Blog debut!
I will explain my opening title shortly, but first I guess I should introduce myself to anyone who may stumble across this that doesn't already know me. I have been a full time poker player for the last 3 years or so, having quit my job as a health and fitness club manager to embark on the emotional roller coaster that is the life of a poker player. Before deciding to do this I had thought about it carefully for about 12 months and spoken to some very profitable full time players who mostly played on Betfair (where I started). They all said the same thing which was "you are good enough and smart enough to continue to reflect on your game and make improvements where necessary, but you need at least £40k in your account" (based on my huge outgoings thanks to having a mortgage in London, Student loans, maxed out credit cards and a girlfriend (now wife) who likes expensive things!) So I didn't leap in straight away and followed this advice.
12 months later and a huge week on Betfair playing tournaments which resulted in me winning the monthly $100k gtd for $30k followed by winning an EPT package for $14k (which I exchanged for cash..It was in Poland and didn't appeal to me as much as the $14k), plus a solid week playing sng's for a profit of about $4k, meant it was time to go for it! And so it began..I was a full time poker player! Since then I have enjoyed lots of success and travelled to places like Vegas, Singapore, Manila, Ibiza and Austria for poker tournaments and met some great friends along the way. However, after 3 years of huge ups and downs and thinking about my long term future (Im 32 years old), I decided that I need a stable career which allows me to play poker recreationally still and as of Friday just gone I am now qualified to teach children in primary schools! I have been working in schools as part of my post grad course and have really enjoyed it. It is such a rewarding career and one which will allow me to still play poker especially during the numerous holidays you get :)
So..thats me and now onto my opening title! Basically I have been on a horrendous bad run in mtt's this year whereby I go deep in so many games, but just get crushed at the end! Yesterday was a prime example, I reached the final 9 of the prestige on pkr with a 150k stack. the average was about 45k and the guy in 3rd had just 50k. The winner would take $3.5k which would be handy right now as I fly to Vegas on Tuesday! Anyway, 15 minutes into the final table and I am out in 9th! WTF!! It started with a marginal calling spot for me which I gambled on because of my huge stack. I was raising 50% of hands and on this occasion with A7 I got flat called by a tightish player behind me. flop was A92. I decided to check to disguise my hand and look weak. He checked behind. the turn was a 3 with now 2 clubs on board. I decided to bet here and he flat calls. At this point I don't put him on an ace as I expect him to bet flop and will def 3 bet pre with a big ace. The river was a brick J. I decide to check in the hope he tries to bluff at it and I can snap call. Anyway he did the unexpected and shoved in the lot for like 45k into 18k. It looked so weak to me as I had played my hand so weak (I expect him to think I will fold to any river bet so why would he shove if he was huge?) So I call and he flips 99! eurgh :(
2 hands later I get KQd and flat a 4xbb raise from a fish (on pkr this means he has AJ,AQ,AK, all mid pairs up to JJ) the bb jams in his short stack of 12xbb, fish and me flat call. flop is K47 rainbow. fish checks I put him in (he has half his stack in at this point!) he folds and bb turns over AA! eurgh :(
very next hand and I am now on 60k. I get 1010. UTG with 55k makes a raise so I shove over the top, it folds around to him and he makes the call with 88. Trun brings an 8! eurgh! FFS Game over next hand and a horrible $400 payout. This has basically been happening to me for 6 months solid :(
Anyway, like I said I am off to Vegas on Tuesday and will use this blog to update on all my tournaments and cash games as well as partying etc. I am more sensible now than when I went a few years ago, so will budget properly and play mostly $1/2, $1/3 and $2/5 cash games along with a few Venetian deepstack, Ceasers summer series and Golden Nugget super series tournaments. If I start off well I may play a wsop event.
I will try to post the tunes that I am listening to whilst grinding also ( I enjoy house mostly):
Skip to about 2.30 mins.
