My name is VBlue and I'm a Pokerholic.

[VBlue]

VBlue"s Blog.  Blog Date: 9th September, 2009. 
Currently orbiting: The George & Dragon, Kendal (Pub Poker League) & Full Tilt Poker

The G&D

I have decided to make more of a prescence at the table, vocally.  I have been guilty in the past of becoming a bit bored at this venue and as a result have not enjoyed the evening and slipped into some disinterested/poor play.  I want to ensure that I enjoy the night firstly and play good poker too.  No point in playing if I am not going to make my best effort to win.

After two seasons of consistently good poker - 3rd/52 in Spring 09 Season, 2nd/41 in Summer 09 Season - I have started the Autumn 09 Season in terrible fashion.  A shopping trip to Carlise put that right! .

Pub Poker League Structure

8 max tables.
3,000 starting chips.
3 hour structure - 25/50, 50/100, 100/200 (break) 200/400, 300/600, 500/1000 (break) (20 min blinds) 1000/2000, 2000/4000, 300/6000 (15 min blinds) - additional 6000/12000, 12000/24000 (10 min blinds) but rarely required.

Points System

200 points buy-in per player.
Final table of 8 mkae the point payout structure.
50 points for playing.

Top 25% of league placing (max 15) qualify for Regional Finals. 
No minimum no. of games played required for a player to qualify.

As 1 in 4 players qualify for the Regional Final it generally works that our regular players all qualify, as we get a lot of players coming in just once over a season or just for the odd game or two.

Season lasts 3 calendar months.

Optional Cash

£5 buy-in.
Max £100 prize.
3rd - £10, 2nd - 1/3rd of remaining fund, 1st - 2/3rds of remaining fund.

Back to The G&D

17 players - 9 seater (17th player turned up just as we were about to start - following seat draw) and an 8 seater.  

Great seat draw; 2 to the left of our loosest and most aggresive player - Kostas "The Jackal" (Gus).  Also on my table is "The Chin", local thespian and v.loose passive player, and Tim "The Great White", who is a decent player and not afraid to make moves from any position.

I fold a pile of stinking hands and then pick up QQ on the button, std 3x raise, 3 to the flop - including The Chin.  With 1,700 chips behind and about 1,200 in the pot, a Q high flop with possible flush draw is checked to me.  I think for a little and decide to push.  Reasoning: protect against flush draw and decent potential of a caller who will be drawing very thin.  Both fold; Tom Pats tells me he folded a medium pocket pair - overpair to two low flop cards.  Good fold.

Pick up QQ again before the 1st break UTG.  Std 3x raise.  The Chin calls.  A and K on the flop see me c/f.

Go into break with around 4,000 with blinds 200/400 post-break.

Wait patiently for a good spot and loose a few blinds.  Down to around 2,700 at 300/600 blinds.  Pick up K10 on the button.  Folded round, push and get called by AJ in the SB.  Game over.  9th place finish, one off the points.

Had fun tonight.  Good bit of banter going on.  Main receiver of abuse - Gus.  When Sean Val comments "rubbish", I say "Yeah, Gus is terrible"  his reply "no - my cards tonight".  Whoops.  Sorry Gus.  

Manage to follow this up by signing Gus up for this weekends £20/£20 double chance and next weekend"s Leaving for Las Vegas tournament (more on these to follow). 

Live Running Total = -£5

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blog Date: 10th September

Full Tilt - $5 SNGs 9 man

Decide to go back to playing 2 tables. 
Hit a massive run of cards on one and win.
Take my eye off the second and miake a couple of mistakes.  Out in 5th.

FT Running Total = +$12.5  Bankroll c.$180.
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Let me know if this is interesting thus far or not.

In fact, what would you like to hear more of or less of as I go?  What do you like to read in blogs and what bores you to tears?  I may be open to suggestions.  Or, I may not.

Motto today:  Good things come to those early birds who wait for the worm.

VBlue

[Honeybadg]

What is the Carlisle poker scene like?

Does anything happen?

L

[Marty719]

Good read - must say tho - structure is a horror show!!  From level 3, all hands must turn into open-shove/fold.  Good steady results from u tho so wp.  Look 4ward to reading more!

[smileriraq]

ive occasionally played in the Welsh Poker league and the structure is the same and its a bloody nightmare coupled with extremely loose players (normally a good thing) it really does turn into a game of bingo at times

[VBlue]

The pub poker league structure works in that way as it is the only way to get finished in the time frame we have.

It is really more of a social occassion and is treated as such by most of the players.  If they win a few quid then it is a bonus.

Mostly all of my regulars qualify for the Regional Finals and get a crack at qualifying for the National Finals.

I had two players at the last National Final (only played 1 qualifying Regional Final) as we only have two venues in our region currently.  The final is split over 2 day 1 events - with 5/185 from each day making the final table on day 2.  We played day 2; had one lad in the final 20-odd and Gus finished 6th and missed the final table by 1 place.  Min £250 for 10th with £2,500 for the winner.

I don"t know a lot about the Carlisle scene, but a poker club that I run events for in Kendal have secured a licensed venue recently and will be launching events there soon.  I cannot post details on here.  They run £30/£30 double chance, GUKPT deepstack qualifiers, and Las Vegas qualifiers.  Dealers, waitresses, and casino standard equipment provided.

Thanks for all your interest.

[duke3016]

Great start -- will follow this one with interest

[Swinebag]

What is the Carlisle poker scene like?

Does anything happen?

L

I was out in carlisle last christmas and there was a pub game going on. I got the impression that a few other pubs did the same thing too.

More intrigingly (sp) does anyone know where the cardroom, that prompted Des to include Carlisle in the National league, in carlisle is?

[APAT]

What is the Carlisle poker scene like?

Does anything happen?

L

I was out in carlisle last christmas and there was a pub game going on. I got the impression that a few other pubs did the same thing too.

More intrigingly (sp) does anyone know where the cardroom, that prompted Des to include Carlisle in the National league, in carlisle is?

We need one there Rob, it"s a strategically significant outpost.   Will you build one for us?  

[Mikeyboy9361]

What is the Carlisle poker scene like?

Does anything happen?

L

I was out in carlisle last christmas and there was a pub game going on. I got the impression that a few other pubs did the same thing too.

More intrigingly (sp) does anyone know where the cardroom, that prompted Des to include Carlisle in the National league, in carlisle is?

We need one there Rob, it"s a strategically significant outpost.   Will you build one for us?  

"If you build it they will come"

[VBlue]

The poker club that I represent in Kendal, hailing from W.Cumbria, called me yesterday.

They have obtained a full private member"s gaming license for a venue in Carlise.

First event planned for mid-November.  Not sure if this constitues advertising.  If it does, then please delete this post.

I did not join APAT to advertise my events and could probably do with some guidance on what I can and can"t post. 

I have fallen foul of posting outside your guidelines once already and don"t want to cause any offence.  I only posted this reply as another member has brought up the subject.

Cheers.

[smileriraq]

We have guidelines??

[Chipaccrual]

Don"t want to hijack this thread, but in answer to the question raised.

Guidelines are fairly simple.

We discourage direct links to sites that heavily promote pokersites other than our sponsor, for the obvious reason that Blue Square put a considerable amount of money into APAT, all of which goes back to the players in added value, no reg fees etc.

Apart from that, if it is relevant to the members and fits within the APAT "ethos" then it is fine.  By looking through the forum, you"ll get a feel for what is considered acceptable or not.

And if in doubt, feel free to pm a Mod for advice.  Always happy to help.


Leigh

[VBlue]

Blog Date: 10th September 2009
Full Tilt Poker and The Heron.

The Heron - Nuts Poker League

A final table 7th place, followed by 2 x 3rd place cashes in the last three weeks have given me some much needed points and all but cemented a qualification place, following a poor(ish) start to the league.  All that has eluded me is a win.

With 17 in tonight, I again ensured that banter was fast and fierce.  And with "The Kid" Baker sat to my left, our table was set for some sledging of the highest order; all in good spirit of course.

With all now familiar with our structure I will get straight down to the action.

I was paying less attention to my opponents play tonight, although feel like I have a decent read on most of them, having played 6 months now with this crowd.  The Thurday-nighted (a term coined by Sean "The Russian") crowd were not in tonight, save for one or two. 

For a flavour of the night I includ an extract from an article I wrote recently regarding pub poker, with this particular reference to The Heron:

In fact, downing several glass of Rose wine, followed by aftershocks and cocktails of many colours is the order of the day at our Thursday night venue. These players often arrive with good intentions, but as 10 o'clock approaches, taxis are ordered and a night up-town beckons.  These players will now be happy to shove their chips in with any two cards, in the hope of being called and busted out of the tournament.  You will not see this play made on the GUKPT or the WSOP.  Be aware of your players, listen to what they say about which poker books they read, or which TV players they aspire to play like, but most importantly listen out for what time their taxi is booked and keep a mental note of their alcoholic unit consumption!

[VBlue]

continued (problems adding to that last reply)

So, with a more civilised atmosphere, bar the trash talk, a good game ensued.  I picked up 77 from the button and decided to "punish the limpers" (a move I regularly make a big noise about but rarely do without a hand) with a pot size bet of 400 with 4 callers.  Craig Ross, early caller and rock solid, then made it 800.  I gave it some thought and decided to preserve chips, with position and increasing blinds in mind.

Next hand I pick up 44 and make the same move again from the small blind with 5 callers and pick up 500 chips as all fold.  That paid for the previous hand then!

With around 4,000 after the break, 10 BBs is probably average and an OK stack at this stage, for this structure.  I then pick up 88 and get all my chips in, following 1 early caller with a large stack, knowing a call is likely with a wide range.  QJ turns over and I hold to double up to about 6,000.

I then see AA and KK with no callers and make the final table with about 6,000.

The final table sees a few short stacks get knocked out fairly quickly and I play solid positional poker and also pick up a hand or two along the way which hold; KQ vs K rag my favourite.  I eventually get heads-up, after holding AA and having the short stack move in on me; then take two hands to win it.  

[VBlue]

AK 2.5 x BB raise from button, all-in from Q10 and I call.  Then move in with 33, with 90% of chips in play and a £50 payday is mine.

My morning went less well, but I remain philosophical about my play.  I made a mis-step or two playing two tables, when hands appear on both at the same time and I have a decision, rather than an auto-play.  I also made a re-raise from the SB with a small pocket (with a v.tight image) and then got shoved on, but inexplicably called, when I had made this move to fold to the all-in in the first place!  JJ was turned over and I was out. 

Played a few hands really well.  One where I called in an early round and then flatted a raise with 10/9c, hit a 9 high flop and check called a c-bet and proceeded to extract good value, knowing exactly where I was at all times.  A little risky, but an added dimension to my game I felt.  I also had AA cracked when I owned A/rag when then shoved on the turn, with a flush draw showing and got outdrawn by the backdoor flush.

Only made one 2nd place cash, but am going to persevere with the two tables, as I will only get better by playing them more often and I will, of course, increase the number of games I am playing - times 2 if my maths is good!

Live Running Total = +£40
FT Running Total = +$9.5 (6 SNGs played)