DECEMBER PROFIT AND LOSS

Quite happy with sports this month unlike poker which I will come to in a bit.


SPORTS

American Football
-340
Darts
167
Football
278
Horse Racing
380
Snooker
-90
Specials
40
DEC SPORTS PROFIT 435

Won 435 in the month the highlight had to be Kato Star landing my 14-1 ante post ticket although I did lay some off - have been lucky in the darts with players coming from behind a few times but have been shafted in footy accas by 1 a few times.

However would be happy if made this each month at sports.

Now to poker - the below figures look OK at the end of the month but I am so annoyed. On dec 20 I was 7k up for poker for the month and have lost more than half of that profit in the last 10 days. Tryed to analyse this mainly poor FL play and constant shaftings that I have been posting.

POKER


6 Pak
-406
6 Pak Turbo
374
FL
-1200
H UP
-615
Multi
2257
NL
1380
Omaha
350
Rakeback
797
Total
POKER PROFIT 2937

Again a big losing month at FL and again a profit at NL. However the reason I am so disappointed is that had I not won the 15k$ on betfair then I would be about break even for the month again.

ACTION STEPS

1) Cut stakes at fixed limit - I need to accept that this game is no longer paying the way for me. However it does generate most of my rake and poker points so I am going to drop from 5/10 10/20 down to 3/6 for a month and see how it gos. NL is far more volatile but after 2 good winning months it looks like I need to see if I can make this pay by itself.

2) Move away from STT's - I don't particularly enjoy them - will just play the odd one for fun unless luck turns.

3) My multi play has been miles better this month - I feel I have played relly well and had some harsh beats - however 3 final tables and one win I would take that each month.

Good luck at tables

2007 POKER AIMS

I need to do a thread which is not me twisting so here gos.

Aims for 2007 in order of importance and % chance I think I have of achieving it.

1) Win 12k on line in 2007. 50%

2) Make a profit from stt's or dont play them. 80%

3) Have at least 9 winning months from 12. 50%

4) Qualify for a major live tournament making the effort via satellites. 20%.

5) play NL cash on betfair more and make a profit - 80%

plus 2 less measurable ones.

1) dont abuse anyone in chat unless abused first no matter how bad there play is.
2) have at least 1 day a week when dont play poker.

WP KENDAL YOU JUST WON MUPPET OF YEAR

I was in the 15k about 40 left of 140 runners and im in 20odth.

I have Ace Aceon BB 1 flat caller before me and a min raiser to 400 I have 5.2kThis Kendal guy calls my raise to 1100 ( he had raised to 400 )Flop A Q J I bet pot leveing me with 2.2k - turn a non dangerous 5 I push all in called by K 3 river is ten giving him a staight and 10k pot.

K3 no flush or anything FOOOK OFF 15k

WP KENDALL YOU REALLY ARE A MASTER

TRIPPED UP

3 times tonight hit trips on flop ( twice in NL :( and once FL ).

Each time against higher trips - Im totally shafted at the moment

Had 44 at FL on board 843 rainbow - lovely then turn J he has JJ I lose fortune - however at least its FL.

Move to NL - a 4* BB raiser I call as does one more. Flop a gorgeous looking A 4 2 offsuit and I have 22 - Im looking at big payday here hopefully against big ace. All gos to plan all chips in middle ( 600$ ) and Im against 44.

That's it now till the 30th Im fooked off with the game few days off to cool down.

Im in the 100k$ freeroll on 30th and will try and stay off till then.

Last week is just twist after twist so cant be a good read for anyone anyway.

I have gone form £7k up to £3k and a bit up for the month and am devastated at the last weeks events.

The multi was usual tonight all in A Q board A K J 10 some knobb calls 10 10 and hits house

TRULY AWFUL POKER XMAS

Absolute nightmare xmas poker front.

Done £2k in in 7 days with a combination of awful luck and the tilt monster.

AT £5/10 and 10/20 FL someone called nanopro has took 4 figures of me this week with rivers in hands they have played crap. Pretty sure he is full time so im really slashed off.

Then was going deep in 15k tonight raise AK some muppet on bb all in with A 8 offsuit - good call by me of course flop is an 8.

However as well as the bad luck I have also tilted and am really pisssed off at myself as I was having my best month of they year ( was over £6k up now below 4k ).

Hopefully it gets better but I have promised that I wont go under 3.5k profit for the month so if i lose another 500 then no more play.

Might be better I sit this run out.

On the plus side Kauto Star landed my 14-1 antes post voucher which I was chuffed to bits with.

I will write a proper poker article tomorrow instead of bad beat twisting :) !!

WHAT A STINKING NIGHT IN

Stopped in and played the betfair 15k and 10k gtd.

2 hrs into 15k KK v JJ all in - nice flop J - out :(

10k 4 flat callers 200 I have 2.8k with ace 9 sooted and push all in to pick up pot with no resistance - Muppet in position one calls with ace 2 offsuit and hits the 2.

Hes an absolute muppet and is chip leader in 10k - easy pickings for someone sadly not me

On plus side had a footy acca up today all 8/11 Boro Pompey and Preston.

Happy xmas to my readers

XMAS POKER VALUE

I had a quick luck last night - lots of value mufti games coming up.

Im running pretty hot in multis at the moment so I am hopeful of cashing in at least 1 of the below.

The below tournies are the ones you want to be in.

TONIGHT 15k only £5 entry on WH 830pm usually £50
100k event coming up on Crypto for 10000poker points satellites from 1000 points free entry
50K added next Sunday on Interpoker entry 30$
Betfair snowball 50k + early Jan free

A couple of final tables in above would be nice ;)

BIG MISTAKE BUBBLED 10K

The player that finishes one of the money is called the bubble in poker and unfortunately in the 10k guaranteed tonight that's where I finished.

I am really annoyed at myself also as played the hand very bad.

I was 18 of 19 and 18 payed - I was on big blind with 2 4 off suit.

However flop came J 3 5 - In hindsight I think I should have bet all in ( I had 3.4K and pot was 3k) - this would have looked like a jack. Instead I check called and then missed the straight and lost to ace high. Had I pushed all in I think i would have won the pot uncontested. I was hoping for a free card but think my lack of aggression cost me on this hand.

Hopefully I will learn form that mistake.

I have put a post up on betfair forum to see what they think but I'm pretty sure I already know answer :(

That would have been 3 multi cashes in row so annoyed at self.

2 7th PLACES

Played 2 tournamants tonight.

I came 7th in the 400 man 25k$ gtd and was a bit gutted as I was chip leader with 13 left but then hit cold streak and got shafted by someone calling a 3*BB raise with 10 2 v my ace ten and shafting me. However on the bubble with 51 left I had 99 v AA and hit a 9 so I guess any return was a bonus.

Final hand I was all in with 77 versus Ace Ten to go up to 3rd I think - flop was a nice 884 but the turn brought the ace :( the prize money was huge with 8.5k$ for 1st so a bit gutted with 1k$ but telling myself i shouldn't be due to the good beat I had. However disappointed I blew chip lead and can credit that to 3 preflop raises which were called and then betting low flops and getting re-raised all in - maybe sometimes i have to resist the temptation of the continuation bet.

I also came 7th in the 200 player rake the rake freeroll ( remember you can sign up for rakeback via the link on my right and you auto qualify for the 10k rtr freeroll each month ). I played really well in this in 6 pak format but didn't quite make the final table when I pushed all in with K Q suited when 6th of 7 left and was called by ace 6 and missed - I got £300 for 7th in that event but again the top prizes were huge - 2.5k for the winner - I have won this event before so was hoping for a repeat but it wasn't to be.

Anyway I will look at the positive side - the 2 events cost £14 total to enter and I have returns of 1050$ and £300 so I should be happy.

This is probably my best month poker wise for a while so lets hope it lasts till the end of Dec !!!!

BEST EVER WIN

I have just won the 15k$ gtd on betfair and am delighted with a 1st price of 4.5k$ my biggest ever win.

Im very proud that i never had my chips in behind at any point in the whole game apart from when I had an auto call v a shorter stack.

I won a couple of races early and was alwas in the top 10 but really pulled away when there were about 20 players left. The top 18 were paid so I picked loads of potts up when people were trying to hang on to get in the cash.

Got to heads up with a chip lead and then J 7 off suit became my new fav hand.

I limped into big blind twice with this - 1st time flop came 8 7 2 and i checked and he bet the pot - i was pretty sure he had 2 high cards and raised all in and i was pleased when he folded as this pushed it my way big time. Next blind i have same hand limp again he doubles big blind - flop a magical 8 9 10 and he bets all in so an easy call for me and he missed the 7 and q which would have given him a split pot.

Main thing from tonight is how many pots i took when everyone had tightened up near the money - this is classic big stack play and I'm chuffed as this is my biggest ever tourney win.

I'm off on stag do next few days so next game Sunday - I cant wait :) !!!!

VALUE ON CRYPTO

I noticed that the guarented tournamants have not been filling up so I played the 8k gtd tonight.

Crypto had to put in 3.5k to make the purse up so not sure how long this gtd fund will last. This is well worth playing with so much value.

I played well and made final table but very disappointed to finish 9th ( 6th was highest I ever was ).

3 limper's on FT so i limped for 1/7th stack with K J suited - flop q 10 6 and original better made small bet - I raised all in as I thought I might take pot there but guy behind me called and original raiser called.

Original raiser K J also so would have been split pot if just us in pot but unfortunately the last limper had ten ten and I missed and out - pleased with performance but gutted not to go top 5 which were all over 600 quid instead of the £200 i made.

THE HOME GAME

Ok here is a report - hopefully accurate but I had a few by the end.

10 players - Az, Buck, Adam, John, Steven, Rich, James, Andy, Ben and me ( soap).

Main action as I remember it.

Tight start with Ben and Rich taking the initative and moving to chip leaders. First big hand coming when Andy KK went up against Bens AA - a low paired board so both them all in and AA held up and shortly later Andy was 1st to go.

Steven also started well flat calling some monsters and picking up some nice pots. He usually comes for the drink and the crack but started very well and looked a contender.

A very big hand not long later when I had picked up a decent stack and called Riches all in with QQ v his AK - flop brought K but then when turn was Q I just needed to avoid a jack for straight which duly came on turn and Rich became chip leader. Im then a bit blurred as to who went out when - James went as he called a raise with 10 4 and pushed all in on a Q T 6 flop only to be against Adams QQ. James ??????? :)

Steven also went - Ben then started to reraise hand after hand with mid pair AQ etc and lost 2 races in a row to me to be knocked out - SWEET !!!

Then probably the 2nd most significant hand of the night. Az raised I thought he was weak then Rich cane over top who I put on AK - I looked down at ten ten and thought that if i pushed all in then az either had a weak ace or low pair making me almost 50% on the hand and getting 3.5-1. I pushed and he called and turned over K J - board came 9 high and my 10s held up and made me chip leader - I was very happy with this read / play. That was Az and Rich gone and 4 left - payout structure was 1st 3 so time to get agressive.

After a while John took Buck out who finished 4th I think ( bit blurry by this stage ) then shortly after it was heads up me v Adam with me having a chip lead.

A few races / some uncontested pots and then the significant pot of the night. I knew I had to get chips in when in front as lost time Ad lost a race in poker was 1997 :)

Anyway I am in Q high he calls J 9

Flop no help something like 8 6 2 - Turn brings the Q and the title is mine if I can avoid a ten on the river. Then Ad hits his miracle 10 on the river and pushes home his chip lead for a victory.

Bar that huge good beat above he played very well and was a deserving winner.

A good time was had by all with finishing positions

1) Adam
2) Soap (me)
3) John

Some of the above will not be correct as had too many beers - feel free to correct in comments !!!!

NOVEMBER PROFIT AND LOSS

Final analysis is that I didn't do great at all in November - I started well and had hit 4 figure profit but actually moved to a loss on the month and recovered to break even on the month. However I still made a nice profit from my rakeback deal with raketherake. Remember if you play for any sort of decent stakes then make sure you sign to rakeback - there is a link on the right of the blog.

The other key learning this month is the importance of record keeping. EG I say I broke even above but this is broken down as follows :-


10 seater 129
6 Pak 11
6 Pak Turbo -275
Fixed Limit -2115
H Up Tourny 990
Multi-467
No Limi1585
Omaha 160
Rakeback850
Total poker related pay for month £868

2 big factors above that I will have to review in the month ahead.

1) The amount I lost at fixed limit is shocking. I hope this is a one off as this used to be where I made most my cash. I will review if i lose at FL in Dec with a view to maybe changing games.

2) I didnt use to play NL cash but have in the last few months and had sensed I was becoming a better player. However I was shocked how much profit I made at NL in the month. I will analyse at end of Dec if should play NL more. ( I like to play NL in the early hrs when hopefully a few drunks are about ;) - I try never to play poker drunk).

I had my home game last night also and finished 2nd when someone hit a 4 outer on the river on me when we were both all in heads up. Some prize money but no prestige but I promised the boys I would do a proper write up so will do that tomorrow.

Here is my sports analysis for the month also where I showed a profit but have started Dec badly with 2 ton on Barcelona at 4-6 who drew 1 1 after leading 1 0 when i could have guaranteed a profit :(


AMERICAN FOOTBALL
-44
CRICKET
-45
FOOTBALL
134
GREYHOUNDS
-100
HORSE RACING
564
PROFIT RECO
£509