My 1st Poker Medal : )

My 1st Poker Medal : )

Well been a while since i last posted, main reason i tend to "sing when I'm winning" and well, i ain't been winning at much lately !

Quick update.... Still effn jobless, 6 months now, longest I've been outta work since i was 16. Had a couple of days here and there and doing the odd thing to make ends meet but nothing full time. Still a couple of things in the pipe line so Xmas ain't cancelled just yet!!

Poker wise cant complain really. Haven't had much chance to play live due to lack of funds so most of my time has been spent "grinding" online . Think i have progressed slightly of late in terms of BRM with a big help being the challenge on the NPF, a lot of good came out of that imo for the average Joe like my self, but its very hard to stick to and very easy to slip up. Ran deep in a few MTT's chasing that big score but cant seem to get over that final hurdle, 13/2400- 27/6200 etc.. so close yet so far but feel its just round the corner so will stick with it for now.

Personally i prefer live poker much better, don't know if saying its easier is the right term but i definately feel more comfortable with it. Played the 500 added @ Circus a few weeks back (cheers Dad) and fared OK considering the shite i was getting dealt, got it in with AKs 3 tables out only to get looked up by 22 (???wtf) and bricked the board, sigh !

And onto one of my poker playing highlights, the recent NPF Championships. As everyone else i imagine, i was well hyped for this and sooo looking forward to it. By far the best atmospheres at these official NPF events and imo the poker comes second best to most. Got off to a great start with an early double up at the expense of the Radgie leader, the Looseman. Managed to build my stack upto the 60k mark with little effort after then. With an hour left of play on day 1, disaster struck ! Pads UTG+1 intends to raise but Mr Flushy (table dealer) calls a string bet so a call is declared, nxt to act, Dave Minchella flats too, folded round to my BB, i have Q3 spades :(
flop 2-3-10 Pads chks, (so im thinking big A, AK AQ etc) Dave then fires 3k, bout half the pot. OK, excuses time.... I've been playn now for nearing 9 hrs and my thought process just wasn't there, or what it was earlier on in the tourney. Without thinking i flat call, Pads mucks. Turn the killer Q. Minchella fires pot sized bet, and again without thinking i insta shipp it all in, get snapped called and he flips over 33 for the set, miss my Q on the river and i sink in to my chair thinking WTf have i just done ! I let the dealer count out my chips and shipp the necessary owed, he returns 3k back to me and gives Minchella the chip leader pot 90k+ :( , I'm sure he had some black ones hidden round the back, their stacks never look that big do they lol ! Chips in hand im ready to shipp ATC next hand and theres a fkn break called. FKN great i think, I've got 10 Min's to stu over what a pleb i am, just let me get out ov here! But I'm glad that break came, went to get some fresh air and a chat with some boys telling them my "badbeat" lol. Got some sound advice from Buzz and Milo, fk the ATC craic and wait for a K or better to get it in with. And that's exactly what i did, 5 double ups'ish later (with the best hand every time i must admit :) ) and im back upto the 40k + mark with an Av stack! , Crazy game at times no ?

Were now down to 24/25ish players left, and with only 20 coming back for day 2 I'm thinking this is going to be close. Manage to get some nice hands that enables me to scrap thru to the second day with the short stack.

Onto day 2, to I get dealt AJs early on in an EP and shipp it in looking for a double up. I get snapped of the rock that is Phil Buttler, (PJB Aces) with KK .FK, but i get lucky with the miracle ace on the river that cripples Phil but gives me a healthier stack to progress the Final Table.

Fair to say i was over the moon making the FT considering the caliber of players in the field. I started the FT with the second shortest stack. Gave up waiting for a hand after 30 mins of play and decide my K 10 of spades was pretty enough to shipp my last 5bb's ! Get looked up of AK and its busto in 8th, was kicking myself afterwards like, UTG+1 isnt the time or the place to be doing that with that hand! Oh well live and learn eh !!

Got my first poker medal for my efforts and sits proudly amongst my old football trophy's : )
Also scooped the star prize in the raffle too, the I-Pod nano, so all in all a great weekend and cant wait for the next one.

Next up for COGB is the team game this coming Saturday shortly followed by Smoggies Unofficial Live League Final, cant wait for both and hoping to improve on past results.

Well that's all for now, happy blogging guys !


Ooop nearly forget to mention the gaffer. Megga well done to Teamdobb for taking the Championship down. I know how much we wudda been wanting to win it and the guy thoroughly deserved it and tbh he demolished the final table with some great power poker

Peace, Paul :)