POST VEGAS BLUES

So I have been Back from Las Vegas for 1 week where I stayed in London and what can I tell you.

I miss it!

On my last few days in Vegas I partied. It was a friend of ours 21st so we stayed out a little longer and I threw him a party he or any of will not forget for a long time. I am afraid I can not post any pictures on here or tell any stories but it was a blast!

I managed to reduce my debt before I left Las Vegas as I had a few good nights for a change.
I still left losing and losing by a fair amount but I did spend a lot of time and $ on the shopping. I think I came with 1 case and left with 4 but hey who’s counting!

We managed to get an upgrade at the airport and my friend kindly flew us home first class. This was great even though I did explain I would probably be asleep for the 10 hours as I had not slept good in 2 days and I had a wedding a few hours after we landed.

As I got on board and we took off I turned my chair into a bed ordered a drink and started to think about my trip.
6 weeks in Las Vegas living at the Wynn sounds good but not too easy. I nearly came home after 4 weeks as it started to all get on top of me.
I had some personal emotions to deal with also this year while trying to keep a clear head for playing. My girlfriend and I split up and knew exactly how to get to me. We decided amicably it was not working and she was going to move back to London. The sad news was she would be taking our dog that I have grown to love like I can not explain over the last 9 months we have had her.
Lola, which is the dog’s name, was a puppy when we got her and having a responsibility to walk, feed and care for each day as well as the fact she was a daddy’s girl and slept on my pillow every night was something I took on and loved every minute of.
I guess having 6 weeks away without them both was good as it would have been weird otherwise. I still miss the dog very much and see her when I go to London.
All in all I had a great trip in fact I had the time of my life, I meet some good people who are now friends and had some incredible experiences on my journey.

I will now be focusing on my work for 2 years and will build up all I have planned for the past 4 years. Poker is what I love but without being able to put the hours in it is hard to make it pay.

I saw my bad run continue in the UK where I was playing in a 5 5 plo game and flopping the nuts several times with big redraws seemed not to be enough against some lucky fish who somehow manage to hit 1 or 2 outers on me or in fact the runner, runner option which I think hurts more. LOL

I am now back home in my own bed in Marbella and will stay here for 1 week playing in my local games. I have set myself a task of wining 20K in a week. I am not sure if I will play every night but the games are certainly big enough to make this happen. Saying all of this I do have some friends staying with me and have set aside Fri and Sat night to see them so I do not have so long to play. ( I think 10K would be a beeter target and also a good week).
I will keep my blog updated to let you know how I do.

That’s all from me until later in the week so I hope it is hot where you are so you too can relax in the sun before playing.

Main Event WSOP 2008 DAY 2

SO I ended day 1 with 5720 in chips and feeling confident about my game.
My room mate Roberto was the star of day 1C having the feature table all day with Mike “the mouth” and played out of his skin. He folded monsters and check called other big hands and made some great plays through the day which will get him great air time on ESPN and perfect for his sponsorship deal with Full Tilt. He went down to 10K and grinded back to end with 35K so good Luck and hope to see you at the final next to me!

I was drawn on such a great table. I was nearly the big stack and there were many short stacks. The only problem was that we were the 5th table to get broken and it did not even take 30 minutes for this to happen. I manage to make a few moves on this table though and get my chips up a bit before I was moved to the table from hell!
I sat down in my seat and I was now the short stack with over 60K there were a few pros and 4 online qualifiers from stars the next shortest stack had like 110K.

The first pot I got involved in was a 50K pot. I raised to 1600 pre flop on the button with 99 the BB a Finish player re-raised to 4800. I called to see the flop of T72. He checked the flop so I checked behind him trying to be clever. The turn bought another Ten and I checked again knowing that he would now have to bet as I had shown weakness and he must think he can take it down. He bet 5700. I thought for a minute and decided to flat call so that IU could get some chips on the river. The river now comes Ten so the board is T72 T T. I think about leading out but if he has no hand I can not get any money so I checked and he now fires 13100 into this pot. I think and think and no there is no need to re-raise here but what can he have? I called and he turned over T8os LMAO and I just taped the table and said Well played.
What could I do? Well I could have re-raised him pre flop but I think if it was cheap enough he would call as he liked to play pots and I could have only lost more. I also could have folded on the river but the way the hand was played I thought I had to call.

I lose another hand with QQ v TT to a player but for not so many chips and then I lose a few more chips in hands I cant afford to call bets on the river.
All I wanted to do was get of this table and my wish was granted but late in the day.
I was moved to a perfect table during level 4. On this table not only were there 3 players I played with the day before all day who thought I was the3 dogs danglies but 6 really short stacks and The chip leader who was not bulling the table on my left.
I started to regain my confidence and my A game was back on.
I arrived at this table with only 20 something thousand and soon worked my way up to 30K plus.
There were a few pots I called all in players raises as they were cheap and I was trying to gain chips. I did not manage to win many of thse but I was playing well and making unbelievable reads.
A hand came up when I decided to limo UTG with a medium pair as the BB was short and if he moved in after a few limpers I could re-raise. The button My new friend Steve B made a small raise and then the BB moved all in.
WOW what a mess this is. I think for ages and decide that Steve must have a big hand as I limped and the BB was obviously going to push here and if not he knew I would 3 bet him.
I decided to fold and to my amazement Steve only had 55 and the BB had AK The good news for me is that he saved me money in the hand as a King hit the flop and I would have also lost the pot.
A few hands later the player to my right in the cut off makes a raise again for 4K the blinds and antes are worth steeling now and he only had 16K behind which I thought was enough to pass as he had me as a solid player and my image at he table for re-raises and big pots was good. I look down and see AJ and think I could move all in here and win the pot right now. If he had a pair I would take the race as I had pushed and I need some chips now as I was down to about 23,500. The small blind who was the chip leader with over 200K folded as he never tangled with me after the first time he doubled me up and the BB managed to find AK and move all in also. The original raiser folded which I new he would anyway and I was in need of a 3 outer to stay in the tourney. The flop came out T37 no help for me. I needed runner, runner or a Jack and the turn bought a 4. I was down to 6.6% and when the river paired the board my WSOP 2008 main event was all over.
I was sad and gutted but I managed to go out and get smashed which was great fun!
I will give you a report on the night life in Vegas tomorrow as there have been a few great nights out.
Good news is the WPT $15,000 starts in a few days and you get 45,000 chips. I will give that a go and keep you updated.
Until next time, Stay luckyJ

Main Event WSOP 2008 $10,000

Main Event
$10,000 buy in

So over the last few weeks poker and Las Vegas has not treated me so favourable. I started well and then hit rock bottom.
I managed to find some people who were happy to stake me for shares in this tournament so firstly I want to thank these people and tell you all as I told them you will be with me in November at the Final.

I have waited 2 years for this as last year I was unable to come to Vegas due to work commitments but now I am here I have to put the past behind me and move forward in a positive light.
As you can tell I am very into my spiritual side and the secret/cosmic ordering.
I know I need to forget about how I feel and concentrate on what I deserve.

I visualize my win and feel it like it has happened.
I know I can do it and know I will do it and as long as I stay focused and concentrated I know it.
Day 1B
Orange section in the main room table 36 seat 2.
As I sat down I noticed the table was full of unknowns. Not 1 pro insight but there was still an empty seat.
We started playing and I knew I was in for the long haul. This was a serious marathon and not a sprint.
Many players manage to donk of their chips in day 1 or get unlucky but many just give them away forgetting that it is a survival game to start with.
I built my stack up slowly flopping the nuts against fish that pay me of on all 3 streets with either top pair of a bad 2 pair!

Andy Black turned up at out table with the cameras following. He sat down and got into as many pot as he could early on.
This is a strategy of a lot of pros but I don’t understand it. If you are playing fish who just want to have fun know they have no chance but want to take a story home with them so beating a top well known pro in a hand with whatever cards is all they want and can have to take back with them so why give them this chance and not just sit and wait and take their chips at the same time as giving them a story that at least they lost to a good pro player.
He raised a pot pre flop and got called form a woman in seat 1 who was playing solid. The raise pre flop was from 50 100 to 500. The flop was 884 and Andy bet out 600. She called and the turn was a 9. He now bet 600 and she thought for a second before flat calling.
So as I do I know try to read my opponents so I can get a good feel for them later when I am in a hand with them. What does Andy have? Well he could have anything but I have to guess if he raised pre flop bet out and continued he must have an over pair. He bet the flop to see where he was and continues for information.
OK so now what can she have. She has called a raise 5 x BB pre flop in position, called his bet of 600 on the flop and flat called is bet on the turn? I say to myself here she must have 88 or 99 as there is no other possible answer to the way the pot has been played.
The river now comes a 9 and I watch were a closely as I can as reading women is a lot harder than reading men. She gives nothing away to start with as she has her neck hidden in a top and a hat and sunglasses to protect her face.
Here comes the strange part. Andy now bets 300 into this pot??????
The pot is now 3550 what is 300 bet supposed to mean especially for a pro. It looks really bad and I Am still confused!
She thinks for a minute and re-raises 3000 more. OK so now “the pro” can use all the information given to him and make a decision raise, call or pass. He has put 2000 into this pot already 10% of his starting chip stack and now needs to call 3000 more which is a further 15% so a total of 25% of his chips. He thinks for a while and calls.
As he does this I look at the woman and say you have quads don’t you but I don’t know if you hit the flop or Turn! She turns over 99 and Andy for some reason turns over his TT and mucks in disgust.
Well what did he expect? You think she would raise you with an A or counterfeited under pair? I don’t.
Well he managed to do the rest of his chips in the next hour and 1 seat was open leaving the table for me to eat alive.
Yum yum yum….
There is now a new nutter at the table but a lovely guy. He was a South African named Oliver Berman (seat 5). He was betting and raising and re-raising then showing his bluffs. I knew it would be a matter of time before I could get into a pot with him. I did also tell him that he would not be able to get away with that with me knowing I was getting him ready to try it.
Finally we got into a pot and he raised pre flop so I re-raised him. He called and said do you need an Ace. I said well AA7 would be a good flop for me as I had 77.
The flop came down 279. LOL he now bet out so I flat called. The turn was an 8 and he said you missed again but checked. I checked behind him knowing he would now have to bet the river. He did after a 6 hit the deck but it was a small to medium bet. He told me that he just got lucky and I decided to call to get some cheap information. He turned over KT to make a straight LOL.
We laughed about it for a while and he avoided me like the plague.
We broke for dinner and I had good chips. I knew that our table was going to break soon and with a tight image I knew I needed to make the most of it for the remaining time I had left at that table.
There was 1 player I had 3 bet 3 times and shown the nuts when I got into a pot with him with a flush draw. He bet the flop I called he bet the turn but so cheap I had to call the river bought the back door flush and now he checked I made a sizable bet and he thought for ages. He decided to fold so I could not resist but to say you must have known I was on clubs and showed him my Ten high bluff to get him on tilt.
He managed to donk his chips of within 30 minutes and now we were ready to break.
Level 5 blinds 150 – 300 25 ante. I called from the button and was re-raised from the small blind to 1250 who was a young solid player who knew I was there to sit it through and thought I was tighter that he was. I called him with Q5 to see if I could out play him on the flop.
The flop was3 4 7he bet out 1500 so I called with my gut shot and back door flush. The turn was a King. He now checks so I try to represent a hand and hoped he would pass to a bet here. I bet 3500he called me which I was not happy about. The river cam the A hearts which was not great for me but could be the greatest card for me to win the pot with. He thought for a minute and checked. I thought for a while as to what he could have and decided if I bet the correct amount here he could not call unless he had a massive hand. I bet 6K thinking this was the perfect bet. To much to call with a medium hand and not to big to look like a bluff.
He now goes into the tank and the floor person is giving everyone chip racks to move table. I do not want to lose this pot and leave low stacked and I know he does not want to call and lose a big pot as we are moving table so my timing was perfect. After studying me and thinking for I would say a good 4 minutes he decided to fold and I said good pass. No need to lose a load of chips before we break. I decided not to show this hand in case we play again and he was a good kid and I thought it unkind to send him in tilt also.
I moved table where my Table image was crazy. I was being dealt good cards and playing well. I sat down at the table with good chips and there were a few short stacks and medium stacks with only 1 big stack.
I watched the players for a while then played a big pot with a nice friendly guy in seat 5 called Danny.
I raised to 800 pre flop and he re-raised me to 2100. I decided to see a flop as I knew he was a solid player and I could win a big pot. The flop came down 8 9 Q perfect and I bet out to hide my hand 3500. He decided to re- raise me right here 7000 more so I had to stop to think for a minute.
If I flat call here I am first to act after the flop what would I do. I have to put him now on either AA,KK or QQ if he has QQ I know all the money can get into the middle now. AA probably too and KK if he is not such a good player. The pot now was about 20K which was a good size pot to win right now. If I checked the turn and he checked I would give him 2 free cards so I decided to see if I could get him to commit right there. I re-raised 12,000 more as we were both sitting with about 30K each more after the 7K. He thought now for a while and I tried to look as nervous as possible but he passed to my disappointment. The only good thing was I could have lost the pot and gone out calling a re-raise with TJ pre flop.
I said phew…. So glad you didn’t have a set to which he threw his hands in the air and said I think I made a bad lay down. He asked me what I had and I said I can not tell you but it is in the book so you can read about it on my site. He was on serious tilt for a short while and when he said I think you had TT or JJ I laughed to look like I did.
I now know as he told me if I called and checked the turn he would have put me all in but hey that’s poker and I was on over 40K and happy to be there in such good shape with a good aggressive image at the table.
I told him at the end of the night and we shock hands.
I finished the day well making some great lay downs like AK to a flop of AQQ which was checked after my re-raise pre flop.
99 v QQ on an 8 high flop where I called his hand.
Many players took my card and shook my hand to congratulate me as they first thought I was a crazy internet player and soon realised the hard way that I was a very skilled poker player who they all now respected.
I had a great day and ended with 58,200 in chips.
I know have 3 days off before day 2 in which time I have been invited to play in a Baccaratt free roll for $300,000 and where I will focus on visualising my final table.

Bellagio CUP $1000

Bellagio Cup
$1000 buy in with 10,000 starting chips.


Roberto and I went down to play in this event as the value is good and the players are fairly week.
It is easy to build up a stack in the first few levels so we got there on time which was 7pm to play.
There were 160 runners and this was going to take until the morning to even get to the final.
We had been out the night before with very little sleep but felt good and needed the result.
I sat down and had a great table. I started to get to work on my image and chip building immediately.
I was talking my way into pots and managing to escape and make some good lay downs with good reads to avoid any problems.
I was feeling good and new I had this table by the bullocks.
We were playing 40 minute levels and now into level 3 when there were a few limpers so I decided to call on the button with A6. The flop came down AA9 and the first limper bet out 1100 into a pot of like 1200. No one called so I thought for a second.
I assume he has either a pocket pair so I am ahead and will let him bet again on the turn or an A that beats me so why should I raise here?
I decided that this was the best play and just called. The turn was Q and he bet out again 2500 now the pot was 3500 plus his 2500. He only had like 4800 left so I decided to re-raise him here as if I called here I would have to call the river. He turned over KK
1 Player said your in good shape I folded KQ.
To the river was a K OMG you know when you can feel something coming well that is how I felt at the time as the card was being turned over.
Never mind I said to myself I still have like 7000. The average was only like 12 and there was lots of play. I sat tight for a while as I knew the next pot I was going to play had to be a solid one with good cards and try to get all the money in, in good shape either big pre flop or on the flop. After about 10 minutes and the blinds and passed me so I was left with just over 6K in chips I was in the BB when an aggressive player raised to 650. I looked down at QQ and re-raised to 2350. He decided to call me and when the flop cam down 8 9 3 Rainbow he pushed all in which I could not call quick enough.
I thought to myself pre flop if he has AA or KK then bad luck if not then I should be back in the game with average chips.
HE turned over TT and now instead of shouting for a T he was calling in 7. Well as you know if you call it they will come and the turn bought a 7.
He now needed either a 6(which he didn’t even know) J or T. so he has 10 outs 20% chance to win the hand from his 9% he had on the flop.
He called out again but for a J and of course the J hit the river sending me back to my hotel and of to bet praying that all my bad luck was over just in time for the main event.
It is hard to believe all this happens in a few weeks but trust me it did and I know it will change in the end.
If you go into as many hands as I do a big favourite the only way you will lose is to sick beats but in the long run we will get them all and come out on top.
I know these things are sent to test you and keeping strong after 4 weeks of hell is not easy but something that is necessary if you want to be a winning player.
I wished Roberto luck and headed back for a good nights sleep.

I woke up in the morning to see Roberto heading of to play in the $2,500 at the Venitian He managed to make the final table at 06:00 but a 9th place finish was not what he wanted as the pay out was not even double the buy in. A little sick really but onwards and upwards.

I love the Bellagio especially when we play in the Fontana Bar as we get to see the fountains all the time (see video). I would like to have something like this in my drive as you come through the gates J

So all that is left now is my Main Event which I am feeling very good about. I have been listening to the secret and reading up on my cosmic ordering.
Now is my time and I have never felt so good and positive about anything.
I will make the final and I will do my best to win!
I will be writing a full diary on my main event every hand I play.
I will not be posting the whole thing but I will give you updates each day!
Good luck and I think you can follow me on www.pokernews.com

$1500 HORSE

$1500 HORSE

So I have just been busted in sick style in the $10K PLO and managed to get in just in time for this event.
I sit at the table and 3 of the players but especially 1 starts to go a little crazy that I am allowed to come in 2 hours late with a full stack!
LOL I said well if you new the rules you would do the same. She went on major tilt and blew her whole stack, was funny.
So this is going to be my last event before the big Dance. Could I pull a second final table out the bag and again in HORSE?
D up slowly with a good reputation at the table I start using it in the Razz and stud games.
A few hours pass and the blinds and bring in bets start to get big in relation to the stack sizes. I win a few key hands and have my chips well over 10K with the average at 6K but every hand can now cost 3 or 4 thousand chips.
Michael klinier sits down at our table which is known as the cold table as for some reason is the only table in the whole room that has 3 air con units blowing down and it was freezing. So bad I had a headache and had to pull my hood over me which is not like me.
So now the average is like 8,000 and I have 17,000 I sold shares of myself to Paul Jackson who was also in the event after being busted in the PLO and also Mark Goodwin.
I went over to see Paul and he was low relying on me to get him out of it.
So back to my game. The stud hi low round started and I was dealt 66 in the hole and an open 6. there was a bet and 4 raises on the first round of betting as there were 2 high cards out and 2 low cards and between the K showing, the A showing and my 6 we had started a big pot. The turn card game me an A so it looked like I now could have either, 666A, AA6? Or for low cards.
We still managed to get a bet and 4 raises which is the maximum allowed in any round. The low player kept improving and after 6th street we were heads up. His hand now looked like A348 so I was sure to be getting the high. The river came and I escaped with only 2 bets as I bet and he raised. Well you know what is about to come and he somehow managed to squeeze a 5 on the river to make the wheel A2345 and I could not improve so I lost the whole pot.
OK not so bad I still had a few thousand chips and near the average. Next pot.
I start with A234 and again there are bets and raises. I end up heads up with Michael who is also chasing a 7 low but manages to only get 2 pair 3’s and 4’s but my hand ended up looking like A234TKK so I lost that one too. How sick can this get.

I manage to survive until the stud hi game where I got it all in with KTT v 377 and like some miracle with 3 minutes left of play for the day and only 200 runners left from 800 that started he found a third 7 on the river to beat my 2 pair I hit along the way.
I guess that is just the way the cookie crumbles but I will be back for more HORSE and my plan this year is to get into the 50K event and show them who is boss!

$10,000 Pot Limit Omaha

$10,000 Pot Limit Omaha

This was an event I did well in 2 years ago before bubbling in a few sick pots but the players are crazy and many are weak so after careful consideration I decided to give it a go.
I woke up went to the gym for a hour relaxed in the spa, then headed to the pool for 30 minutes to get some sun, took some breakfast and watched the first half of the Euro Finals Spain v Germany.

I did wish I was in Spin for this as I had a strong feeling that Spain would win the cup before the start and once they beat Italy there nemesis it looked like it would be plain sailing the whole way for them.
They were the better team throughout the competition and with a strong squad I think that they deserved the win.
WELL DONE SPAIN!

As you know I give 5% of all winnings to Charity. For this event I had promised a friend who took 20% of my action to support his brother’s charity “Take That charity”


So Off to the Rio we headed about 1 hour into the comp. I thought at this time all the crazy gamblers would either have lost all their chips or have enough to relax so it was not so much of a crap shoot.
This year they have made this event a double shootout. This is where you get 10,000 chips at the start and a coin which can be redeemed for another 10,000 chips any time during the first 3 levels.
You can take them immediately or wait till you lost your first 10,000 or anytime in between. If after the first 3 levels you still have the coin you will be given your other 10,000 chips.

So I decided to only start with 10,000 there were already a few big stakes at my table and no really big names on my table either which was a surprise as the field was full of them and there were 3 or 4 on most tables.

The first pot I played I was holding AKJT hearts and clubs. There was a raise with the blinds at 100 200 so I decided to call the 900 and not re-raise in case I missed the flop. I did not need to gamble crazy like they do as I wanted a shot at this event and need to preserve my chips and build them.
The flop was perfect Qh Tc 4h. I now have a massive hand. The wrap and nut flush draw. It went check, check bet pot and a fold to me 4500 to me. I probably should go all in now but I thought I would peel of a card and try to let the others in so I could maximise my return as I would have like 4000 left. This worked well and the other 2 also called. The pot was now 17,900. The turn was perfect 9d I now had the nuts with a re-draw to the higher straight and also the nut flush draw. So the first player goes all in and then 1 folded. The original player who bet the flop calls and I go all in for my remaining chips.
On their backs.
The first player had J942 so what he is doing in the pot I have no idea but he has the nuts at the moment with no redraws (good, good) The next player had Q4A5 no sits so he had nothing and hit top and bottom pair on the flop and now wants to call of his tournament life with this and no chip left to re-buy! (Good, good).
The river Q. SICK! I love poker sometimes just when you think your off to a good start you get royally shafted form the Fish at the table typical.
So re-buy. Next hand I flop complete wrap and flush draw and walk into same think top and bottom pair. He was a short stack so I still have chips left to play with.
He hits of course immediately on the turn so I was left licking my wounds.
Relax I thought to myself wait for a good spot and I am sure to get back up.
I went down to 2500 buy the first break.
I managed to get that back to 18,000 and then I walked in to another fish. I now have AAKT double suited and there was a limper and 4 caller so I re-raised the pot pre flop t5o something like 3200. The 1 caller from the player UTG and the flop cam out 3 5 K no suit but I did have 2 back door flushes.
He checked and I bet half the pot as I would have thought he had nothing and as he did not have so many chips it was the same as he knew I was not now passing my hand. He went all in and I called as I thought to myself if he has KK it is a cold deck otherwise I thought I must be ahead as I do not put him on a set of 3’s or 5’s.
I was right. He called out of position and a raise pre flop with A247. UNREAL but love the action. In fairness to him it was a perfect flop for his hand and fishy call and without any sweating he hit a 6 on the turn leaving me drawing dead.
I was down again but not out. How many of these sick scenarios did I have to face and when was it my turn to hit if I was drawing or hold up if I was ahead?
Well it was not to be as my final hand was all in pre flop with AK9T double suited v AKQ8. I don’t think I need to tell you what happened as it seemed not to be my day as the Q hit the river.
It was game over for me and I was not a happy bunny!