Secrets of the Amateurs

Not quite 40 days and 40 nights, although it felt like it at times, but a few weeks churning it out in $20s and $50s has helped me to iron out some of the new methods of playing various hands. When you pick up something new, you start trying to make the play every time you can. A very important part of the process is learning when not to make the play. I can't reveal exactly what these plays are ; they are too powerful. In the wrong hands, they could start a chain reaction that would eventually vapourize the Earth's atmosphere. Probably. In truth, they're not that amazing, just various ways of taking a flop instead of blasting all the worse hands out (and showing AA like you're proud to have just won the blinds with it).

So on my metaphorical return, I started firing up one decent sized tournament of an evening, $100 or so, and another $50 just to keep me busy, and just 2-tabling. That feels a lot better. It's also a lot easier on my laptop which for some reason is really struggling with three tables or more, depending on the sites (Stars not too bad, Betfair quite bad, Tribeca woeful). Nothing puts you on tilt like being shown AA and having it whisked away because "you did not act in time".

Anyway, last night I made the last two tables in the Crypto £15K, and tonight copped 5th in the "Euro Grand Prix" on Pokerroom. That's 2 points, right ? Shame I couldn't make the podium. I think more online sites should give their tournaments funky names. Couldn't be any more ridiculous than the Coventry Masters. A bit annoying not to take the chequered flag as I was in pole position going into the final (alright I'll stop), but in any of these finals it's hard to survive losing two races, and I couldn't. Not exactly 50/50s to be fair, but not exactly stone dead either, and naturally I was the raiser in each case. It is frustrating to bust out and see someone is chip leader four-handed who has won every chip by calling, still what can you do. Trust your system and put the hours in.