Year End Year Begins

Year End Year Begins

Last blog post of the year 2009 and as I normally do its pack the suitcase and get out of the UK for the last 2 weeks and head for the sun. Hate Xmas & New Year and its perfect time personally and business wise to fly to warmer climates and get away fom the freezing winter of the UK. Return back to Dominican Republic in the Caribbean and it will be our 3rd visit to this island. Basically look for a decent quality complex with good standard of accommodation and a chill out relaxing 2 weeks break.

So what has 2009 brought on the Poker front. The NPF has raced on at a rapid pace growing every week and all the events we organised went as well if not better than planned. February saw us organise the UK Team Challenge and if I say it myself it was on of the best organised and fun games to play in with Kracked Kings taking down the team game and compliments were received all year at various tournaments around the UK we played especially Mr Entertainment & Cardguard Kid who simply were awesome on the mics and added a totally different slant to poker competitions that it seemed all thoroughly enjoyed.

Problems as we try to get away to Dominican in that the Thompson flights have been suffering from a knock on effect from the bad weather and as we arrive at the crack of dawn at Manchester Airport we are told we wont be leaving till at least later that night with the predicted departure time some 14 hours delayed.

2009 final figures for live poker showed a 4th year consecutive profit of just over £4000 which Ive got to be happy with considering no real big scores and an average of only 2 games per week. Two biggest highlights were the obvious 1st cash in a WSOP event with my 97th finish in the Seniors Event and then in October the highlight in taking down the NPF Championship in a top sell out field of local players all wanting to be crowned 2009 NPF Champ.

We eventually get airborne 14 hours behind schedule but at least we got super extra leg room seats and sleep most of the way on our 9 hour flight to arrive to thunderstorms and torrential rain. Complex is huge and happy with our room. Come on sunshine lets start shining!!!! but awake to be greeted by a caribbean thunderstorm



As for 2009 and the more well known tournaments well got into some nicely on the cheap although still looking for my 1st major cash/final table in one of these and its gotta be 2010 now to achieve that.
Took down the 12 week Grosvenor league to win a GUKPT main event seat at Newcastle and going well into the 2nd day when shipping AKs into AA of Andreas Holsveld to end my tournie. Massive finish there for my mate Pete Smithson in 5th place and some “respect” from certain quarters at last well deserved. Followed this up over in Vegas when there together by taking a chop in one of the Venetian Deep Stack games for around $20k.
Satellighted into the Liverpool Festival main Event £500 busting out 4 short of the cash
Satellighted into the Coral Masters for £30 of a £550 buy in at Teeside but went out late on day 1 AQ over AK. NPF er Mark Trett eventually took this one down for his 1st major success which he later turned into more by taking down Corals Year Sponsorship for £10k of buy ins winning their Champion of Champions play off so good luck in 2010 to him.

The rain in the Dominican soon disappeared and as all you back home are freezing ya socks off the sunshine has been daily here with average temperature in the 80s. Classic line from my Mrs as we are having a meal. The complex is all inclusive as most are here and part of the package is you have 6 meals at one of the 10 a la carte restaurants around the site which you have to book separate to the normal self service buffet style meals. We are sat tucking into our New Years Eve Gala meal at this posh joint getting through a 7 course thing when course 3 arrives which consisted of Turbutt & Lobster with trimmings. “ OMG” she pronounces as she takes a fork full of food, “ Those carrots taste awful” she says.


Carrotts I ask “What carrots?” “Those there with the Lobster & Fish she replies. “ They aint carrots pet there mandarin oranges I tell her. “ Hate it when I forget me specs “ she says



Another 2009 highlight saw my cheapest GUKPT entry of all for the Blackpool event. End up playing a Poker Mag freeroll on Blue Square with over 800 runners at the last minute for something to do and end up taking it down several hours later for a very nice £1300 package. Thoroughlly enjoy the Blackpool event as well going out 20 mins from end of day 1 to Julien Thews QQ.


Casino onsite here in Dominican with one 9 seater table playing $2/4 with min sit down of $100. Love the sign at table that reads “ Please don’t sit down and then get up and leave straight away”
Eventually get a seat and peak my $200 at $380 grinding away despite splitting AK v AK and get it in on 3d board holding top straight to guys top pair for runner runner diamond to chop chop it. 3rd last hand of night and guy with stack who constantly moaned at people calling raises with crap cards calls my 10 10 $20 raise from his BB and all the money goes in on a 7 8 10 flop for him to flip 96 off. FML but at least the walk back to the room wasn’t through snow and freezing conditions!!! Always tomorrow.

Tomorrow is no better with the table full of crazy Ukranians with wads of dosh but simply cant get a hand to stand up and they like it AIPF when getting it in featuring
AKv AQ Q flop
99 v AK A flop
QQ v AJ A flop
JJ v QQ no help

Lucky to leave only $200 down all in all but theres always tomorrow – no there wasn’t!!!

News of weather back home filters through and the preparation for the journey home gives us hope of a few extra days with airport after airport being shut but we get away only 6 hours delayed and touch down after a very bumpy flight back to minus 12 degrees I Manchester.


Dig the car out the car park and head north which wasn’t too bad tbh until past Darlington and its obvious weve had it worst up here. Deepest snow Ive seen in 20 years and welcome home with the Sky Poker Tour game to play on Saturday at Aspers.

Good luck and best wishes everyone for 2010