Duke attempts the Impossible

[daniel b]

You do know it does actually make sense lol, i think you play better p1$$£d anyway, also im lookin forward too admiring the blackpool attractions if you know what i mean .

[coprey]

I think your friend Daniel talks a lot of sense.  

Luv the blog, thanks for the laughs.

[APAT]

Blackpool tomorrow for the £200 deep stack freezeout with a goodly clock. Dan (DanielBlythen) is making the trip as well and the MSN chat went something like this last night.

Dan: You still going to Blackpool
Duke: Yep

Dan: Right I'm going as well
Duke: Great, I'll drive

Dan: We going to get a B&B for the Sat night
Duke: The tourney starts at 3pm so it probably won't be too late a finish I might just drive back, it's only an hour

Dan: You not drinking ??
Duke: Gonna play this one sober

Dan: sry just picking myself off the floor
Duke:

Dan: We could get a cheap B&B so we could have a couple of drinks
Duke: Nope. I'm taking this one serious

Dan: I usually just sort one out when I get there
Duke: NO

Dan: Be a pity not to have a couple of bevies while Chezger are on tour
Duke: NO

Dan: We need not start drinking until later on...
Duke: Like that's gonna happen

Dan: You know it makes sense, you can relax when you know you don't have to drive home
Duke: OK let's go for it.


There goes another tourney  

Fk my life

[duke3016]

Chezger hit Blackpool for the £200 freezeout in the G. Myself and Dan were to set off at 11ish when I noticed a text from RichEO sying his car was kaput. So we took a little detour via Manchester to pick up the man who hasn"t seen daylight for at least a year.

We arrived in Blackpool parked the car at the Casino, booked into a B&B and sauntered back to the Casino. The plan was to stay sober for the 3pm comp.

"What you having" -- "Carona NFL" --- ooops fk my life

Anyway the comp had £15k starting chips and a 45 minute clock, good structure.

Remember there were three of us in the car, and we ended up in seats 3 4 5 on the same table after discussing our personal strategies & tactics on the way u - fk my life  

Anyway we plugged away with RichEO as usual building his chip stack steadily -- the man is good. After 3 levels I was still on 15k, grinding or what. Dan had a couple of runs and was sitting on 40k -- two hands later (10 10 v A K - K on river) (77 v 99 to a 5 card flushed board and no club) he was out. After 7 hours I was on 20k -- call me the grinder from now on, I"m tighter than a ducks arse...

It"s easy poker then with blinds 1k 2k it was all in or fold -- allin with A J - man dwells for a while and calls with QQ I go out in 12th -- what was he waiting for, christmas - fk my life

RichEO is still in (he went a little later) so with a complete disregard to our own needs, myself and Dan decide to do a little recco on behalf of the APAT forum trip in July. We visited various "entertainment" establishments and have a short list drawn up.

We left Sunday morning in order to drop RichEO (out of tourney up in cash - he runs good) and the frigging wipers packed in and it was pissing down - fk my life.

I stopped at the side of the motorway and RichEO gets out and fixes the wipers. Well he pulled the passanger one so far to the left it stuck on door jam. Well at least the driver one was still working.

We dropped RichEO off and Dan says "I"ll sort it these wipers - I know a thing or two about cars" - BANG - fuse gone and no wipers at all -- fk my life

Called my favourite organisation, the AA "Hi my name is Duke and I"m an eejit"

AA man fixed it and off we go, two miles later it"s packs in again... Oh well I had a good time

Good friends - good spot -- great life -- priceless. 

[duke3016]

[duke3016]

[duke3016]

Home game tonight and as can be seen from the YTD league table I am down in mid table. This I assure you is a reflection on my game at the moment and I seem to be severely over playing hands to try and get out of the rut.

I did take a break from my usual grind and played a few PLO STT"s These were indeed a refreshing break from the usual and I would recommend to anyone that if their normal game is suffering change codes for a few days it works wonders.

I am back on the winning trail again and raring to go. Haven"t done a whole lot to warrant entry in this blog and the next big one is the Virgin Fessie at the end of the month (yes I did luckbox a seat on-line).

So in time honoured fashion here is tonight"s plan

1. Stay sober
2. Only race when confident I"m ahead
3. Don"t commit all my chips on ANY kind of draw
4. Stay composed and calm in the face of blatant sledging
5. Do not resort to underhand talking tatics against other players
6. Take any beat with dignity.

Will edit those 6 points tomorrow. Any bets on which ones get broken (I suppose 1"s a given   )

Good company - Great Craic -- priceless

[duke3016]

1. Stay sober (You figure)
2. Only race when confident I"m ahead (Was ahead -- still lost FML !!)
3. Don"t commit all my chips on ANY kind of draw (Yaheeehh didn"t do this)
4. Stay composed and calm in the face of blatant sledging (Nope)
5. Do not resort to underhand talking tatics against other players (Couldn"t resist)
6. Take any beat with dignity.


Normal service has been resumed -- no points last night

1 out of 6 is an improvement for me --- Never mind Good Craic -- Priceless

[duke3016]

The reason I am not in Dublin this week end is because I committed to helping in a charity event for this weekend. I am just back from that and here is a little report...

Chezger personnel are not usually noted for their, shall we say, exploits involving physical exercise. However this week end saw them take on the 24hr three peak challenge. Well when I say them, I mean Jason (Jaycbee) was one of the walkers and I was one of the drivers.

We were part of a group of people from the Computer Department at work and were raising money for charity. For those of you who don't know the challenge. It involves walking to the top of the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland all within 24hrs (that's why I volunteered for the driving FFS)

7 intrepid walkers in 3 vehicles with 3 designated drivers started at Snowdon at 9am Saturday morning. As they started off the drivers set off for Pete's eats in Llanberis for a full fry up (it's a hard job but someone has to do it). The walkers completed that task in 3hr 10 mins, I was tired typing that FFS..

We were like a scene from the "Italian Job" when we headed off for Scafell Pike in a convoy (well instead of souped up minis we had two Picasso's and a 307sw). We arrived there shortly before 4.30pm. As they set off we retired to the local pub for Lamb Hotpot (alternative challenge for the drivers is three meals in three countries, tough job eh). They completed that walk in 3hrs 35min, they were flying.

We set off for Scotland and the last peak of Ben Nevis. Driving through the night we arrived at the base at 2.00am. They set off, head torches blazing and the drivers had a kip (hard job this driving, I however didn't sleep a wink. I don't mind driving  Picasso but I wouldn't like to live in one). They reached the peak (which completes the challenge) at 06:15 which means they finished the challenge in a staggering 21hrs and 15 mins. Well done to all the walkers...

As for the drivers, we kept to a schedule (even if at times we looked like we were going for pole at the British Grand Prix) and we covered 997 miles (I am seriously knackered). So a big up for the drivers as well.. (Oh and we had a breakfast in Fort William completing the driver challenge of three meals in three countries in 24hrs).

I have never been to any of these before peaks and let me tell you although the driving was tiring the scenery certainly was not. It was stunning, these areas are well worth a visit, even if like me you don't do a lot of waking. I can only imagine what the views were like at the top of each peak.

And let me assure you imagining the view from the top is all I will be doing....

Although I may take the train to the top of Snowdon, and a very nice train it is too..

[duke3016]

Last nights home game was class as usual Andy has opened up a huge lead in the YTD (B52BOMBER on BSQ) watch his arse tonight I am gonna woop it. Although in one particular hand last night against him I have recognised a huge failure in my game.

I am **** at reading, **** at folding and absolutely crap at poker - that about covers it.

We both flat call flop comes with      

I am holding  ah  ,

Andy is first to act bets I call, turn is  ,

he bets I call, river is  .

He fires in a bet that is most of my chips. What have I put him on? well I have put him on highish pair (**** read as it turns out) I have the nut flush can I get off it -- NO WAY fk my life he had pocket   .  Could I have got off it earlier, don"t know I think so.

Later on I filled a set of A"s with rag A in the pocket I knew Danny had an A and I still called his all in -- bad play, I knew he had it why did I call -- don"t know must try better.

Anyway - good company -- great craic -- priceless

[duke3016]

[duke3016]

January 2nd 2009

Wasn't Phil "the power" Taylor awesome last night 109 average is there no-one that can beat him this year. There are a lot of people who complain that he does not get the national recognition for being at the top of his profession for the last 16 years. I think he does, OK he isn't an MBE/CBE/OBE bar and ribbons, but he gets well paid and he is recognised within the darting community as the greatest ever.

It was a struggle to get up for work this morning (something to do with a few bottles of very nice Chilean Merlot). On that point I purchased a home breathalyser thingy and have started to use it prior to leaving the house in the morning. It is an indication only but I will not leave the house until it glows green. My job allows me to work from home on the very odd morning it was glowing amber/red over the festive period.

On the poker front I had a strangely profitable Christmas, the children had gone to their mother's on Christmas Day and I played a few MTT's and do you know what, all the other players were playing worse than me. I finished Christmas Day up $600. This was a one off and I have resolved to be more selective in 2009 about which games I get involved in. This is mainly because I do not have the patience or the will to be focused at the tables on-line so I think a few very small micro stakes for 2009 for my fun poker (a man's gotta know his limitations) and reserve my recreational bankroll for the APAT series of games.

I have not played any poker other those 360 runner games on Pokerstars  this year. OK OK I know it's only the second day, but hey that's restraint for me. Even though these games are a complete idiotic all in fest early doors I managed to cash in a couple. In fact I am up $2.40 for the year, if I keep this up I will be showing an on-line profit of $438 for the whole of 2009 (dances a jig around the room). I am reserving my strength for the APAT on-line games and, if I am lucky enough to gain a seat, for the live ones as well. It is such a goodly amount of poker for the year that I think that will satisfy my lust for the "higher" buy in events.  In previous APAT seasons I have luckboxed my way to a National second day (7 hands with AA helped in that one) and to a complete set of on-line medals (G/S/B) and enjoyed immensely the games and the craic. I am certain S3 will be even better with the added bonus of Son of Duke accompanying me, both on the virtual felt and in the bricks and mortar.

This whole league of cities thing has me excited and I am on the Liverpool team. I think it is going to be tremendous fun and very competitive. At the moment I am trying to arrange a "bonding session" at Chezger so the team can meet and talk strategy for the coming season. That last sentence was a pile of crap, we will get smashed and have a great evening...........

Impromptu home game at Chezger tonight -- 9 runners -- Will give you all the gory details tomorrow.

[HaworthBantam]

I have a laugh when I play and that will not change, I do not make a profit, however I also do not make a significant loss either, and that suits me. I have a good job that pays well and as far as jobs go in this current environment it seems "safe". Nothing is certain in this world but the fact that I would never make a living out of poker is as certain as night follows day.

I like your attitude, Ger, very healthy imho.

I shall look forward to your ramblings.......

[technolog]

Great posts Ger. Nice to see the blog back up and running, long may it continue. Keep smashing the Stars 360 runner games!

Hope to see you at Walsall

[duke3016]