Thoughts of Rup

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Bad run

Did my weekly trip to Gutshot on Friday for the £10 rebuys.

The tournament was pretty boring, got to 3000 chips from the initial 500 by taking flops cheap and hitting lots. A couple of 50/50s lost set me back and I decided to go out just before the end of the rebuy period at damage of £20.

Went to the pony game for some action, lots of familar faces around. One pretty nice hand, I limped with 74 suited in midposition, guy in late position bet the pot and I called with about 4 runners. Flop came Q4x and everyone checked. Turn card was a 3 and the initial raiser bet £3 which only I called. River came a Q and he bet £10. I was fairly certain that he had been betting and missed with something like AK/AJ maybe even AT in this game so I called and the 74 was good. Everyone was pretty surprised with my call, he showed AK and I reasoned that that was exactly how I used to play AK.

Another big hand, I straddled for £1 (an additional optional blind making it £0.25-£0.50-£1) and found aces. Nearly everyone called and I bet out the pot to make it £7 to play. 2 callers and I was in midposition. Flop came 974, pretty much an ideal pot for me. UTG made it £10, a fairly small bet considering the pot size, so I went all the way with my money which was about £60. They both called! I knew I was in big trouble, Jimmy who was last to act said he hoped one of us had Aces. I showed them, he showed 99, and the other guy showed 97.

After rebuying in a couple of times (can't remember how I did my second pony), I had found my way back up to around £45. I limped with 99 and the small blind bet out the pot making it £7 more for everyone. Nearly everyone called and the pot stood at around £30. The flop came 443 and it checked round to me, I bet out the pot which was all of my remaining money. It folded to the inital raiser who thought and kept saying he thought I was trying to bluff the big pot. He eventually called and asked if I had the 4. I said I didn't and he said "I knew it". The turn was another 4 and the river an ace. I say I have 9s and he says well i've just rivered you then and he showed AQ! Bit annoying but he's made an incorrect play and so I have gained in the long run from it...

I ended the night stuck £160 which includes meals/drinks/internet so a pretty bad night all in all.

On Saturday I made £210 from sports betting which was nice and today I am off to Gutshot again with the Imperial Poker Society to play in the £30 freezeout which should be good fun although i'm hoping to get an earlier night than normal trips to the gutshot which means leaving before the tube is closed. Of course if I get far in the tournament then I guess I will shift the 20 quid for the taxi home...

Till next time

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

The pony game

I went down to Gutshot last night seeing as I was completely lecture free today for the "starters night" tournament as well as cash games. I arrived at about 7pm, plenty of time to signup for the 8pm £5 rebuy tournament.

After finishing my tuna and cucumber sandwich, we kicked off and it seemed as though I had a pretty tough table -- Ade and Rupon being two strong players that I recognised. As well as that, Ade asked before hand if anyone was an actual beginner so he could explain basic rules and etiquette but no one said they were and that became clear once we started playing!

The structure of the £5 event if quite a quick one, 500 starting chips and a 30 minute clock initially, 20 minutes after the 1 hour rebuy period.

I decided I was going to play fairly tight unless an all in session all round happened which aren't rare in these events. I doubled up fairly early on with KK against Rupons QJ after a queen high flop. A jack on the turn left me in trouble but the board paired and it was mine.

Towards the end of the rebuy period I made a move with KJ under the gun but a guy two to my left couldn't get his chips in quicker with AJ. The board didn't help and I took the rebuy. A complete drought of hands despite the top up at the end of the rebuy period and I was soon committed with 73 in the big blind, I called the UTG all in (half my stack was the BB) and he had KJ sending me out.

To the cash games! At gutshot the smallest game is a £25 PL with a 3 quid rake every hour. I soon got through my first pony, details of which escape me so I went and chilled for a bit in the internet room whilst I waited for a spot on the table next door to come free with 3 LSE students who are always great fun to play with.

A seat came free and I sat with my pony, soon doubling it up against a nice chap across the table from me. The LSE guys Paul and Rupon were discussing how I played and Paul reckoned I was a rock! Gave me a bit of a laugh but I guess I do play much tighter in live play which probably isn't as correct seeing as you see a lot less hands than online.

I was on about £60, and Rupon on my left bet the pot out (he has me covered). I had KT of diamonds and decided to take a look in the BB with 3 runners. The flop comes KJx with 1 diamond, and I check as first to act. Rupon makes a medium-large bet (can't remember if it was the pot or not -- it may have been) and Dan, the other guy in the pot, and myself call. The turn comes another medium diamond and I make a bet of £25. Rupon thinks for a long time before making it £50 and Dan passes after some thought. I call my remaining 20 quid or so and the river makes my flush. I took down the pot but Rupon shows AA! A lucky river for me. We discussed the hand afterwards, both Dan and Rupon weren't sure if they should put me on KJ or not, Dan said he put me on KQ with a flush draw which was as good as correct.

So i'm sitting at the pony buyin table with around £135 and it is the last hand before the £3 table charge. I decide to limp with 77 for £1 (there was a straddle) and the flop comes 7TQ rainbow. I check and a fairly tight player bets out the pot. Rupons girlfriend raises for the rest of her chips (about £15) and I call. The initial raiser then reraises the pot and I am left with a genuine decision. I finally decide that if he has a bigger set than good luck to him and move all in which he calls for not much more. The turn and river were low I think, can't remember exactly but he has a good look at his hand before showing an ace and mucking. Rupon's girlfriend (who's name escapes me) shows QT and I scoop another huge pot. A nice cash out of £268.50 from a £25 buyin game!

Later on I sit again with 25 and sit tightly before losing it with QQ vs AJ on a 678 flop, A on the turn. Another 30 was done with 99 vs AT, me all in pre flop -- by this time they had fairly big stacks -- so I got 2 callers and the A on the turn and T on the river put me out.

By this time it was 5:20 and the tube was back up so I strolled home.

All in all a good fun night at the Gutshot with a nice profit to come home with!

Monday, October 24, 2005

Intro

I suppose I should introduce myself really...

First of all my name is Rupert. Lived in Suffolk my whole life until I recently moved to London for university, more on that later though. I first got into poker via the internet like so many others. At first I just played the freerolls for fun whilst I was making nice money out of casinos -- while I was 16.

After getting bored of losing $10 on every sit and go I tried, I decided I wanted to get a bit better. I wanted to play winning poker. A friend recommended some good books on the subject, David Sklansky ones mainly but I have since added to my collection with Harrington books amongst others.

I started doing ok, I got a couple of nice multi table victories under my belt and I naturally thought I was invincible. It didn't take long to pay back the winnings as I found out I was no where near as good as I thought. Sod it I thought, I even considered getting a proper job for a long long time but alas poker was much more fun.

Move forward a year or so, last year of A levels and going to mates house to play a 50p freezeout was much more fun than sitting through another tedious Physics lesson -- good days, poker, nintendo, and maybe even a drink or two if I wasn't driving.

As the school year came to a close and the pressure of exams was on, I decided that just in case sometime in the future I wanted to get a paying job rather than living on my swinging bank balance my whole life, I ought to do some work. I did enough in my A levels to get into a nice uni, two A's and a C in maths, further maths, and physics sealed the deal.

Rather than get a job all holiday I opted to bet on sports and play poker, as well as the odd fleecing of an online casino (i'm sure you are all aware of the money to be made there). I was partly doing well, but largely unsuccessful and found myself poor as a tramp come the end of the holidays.

Like having no money would stop me from gambling, I discovered a nice overdraft/student loan as I started at Imperial college, University of London. First week in, no poker yet but a couple of hundred quid down from various freshers events and getting used to paying for my own toothpaste, but I was just getting ready.

At the end of my first week, I made a trip over to the Gutshot card club -- I had been many times before but never by myself always with mates. On a Friday you can play the 2pm freezeout, the 5:30pm happy hour, and the 8pm rebuys. It's a busy day, especially if you decide to skip the hardware lectures.

I got my first cash from a tournament in a live game that day, coming 7th in the 8pm £10 rebuy tournament. It was a nice £120 cash and kept me going for the week.

Confidance was high but I was very tired from the freshers events. I proceeded to lose the £120 in no time on the 'net but thats isn't a problem -- i'm used to it by now.

Back to the gutshot the next Friday and despite spending £100 on the £10 rebuys (!) I somehow managed to come back with the amount I took, thanks to the crazy £25 PL cash game there.

The next week I had an amazing run. On Wednesday I won a $5 rebuy on Stan James for $430. I have half of Thursday as pointless lectures so I got back at 12 and played the $30 "lunchtime crapshoot" tournament on Ladbrokes. I ran off as an easy winner -- the quality of play is appalling even if it is a crapshoot -- and took a nice $1200.

The next day, Friday, I was down the Gutshot again, this time arriving just in time for the happy hour. As I queued up, they had to open up another table due to the popularity of it making it 49 runners instead of 40. As I got to the desk, Jake behind the counter said "Sorry tournaments full". Gutted I was! He decided to make an alternatives list so if anyone went out in the first 30 minutes we could play. It didn't take long and I took the full 15 quids worth of chips and my seat. 2 hours later and i'm at final table as chip leader. The blinds are crazy so people are going out every other hand. Before I know it, I have won first place and £192! I left a £12 tip for the dealer which is the norm there.

This pretty much brings you up to scratch with my life of gambling, feel free to leave a comment or two (you will need a blogger account but everyone has one these days).

No wise words to leave from me but i'm sure you could teach me a thing or two about the game, life, money.