False Start!

Hey guys,

So on Wednesday I left you to go play event number one of The Players Championships at The International and I was really upbeat about my chances, feeling good about myself & game but alas, it wasn't to be!!! There were 126 runners at the end of registration and I finished in about 62/61st. :-(



Elliot in the zone HU!



I feel that I played pretty well all night, bashed up my friend & new Gutshot Pro Sy (Congrats again!), had my other friend Elliot who finished 2nd avoiding me when we were on the same table. I eventually lost a 185k pot against Joe L, who has recently been the bain of my life! AJ vs QQ, no binkage to be found! That was a huge wound to my stack and left me with about 6bb's which I shoved into the eventual winner's AA, Marv!

So that was my Wednesday...... On Thursday I made a last minute decision to enter the first PROPS World Championships! Of course, after a few hours I was sitting behind my lappy playing two $11 rush tourneys! I do love Dealers Choice though! PROPS FTW!

Tonight, drinks with TLD, tomorrow John Legend & The Roots in Hammersmith and then Alexa is back from her European jaunt & Sunday it's the ME...... I can't wait...... What a weekend!

Tonight is the night......

Following on from my last post, tonight is the night I put my theory to the test. I am playing Event No.1 of The Players Championships at The International. Wish me well & good luck ('cos we all know poker is just a game of luck right?!)! If you'd like to follow the action the event will be blogged here and if you want to watch some of the action there is a live stream.

Until later my friends, off to battle I go!

Poker.........

Hhhhhmmmmmm, this year, according to The International 2010 Leader Board, I have won £ 17,702 and am in 6th place, 13th on the ‘Overall’ leader board (very thinly veiled brag!). So why does it feel like I am always losing?! Some will say I have no bankroll management, some will say because I am shit and some will say that it is just variance. These are probably all true but I cannot be losing more than £ 17.5k on poker this year; I must be ahead!

This weekend has been a bit miserable for me...... I have played a couple of live MTTs as well as a few online MTTs and have naff all to show for it! This seems to be the overriding theme the past few months & I don't like it. This is how it should be! It doesn't help when my so called 'friends' give me the rub every minute, e.g this or even  this 'gem' from Value Productions.

I know I can play the game, I know I can win too. I think what I am not doing is playing the right tournaments or putting myself in the right environment or frame of mind to do so. My more knowledgeable acquaintances tell me that game selection is important and if I'm honest they are right! So one of the first things I am going to do is start by playing the right tourneys at the right time.

The plan? To play some of the tour events such as the GUKPT & the UKIPT as well as the EPT & the WSOPE. These are the MTTs that offer the best value and if I were to have been exercising BR Management I could have easily have done so this year but I was too busy treating poker as more of a social thing. Don't get me wrong, it'll still be social but that side of the game is now banished to the rail.....Well, at least until the breaks! I am in it to win trophies & prize money! Obviously I will be satelliting into most of the tour events or playing the side events but play them I shall!

The Players Championships at The International will be my first step to success, proper success! The International is where I have cut my teeth and I will always consider it as ‘home’ but I also need to start to spread my wings I think maybe I am becoming too ‘comfortable’ there.

This year has kind of passed me by but it’s not too late! Henceforth, I shall be putting bankroll management into operation and stick to it religiously, pick the right tournaments to play and make sure I am in the right mindset.

I start winning from now!

Another year, another broken promise & a few lbs heavier.....!

Hi Folks,

Earlier this year I started this blog and promised that I will update it faithfully....... It would seem that I have failed. For this, I apologise and by way of making reparation I am going to try and stick to that promise for the rest of the year; well, what's left of it!

Where has this year gone?! It seems like only yesterday I was working on getting this blog up & running but it has been 6 months already and now we are nearing Christmas and I seem to be rushing headfirst into 2011!!!

Let's take a quick look down memory lane..... What have I done in 2010; Work, Poker & put on weight. Oh dear, that doesn't sound very good & it's even worse reading it! I don't want 2011 to be the same as 2010.

I have a lot to do to turn it around. I think I can be slightly more successful at work. I also need to be slightly more successful at poker and I need to shed the lbs like they are going out of fashion!

Wow, I have a lot to think about! It’s a good job it's the weekend and I am not doing anything. It would seem like a new life strategy is called for. I'll let you all know what that is when I do. Until then, remember, all things lucrative, undertaken!

Short & Sweet, Long & Ruthless

Hi Folks,

I'm going to keep this short & sweet because I have somewhere I need to be! I am playing the Premier event of the GSOP the £300 freezeout at The International - Where London plays poker!!!! A 3 day tournament where we get 22k starting chips with a fabulous 90 minute clock! I have already packed my blanket & pillow! lolol It a long tourney and I will be ruthless!

Since coming back from Vegas in July I have really not had any results and have been feeling a bit downhearted about this poker lark but I have always said to my detractors (of which there are many!) that I will be on form for the GSOP Festival and have worked on a couple of things in my game recently.......... I guess I must be doing something right, I won my £330 seat to this tourney for £70 in a satellite and then won a another very small comp on Friday! I'm feeling good have oodles of confidence but have a healthy measure of nervousness too.

Wish me luck & to follow the goings on, go to the Gutshot website to read the blog and you can even watch the feature table live!!!!

Wish me Luck!!!!!

As the world famous Johnny I would say; "You lucky People!"

Post New Year Hangover.....

So it's been a couple of weeks since my last post and the reason for this is that I am still getting over the hangover from the party!!!!!! Well...... ok that's not strictly true.

Anyway, it was a fantastic night & I really had oodles of fun! I must apologise to all that were there because I didn't manage to spend much time with anyone really..... Too many people and not enough of me!!! Now you won't hear me admit that very often! Ha ha ha!

Sadly it wasn't so much three worlds collide as three worlds bump into or squeeze past each other.

The Hotel Mafia had so much catching up to do (yes, we had a 10yr reunion!!! I'm still suffering from tinnitus from the scream!) that they didn't really want to hear how rubbish I was at poker..... They've all seen me play Blackjack, that's enough!

The Poker Degens were busy drinking all the shots under the sun, buying each other roses & ogling the pretty girls...... Shame that they couldn't capitalise on the opportunity to develop something more or in poker parlance 'they didn't maximise the value of the hand that they were playing'! I'll leave it at that....... Oh no! Wait, I have to mention my nomination for the chat up line of the year...... It ended in "You'll miss the first two levels of the 300!!!!!" Classic!

The Others were just the others, copious amounts of beer, vino, tequila, dancing, some kissing........ Yes, you heard me!

My evening culminated in a Chinese at 3am on Shaftsbury Ave. @ The Mayflower what a place.....! Some ended up in Strawberry Moons, opposite The Living Room, some ended up with a black eye, some pinched a rickshaw and some did both!!!!! Once again, no names mentioned but you know who you are!!!! Ha ha ha!

Thank you all for making the effort to come and celebrate with me & sorry again for not spending more time with you!

Old Man River!

Happy New Year!?

So it is now 3 days after my 26th 36th Birthday and I am so overwhelmed by all the messages on facebook, texts, calls, email etc. wishing me well for the 'New Year'! I really felt special on Monday & there is more to come!

Tomorrow night I am having B'day drinks at a bar called the Living Room and quite a few people are coming apparently. It is going to be a very interesting evening as three worlds will be colliding into one; Hotel friends, Poker friends & other friends..... This will be the first time that this mix has been out together and knowing all my friends it should be very interesting! I can guarantee that there will be some strange characters bumping into even stranger ones! Ha ha ha!

I'll also be catching up with a really good friend who is here from Oz, I have been terrible at keeping in touch really so I'm going to make it up to you Jane! :-)

I just can't wait......! It's going to be a roadblock! I will attempt to blog it over the weekend & I'll be taking a camera & will try to stay sober enough to press the button on it a couple of times! Yes, you read right; for those of you who know me well & for many years, I bet you can't remember the last time you saw me Drunk?!?!? Well tomorrow might just be it!

Looking forward to it so much! See you tomorrow peeps!

P.S. If you fancy a few cocktails the details are here! Laters!

Mid Life Crisis?

Somehow I thought I would find it easy to update this on a regular basis but it's obvious that I haven't! Sorry!

I am rapidly approaching my 36th birthday and it's a Saturday night and I am sitting indoors just doing stuff..... This is not the life I had imagined for myself when I was 21.

The other day I couldn't sleep so I ended up doing some 'tidying up' and found some old pictures from 12 years ago. They brought back so many memories, both good & bad, but mostly good. I realise that I have been subconciously looking for a change in ,my life and I realise some of the things I need to do to make those changes.

My next posts will be my way of documenting my attempts to change my life & lifestyle. I hope you enjoy reading them; There will be highs & lows and I appreciate any comments & support you wish to give.

Happy reading!

Nine hours later, five hours back & four days late!

I know I haven’t written much over the past few days, please forgive me but I am now in Florida five hours back so I am going to attempt to catch you up, four days late!

So, I flew into Miami 9 hours later on Thursday afternoon and after the cab driver got lost and took me to somewhere in Coral Gables instead of Perrine. I eventually got to the office and spent the rest of the afternoon, catching up with my colleagues in both the work & social sense and had a meeting about our trade show next week…. Boring huh?! Well;

Thursday Night - Went to Boogs (La Bougainvillea) and caught up with the ‘crew’; Rick, Frankie, Ferner, Wilfred, Lorna, Heidy and a whole host of others including Marilyn…

Friday – Watched the 9am USA match (skiving FTW), went for lunch, went to the bank, went to work (@ about 3pm), went shopping in the Nordstrom’s Sale & then went to see Rick’s band, Corner 3 perform with Chantal & got back to the hotel @ about 4am, after the obligatory McD’s drive through!! Whew, what a day!

 Saturday – Spent the day with Alberto’s family as his Dad was having a Father’s Day Pool Party!!!! Met Al’s siblings and had a wicked time; Pool, BBQ, Cuban food, Dominoes & Jokes all around! Awesome!

Sunday – After B'fast, I won a seat to the WSOP ME 150 seat guaranteed satellite but cashed it in as I then went out with Chantal to watch Brazil play some sexy football with numerous pitchers of Peroni.

Monday – Drove up to Orlando with the Big Boss… Snored halfway up there! At least I kept him awake! Lol

Checked into The Peabody & then straight over to set up our stand… Boring stuff! Finished up then went for a fantastic dinner @ Maggiano’s, I can highly recommend the Chef’s Choice!

Tuesday – At the show all day, missed b’fast & lunch but had a great dinner at Seasons 52 in Orlando… Being the fat bastard that I am, I had three desserts!

Our Party is tomorrow & I can’t wait! Last year we had the best HITEC Party… We hired a whole bowling alley & had over 400 people eat, drink, bowl & be merry! Tomorrow our Party is going to be in Opa a Greek Taverna in Point Orlando… Should be fun!

Weekend Update 1

This weekend has been full of highs & lows for me....... I think the highs have outweighed the lows though, but only just!

The first high was meeting up with my Dad on Saturday morning at the outrageously bright (literally) & early time of 10am. The next high was going to The International, my 'home' poker club to play in the first event of a very busy time for the club; The Gutshot London Open (GLO). Now this is an event that I was hoping to win as it would be great to leave for my US trip, which ends in Vegas, on a high. Alas it wasn't to be and I didn't make day two..... The first low. The second low was my team England's mediocre match against the USA........ Nuff said! The third low was finding out that the Muppet who damaged my chip stack during the GLO with J6 off suit when I had a pair of Kings went on to win it, a guaranteed 1st prize of $10,000 & a trophy!!!

The biggest high of the weekend though was my other team Ghana won their first group match!!!!! Before you say say anything, I have dual nationality so I can support two teams! I have been tipping Ghana to reach the Semi finals so watch this space....... Go Black Stars!!!!

Anyways, the weekend has come to a close & I am now looking forward to next week. Here's a quick preview of my week:

Monday - Work, day 1 of International Super Stack Series of Poker Evt 1 (ISSSOP).

Tuesday - Work, day 2 of International Super Stack Series of Poker Evt 1.

Wednesday - 1/2 day work, packing & preening

Thursday - Flight to Miami, Happy hour(s) in my fav Miami bar; La Bourgianvillea http://www.facebook.com/bougiesbar?v=wall or Bougies to us regs!

Friday - Work in the Miami office  

Weekend - Well I have loads to cram in but it should include a trip out on my fav little boat, a proper BBQ & of course Ghana nailing the final nail in Australia's World Cup coffin!

Look out for Weekend Update 2! Until then....... Last longer anyone?!

Maybe, just maybe......?

So I am pretty sure that I have done this before in the past but for the life of me can't remember my log-in details!

Oh well, I'm not going to let a little thing like my memory loss spoil my happiness..... Ghana made my day today; we beat Serbia in our first game at World Cup 2010!!! Yes, you read right, Ghana notched up 3 points in our opening game! I have been bleating on for a few weeks now about how Ghana are going to reach the semi finals this time round and have been met with some incredulous looks..... Well, mark my words, Ghanaians are trail blazers and we don't do things half arsed!

2010, the year of Ghana! Maybe, just maybe!!!!

See you in the Bookies!