World Blogger Championship of Online Poker

Live blogging of the PokerStars blogger freeroll as promised below. I thought I was going to miss this event. Having spent the whole afternoon moseying around Camden town we had planned to be back home in time to watch the South Africa v Argentina rugby world cup semi final (Glory glory Enlgand, btw), but when our waitress at Wagamamas seemed to have dissapeared with only 45 minutes till the tournament started, I thought I'd have to watch from the sidelines. Thankfully I managed to get in touch with someone to register me. So here we go...



3:28 OUT in 6th. Lost 1/4 of my stack raising with T5 only to get timed out on a ATx flop. Then lost another race with AK v 88. Bummer. Oh well, I pick up $1050 and $530 Sunday Million tickets for my troubles.

3:25 Big pot lost with AJ v 99. Down to $800k

3:23 Lost a few players. Now 4th/6 with $1.65M.

3:12 Connection issues. Laptop overheating most likely. Sitting in 4th/9. $1.48M

3:01 Just lost a big pot. Could have won it. Weak weak weak. Now $1.65M.

2:58 Final table. I'm 3rd in chips: $2.15M

2:51 Crossed the $2M chip mark. 13 players left.

2:45 Chip leader. $1.7M
2:42 Final two tables. We all get an Xbox. Ooo. Hold that though. I have JJ v AQ. I win. $1.65M. 2nd/17.

2:41 Won the last 5 hands in a row. Time to step back a bit! Will be posting fewer details now incase opps are reading.

2:33 I'm a card rack. QQ, JJ (set on flop) Now AA on SB... ... raise and call ... it looks like I'm squeezing... ... I think I raised too much. Caller think and thinks, but fold. Now $1.25M. 3rd/19.

2:24 Ticking along. $725k. 8th/20.

2:16 Down to $610k. Average stack now - 11th/21.

2:07 I raise AQ UTG. Unknown call behind. Check check on J8x flop. Turn 8. I bet, I win. $780k. 6th/26.

2:05 At Badblood's table now. Go read him. Good blog there

2:03 Everyone gets 160gb ipod. I have $690k. 7th/27.

2:00 Gotta be up again in four hours. Sucks. Bubble time again.

1:59 KK in CO. That'll do. Just won the blinds. Showed them. Need some respect!

1:58 I fianlly loose a pot. I raise 9Ts from UTG. Shortish stack pushes from blind. I have to call. His Q7 (!!) holds up. $680k. 6th/31. That's the second junk hand I've shown at this new table. I'd better find some cards.

1:51 The next bubble just burst. We each get 80gb ipods. $800k for me. 3rd/36.

1:43 Bubble finally busts. We all get at least an ipod. I did lots of stealing but then lost a limped pot in the blinds. $775k. 3rd/45.

1:31 On a break. Anyone reading this drivel?

1:24 Steal some blinds. Defend my blinds. We're on the next bubble now. I'm on $760k. Still 2nd in chips.

01:15 Treading water. Winning some blinds. Loosing some steals. $660k. 3rd/48.

01:04 I flop the nuts from the small blind with 45s. Board 236. I even turn a flush draw too. Get paid a bit.... $620k. 2nd/53.

00:54 AJo first in on CO. BB pushed his short stack with A8. I win. Up to $555k. Still 3/64.

00:53 AQs on button. Same limper. I raise he folds... $480k.

00:52 TT on BB. One limper. I raise and win pot

00:51 Up to $440k. 3/68. 45th place is the next jump - ipod nano.

00:44 Bubble burst. We all get at least a duffle bag. Woopdiedoo. $367k.

00:40 Finally get to play a pot with the Hammer. It's folded round to SB who is so short that I can call with any two. He sucked out with AK. What can I say? $391k.

00:36 AA in EP. Win the blinds. Weak-tight table. Surely it's not the duffle bag bubble that is affecting everyone?! $420k.

00:34 Chip leader.... yummy yummy blinds.... $394k.

00:31 JJ in EP. I raise and call an allin behind who has TT. I hold. Lovebly jubbley.... $377k.... 4/86.

00:14 Just had to fold 72o again to an UTG raise. Booooooooo!

00:06 Finally: AA. Flat call a raise in CO from EP rock. Button riases all in small. Rock calls and I push. Lucky shortstack makes straight with AK..... down to $256k. Please don't deal me AA again.

00:00 pick up some pots preflop... $273k. Work in six hours time - rubbish.

11:57 Upto $244k. I raise in EP with A2o. Laggro calls in BB and leads A86 flop. I call. He bets K on turn. I call again. River T checked through. He's got JT.

11:43 Big Double. I call a small raise with 99 in BB. 86x flop I check raise and am committed to call the allin. He has 77. I hold.... up to $192k - 16/135.

11:31 Very next hand. Laggles raises in MP. I jam on button with 99. He calls with AJs. Board Axxx9. Shiiiiiiiiiip iiiiiiit... $110k

11:30 Had to fold 72o in SB to UTG raise. Boooooo!

11:28 Mis-steals galore.... down to $57k.

11:23 Reraise allin on button with AKs and take it down..... $73k.

11:12 I rasie KT and hit trips on AKK flop. BB lead-folds flop. Up to $64k.

11:07 I'm getting tired. Time to double up or bust, me thinks. 200 players left . 80ish get something. Average stack is $67k. I have $50k.

11:01 I limp AK UTG. Just the blinds come along. I double the SB up who has KQ on KQ6 flop. Down to $55k.

10:57 Attempted steal with 9T in MP. BB calls. BB leads min on AAx flop. I call. Turn is a Ten. BB leads min again. I just call. river is an ace, board reads xAATA. BB bets min again and calls my small raise with KJ. tyvm..... $83k.

10:51 Raise A9 in EP. Called behind. Take it down on AJ9 all spade flop. $71k.

10:48 MP raise w QJs. BB calls and check folds on ace high flop. Up to $62k.

10:47 Small blind squeeze goes wrong. Down to $56k.

10:36 Raise KQ in MP. Button calls. I take it down on a dry Q high flop. Now $74k.

10:33 I'm a suckout champ. I reraise allin from BB with AT and get a call from AQ. First card out is a ten. Shippage..... $68k. Table move too.

10:30 Various bits of stealing and cont betting. Upto $44k.

10:19 I raise utg w AQo (3rd raise in a row for me). Get called in LP an BB. BB leads KTx flop. I fold. $41k.

10:18 Take blinds with AJo.

10:17 I raise in EP with A3s. BB calls. flop comes KJx giving me nut flush draw. BB check folds.

10:03 Yep, definately getting bored. I reriase with KQ and end up having to call an all in against AK. Flop come TTQ. Ship it. Up to $38k.

9:55 I think I must be getting bored, but managed to get a squeeze through with KJ from the small blind. Aggro riases, button flat calls and I push, but the aggro was short, which I didn't notice, but he finds a folds anyway. He must have has utter crap. Upto $21,600.

9:53 I try to steal the blinds and antes from EP with QTo and make a tight pass getting better than 2-1 when a rock pushes. Down to $15k.

9:49 QQ in CO. Easy cure riases. I push for 13k and win the pot. Up to $17,450.

9:48 I pass AQ preflop. Probably a good job. Lots of action on a KJ flop.

9:47 Steal a couple of blinds. Up to $13,050.

9:41 Blinds 400/800. Aggro raises in EP. I push for 8k on CO w KQ and win the pot preflop. Up to $11,450.

9:20 Win small pot with T2 on BB. Board 99KQJ. Herm calls min bet on river w 33. Up to $10,550.

9:15 Next hand. Raise on HJ w 99. Call Hermwarefare's allin getting 2-1. He has KK. Down to $9,750.

9:14 JJ in CO. Flat call raise from EP. Button calls. 629 rainbow flop. Checked to me. I bet. I win. Up to $14,475

9:10 Win the blinds with AQs. $11,475

8:50 Half time in the rugby. South Africa dicking on Argentina. Stick on the microwave popcorn.

8:46 Call riase with 66. Miss flop. Fold. Down to 11,225

8:42 MP rock raises to 600. I rerop to 1800 with 72. Flop T9T he check raises me. He doesn't have enough behind for me to repop. Down to 11825.

8:37 Win blinds with AJo.

8:29 AKs on button. CO raises. I reraise. Cutoff calls. A23 rainbow flop. Cutoff check calls. Turn blank. Check check. river 4. Cutoff bets and folds to my allin claiming to have A9. Up to 16k.

8:22 AK on button. Small raise from MP. I win with reraise.

8:20 AKo in EP. Limp-reraise to 1400 and take it down after a raise and a call from the blinds

8:10 Call a min-raise in BB w A3. Win 4 way pot on turn with xxAx board.

8:05 Arrive late. Down to 9050 from 10000 starting stack. A couple of familiar blogger faces on the table: Hermwarfare and Easycure; don't recognise anyone else.

I actaully do exist, honest

No I haven't completely dropped off the face of the world. I've just been pretty damn busy and haven't been playing very much poker at all.

The new job is keeping me occupied along with a new found sport and exercise regime. I've started playing squash again for the first time since uni, which I'm loving, and I'm also doing quite a lot of running.

As far a poker goes I've been managing to squeeze in a few hours a week. I decided that I needed to learn to play Omaha and having read Rolf Slotboom's excellent book I've been playing minimum buy-in at various levels online - sitting with anything from $20 to $200. I've made a small amount but it's not going to make me rich anytime soon. Still, it's enjoyable and I'm learning as I go.

I managed to squeeze in a trip to the newly refurbish Vic last weekend. I was really impressed. It made me realise exactly how grotty it used to be. It now feels like a real casino poker room and the fact that it occupies essentially the whole of the top floor lends it an extra degree a degree of sophistication.

It was pretty busy and I had to wait almost an hour for a seat. I started off in a self dealt 50p-£1 NL game and managed to take my £100 up to almost £300 but ended up about £80 in the hole when I couldn't get away from my set against a flopped straight.

Shortly after, a £100-minimum Omaha game started up and I jumped at the opportunity of playing a small stack against people who would likely be playing very deep and be happy to double me up. The ante pressure was a little higher than I would have liked for my uber-tight approach (a £1 ante every hand with no blinds rather than the £3-3 blinds which I was expecting). Additionally with a £12 an hour table charge, I'm not sure I could turn much of a profit in that game, but I stuck with it as I only had about an hour before heading home. Things went to plan and I managed to get it in good with QQxx against an aggressive deep stack and I went home satisfied.

There's little else to report on. The blogger event on PokerStars is today, so maybe I'll do something fun like live blog that. Then again, maybe not. I'll have to try not to win it, though, as I'm almost certain that I won't be able get the time off work to go to the Caribbean in the new year. In case you're playing my screen name is NileFever.

Laters.

That time of year again...

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This Online Poker Tournament is a No Limit Texas Holdem event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 5929320

Dusk Till Dawn Team Challenge

As you may have heard Dusk Till Dawn have finally got the go ahead from the Gaming Board and are opening their doors on 29th November.

In the meantime they're organising a Team Challenge for poker teams from across the UK to compete against in other in online heats with live finals at the club.

I'm setting up a Team with people from the Internettexasholdem Forum, so if you're interested in getting on board then hop on over and sign up.

HOW WILL IT WORK?
Commencing on 8th October, each participating group will run a series of five weekly online tournaments (entry fee $5) from which they will determine a league of their members allocating points per tournament. After 5 weeks, the top 4 players in the league plus one "wild card" spot will form a team of five to represent the group at the live final at the brand new Dusk Till Dawn club (date tbc). For the first of each group's tournaments, DTDpoker will add $200 to the prize pool and also enter two DTD Pro players with a $50 bounty on each head.

THE GRAND FINAL
Teams will play against each other, including a team of DTD Pros who will be responsible for buying drinks all night for the player who knocks them out. The team that performs the best (excluding the DTD Pro's) will not only receive trophies but also entry into a live event at the club.

WANT TO TAKE PART?
Obviously you'll need an account on DTD. You can sign up here and I get a few $$$, which I'd be very grateful for. DTD gives 30% rakeback to everyone (requires 1000 MPP per month) and signing up via my link doesn't affect this, I just get a small % on top.

Hope to see you there.