he plays and talks through it. Either way I am up for it. I think I will be playing a session directly afterwards.

Heres to hoping.

First weekend of '09

Played a little last night, 12 tabled for about an hour and a half. Then played some more this morning, 16 tabled for about 2 hours. I may play some more tonight but I have work in the morning, and a 6:45 wakeup for the first time in 2 weeks may be tough.

Goals for 2009

Well its 2009.

2008 was good. I moved into full ring from 6max. And I went from playing 25NL to being a semi-reg at 100NL. Without a doubt however, my game has grown in leaps and bounds. I started the year playing 25NL and winning $70-100 in a day (1-2 hour sessions mainly) was sick good. I am now playing 3-4 hour sessions at 100NL and I am making more in fpps alone.

December 2008 also saw the first month that I made more from poker than I do as a secondary school teacher. It is both cool and disturbing at the same time. Cool because money is great and I love to play. Disturbing because I dont feel like I earned the money at poker. Its a game I play on a computer while wearing pyjamas. Teaching on the other hand, I have to get up at 6:45am five times a week, wear a tie, do a shitload of paperwork, and try and get my kids ready for exams. Dont get me wrong, I like teaching, kids are cool, and when you get a kid to understand something for the first time its a great feeling. That being said, wearing jogging pants and a t-shirt, and hitting top set 100BB+ deep is a better feeling.

So with that in mind here are my goals for 2009:

1. Play 700K hands this year (I will be aiming for 60K a month)
2. Keep Supernova for the entire year (aka hit 100K vpp before end of June)
3. Hit 200K vpps for the year which would give me the 200K milestone bonus of $2000
4. Move up to 200NL permanently and maybe the odd shot at 400NL from time to time
(and this is pushing it I think.....but)
5. Make $40,000 including fpp cash bonuses.

I currently have $4500 in my roll (just took out 3K for various things, but that is the last cashout for awhile) and 52,670 fpps. From now on I am only cashing out the 250,000 fpp bonus for $4,000. With 200K vpp over the year, that is 700K fpps. That is almost three $4,000 bonuses. Combine that with the 200K $2000 bonus and I could have almost $14,000 in fpps alone. That would put me at 35% of my goal already.

Anyways, those are my goals.

I fly to Glasgow tomorrow morning and I hope to put in a session tomorrow night.

Heres to Hoping.

Last 2 Weeks

I am currently at my wife's family's house in Dunloy Northern Ireland, but we head back to Glasgow tomorrow morning. I spent the last week at her family's summer home in Donegal which is is the republic. However, there is no internet there so I have just spent 2 hours getting back into some things I missed in the sports/poker/news world.

Anyways, had a good Christmas. Ate too much and slept late. Pretty normal for most.

I played twice while I had internet during my first week of the break. The first was for an hour and I made $115, the second was for about 5 hours and I made $510. My game is coming along nicely and I am trying some new things with my game which are working out...always nice when that happens.

The 2nd week I basically hung out with the wife's family and watched movies. Here are some I can remember.

Layer Cake - great movie, not as good as Lock Stock or Snatch, but very entertaining
In Bruges - Hilarious. Colin Farrell was very good.
The Holiday - Wife loves this film, its alright.
Remember the Titans - Cheesey over the top American football film. How can you not like it?
The 9th Gate - Plot is weak, script is weak, but I always like watching it
The Family Stone - Christmas Movie on tv that I never heard of it and was surprisingly impressed with.
Lucky Number Slevin - Entertaining, but found it tried too hard to be slick and twisty
The Usual Suspects - In my top 5 easy. Seen it over 50 times and still get a chill in the coffee cup scene
Bad Boys 2 - Shit just got real.

Thats all I can think of right now but there is about 4-5 more. All in all, quite a productive holiday.