the rage

Argh… The Bond film is getting crap reviews! Nooooooooooooooooooooooo… Bond is my hero… Bond RULES!

After looking fwd to being home for a few weeks, I'm being carted off to London for Monday-Wednesday next week for work, good to see my friends again, but I just can't be arsed with the flights again!

Absolutely knackered today. In my infinite wisdom I thought it'd be a good idea to play 90mins rugby training, then 50mins later 60mins of indoor five aside after a full days work, and not getting in till 6pm… My phobia of not missing out on things, and doing something all the time really kicked in, and although I had good fun… Boy am I tired… (N) Dog tired… I was already stiff after being worked over at 'Studio (insufficient) Strength' at the gym last night… The task master was some muscle freak girl, who lifted heavier weights than me, without stopping, and whilst speaking into her Britney (attached headset) mic… I felt so inadequate...

No poker played, maybe Sunday night.

In other news, I'm going to start commenting on current affairs when I see fit…

1) Ross & Brand - Yes, it was an ill advised gross practical joke that they should publically apologise about, but no one should get sacked, and everyone should just move on.

2) US Presidency - How said is it that American politics is typified by McCain trying to link Obama to terrorists? Politics is rubbish anyway.

3) Credit crunch - If everyone just chilled out, didn't sell all their shares/move their cash/draw their cash/didn't restrict credit then this wouldn't even be an issue. As it is, the business world has and will always be a boom-bust cycle, we've enjoyed the fat times, now it's time to find out who bothered to save for a rainy day. It's the banks fault, and I find it frustrating that the government is bailing them out, I understand people have money tied up in these institutions, but if it was individual business in the private sector, there's no way the government would be bailing them out, it also goes against the free market principle… the strongest survive which is how the world has evolved. My view is those who have indeed put aside for leaner times will be able to capitalise in a major way once everything is settled down, and acquisitions and mergers will pick up again, as there will be bargains and synergies to be had, and the whole process will start again. This is fair. Those who have been prudent will reap the rewards. The global economy needs these problems as a way to regulate itself. It's not a pleasant thing for people stuck at the bottom, but it's unfortunately inevitable and necessary. Those who have lost money through bank deposits are most unfortunate, and I whole heartedly sympathise, but I am talking about the bigger picture.

Best stop now before I get started on political correctness, and civil rights… Suffice to say I'm sick and tired of both, political correctness is so correct now, it's almost incorrect, and civil rights are almost so over the top that you can't get rid of dangerous individuals and deal with general riff-raff correctly, for fear of breaching their ridiculous 'civil liberties'… In my opinion, these d1cks lost their civil rights when they either took away someone elses, broke the law, or did something to require corrective action. We have kids running over teachers who can't so much as tell them off for fear of reprisal, we have murderers and rapists locked in private wings for fear the general prison population may cause them damage… Prisoners on The Rock even have access to Playstations, and flat screen plasma tv's… No wonder these idiots re-offend it's better than their bed sit council house with damp and no heating, so why wouldn't they?! And don't get me started on radical Muslim clerics… Though I believe government are taking steps against these now… Too little too late in my opinion. These now have such a following, and are so used to their precious civil liberties that action just won't work. Yes, these preachers will go underground, and will still exist, they always will, but at least it will make it harder for them!

Ooops...

I'm usually quite bullish in my opinions, and they are opinions, not arguments, I'm just ranting with no support, but it's good to get stuff of your chest. No one should take offence to the above, I'm just some schmuck after all!

(Apparently. Did you know a shmuck (check the sp) is the bit of foreskin chopped off when a Jew gets circumcised? Lovely jubley)

N-Dog

The name's Dog... N-Dog

Played a couple of sessions not much happening, think I've lost about $80 since the last post...

Very difficult to find a few hours to play, as 'C' suggests... Esp as my laptop has decided to break. The screen is completely fcuked, and I have know idea how! It's totally cracked near the bottome, but I can't recall dropping it at any point, and in times gone by I have, and have had no probs, so it'd need to be a noticeable drop... Strange... One of those things. Hope I'll be able to get a replacement or someit as it's under warranty, but dunno if that covers 'drops', or should I say phantom drops... Funny. I always thought it would be the screen that went first... But I always thought it would be when my fist went through it when some nut bar hit a two outer on the river!

Was thinking about what I've done this year... Mainly brought on by looking at the fact I have saved minimal amounts in the last 12 months, when previously I've saved like a Jewish bank...

New Year - New York (5 star hotel)

March - Snowboarding, Val D'Isere

August - Canal boat trip

Sept - 3 week, campervan trip to Australia, via Dubai on the way back

Also included, trips to Liverpool, Manchester, Lake District, Chester, London (several times), Brighton...

I've also completed my exams, and worked by myself, and responsible for a junior in London for a week...

Looking at that lot I can see why I'm a little short, even if I'm wearing t-shirts from 4 years ago, and my girlfriend is having to buy shoes only once a month instead of every week... Oh well. Times are hard.

Planning a mate's stag party in Edinburgh next May, so if anyone has any recommendations let me know...

Next week I'm playing some 5 a side with friends, and will prob try and fit in rugby or some other footy that night. Going to the Comedy Club http://www.hahaheehee.com/ on Thursday, a 'Halloween House Party' on Friday, and Quantum of Solace on Saturday (yes we do have comedy nights, houses, and cinemas on the Isle of Man... as crazy as it sounds!)

I'm so psyched about the new Bond film, I hope it's as good as the last... The scene where they're falling off the roof, and it's shot from above them looks sick...

Anyways... Best sign off,

N-Dog

The Big Smoke

So I've been in London this weekend seeing friends. Kinda looking fwd to going home though. Will be good to see my girlfriend. Kinda a bit weird when I'm so used to seeing her, to not see her in a week.

Have enjoyed my weekend down here though. Apart from the tube ride to Clapham. Peak hour with a case, and the tube is not a pleasant cocktail. I was getting banged around so much on there, I felt like a Soho Ho.

Had a good night Friday at Lost Society in Clapham, seeing some good friends that I haven't seen for a while. Don't think it'd feel as good though if I ever did live in London... I like it people make an effort for me when I'm down. If I ever lived here, it'd just be somewhere else to live. Had some good food at Cha Cha Moon near Canarby St. I thoroughly recommend this place. It's owned by the same guy as Busaba, but it's like £3.50 for a main. It's immense.

Saturday I had some lunch/breakfast with C, and a couple of guys we know. Good to see C. I like to try and keep his media monster head in check when we meet up. He loves it.

As I'm sure he'll write in his blog he actually got punched on Friday... Funny. Funnier that no one else was suprised! It was by some weedy cyclist as well... hahaha, only kidding C'y! Was good to see B that night too.

Then I spent the rest of the day with the guy I went travelling with. We ended up going to the 'Comedy Store', just off Leicester Sq. Quality place.

Played a bit of poker in the mornings while I waited for people to get up. Up a bit, will report back laters.

Today I think I'll go down Oxford St, meet some people for lunch, and maybe play squash. Flight back to 'The Rock' is 7.40pm, though knowing 'FlyMAYbe' it'll prob have the statutory 30mins delay.

How frickin boring is F1!!! Geez...

Ho hum. Back to work tomorrow!

the game is (back) on

So... I've finally managed to put in a nice winning session, in what seems like years...

I played for just under two hours...

I saw about 20-25% hands...

The session was split into two... Both 45-60 mins. On first session I cashed out $240 from a $100 buyin, and the second I cashed out $370 from a $100 buyin. Both games were at $1/$2.

This hand scared the s**t out of me, but I just don't like his line. Essentially I feel he played it too quick. His betting pattern was very quick, which I normally take as bluffs. He's played it like a flush, and I almost dropped the river, but I called like a nail, and was rewarded. I think in reality the odds prob say I need to call the river. His line in the hand is more like trips I feel, and then on the river, I didn't feel trips would bet it. Therefore the only thing he could have is a flush, and I just felt the pot gave me odds to be wrong enough of the time to make the call right.

He had shown he wasn't afraid to mix it up prior to the hand. I'd be interested to hear peoples thoughts...?

PokerStars Game #21242240601: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2008/10/16 13:07:45 ET
Table 'Kariba II' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 2: jbeckern6 ($203 in chips)
Seat 3: xXxXxXxXx ($197.05 in chips)
Seat 4: rdog7811 ($391.90 in chips)
Seat 5: GOB_Bluth2 ($200 in chips)
Seat 6: ToTMidiaN ($204 in chips)
ToTMidiaN: posts small blind $1
ofishstix: is sitting out
ofishstix leaves the table
jbeckern6: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to xXxXxXxXx [Ks Kd]
xXxXxXxXx: raises $5 to $7
rdog7811: folds
GOB_Bluth2: folds
smnrgg81 joins the table at seat #1
ToTMidiaN: folds
jbeckern6: calls $5
*** FLOP *** [6s 2s 7c]
jbeckern6: checks
xXxXxXxXx: bets $8
jbeckern6: raises $19 to $27
xXxXxXxXx: calls $19
*** TURN *** [6s 2s 7c] [6c]
jbeckern6: bets $47
xXxXxXxXx: calls $47
*** RIVER *** [6s 2s 7c 6c] [Ts]
jbeckern6: bets $81
xXxXxXxXx: calls $81
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jbeckern6: shows [5c 5h] (two pair, Sixes and Fives)
xXxXxXxXx: shows [Ks Kd] (two pair, Kings and Sixes)
xXxXxXxXx collected $323 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $325 | Rake $2
Board [6s 2s 7c 6c Ts]
Seat 2: jbeckern6 (big blind) showed [5c 5h] and lost with two pair, Sixes and Fives
Seat 3: xXxXxXxXx showed [Ks Kd] and won ($323) with two pair, Kings and Sixes
Seat 4: rdog7811 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: GOB_Bluth2 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: ToTMidiaN (small blind) folded before Flop

Money Matters - It has to make you sweat!

So. This week I’m on a course in Preston. Pretty boring, and Preston's a S**T hole! But it’s allowed me a little time to play poker. Here’s what I’ve learnt this week.

1)

Money Matters

So. This week I’m on a course in Preston. Pretty boring, but it’s allowed me a little time to play poker. Here’s what I’ve learnt this week.

I generally make poor ‘value’ calls. Calls when I figure I’m beat, but also figure I may as well call, under the guise of value. Example.

Very tight guy calls UTG calls BB. I raise mid position to $6 ($1/$2) with JJ. Folded back to UTG. Flat call. I’m thinking AA maybe, more likely suited connectors, small pair. Flop was 10 5 2, 2 clubs. Checks to me. I bet about $14. Quickish flat call. Turn fills the flush. He checks. I check behind, trying to keep the pot small. River is a 6 (non club). He bets out $40 after a fairly lengthy pause. I tank, but eventually call. I’m unsuprised to see 56 for two pair.

This was a very bad call, and I think this call highlights a major leak in my game, that I’ll try and fix. I constantly make bad value calls. This guy is never bluffing here, and the only hand he may have that I beat is J10, QJ, KJ or A10. There is a myriad of hands that beat me, and given the guys line, and previous hands, I don’t figure him for value beating with any of the above. Overall: BAD PLAY

I’ve made a very minor profit this week, but I’ve decided I’m much happier playing at ½, than 0.50/1.00. Players are generally less aggressive, more passive, and tighter. This suits my more loose aggressive game. I like to take lots of stabs at smaller pots, in a more generally small ball approach.

This leads me on to my second major leak: not backing off, when players show strength. This is a basic error, and I’ve cut back on this a lot since my earlier playing days. But it still rears it’s ugly head now and again.

This is the point of my post. Money matters. If you play at stakes you see as fairly trivial then you make poor decisions, I believe. In tournaments I can play really low stakes uber serious, because what matters there to me is the winning. In cash? You can’t win all the chips, which is what I love about tournaments, and therefore I need a higher stake to keep me focussed.

I also think a third leak I have is not making enough of my bigger hands. I think I’m too aggressive, and perhaps don’t let people catch up enough. It’s fairly rare for my big hands to go to a showdown. But maybe this is quite common? Maybe it’s only monsters and mediocre hands that should get to the showdown. Hands where your gtd to be in front, or where you’ve controlled the pot very well. Maybe this isn’t a massive leak, but I do think sometimes I don’t milk the pot enough. And this in itself is a leak.

I just read C’s (A Year in the Life) blog. Dude. How can you have a social life, work, a girlfriend and play a 3-4hr session more than once a week?!

Anyways, see you on the weekend C

N-Dog

tick, tock, tick, tock...

Just the half a year on hiatus...

I've been so busy this summer with exams, holidays, work, and enjoying what good weather we did have I had little time for poker, or this blog...

I have now passed all my ACA exams, which is great cos I don't have to do anymore, but bad, cos I don't think I want to be an accountant!!! Oh well... We'll see what happens!

As I was saying to my 'main man' C (A Year in the Life), I have decided to try and use this blog as a memory aid for myself as to what I have done, and do with my life...

To get a little personal, I have a bit of a phobia of not taking chances, not making the most of my life, not accomplishing anything, and generally just a bit worried of growing up, planning for the future, and generally living an adult life...

I'm getting better, and it's very hard to describe, but I know I've have achieved a great deal in my life, and I'm just scared of standing still basically...

I really enjoy my life I have, with my girlfriend, and the only thorn in my side is my work... which is dull as f**k, and I for one am not someone that can do boring work... I get bored far too easy...

Any ideas people, on what interesting job a newly qualified ACA accountant can do?

Anyways, enough about that...

What I've done this summer... Passed my ACA finals with flying colours, and got a big raise at my work (it's still dull tho!), 3 week holiday to Australia and Dubai, driving from Perth to Broome, visited Brighton, did a couple of weeks work in London

Poker - I went on a massive downswing, and lost all my profit from this year... Therefore my results are, 2006 and 2007 $2,000 net profit in both years (roughly), and 2008 - $0... This will allow me to start over in 2008 I hope... I haven't played really in about 2.5 -3 months

I did, however, play an Isle of Man, £100 freezeout last night, 40 runners, top 6 paid... I'd nursed a small/avg stack all the way thru, and honestly in 6 hrs (inc breaks), I can't remember playing a hand where I made better than top pair all the way thru the hand... Anyways, I find myself on the final table (8 peeps) with 4 good players, 1 decent player, and 2 fish... Of course I had the 4 biggest stacks on my left, all showing previous of mixing it up at any given opportunity... Marvelous...

About 2-3 orbits in, no real action thus far, I have QhJh in the hijack seat (next to cutoff), not wanting to get too involved, I call the BB, with 9BB's behind, weak possibly, but I felt too good to pass, but not worth an all in, given my lack of fold equity when faced with the four biggest stacks behind, who all like to call... With hindsight, I should have just pushed, 10BB's was still a decent bet, and even the weakest of players is gonna be playing tight at this point. My bad... (MISTAKE 1) Anyways, just the SB and BB carry on... Flop, Ks Js 2c... Check, check, I bet 3BB's... SB tanks, and pushes in, BB folds... I have 6BB's behind, and I (for some reason), insta call... I figure him for a draw, or absolute air. Although he'd shown down decent hands in general, I'd seen the guy was capable of bluffs... Anyways... he has a set of twos, and I bow out.

Very disappointed really, because I can honestly say I can't remember playing a hand badly before this one... Bad, bad call...

Anyways, I'm off to a friends house now, and I'm on a course in Preston next week. I'm taking my computer, so I might try to play some poker in the evenings online... Start a fresh...

In London next weekend to see friends...

I did lost $50 this morning, spun it up to $100, then got it in with my overpair J's, to a guys top set 6's on the flop. I should have passed on the flop... My bad again... It's just the odd brain spasm that ends up costing me dear... Ho hum...