The Fossil does Vegas

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In an earlier post, I mentioned sky had given me a deposit bonus and I had spun it up to £100, I decided today to withdraw the £60 and play with the free cash, won 2 dyms for another £40, so withdrew that, then a small spin up on cash for another £40, so withdrew that so £140 to bank, leaving the £40 deposit bonus in.

Tilt Has been slightly tilting this week so decided to play a £22 deepstack on sky which I managed to win for £310, I have now got enough to play the Gps at Nottingham if I fancy it, stuff to sort out at home first, at the minute I would say a 20% chance of playing, too short notice to get Susan looked after so it's a long shot.
Confidence taken a knock the last few day so it was good to take one down.

Swerved the 30/30 at G on Tuesday, probably first one I have missed for a while, as expected G have reduced the guarentees on all their games and to be honest the new schedule doesn't appeal that much,so I doubt I will be putting in a load of games over there for a while, wont hurt to have a break as It was definitely getting a bit stale.

At least they have put the deepstack on the Sunday now with an early start, makes more sense than a workday.

Galas £40 game on a Friday will be my one definite for the week, it gets a decent amount of runners and usually has around £800 up top, variance owes me a bit in this one, final tabling the last 3 out of 4 but with no joy at the business end.

I dont play other variants but had a go at the Irish mftops today and was going along ok until I turned a set with 88, this brought in a straight for the villain, then tilted the rest off would of been in good shape if the eights hold, all part of the fun.

Stoke looks like it will be a lot of fun gl to Captain Jack and the rest of the team, will be railing from home, run good, be lucky, stay healthy.

nb: cash can do one, prefer tournaments, stick to what I enjoy.

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Turned left instead of right tonight on the A19 and ended up in Nottingham to play the £50k gteed game.

Get there with10 mins to spare and register and we are starting with 30k 30 min blinds.

3 bet AQ and turn 2 pair after I bet the flop and turn, villain comes along and raises the river on AKJQ board, I fold and he shows a 10, pretty much expected the way things have started this year.

Win a few after flopping 2 pair with 10 7, I was priced in, honest guv, I was bb and was min raised and 2 callers later.

Chipped up to 42k turning a house with 66 after I raised and c bet a low flop, guy had called with 53, flop was q33 turn 6.

This was my peak unfortunately, I raise KK utg flatted by guy who has a Vpip of 98% and is hitting everything! flop AA4, decide not to c bet as I don"t want to be check raised, bet the turn and am called, I check the 6 on the river which brings in a diamond draw, he jams, I am only beating  a bluff here I think, I still have 30 bigs left if I fold so I give up, he rivered the house he had A6 pre, nh move on.

It was never my intention to return with 20 bigs so with 30 or so bigs left, I call guys shove 15 bigs, with AK, he has Q6, he binks the 6 and does a jig of delight, he was plastered tbh, and he did apologise when he returned to his seat, no problem, nh move on.

Super Laggy guy raises, another guy who has constantly been tangling with him calls, I shove 13 bigs with A6 diamonds, both call, flop A67, eventually 810 is tabled and 87 by the Laggy guy, turn is a 5, river a 9, sigh gg me.

Again I played ok made decent decisions got it in good  but it"s not over till the last card is dealt, frustrating but that"s poker.

It was essentially a freeroll after the win on Sky earlier in the week so no biggie, if your not in it, you can"t win it.

Perhaps I should of turned right and aimed for Gala instead.

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15th in the Sky Primo tonight for £123, slightly annoying, reraised a 15 big blind min raise with 99, only to run into AA, then jammed 12 bigs with KJ into K10, 10 spiked the river, not a great surprise that, took the £123 of the site so from their kind offer of £40 free for my £20, managed to withdraw £450 this week from there.

I could try and build a roll on there but games during the day are dire so will wait for the next offer or if I fancy one of the bigger nightly games just deposit as and when required.

Alas this only shores up the losses on tilt which is around $350 so far this month, not even close to matching last years biggest downswing which reached $1500 at one point. Loads of time to get to that particular milestone. My positive thinking course proving value for money then, lucky it"s got a 30 day refund for the course.

Constantly running into top of ranges and generally not flipping well in standard spots, going have to learn the art of winning flips from Mike McDonald (timex), whilst watching PCA tonight  he had won 5 all in pre flop flips on the spin, mbn.

There was a drunk guy on the stream who provided a bit of fun, poker at these levels is usually a dour affair, understandable considering the money they are playing for, he just spewed of 45 bigs in his last hand, and left the table with 3 hands left, asking the dealer to bag his chips up, probably a sensible decision as he looked in the mood to lose the lot, gl to him for the rest of the game.

May play the sat at the G later tonight for a 25/25 seat, next one is in Sheffield in a few weeks and am hoping to make an appearance either via a sat or with money won online, will wait and see and decide nearer the time.

Cinema and eat out today courtesy of Sky, let poker pay for the little treats in life, run good, be lucky stay healthy.

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Hard going at the minute, still slightly up for the month courtesy of Skys offer, the cash outs have paid for my last 3 live appearances which to be honest have been pretty horrible affairs, apart from Dtd which I enjoyed.

Played the sat on Sunday and was a self deal affair, unfortunately I got the short straw and dealt, don"t mind tbh, but i did forget go play early doors, constantly hearing moaning players saying they are card dead started to irritate me but didn"t want to put headphones as this may slow the game down even further.

It"s bad enough every player saying how much every time a bet is put in, without me the dealer requesting the same, the usual bets out of turn went on and I did give a one round penalty to a consistent offender but the td over ruled me, it"s about time this place had some rules for consistent offenders, but that"s for them to decide.

Ran AQ into AK for my knockout hand, would like to say it was standard but I was tilting and should of folded, with 3 seats available and only 9 left against this particular player I was flipping at best, home James.

I was chip leader in a mftops turbo event for a while, but doubling a few shorties up later I was in the middle of the pack and ended up min cashing, boring.

A late decision to play tonight"s 30/30 ( shouldn"t of bothered), get stacked on a 668 board, holding 65, guy rivers a full house, yawn, chips please 10k ok to play with, middle of third level all goes in I have 777, guy hits a 10 for a straight, same guy who stacked me earlier, mbn.

I actually re entered, again another ridiculous decision on my part, throwing £120 at this comp is total stupidity and I deserve a slap, consider myself slapped.

I will withdraw the last £60 on Sky to cover this.

Sucked out on KK with A 10, after he min clicked it back after my initial raise, wasn"t really happy he called my c bet on the ace high flop, but the 10 on the turn was ok, he open folded KK to my bet on the river.

Lose chips twice when I 3 bet limpers and I am out flopped, standard.

Played 77 weakly and deserved to lose the pot because I played it badly, should of reraised original raiser and got it in to win a flip, he had AK, but big blind had come along and hit 555 on the river, if I play it properly he is not in the hand and I win the flip, got to get back to doing stuff right.

Eventually shove A10, into KK and AK, why wouldn"t i, that has been the storey of the month so far.

Apologies if this comes across as a bit of a moan, just reporting as it happens, the good, the bad and the ugly.

A few days away from the tables wouldn"t be a bad thing as I feel as though nothing is going right, but the next game is the next game and the previous games should have no bearing on the decisions, just keep trying to get the chips in good.

If they don"t go in good, get lucky, thanks for reading.

[Erimus]

Not a lot happening the last few days, serious case of man flu, ok then a cold, had real flu once a few years ago there is a massive difference, don"t want to go through that again.

Just found out I have been playing a bit of Russian roulette on the roads, last week on my return from Nottingham was getting flashed at a lot when overtaking stuff this completely slipped my mind until Friday when taking parents up to Newcastle airport it happened again, on checking I found out both my back lights were out, so have been driving round in a jet black car with no rear lights, think I have used my run good here rather than on the poker tables.

Lights now sorted, not a fuse but a new lighting harness apparently it"s a stock fault on this car.

Made a ft on tilt yesterday only to run into kings with tens for a 9th place, pure cash bubbled the £22 deepstack on Sky, ran A9 into Jacks blind on blind, the previous hand done me, rivering trip queens giving villain broadway, hey ho, also finished 2 off the cash in the triceratops.

Still a losing month so far on tilt but still cashing in 15% of the games played! just need to get deeper and get a first second or third.

Had a winning session on zoom today, thanks to QQ > AA, and KK > AA aipf both, should lose $100 here but got to embrace the variance, ended the session +$135, I am still crap at cash and tilt far too easily.

Off to the G tonight to see if I can get anything going over there, would like to do a cash as it"s the 25/25 at Sheffield this week and that could be on the cards if I can get a bink somewhere, may play it anyway, that"s to be decided nearer the time.

Run good be lucky stay healthy.

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Birthday binkage, chopped the 30/30 tonight for £437, chocolate cake was also provided free by the casino, coincidence me thinks, will take it.

Cliffs on the tourney, early doors lose biggish pot JJ v AQ, Q on the river, this left me with 10 bigs at 100/200, decided to take the add on, then quadruple up in a limped pot were I have turned the nut flush, but it"s a paired board KK is shown, and 999 by the other 2 villains, faded the house outs, bink.

36k after the break, lose half when I reraise AK, King high flop, villain has AA, back to 18k, run JJ into KK to lose more and then the grind starts.

Get to final table with 30 bigs, lose AA v JJ, aipf jack on the turn, down to 12 bigs, eventually we lose 4 players so I am gteed £130, serious laddering skills here or the biggest nit in nitsville,sometimes you just have to grind it out.

Lol hand of the night, I push AK 5 bigs, small blind re shoves AJ, 11 bigs, big blind open folds QQ, he then moans because he would of hit a Q high flush, got to love the players at the G, AK holds without hitting so Queens would of scooped without the need for the flush.

My jacks beat 88 and when 4 handed an equal chop is agreed, I probably got the best of the deal as I only had 12 bigs but it is just a shove away from being chip leader, play is so shallow at this point.

Sheffield on Friday a distinct possibility now, thanks for reading.

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Me again, been a while, online poker teasing me the last 2 days, having a few days off Full Tilt as nothing seems to be going right there at the minute so a change is as good as a rest.

Hello PokerStars, last year here was pretty awful tbh I was winning here at the start of 2013 but am definitely losing after last years efforts, not thousands but if any one oprs me definitely will be marked as a fish but that"s tournament poker, it can be a while between cashes and significant cashes at that.

I know good brm means playing at lower stakes and building a roll but I am not going to go mad but what I am doing here is my initial deposit of $500 I play one table of zoom before I get up 25/50 ( I know it"s ridiculous but it is what it is) and this determines the days tournaments.

Over the last 2 days  I have won enough to cover around $200 of mtt buy ins and today min cashed in the Big 22, 33 and 55 also played the first tcoop and finished 3 off the cash in a $10 cubed, the roll on Stars now stands at $705 and I have made silver star so will look for the freerolls which they attract.

This could go belly up very soon or it could go big who knows but it"s going to be fun whatever happens, more than likely the former but let"s think positive.

Should be at Sheffield tonight for the 25/25, someone coming to look after Susan for the evening so unless anything happens between now and 5 that should be a goer. Any body else playing this ?.

Had a trek in the countryside the other day, it made me realise how unfit I am so this will have to be sorted, my free times when the other Carer comes will be put to good use, cycling or walking, even though I was done in I felt really good, off to buy some walking boots as the trainers I had on the other day were totally unsuitable, any way I digress.

Family news my brother who I mentioned in a previous post just been promoted at work to a senior radiographer, he has only been there 18 months, so big congrats to him, he is just to good.

If there is another post tomorrow you will know Sheffield has gone well, if there isn"t it hasn"t, run good, be lucky stay healthy.

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Sheffield didn"t happen, Susan had a chest infection so to be cautious just played the local game, Carer was round so she was not in danger.

Gala Friday was a non event played very few hands and the ones I did play I ran into KK, then ran into a set of sevens were I bricked a flush draw, and I finally jammed Q10 into KK and AA, all about timing, hit the queen as well.

Saturday seen a really deep run in the big $22 was 20/250, then lost A9 < K9 blind on blind for a top ten spot, instead I dropped down to 47th and I did not move from this position for the rest of the tournament and finished 47/4875 slightly frustrating but it"s poker $177, which has been generously been redonated back into the poker community, easy come easy go.

Sunday, I popped over to play the £20 deepstack and although I didn"t cash finished 15th I think 99 < 55 was my last hand again 5 on the river, as above frustrating I actually enjoyed the game so it was cool.

Another walking session today in my newly acquired walking shoes, had Pokerpops for company along with a young puppy who was white at the start of the walk but was black by the end of it, it"s nice to get a bit of exercise and fresh air as I definitely need it.

Logged onto Full Tilt tonight but after looking at my figures for January decided to swerve it as my graph has been requested for the downhill ski event in the upcoming Olympics in Russia.

Here is the good news, I know you were all expecting it as it is slightly easier to write this when a bink has occurred.

I plonked £22 on Sky to play the deepstack £750 gteed and managed to win it for £300, when we were heads up we started fairly level but I managed to get a 4 to 1 chip advantage just before the break, explaining to Susan this guy has to win the next 4 all in so I should be a shoe in.

1 hour later I have a 4 to 1 chip disadvantage and jammed KQ suited, villain calls with A9, the lady appears on the river, and 30 mins later won it with 72 off v K10, was an 8 bb shove, made a straight, ( this is now my favourite hand and will play it for ever and ever, not).

Any wins I have on Sky I tend to just withdraw the lot and if I fancy a game will just deposit as and when required, the games during the day are not that attractive, but Sky has certainly saved this month as far as online goes.

30/30 tomorrow at G and the £100 monthly £5k gtee on Saturday are next on the agenda, both funded by tonight"s effort, or a sneaky sat attempt for Dtds game in Nottingham at the weekend, thanks for reading, run good, be lucky, stay healthy.

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Quick review of last months efforts Full tilt losing, down to $2k from $3k, mixture of playing bad, running bad and too many second best hands at crucial times.

Stars, again no luck at the sharp end, probably offset with luck at the not so sharp end so I suppose that"s balance.

Live, cashed in a few so not losing but small win/ break even for the month.

Sky poker definitely saved the month, cashed out £750 from the 5 mtts I played there, perhaps there is message there, grind on Sky rather than tilt, to be decided.

Finished 2 off £500 seat at Dtd, frustrating as I had sucked out on QQ with KQ on a King high board, even after betting flop and turn villain Couldn"t lay down QQ, the case Q hit the river, very annoying.

So new month new hope, not really, played the £100 at G yesterday, at tea break over 29k, dwindled a lot, eventually shoved A 10 15 bigs,  cut off, dealer button reisolates with QQ, Barry arrived on the river, perhaps my luck is changing, nah.

Raise KJ shortie shoves for another 3 bigs so I call expecting to be behind to an Ace, no ahead of Q10, 10 on the flop, karma I suppose after sucking out on his queens, pivotal hand 15bb shoves utg AJ, reisolate with AQ from 25bb stack, Q high flop but villain has nut flush draw and obviously gets there, the last 10 bigs go when I run AQ into AK, pretty standard stuff.

We may have a big bill coming soon, fire was serviced on Friday, and we may have a chimney flue problem, no exact figures but research indicates between £500 and £1k which may mean emptying accounts as normal household budget will not accommodate this.

Annoying bill, but has to be done, safety has to be prime consideration, perhaps this little moan fest will moan one in today, run good be luck stay healthy.

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Managed to get to Day 2 of the Grand Prix on Sunday at Dtd, no golden chip, just flicked in the extra 30 which was lingering in the account, got 217k so around 35 bigs, used to playing with a 30 bb stack so worth the trip down the motorway.

Still running/ playing bad online probably time to take a week or two off as it"s starting to effect my mood.

Standard exit at the G yesterday, I have JJ and I am min raised after my initial raise, it stinks of AA KK QQ, of course I don"t go with my read and shove the 10 high flop, should of been an easy fold but no I just have to see that I am right, it was for 15 bigs so it should of been fold or shove pre, he had AA, incidentally 99 had called from the bb and spiked a 9, aces man had a hissy fit, but he doesn"t seem to remember the set he had earlier which cracked someone"s kings, how soon they forget.

Fire issue still not resolved, been promised return calls which have failed to materialise, Susan becoming very sweaty and heavy with 10 jumpers on, fuel poverty for the win.

[pokerpops]

Obviously looking for the "like" button

Top tips for a deep run - win flips, win 40/60, win 30/70 maybe even the odd 20/80 and above all, hold when you"re ahead.

Hope to join you Sunday, last chance saloon for me tonight.

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Gl for tonight, hope we can travel down there together on Sunday, as for the tips, the following hands will show its a skill game.

Lost KK v Ak v 2 random short stacks for a 150k pot, this left me with 10k blinds and was on mega tilt, language was ridiculous, really shouldn"t become this emotional, pathetic really.

1k5/3k blinds, jammed 10k with Q6, called by 66, Queen on the river, next hand Jam AJ, 2 randoms call, one I was dominating the other had QQ, binked an Ace so was up to 15 bigs, then a min raise utg and 2 flats it gets to me with 99 on the button, all in, original raiser tanks for ages eventually calls with A 10, won the flip and was at 190k, last but one hand I raise AK on the button, big blind tanks for ages before folding, he didn"t have me covered but would of been left with 10 bigs if we were flipping, probably would of went with it but didn"t have to make that decision.

I was told in the chat box that i flip really well, which in the hands mentioned above I did, but he forgot to mention the Ak v AQ, KK v AK and 10 10 v AQ which I had lost, swings and roundabouts.

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Estimates finally arrived today for work to be done,research showed a fee between £500 and £1k, it came bang in the middle so a £750 bill smack at the start of the year, massive sigh.    

After the news earlier in the week with that massive gas explosion can"t be too careful so it"s got to be done, engineer had cut the gas off to the fire as he would be liable if it did go up, so better to be safe than sorry.

I will see what happens on Sunday then decide if I need to withdraw cash from Tilt, down swinging at the minute so if i withdraw some it may reignite the boom switch, ( probably wrong terminology after writing the above paragraph).

Played the £40 at the G tonight, 73 runners, managed to finish 7th for £180, so this will pay for fuel to Nottingham, was always short stacked and the elusive double or treble up never arrived but managed to ladder a few spots, after a few interesting all in and calls, will take it.

Will try and update Sundays happenings on here or Twitter (@erimus1), if you want to follow, thanks for reading, run good, be lucky stay healthy.

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Just got home, finished 146th, for £175 I think, probably would of finished in a similar spot if I had stayed at home and blinded out, won blinds and antes with AQ and AK, then pretty much card and spot dead, no biggie just one of those days, exit hand sb jammed JJ into my A10, 8 bigs effective, didn"t hit move on, contemplating the 25/25 sat at the G.

Annoyed I have nothing to whinge about, Gl to any apat members left.

Won half the bill for the flue over the last 2 games, one more game on Tuesday to get the other half.

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Emptied all poker accounts tonight, made a decision if i reach the same total of my last downswing $1500, I would withdraw the lot and take a break, today I reached that point although I lost a flip on full tilt which would of gave me chip lead with 13 left for a possible $600 win.

The $12 profit I made in this game after playing for 5 hours didn"t seem to help my mood, pointless min cashing in these things.

Withdrew the last $1500, this will pay for the new Chimney flue,(marvellous) and will treat Susan too some new stuff, she deserves something, just for persevering with my outbursts, moans and groans, and the odd bit of smugness coming from a decent cash.

I have enough FTP points to buy a few tourney tickets so if I fancy a game I can indulge now and again, but for the time being will take a rest from Full Tilt.

I still intend to play but will just deposit if and when I fancy it, more than likely sats to bigger events, and the odd big game on Stars. No longer grinding mtts, just get back to playing for fun and the odd bink here and there.

Live will continue as normal, with the Tuesday game at the G and the Friday game at Rainbow (Gala), any success here may be reintroduced online at some point, that"s to be decided at a later date.

Run good, be lucky stay healthy.