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.