Well about bloody time

I finally get a straight flush...

It was a couple of weeks ago when Jules persuaded me to try the Bluff club out in Swords (I doubt I'll be back) but at least the game garnered me my 1st straight flush - well about bloody time.

I was in SB, (1st level) crappy hand, 10d, 4x (os) - whole table limps in, by the time it gets around to me, i just call the blind. BB min raises and when the whole table calls, I do too.

Flop comes out nice with a flush draw and straight flush draw - I bet out to try eliminate players, BB calls me and rest of table folds. Turn is a x and I check. On the river I then hit my Queen high straight flush - I put out a reasonable bet, BB re-raises me (I prayed he would) and i re-raise him again. He ponders for a while then folds..... his bloody aces! Dude... he obviously tried to slow play them and me with my crappy 10, 4 hits a straight flush

That was within the 1st level and err.......I was gone by the 2nd level (!) All my raises were getting called and was being hammered by some absolute shite hands which were sickening (meh)

I hear...the dealer doesn't?

Played last night in the Jackpot (€30, 10k, 20min, and best of all- a nice start time of 7pm)

Was SS when it was down to about 12 players when I was on the BB with 800 - it goes around to SB who throws in 1k on top of his 400 - but I could've sworn he had said "call" - I queried with him and asked "Did you call?" he mumbled "no" - I didn't hear him and looked to the dealer "he said call".... so I mucked my cards (unplayable to the raise)

UTG looks at the SB and asks "Did you say call, because I thought you said call too"

Dealer looks annoyed and said to UTG and myself "he said call" - only for the little f*cker in SB to go "yeh, actually, I did say call......sorry" UTG flat calls 800......

......And I had already mucked..... I kicked up a fuss and had a bit of a gripe -- hate stupid thicks like this on the table. Especially annoying when I'm the one that's bloody Deaf and I heard him say 'call' and dealer didn't....

As it happens - I would have check/folded with the flop that came out --

(So not the point)

went out in 9th....

Good starting point to 2010

I played the Bruce Poker Pub League last weekend in Galway at the Clayton Hotel and came 9th to get €1500 -- pretty chuffed with that. It was a good game and I'm pleased with how I played - one or two comments after suggested I shouldn't have pushed my ss in with Q9os - I still stand by it and was just unlucky to run into Kings.

183 players played and 45ish lasted until the 2nd day - I was chipleader on my table on the 2nd day (not overall, but at least in the top 10) and only got these chips after a massive bluff against mr. gus (he was reading a gus hansen book during the tournament) the day before with A8os.

I was getting plenty of chips when my shitty BB hands were not getting raised - and when I checked to see the flop and hitting top pair/2 pairs and cracking some beautiful hands - well, it was their own fault for not raising pre-flop.

Overall, I thought the tournament went well, well organised (for the ME anyway) - a few drunk players towards the end of the 1st day were off-putting for some but I have the beauty of turning my hearing aid down and just smiling when they're talking shite to me

This was probably the biggest game I've played - I'm only a newbie afterall - and I really enjoyed it - esp the great dealers dealing (no self dealing), long blinds, lovely stack size and not TOO many stupid players playing any two hands

Since I've started playing poker - the best hand I have won with is only Quad Queens (never hitting a straight flush or royal) and I figured last weekend I might just crack this (considering I would be playing a lot more hands than normal) but that was not to be...

Meh - I'll see them one day...

Played in Hartstown last night (Dublin Poker Nights) and came 4th - made a stupid call with a low pair and got rightfully beaten by Derek and his flushdraw - whilst I didn't go out at this stage, I was able to hang on, build my stack up a little and got beat by Benny and his AQ which knocked my 55s out

I learned a lot last weekend and look forward to applying it to any games in the future - without doubt (and what I've known all along), the cards may help you win, but its how you read the other players that ensure you definitely win.

Its a good start to 2010 - I just hope it stays that way.

no grit, no sense

It took me 3.5 hours to get home on NYE from the city to blanch (no taxi's, no nightlinks)

It took me 5.5 hours to get home last night from the city to blanch (with a detour to give a hitchiker a lift to ratoath) (no grit, no sense)

Going to Galway on Saturday morning - how ironic would it be if I get there quicker than I would from the city to blanch!

Ja, I like

Celebrity Big Brother is back - and i am not ashamed to say it... I'm a fan.

I get so much stick for liking it - and think I've only missed one episode in its entirety.

I was in college studying Politics when it 1st started and was reading about the Stanford Prison experiment and could really identify with elements of this with BB and then in 2001 I saw the brilliant German movie "Das Experiment" which is all about the stanford experiment and since then, with each BB getting more evil, i absolutely love it...

I've worked in TV as a researcher and can see how the mind of a producer works behind the camera - dissecting a persons personality (ruthlessly) to ensure you get maximum TV entertainment - and whilst the programme i worked on wasn't that exciting, i just love how the contestants in BB can be manipulated and how gullible they can be all in the name of fame.

CBB is even more hilarious - especially when the term "Celebrity" is bandied around so loosely - When CBB brought in Chantelle - that was just a work of art.

My favourite BB was definitely BB2 (the year of Brian Dowling) and like all BB fans, i have my favourite moments - the kind you see on E4 late at night "The top 67 top BB moments" - I'm a sucker for those shows.

People scoff when I tell them i like BB - I genuinely do, more so from a psychological point of view (and don't get me wrong, I'm no psychology expert) but when you see how the people align themselves, see their unconscious actions and general human interaction, etc. - its TV heaven.

BB ends this year and I for one.....salute it!

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas in Irish Sign Language

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas in Irish Sign Language

I would've been happy with 2nd place!

I've been unintentionally playing in a Pub League the last few weeks in Hartstown (Robbie's Dublin Poker Nights) on a Monday night - the usual pub style format €50+€10 and for some reason, I've been doing ok the last few weeks and cashed a fair few times and gained enough points to play the Bruce Poker Pub League Play offs (Top 2 players in league automatically get a ticket, 3rd ticket is played out by the top 3rd-12th players). Event is held early January in Galway.

I wasn't that bothered about winning a ticket - I played more because it was a free game but I could see how serious some of the players were and how much they really wanted to go so did feel slightly guilty but for some reason, I'm able to read these players a little better than anywhere else I play (probably because i have played so much with them) - and knowing that I can read them - I'm well aware they can read me so, I have mixing my play up BIG time, varying the hands I play, position, re-raising, calling, slow playing etc etc etc and this tactic seems to be working as the players when they try to guess my hand - were all mostly wrong.

But as I say -- its only because I know these players well at this stage that I'm able to progress to the FT -- The same applies with the lads from Irish Deaf Poker - some of them play the exact same way every time they play and its not just myself that can read them like a chick flick - some of the better players such as Julianne, Justin and Ciaran are the same.

Anyhows - I won the ticket in Hartstown - but sorta felt guilty! Especially as I really wasn't that bothered if I won - I was actually aiming for 2nd (we all chipped in €20 to ensure a prize for 2nd) and with this in the pot, I was rooting for this.

Finally I was on the bubble with Mark and Tony - I kept pushing with any decent hands only for them to fold....fold....fold... so eventually got my stack up to 2nd chip lead - when I got QQ and pushed all in - a call by Mark with AJ sent him out and I suddenly realised I was a decent chip leader.

I was robbing the blinds for the next few hands and I had a monster chip lead that i said to myself - no way am I making a tit of myself and losing this to Tony - even though I could see Tony really wanted to go to Galway....

I kept getting Ace Rag and with my chip lead, i kept pushing....and pushing....and Tony kept folding which was the wrong to do (in my humble opinion) - he more or less blinded himself out and then finally when he calls an all-in, it means.... its Galway here I come.

(with erm....Derek and John...)