The Bitch is back...

Dayum, 9 months later i've finally recovered from my "lost year", so called because it was so bad i've decided to scratch it from memory for good. Did get a lot of life experience this year as well as meet a big love of my life, and the mess that he brings along (trust me, you don't wanna know).  I'll try my darndest to stick to the blog for at least another while anyway. So let me see where to start. I've lost my first love, hold 'em, and discovered a new one called om-ee-ha. Still learning the hard way that the nuts isn't really the nuts  etc. Also found out along the way that I actually prefer the 10 card game that is mythical, which is mad considering i'm useless at it and end up losing me bollix quicker than I do playing cards. Also found a new home along the way which is in the Voodoo Card Club beside Smithfield. Nice staff, crazy regs and gorgeous food, what more could ya want! Don't really have any news years resolutions as i never stick to them, but am trying to shift the spare tyre and hopefully its gone before the summer so i can swan around in one of them two-piece thingys that all the young wans wear. Not. Would like to play one big-ish tournament this year, if i can find i enjoy playing tourneys again before Easter then i'll try the IO if i can. Thinking in a more positive outlook than i have been in a long time, and as long as family stays healthy and happy thats the main thing. Family is doing well. Kids are all settled back in school and we may have a Chess Master lurking in Daniel, 8, as he's taking to the game like a duck to water. Main thing is for it to stay fun to him and so far he loves it. Chelsea,5,  is well settled in Jnr Infants and has made loads of little girly friends (she's a bit of a tomboy). Rachel,14, is about to start piano and guitar lessons and i enjoying more freedom as she gets that bit older(as well as testing her Da's limits lol). Jordan, 12, has joined his 1st years  rugby team, which  freaks me out as he takes after me in being nothing over 5 foot tall.  Stacey is about to turn 11 on Valentines day, and has her party invites written out along with a diagram of where she wants all her friends to sit, what their doing etc. Shes a little oul' one. And then theres Leah,9, who's one of the only 9 year olds i know these days who still likes actually playing with dolls and toys instead of having mobiles and iPods. So thats the family, i figured i'd put a bit about all aspects of what goes on in the madness instead of just the bad beats and moaning.

So until next time peeps...

Im Baaaaaack( But didnt really go anywhere in the first place!)

Well that wasnt much of a break.. but the small 3 week break from paddy power poker was worth it, even if it was only to save me donking away on the omaha tables. Even though id said that i was looking forward to a break, i just couldnt saty away tbh. The break coincided with the pc dying on me, which meant without the daily fix of ppp, i had to venture into the fitz and the jackpot. Played a couple of tourneys, the fitz sat for the charity event was one that i went into half arsed, as the ILPC was happening on the saturday, so i figured if i managed to take a ticket id either have Troy play it or sell it. I got to the last 18 and was moved from the table that i had gotten very comy on, and thats when i got bored-itis. I called Dermots all in with 9c10c, for around a 3rd of my stack, he turned over 7h 7d, i was happy enough to be racing against sevens, the flop brought 3 diamonds, the turn was a 9, the river the 9 of diamonds. Couple of hands later the blinds are 800 1500,im bb, the sb raises to 3k, i look at one ace, and go all in. He dwells up for ages, and says "ah go on im ahead", and turns over k 7 off. My other card was a 5, and the lone k on the board means im now the short stack. Im down to 5kish and double up with 77. The next hand i find kjo, and shove my tenk in the middle. Dermot goes all in and the bb calls. Im miles behind Dermots AK and the bb AJ. Dermots K kicker holds up and im off to the omaha table. Im really going to have to find a cure for that bored-itis.

The ILPC was the next day, and having arrived home from the fitz at 9am, i had a quick brekkie and shower, and made my way to the hotel late. Sat down into a nice room, with 4 full tables. Recognised a couple of ladies ie sharks, and started to play probably too aggressive. Was all in 3 times beofre the first break, had AK, raised to 3 times bb, 4 callers. Flop was 4 6 8, was checked back to me and i inst-shove, hoping im repping aces. They did believe me, and one ladies folded 10s, another folded jacks. I showed my lone ace and said good fold girls. ^^. Managed a double up the last hand before the break when i checked called to the river and hit my gutshot. She showed middle pair. The rest of the hands were pretty meh, i went out on a7off on an ace high board. Sge had a 9 kicker with her ace. I didnt have to time to catch the fitz game, so went to a friends house, watched the rugby but fell asleep before the end. Ive enjoyed the half a break that ive had, its given me a chance to catch up with friends, sleep, housework! And of course the mammy side of me! Looking forward to the I O and easter. Maybe not playing any tourneys apart from the sat on the thurs, but cant wait to catch up with some poker pals and the bad beat stories!

Half a rant, but too despondent to care

Fuck. I dont really have a clue what to write, or where to start. Maybe ill start by saying ive had enough. Feeling really shitty over the last couple of weeks. Havent been playing live much, had a quick spin in the fitz where i hit a set of 4s against a set of 6s and had an early exit from a tourney. Ive been playing online. A lot. Way too much in fact. Kinda figured out it was too much when im playing all night and sleeping most of the day. Not good when there's kids in the house. Finding that missing little things like collecting them from school and going to the library was really hard. havent really seen any friends in a long time either. Have poker friends like Sinead, but actual friends have taken a back seat. So really looking forward to spending time with the kids and girls. Found that online poker can really take your soul bit by bit. Every time you get one outered or put it in with the best hand and still end up losing, i feel like a little part of me gets lost. So after weeks of this, even with the odd cash here and there, ive decided to take a long deserved break. Ill no doubt be back to try and qualify for the I O ME on paddy, or maybe the Ladies Open thing if it gets going, but reckon the omaha cash tables can do without me donating for a while. Im really looking forward to the I O, but its not gonna be the end of my world if i dont sat into the ME, the ladies event is going to be a two day this year, so that'll be much better and hopefully if i can go even 1 place further than last years 10th, ill be happy. So until then, be lucky.

Sigh.

Well i hope you had a nice Christmas and New Years. The wishes come a bit late but better than not at all! Had a manic one as usual, but well used to it with the gaggle of kids in the house. Not much poker over Christmas, but have been slogging away on the omaha tables on Ipoker. Not over $1 $2 mind you, im not THAT nuts. Have had some good days and some bad, but have built the bankroll up nicely thanks to some tasty hands. And fish. Musnt forget them fish. Speaking of fish, just back from The Fitz, where i sat down to play a lil cash. Put €150 on the table instead of the ususal €50. Hadnt much luck when i decided to move to the €50 omaha. Sat down and managed to play 2 hands before the table broke, in one i had Kh 7h Jc &c, limped in for €7, and the flop come Jd Ah 10h. I check call a bet of €15, and the turn brings a 7s. I check again and player b checks to player c, who makes it €50, i go all in for last €80ish, and player b goes all in for few hundred, player c insta calls. Turn is a 3c and i missed the lot again. Two lads showed 89 for chop. One did have a queen high flush draw, but maybe i should stick to the hold em. So im moved to one of the hold em games, didnt see any hands until Stewart comes to deal, and he gives me Q 9, my fav hand 3 times in succession. I catch a straight and get paid by some bloke who had called me with 55 on a rainbow flop of 10 j k. Watch same bloke check the nuts, and bet out when he nothing, so when i get Q9 again on a flop of Q 9 K, im pretty sure im ahead when he bets €20. I go all in for €90ish and he calls, saying "this is a stupid call". Turn is a blank, river is a jack and i wait for him to turn over a ten, which he does, accompanied by a 6. Left Fitz and came home. One of my new years res was not to get angry at the table, so im glad i kept one resolution at least. Now i just gotta find a gym with hunky instructors!

Anger vented, and now back to nirvana...

Ok, so before you say "thats poker", or "ah sure its only a game" or even "it was a fiver rebuy Trisha", i know. And not only do i know but most of the time its me giving the bad beats. But, just every so ofter i come across a player who i just wanna strangle. And 9 out of 10 times its in The Crackpot. So i shall vent some anger here and prevent myself from getting a boil on the neck ala Homer Simpson.

Monday madness is exactly what it says on the tin. Bit of craic with the lads/lasses and cheap enough to boot. So i pop in to last night and take a seat along side some regulars. Craic is in full swing with the "ahhhhhs" and "ooooooohs" and usual shouting and screaming for magic river cards that ALWAYS appear because its Monday. So i settle in and break time comes and i find i havent re-bought once, but do top up so im sitting on a resepectable 10k. First hand back after the break and there's a chap from the north of Eire whose name i can never remember but is an absolute gent, and theres Mark Kennedy(names shall not be with held for i wanna name and shame). Now for those of you who know Mark, probably are aware he's not the full shilling at the best of times, not because he thinks he's the best damn player in Ireland, or because he works for Paddy Power(most likely making tea or vaccuming floors i reckon) but because he's just, well, nuts(did warn you i was venting anger!). So nice chap from the north has pocket kings, and Mark has kh qh, which is a better hand than he normally shows, but straight back from the break, no more re-buys, and he throws his stack in with this shite, and of course the flop brings two hearts, and Mark does his usual jumping in my seat like i have worms dance and starts banging on the table for a heart, which pops up on the turn. Nice chap from the north says nice hand and leaves table, Mark says yee haa ya boya blah blah blah and continues to do his little dance. Fast forward 3 levels later and two short stacks on the table decide to push, and Mark calls, with A 4 off, one guy has 99, other has AQ, flop brings 2 5 3, giving Mark a straight, and no four means the two lads are off home. Mark still being his weird self does another stupid dance and is whooping and hollering. By this time the rest of the table are giving each other the "im gonna get this fucker" eyes. Myself included. But we get eleven handed and i find im the short stack now, and find the chips going in with 99. Dara(loud guy but good laugh) takes pity on me and calls with 9 6 off, and ive doubled up. Ten minutes later i find 99 again but no callers. So im sitting on 5800, blinds are 400 and 800, when i look down to see pocket queens in the BB, Mark has called, action back around to small blind who completes, and i push. Mark does his usual "im thinking like i have a hand and as im a cock ill end up calling you anyway regardless of what i have" stint, and calls for 5k more, and the SB folds. I turn over my ladies, and Mark turns over Ad 4h. Happy days. Flop brings me 2 5 6. He does his usual "one time for the mongo" dance and starts hollering for a 3. Turn indeed brings a 3 and Mark erupts again with his happy mongo dance. River is a 10 and im out. Now, i know when we play poker to expect this kind of beat. I know im not supposed to show anger and be upset as its only a game. And whilst im well aware of etiquette and, as far as im aware, am pretty well mannered when im on a table, i can safely say, i did not give a shit last night. I let such a roar the i shook the table. I let him know what i really thought of his "play", and of him. And after cooling off outside, talking (bitching some would call it) to other players who happened to have the same opinion as myself, i still dont feel bad. I got half an apology when he turned red faced after i let him know what i thought, but, in retrospect, he should not have apologised for his play, he probably thinks that one third of his stack with a raggy ace was a great call, and cemented more so by the fact it won. But hey thats poker, and while im sure i made some crap play when i was just starting out (Q4, dont ask), I ask you, is there such a thing as the Karma fairy dealing out shitty cards and bad beats to those who have dogged in a past life? While im a believer in Karma in general, does it/should it come back to bite us in the bum, presenting itself in a manner such as last nights episode? Answers on a postcard please.

Paddy Power Winter Festival

Ummm, this weekend is a bit of a blur...i remember getting there on the thursday night after picking Franny up at the airport, i remember going into Blinkers, and playing for twenty mins before they shut up shop, and after getting to the bar to meet the Cork crowd on Friday, the rest of the weekend is lost. I do remeber an early morning stint of cash games, and if i can recall, me having QQ and being re-raised by A2 who promptly hits an ace on the flop, i can recall not wanting to play poker for the rest of the weekend. I dont normally drink, but peer pressure is a horrible thing, so after Big Al's exploits on the Sunday, i apologise profusely if ive said or done anything to offend anyone. Home at 6 am tuesday morning, gave Tristan (jackpot dealer) a lift, and to bed for the day. Jackpot dealers tounrey was a bit of a disaster, as most of them stayed in the pub. They had a 20 euro, tenner re-buy round of each. Roughly 2500€, and we get down to 12 before all but one wanna chop it and go back to the bar. Sarah announces they're only paying 5, crap, so i go all in on a flop of Jd 9d 5c, Gary(bald one), re-raises all in, and whatshisname from Cork calls. gary turns over top set, whathisname turns over the nut flush draw, and im pretty thin with an open ended straight draw. Gary takes the lot and im off home in 10th. Gary and Simon end up choppping it for €750 each.

Im hopefully going to reg for the Bruce Poker launch night this week, and that'll probably be the lot until January as christmas is sneaking up fast and i need to get my skates on. I'd love to cash at any of the events that weekend as i havent been playing the best lately and a bit of an ego boost is in order. But failing that, im lucky when it come to raffles so Vegas here i come lol.

Omaha Side Event IPO

Sick game. Sick players.

I was sooo excited about playing this and when they put a 1k bounty on Marty Smyths head it just added to the excitement. I get a late seat after the Omaha filled up pretty sharpish, mainly as they didnt have enough chips for everyone, so when they announced the next two players to the cash desk gets seats in the Omaha, i snatched my chips from the 1 2 cash game and flung them at the poor girl saying "im here".

Sit down and the blinds are already 75 150, its a double chance game with 4k starting stack and 5k for your re-buy/top-up. Pretty nice for a €150 buy in. Theres already bigg-ish stacks on the table so i get to work. Five hands later ive doubled up, and its break time. I come back after the break and have 13k. Im playing pretty tight as its my first big Omaha tournament, and theres a couple of faces on the table i recognise that play the big game in the Fitz. But its not long before i have 6h 7d 9d 10c. I flat call it and it comes back around to the BB, who raises it to 500. I call it mostly out of boredom, and flop comes 8s 2d 6s. he pots it, i re-pot it and he goes all in for roughly half my stack. I know he's on a flush draw and stupidly call. He turns over 4c 5s 6c 7s, has straight flush draw. Now. This is where it gets messy. Dealer accidentaly burns dirt twice. I didnt see this happen as i was looking at the board and the chaps hand trying to work out what had to dodge. Out pops a red Q. Now another player did see it, and he straight away says hold up, you made a mistake, this is what should happen, and he takes the queen, picks up the two burned cards mixes them up and turns one of them over, which was a 4, then says to the dealer "deal on!". Eh, hang on a minute, what the f***? I obviously called Mick Locke, who was the director that day, and asked him to make a ruling, at the same time telling the player to shut up its up to him, whatever he says goes. Mick put the q, plus both burn cards back into the deck, shuffled it up and asked the dealer to deal from there. fair enough. Turn is a 2, river is a 4, giving him the straight and there goes half my stack.

Next hand right after this one and im fuming. Not at the dealer or ruling. But at the player who had nothing to do with the pot and didnt have the right to touch any of the cards that were out. So i barely looked at my hand and the french player beside me raises, i re-raise all in and another player goes all in. french player insta-calls and i turn over kh jh jc 7c. French player turns over q 9 9 8, other chap turns over a a k 10. All i remeber is the suit i had, and flop comes 4h 6h kd, im the only one with the heart draw, and so im hoping i hit, but turn is a blank, and so is the river. Aces hold up and im off home to bed, still pissed off. Apart from the heat in the room, the tournament was nicely run and next year ill get off my butt in time to get a ME ticket.