**** CHALLENGE ABORTED ****

I withdrew my money and stopped the challenge due to generally being fed up of it, I might have another crack at some point in the future though - watch this space!!!

(For the record I cashed out at €1000, or €996.47 to be precise)

Played 3 games. Finished 1st in the €5+0.50 forum game for €102.50, finished first in a 50FPP freeroll for €25.00 and went out in 96th out of 377 in the €10+1 €3500GTD (to a bad beat).

Quite a good first night back really. Though I still got quite bored and played a bit over-aggressively at times, had a bit of luck when I needed it though!

Current balance: €1170.68

Long time no update...

So what has happened since I last posted nearly a month ago? Won loads? Gone bust? Well....not much, as I haven't been playing! Too many sick bad beats have left me frustrated and I find I just can't be bothered with poker at the moment. Struggling to concentrate and finding it a bit boring really. I've played the Gambling.co.uk forum game a couple of times which I normally enjoy as its a good standard of poker for the buy-in but even in that lately I've been getting stupid beats and bad luck so just haven't bothered playing much.

Having said all that I might play some poker later so I will see how I get on and if I want to get back on with the challenge. As it stands I've played just over 500 games which isn't much at all over 7-8 months.


Current balance: €1059.68

Still no tilt!

I have managed not to tilt for a while now, which is pretty good. I am running a bit better so not sure if that's the reason behind or if I am genuinely improving!! Not making massive progress but am generally making a small profit each time I play and I came second in the Gambling.co.uk forum game too, my hands held up all night until heads up when I was rivered into second, ah well. Might play a few more games after this but as things stand...


Current balance: €926.67

Profit again today..

..not that much though but better than losing (which I started off doing). Playing mostly €20 games now with some €30's and also €10 games as they fill up quicker. Surprising how bad some of the players are still, though I did notice in a €20 10 seater it got much tougher towards the end and a bit crapshooty as there was 4 of us pretty much playing standard sit n go tactics, the blinds got really high and I ended up finishing 3rd but it could just as easily been 1st, 2nd or 4th really.

Played 9 games today and still haven't tilted woop woop!!! 2 days clean! haha!



Current balance: €865.77

Coolers!

Just mostly been playing coolers today, managed to 5-table comfortably at one point which I was pleased with as I normally only play 2-3. Going to try and stick to 4 or 5 tables at a time when playing the Cooler games in the future (top 5 double their money in these), as they are easier to multi table.

Also, I invested in a new book - Zen and The Art Of Poker! To try to stop my tilt problem!! It teaches you the art of "Zen" and how to apply these philosophies to poker - something to do with Buddhism, I've not read it yet so not sure exactly what, but I read a bit at random and it seems good!! And I didn't tilt today for the first time in ages! Not sure if that's because I was winning though and didn't get as many bad beats.... watch this space!!


Current balance: €827.77

Back once again...

Well I'm back, and the no tilting plan went out the window in the first game I played (damn me!!!) It was the weekly forum game and I was chip leader when I lost a 4000 pot at the 50/100 level with AA v KJ on a J high flop, played a bit silly after that...

Still trying not to tilt but it seems like when I've got stressful things going on in my personal life I can't shut it out when I'm playing poker and every donk bad beating me sets me off :o( I've chucked away quite a few games by shoving all in with crap on another table after being bad beat on a seperate one....trying hard to stop this now!! I have had some silly beats though and they seem to keep happening in the €20+2 games. I was playing a €20 one, a €10 or €15 and a cheaper one but kept cashing in the lower two and getting no luck in the 20 euro, e.g the most recent one I was chip leader with 7 left and the person in 2nd couldn't fold their J-J pre flop. I had K-K and I don't really need to mention the obvious J on the flop.

Anyway, enough moaning!! I haven't really made any progress and have dropped down to the €640 mark at times but have got it back up to over €750 so I thought that deserves a blog update!!


Current balance: €768.52

Quick update

I've been tilting away my money over the last few days like an idiot. Playing stupidly and just gambling early on in games like a fool. I managed to win the forum game tonight though to claw it all back though (luckily). With the help of this amazing suckout about halfway through:


***** Hand 1463642094 *****
100.00/200.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 17 February 2009 21:22:54
Forum €150 Added (Real /Tournament )
Seat 1: RichGhost (514.00)
Seat 2: Unknown (0.00)
Seat 3: ratboy01 (3310.00)
Seat 7: CitrusSR (4400.00)
Seat 4: suzanne66 (3625.00)
Seat 5: rfph1 (2831.00)
Seat 6: Juliet2211 (2533.00)
Seat 8: Mango_99 (3187.00)
Seat 9: Unknown (0.00)
Seat 10: Unknown (0.00)
ratboy01 post SB 100.00 s
uzanne66 post BB 200.00
** Deal **
RichGhost [N/A, N/A]
ratboy01 [N/A, N/A]
CitrusSR [Qd, Qc]
suzanne66 [N/A, N/A]
rfph1 [N/A, N/A]
Juliet2211 [N/A, N/A]
Mango_99 [N/A, N/A]
*** Bet Round 1 ***
rfph1 Raise to 575.00
Juliet2211 Call 575.00
CitrusSR Raise to 1425.00
Mango_99 Fold
RichGhost Fold
ratboy01 All-in 3310.00
suzanne66 Fold
rfph1 Fold
Juliet2211 Fold
CitrusSR Call 3310.00
*** Flop(Board): *** : [6h, 10h, Ks]
*** Turn(Board): *** : [6h, 10h, Ks, 9d]
*** River(Board): *** : [6h, 10h, Ks, 9d, Jd]
*** Showdown *** : Rake: 0.00
Total Pot: 7970.00
RichGhost Fold Win: 0.00
ratboy01 [Kc, Kh] Three of a kind, kings Win: 0.00
CitrusSR [Qd, Qc] Straight to the king Win: 7970.00
suzanne66 Fold Win: 0.00
rfph1 Fold Win: 0.00
Juliet2211 Fold Win: 0.00
Mango_99 Fold Win: 0.00

So with that funny hand I am back to about what I was! I'm off to Spain for a week now so should come back refreshed and ready to give up tilting forever!! Let's hope so.


Current balance: €754.52

A Bad few days

A mixture of bad luck and bad play at the moment and I'm losing consistently the last couple of days. Can't stop tilting when I lose to idiots making retarded calls with nothing then rivering me or making calls with rag-rag pre flop then hitting, the list is endless... though now I have started doing the same sort of thing, so I am a bigger idiot - probably why I am losing to be honest!!

I'm blatantly never going to be able to stop this tilt problem so not sure whether to just give up poker, I'm really not enjoying it anymore.

Current balance: €664.27

Hello!!!

Not played much really but thought I'd update the balance for all you balance lovers!!!


Current balance: €732.27

Not playing enough?!

I really feel like I'm not playing enough games in this, I normally play less than 5 a day and think I should be playing more, in theory my profit would be a lot better if I did! Though my concentration wanes after an hour or two so maybe not.... anyway enough rambling, todays results:

I did my usual set of 3 - a Cooler, a 10 seater and a 10 seater pays 4 places (All €10+1 games), finishing in the top 5, 8th and 2nd respectively. Also played a €5+0.50 speed game in which I finished 2nd for another little bit of profit today. Giving up now as I am tired and normally tilt when I'm tired!!!


Current balance: €721.57

Nothing very interesting...

Not much to update, pretty standard night of losing coinflips. Played a €10+1 cooler and a couple of low stakes 5 seaters at lunch, cashing in all 3 though.


Current balance: €703.57

The good run continued into this evening, I played 3 more games - a €10+1 Cooler where I finished in the Top 5 to double my money, a €5+0.50 30 player game in which I finished 3rd for €24 and a €10+1 10 seater that I won for €50, a good day!


Current balance: €690.87

Daytime Poker FTW?

Just had a couple of games after lunch before going to the gym, they were surprisingly tilt free, possibly due to the fact that I'm nowhere near as tired as I am in the evenings?! They were successful anyway, played two 5 seaters, a €10+1 and a €15+1.50 and won them both. Lunchtime poker could be the way forward....if I ever get time!


Current balance: €624.37

Treading Water

Still moving up slowly but sometimes it feels like I'm going nowhere fast. It seems to go through stages like this! Currently playing mostly €10+1 games. I am bankrolled for the €20+2 games but they seem to take ages to fill up, especially during the day so I have only played one of these so far (I went out with two pair v a set in a raised pot). The balance has been at €580-590 at a high point, but with the higher buy-ins it drops quite quickly if you don't consistently cash, so it has dropped below the €500 mark a couple of times.

Current balance: €564.37

A bit more *profit*

Played 3 games yesterday but only made about 5 euros profit. Tonight I just played the forum €150 value added game, €5+0.50 entry and there was 12 runners. I sat out the first half an hour or so as I was out and when I finally got online there was only 7 left. Managed to finish 2nd in the end though which was good. I had a bit of a chip lead heads up so it was disappointing I didn't win it really. I got dealt rag-rag hand after hand and my opponent repeatedly went all in over any move I made with my rags which made it difficult, eventually I shoved 4-6 into 10-10 which was the beginning of the end. Still, I got €63 for 2nd so it's not bad at all.


Current balance: €565.87

Quite a good day today

I only played four games but was fairly successful. All €10+1 games as I decided I was getting a bit fed up of the €5 ones and thought I should be playing the higher buy-ins more consistently. I am now bankrolled for €20 games so will start playing them too, only trouble is they take longer to fill up. So todays €10+1 NLHE games:

Cooler - Finished in the top 5
10 seater pays 4 places - Finished 8th due to a pretty stupid all-in re-raise that I did!!
10 seater - Finished 1st
10 seater pays 4 places - Finished 3rd

So I have just about broken the €500 barrier at last which I am pleased about, hopefully I can keep moving forward and eradicate the bad play that seems to have creeped into my game lately.


Current balance: €500.37

No Progress...

I am still stuck around the same mark. The highest I've had my balance so far is €490. If I'm not getting ridiculous bad beats I am playing some seriously crap poker. Either because I am on tilt or because I am too tired to concentrate, tonight was a prime example of that and my balance dropped right down to €405. I managed to make it to heads up in the last €10+1 10 seater I played but did a silly tilt all in re-raise.... luckily for me I inflicted a bad beat of my own for once and I went on to win that to bring my balance back up to €455. Time to stop for today!


Current balance: €455.37

Just a little update - played two €5+0.50 5 seaters after the last post, finishing 1st and 2nd in them. These are blatantly easier than the €10+1 ones, mainly because the players are slightly more passive in general whereas your average donk in the €10 ones seem to be a bit trigger happy with the all ins/big raises.


Current balance: €462.82

Same old Sh*t

Didn't have a very long break, as you can see! I wish I had though as I've had a crap afternoons play. Played two €5+0.50 Omaha 5 seaters, coming second in both. Ok I can't complain too much about bad beats heads up as it's always a bit luck based with the quick blinds in these sit n gos, but still I could have won both with a bit more luck.

I also played two €10+1 10 seaters (pays 4 places). Another second place in the first one, which again I can't really complain about. But the second game was ridiculous, I was flying high in chip lead when I raised the short stacked button all in from the button+1, he called but the big blind decided to go all in aswell for about 300 chips more with K-J, rivering a king. So the short stacks out but now I'm down to 5th out of 6. Two hands later I get dealt A-K suited, the person in 6th went all in (it turns out with Ace-rag), I go all in and the same donk that had K-J called with J-8. Obvious 8 on the river and I've gone from chip leader to out in the space of a few hands. Argh!!!

Whilst all this has been going on I'm in a €1+0.10 MTT, with 418 starters and we are now down to 55 players, top 40 make the money. A serial limper limps in (surprise), and then makes a ridiculously horrible call against my all in:


***** Hand 1398550029 *****
300.00/600.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 08 January 2009 17:24:19
Texas Holdem (Real /Tournament )
Seat 1: vilaxoan (7518.00)
Seat 2: AZ69008 (8022.00)
Seat 3: CitrusSR (6073.00)
Seat 4: midaz1 (12985.00)
Seat 5: jsk79 (7494.00)
Seat 6: halasjani_ (5408.00)
Seat 7: tooms2111 (9563.00)
Seat 8: PASTISMAN (18082.00)
Seat 9: zykoss (11273.00)
Seat 10: Unknown (0.00)
AZ69008 post SB 300.00
CitrusSR post BB 600.00
** Deal ** vilaxoan [N/A, N/A]
AZ69008 [N/A, N/A]
CitrusSR [9d, Ah]
midaz1 [N/A, N/A]
jsk79 [N/A, N/A]
halasjani_ [N/A, N/A]
tooms2111 [N/A, N/A]
PASTISMAN [N/A, N/A]
zykoss [N/A, N/A]
*** Bet Round 1 ***
midaz1 Fold
jsk79 Call 600.00
halasjani_ Fold
tooms2111 Fold
PASTISMAN Fold
zykoss Fold
vilaxoan Fold
AZ69008 Call 600.00
CitrusSR All-in 6073.00
jsk79 Call 6073.00
AZ69008 Fold
*** Flop(Board): *** : [10h, Jd, Qc]
*** Turn(Board): *** : [10h, Jd, Qc, 4h]
*** River(Board): *** : [10h, Jd, Qc, 4h, 2h]
*** Showdown *** : Rake: 0.00 Total Pot: 13196.00
vilaxoan Fold Win: 0.00
AZ69008 Fold Win: 0.00
CitrusSR [9d, Ah] Highest card ace Win: 0.00
midaz1 Fold Win: 0.00
jsk79 [Qd, 9s] Pair of queens Win: 13196.00
halasjani_ Fold Win: 0.00
tooms2111 Fold Win: 0.00
PASTISMAN Fold Win: 0.00

Two hours down the pan in thirty seconds.

Poker sucks.


Current balance: €448.82

This Challenge Sucks!!!

Getting really frustrated with this now. I've played 30 games since my last post - a mixture of MTT's and sit n gos (5 seater, 10 seater, Omaha Hi/Lo, NLHE) and I am running like absolute dog turd!! Winning a 50-50? No chance. Winning a 60-40? Forget about it!! I can't even win a fecking 95-5!! This hand is just the tip of the iceberg, and happened not long ago tonight:

***** Hand 1394101811 *****
25.00/50.00 Texas Hold'em (No Limit ) - 05 January 2009 20:48:09
Holdem (Real /Tournament )
Seat 1: Unknown (0.00)
Seat 2: bifta1 (2983.00)
Seat 3: patso888 (1672.00)
Seat 5: CitrusSR (2120.00)
Seat 4: Vazzting! (725.00)
patso888 post SB 25.00
Vazzting! post BB 50.00
** Deal ** bifta1 [N/A, N/A]
patso888 [N/A, N/A]
CitrusSR [5d, 5s]
Vazzting! [N/A, N/A]
*** Bet Round 1 ***
CitrusSR Call 50.00
bifta1 Call 50.00
patso888 Fold
Vazzting! Check
*** Flop(Board): *** : [Jd, 5h, 8h]
*** Bet Round 2 ***
Vazzting! Bet 50.00
CitrusSR Raise to 250.00
bifta1 Fold
Vazzting! All-in 675.00
CitrusSR Call 675.00
*** Turn(Board): *** : [Jd, 5h, 8h, 8d]
*** River(Board): *** : [Jd, 5h, 8h, 8d, 8c]
*** Showdown *** : Rake: 0.00 Total Pot: 1525.00
bifta1 Fold Win: 0.00
patso888 Fold Win: 0.00
CitrusSR [5d, 5s] Full house Win: 0.00
Vazzting! [6c, Jc] Full house Win: 1525.00


Still can't get a hold on my tilt problem either so if I'm not losing chips like this I'm tilting them away like an angry maniac!!! Bad times.

Consequently my bankroll has been fluctuating between €400 and the high point of €485. Think I need a little break to be honest, whether I will take one or not we will see!


Current balance: €438.92