One foot on the first step of the steps going up to the plane going to Vegas!

I just got myself a WSOP level 2 quali ticket on PKR. I know it's small fry but I am dead chuffed, more with the way I played than anything else. All very measured when it needed to be, aggressive on occasion, got them in on a flush and straight draw and hit, thankfully, which made a huge difference, then when I got into a commanding chip position (albeit in 2nd, miles behind the chipleader), sat back and waited for premium hands to push the little people around with. Marvellous. A VERY long way to go, of course, but we are on our way. Whoo-hoo!

My local

Well I never did. There is a poker club in my very own Chiswick, W4.
I'll admit, the picture gallery on the website doesn't do much for it. That said, the Golden Nugget, if you take out the tables and the dealers/croupiers, could be a Chinese restaurant in Bolton in the 1980's...
Is seemingly all low-ish buy in tournaments, no cash games, but has to be worth a look.
This is wonderful news, but it could get expensive.

Not to be

Wasn't meant to be my night tonight. Did the 70 quid Golden Nugget freezeout. Was seated in seat 1 which I hate, at least I have every time but one - at the MGM Grand in the 11am tourny on our last day in Vegas where I had the hottest run of my life busting 4 players in the space of 10 hands with ridiculous cards and catches.
No such luck tonight - even sat next to my favourite dealer Gabe. Skinny blond, Hungarian chap, not my type but very sweet; I hadn't realised the first time he had dealt to me he was properly flirting. He has got it in his head I am really intelligent which clearly does something for him. Ok, I got 4 As at A level, but I have a good memory, not a really academic brain, and yes, I'm quick-witted, but I still haven't the heart to blow his illusion...
I was greeted with, "Where have you been, lovely? I missed you". Well dealing me 3-7 off, 4-8 off, 2-8 off is not the way to get me rushing back. I think I won 2 pots all night; pocket 8s (again, love 8s), which got rid of everyone with a chunky bet on the turn, and AK suited which scared everyone pre-flop (but with some antes for a bit more value) when I bet 2.5 times the big blind. Other than that my pocket Queens ran into Aces but I thankfully got away from them with a K on the flop and an A on the turn. When I elected to get aggressive, re-raising my pocket 6s on a pretty impotent board, I found myself up against an all in. Just as well I couldn't call, he had KK.
So, with a literally average stack and blinds uncomfortable if not painful, I found AQ in late position. In the pot, there were 10 antes, and, by the time it got to the big blind, 5 limpers (thought I'd be a bit clever/cautious, depending on the flop). BB (and swelled stack) decides to raise to 3k total, half my remaining stack. Could be a bit of a squeeze; it folded round to me, anyway. Yes, possibly A-something, possibly a small or decent pair. Either way, am figuring it's a coin toss or better to get seriously back into it as, if he calls and I win, it's 15k-plus coming my way. Hell, I've not seen many better hands all night.

So, after some consideration, I shove. The other 2 to my left fold. He asks for a count. The 6k total is at least a third but not half of his remaining stack, I think. He calls pretty quickly, but with a tinge of obligation. He shows 10-10. Am not too distraught about this and the customary 'good luck, ma'am' or 'let the lady be lucky' shouts of support go up, most of them really genuine, I think, the rest very polite and chivalrous.
The flop, while completing his set (greeted with pantomime-esque boos and hisses from my fellow players). at least awards me a straight draw. The turn gives me a flush draw. The river pairs the board and there is a gentle wave of disappointment the nice girl didn't take the villainous man's 'money'. I acknowledge the 'nice hand, sir' and gracefully shake his (limp) hand and retire. Gabe announces 'woman down' and I publicly appreciate the distinction he makes for me.
And that's that. Out half way through, I think doing the right thing.

Probably just as well, is my (pregnant) sister's 30th birthday tomorrow in a lovely Buckinghamshire real ale and Belgian beer pub. The last thing I needed was a late night; I am drinking for 2 tomorrow. Am still positive, am still playing ok, I just need a break.

Ups and Downs (and side toolbars)

After losing my voice all week (much to the hilarity of some of my clients and colleagues, who, finally, after day 2, accepted that it was a genuine throat infection and wasn't big-silly-night-out-on-the-smash-related), I wasn't on top form tonight, so I decided to forego public poker at the Golden Nugget and have a quiet night at home with seafood, chilli and garlic pasta and a glass or 6 of white rioja.

Had the PKR WSOP (stage 1) quali bit between my teeth when I logged in but, before that was due to start, I got warmed up with a baby 12 man SNG.

I should have at least cashed and, without wishing to sound like an arse, probably should have won it - yet somehow bubbled. If I tell you J-6 suited was finally beaten, all in, by 7-3 off, it will give you an indication of how the last 30 mins went for me. The big swing hand was A-8 ahead with an A on the flop vs his K-Q (his all in called by me for a 3rd of my stack, with aforementioned top pair on the flop) which runner-runnered me. Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean...

...Then I got a teeeensy bit tilt-y, raising into the shortstack in the small blind with A-9, and calling his re-raise all in, only for him to show A-Q, which unsurprisingly, held up.

I have also, incidentally, decided that playing 2 tables at a time, even for a multi-task-enabled female, is not the way forwards; I am clearly a One Hand Woman. When the WSOP quali popped up, not only did I not get a good start in that as I was indecisive about playing hands like K-9 suited from late position, not having followed what had gone before etc, but, at the same time, I was slowly dying in the SNG; worst of both worlds - note to self; 'don't do that again'.

The quali went ok; finished 14th of 50. I won one big pot early with Ks which hit their set on the flop. Played it ok, especially as the left part of my brain was clinging on to the SNG at the time. Tripled up with A-8, later; the latter card completed a flush on the river (I was ahead pre flop when they went in, so shhh!) and the very next hand doubled up with 10s that held up v KQ (again all in pre-flop), which took me from 23rd to 8th.

I ended up raising with 5-5 from the button, called by the Dutch chipleader/nutter in the BB, who had a penchant for playing everything and making some loose plays and calls (as you can, with 40% of the chips in front of you) - but who could have just made a gentlemanly fold if the wind had been blowing in a different direction. Flop came 2,9,6 - I genuinely thought I was good, so shoved, called, he had A-9.
Another time.

Good experience overall tonight, I think; I am really looking forward to the 10k starting chips, 70 quid freezeout at The Golden Nugget tomorrow night; I am feeling good and confident and free to be aggressive at the moment, which I know my game is missing, particularly live.

I can feel some good underwear, hair straightening, perfume, heels, leg, lip gloss and, most importantly, some power poker coming on...

Back in The Game

Having not played (apart from on blackberry, which, while fun and time-killing on trains and buses, clearly doesn't count) for a week owing to various social commitments - and merely playing Moll to Leigh's Gangster in The Empire on Thursday night, when I couldn't, frankly, be bothered to i) stop drinking champagne and fresh fruit cocktails and gossiping with a girlfriend I haven't seen in months and ii) stay awake for the likely necessary 4hrs+ to make it worthwhile (although he was 800 quid up which meant nice dinner on Chiswick High Road on Saturday, bless him) - I was, in fairness, starting to get very twitchy tonight.

So, when I had nibbled my reheated lasagna from the other night, although way past my bedtime at half ten, I decided to flip the laptop open, log onto PKR and, in the absence of any soon-to-seat SNGs of any decent/inspiring description, I found myself drawn to the WSOP Stage 1 quali, due to start in 6 mins. 1 in 6 got a seat to Stage 2 - still some significant way from the flight to Vegas on 30th June, mind, but 'from little acorns' and all that...

Yes, I got a couple of very nice hands, but I induced some silly betting and got paid - and got properly and unprecedently aggressive (admittedly with pocket rockets on a less than intimidating board) and I was sitting pretty for most of the tournament in 1st to 4th, but then decided to start making some very clever moves; only problem being I chose, on all 4 occasions, to make them against the wrong players, who had the right cards.

I bubbled at the final table; I figured I was behind (perhaps not by quite as much as I actually was) when, rather short-stacked, I had hit 2nd pair (avec crap kicker - as they say in France), playing from the small blind for nothing more than value. When I bet it and got called, I figured she had to be drawing to the flush. When the 3rd heart came, making my 2 pair and with me slightly more pot committed than I'd have liked - but needs must-ed - it was one of those, 'if you've got it, good luck to you, love' moments.

And she did.

Bugger.

Disappointed of course but felt (mostly) very good. Plenty of time, too, for qualification for WSOP 2010.

And, besides, I'd have traded a ticket tonight for Spurs getting at least a point, and ideally 3, tomorrow night at Man City. Over to you, boys....

In the Money

I haven't won a sit n go for what feels like ages. Thankfully that changed tonight on PKR. Goodness knows how, though.
Apparently, according to the chap in the cap from Watford at the final table (who, incidentally, went out 5th for no money), I was like a bad itch that wouldn't go away. He had a point, in fairness, I had virtually no stack, even less decent cards. To get me back into something resembling contention, it took a friendly pocket pair of 8s (oh, how I love 8s) and an over exuberant shove over the top of my raise with K6 from the guy to my left (aggressive little sod, he was going to do it sooner or later). My pair held up and, while still behind one guy and absolutely miles behind the chipleader (4 to 1 or so), I combined battling back with sitting back, while the boys got silly.
Somehow, considering I had nearly gone out in the first 20 mins, I had ended up heads up. With such limited expectation, having exceeded any I had had in the previous hour just by getting this far, I managed to get my man to fold to lots of flops, even when he'd raised pre-.
All those hours sat, knelt, laid, shuffling on the living room floor playing 20p-40p blinds with Leigh came into their own; One huge pot, as is often the case, changed the complexion when my 10 came on the river and he didn't believe. Then, when my Jack hit on the turn a few hands later and he shoved with A high, I couldn't call quickly enough. I think the word is 'tidy'. Me and poker are, happily, the best of friends again.
Hmmmmmm, bed time......

The Good Girls Don't Win

So, the Golden Nugget was the venue of choice tonight. Considering I had 2 hands (both 9's) for the first hour, which both faced hideous flops, I felt good going to the last 3 tables of the tourny. Had hit a straight and bluffed another big pot for a few chips but still no real monsters. Needing to make a move before too long, I got dealt QJ suited under the gun 2nd hand after the most recent break and shoved. Folded round the the BB, the only other female left; fake blonde, cap, (fake) Coco Chanel shades... She had a bit more than me (she had had them in twice before in the previous levels, behind - and had sucked out).
I knew she was calling when she said, sorry, whined, "I kinda like my hand... I know you're ahead, but..."
She flips Q-10 off. Ten on the flop. Should have known when the dealer announced "4-8 more, Lise". Stupid Essex Solidarity.
I might cry. Didn't do anything wrong all night and yet am still somehow embarassed.
Bugger...