Going back to Atlantis (well I'll try)
I just got an email in from Paradise Poker regarding "The Conquest of Paradise Island" another land based tournament in Paradise Island!!
Well i saw it and thought to myself I'm going back there no matter what so its time for some satellites! I told my Mrs and she was just as keen so thats that then (little excursion to cuba when I'm not tied up with the poker).
So if you want to join me out there click on the link below to download the software 
Matthew on 01.31.06 @ 09:55 AM GMT [
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Feb's the month for me
I hope so anyway! January so far has been woeful... I'm not sure whats been up looking back over results I'd like to say I've been running bad (which in part is true) but I've also been making some questionable plays. Anyway the last week I've been destroying the HU sngs on FT and Stars and am rebuiliding what was a depleated roll.
I suppose it's getting a bit on in 2006 but I've not made a post about the years goals so here they are:
Try to qualify for an EPT event and at least one more WPT
Play a couple of UK festivals
Go back to Vegas (Not decided if im gonna try for WSOP or not but definetly going)
Cash in the Stars 500k
Beat last years Earnings.
Win the Internet Texas Holdem League
I'm starting early with this Goal#1 as February will be spent qualifying for the EPT finals in Monte Carlo!!
Apologies for the lack of updates but when I'm getting hammered at the tables all you'd really hear from me is how many times I've been sucked out on.
Matthew on 01.27.06 @ 12:52 PM GMT [link]
A guide to my jargon
After my recent jaunt to the Bahamas for the World Poker Tour and what not I've had a lot of people not familiar with poker follow my progress and ask me what the f**@ I'm on about so heres a guide.
Firstly the game I play is a variant of Poker called Texas Holdem and I mainly playing the betting structure called no-limit. This basically means you can bet anything from a little to all of your chips at any one time.
The rules are simple you are dealt two down cards.. then a round of betting occurs.. then three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table (known as the flop)... more betting then a 4th card 'The Turn' card is dealt alongside the flop again more betting between players who haven't folded. Finally the 5th card is dealt known as the river players again bet and then the best 5 card poker hand takes the pot.
A quick google search found this little gem which gives a brief beginners guide to holdem.
When giving hand examples i will shorten out the cards I have in my hand and saw on the board. Rather than write I held the Ace of Clubs and the King of diamonds i will say Ac Kd. The four suits in lower case h,d,s,c and obviously the cards in the deck 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,A .
Another important aspect when giving a hand example is my position at the table.. this is a key factor into what hands i can play. The positions are in reference to the dealer button which you will have read about in the quick guide.
Assume 10 players at the table To the left of the dealer button sits the Small blind (SB) this player has to put in the first forced bet which is half of that of the Big Blind (BB) who sits left of the small blind. For example if the blinds were 15/30 the small blind has to bet 15 before he gets his cards likewise the Big Blind will bet 30.. this is to get the action started. After every round the dealer button moves one place and goes round in a circle.
The position or seat to the left of the Big blind is called Under the Gun(UTG). Basically the person first to act after the cards are dealt. The playerd to his left is referred to as follows (UTG+1), (UTG+2), Middle Position 1 (MP1), (MP2), (MP3), The cutoff (CO) is the last person to act before the button and then the Button the person who will act last and can play a much wider range of hands as he has seen the action before him.
I hope that helps a little bit.
*On a side note Im having to disable comments from my blog entries.. Im getting spammed alive.. Should you wish to contact me as always its Matthew *at* i-reraise.co.uk .
Matthew on 01.14.06 @ 01:02 PM GMT [link]
Im oot but not disheartened
Hey guys tried to post a report last night but i ran out of wi-fi time and it wasnt allowing me to pay for more grr.
Anyway I was totally happy with my play my fiancee couldnt understand why I wasn't kicking things like i do getting bust from an online MTT.
Ill post a full trip report when i get back ive got it on a notepad but heres a brief synopis.
Didnt have a problem getting hands throughout the whole MTT AA twice KK once QQ once AK thrice not much else.
The table was as tough as could be while i felt i held my own there was noone i could try and pick on.. it didnt help that everytime i tried to raise i was almost always reraised.
Anyway 3 hands that i think were memorable from hte tournie.
Level 2 blinds 100-200
Hero 13k , Villain from the hand 9k.
Ive raised the last 3 hands and taken the blinds with AK , KK and 99.
UTG i find black queens and raise it to 800. Villain calls from MP1 CO and BB also call. (their stacks unimportant as they get out the way).
Flop 2c5h7s
I fire out 2000 and Villain minraises me to 4000. Others get out the way.
turn card 4h.
I really didnt like the minraise and Villain has been very tight only having been involved in a few hands so far.
I bet 2500... i feel its enough of a bet to show some strength where as minimizing my losses should he have AA, KK or a set. He took a look and my stack and pushed allin.
I laid down the Queens face up he didnt show but looked a bit pissed. I think i did good.
I get beat up again for a nother little while the with about 5600 chips i raise AA UTG to 800.. MP who i have covered just moves allin i call he has AK he doesnt improve.. Im up to 11k. Take another couple of decent sized pots with a straight and trip 6's and i hit my tournament high of 15k.
I lose a fair bit with AQ against another guy who i knew could lay down hands if he missed i tried a bluff out at a low flop after he had bit and he moved in.. silly me.
Then the hand that sunk me... coming back from the dinner break i had 7900 chips i sit tight for a while then with about 6900 (blinds 150-300 ante 50). I limp in from MP2 with 64h.. a new player at our table since the dinner break who i dont think has played a hand yet makes it 900 (stack 15k). The blinds get out of the way and im getting slightly over 3:1 on my call with a nicely disguised potential hand.
I put him on a big hand here and I was getting out the way pronto if i didnt hit.
Flop was a beautiful 4c5h6s and i bet 1k. He looks at my stack and moves allin.. I beat him into the pot and he showed AdAs (nice). Pokerstove told me when i got back i was a 72% fav to win the hand and get up to over 15k sadly the 5s on the turn sunk all my hopes and the Jd didnt do much to help. Im am so happy with my play in my first big event of many!! I only got it all in once and had the best hand both times... Now ive got a holiday to enjoy and many a soft side game to beat.
Matthew on 01.07.06 @ 03:36 PM GMT [link]
Sad news
Unfortunately, I have to report that Matthew has been knocked out shortly after the dinner break on day 1. I don't have any details, but I'm sure he will stop by soon and tell the tale. I'm sure he's dissapointed, but nothing a few days of sun and beer can't set right. He should be congratulated on making it this far.
nsidestrate on 01.07.06 @ 10:27 AM GMT [link]
Matthew still alive on Day 1B
I just received a call from our man in the islands. He has been on a rollercoaster, with good news and bad news alternating throughout the day. He started with 10,000 chips at the outset and has fallen as low as 4,000 chips and has held as many as 15,000 at some points in the day. He currently sits with 7,100 chips in his hands. He'd obviously love to have more, but this is still a perfectly fine position if he can catch a big hand or two this evening.
Matthew thinks that he has drawn a poor table. There is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner at his table and a guy who has been pretty lucky and accumulated 45,000 chips. The guy with a lot of chips is playing quite aggressively and is making things uncomfortable for anyone who wants to play with him. With good luck, Matt might get moved to a new table or find a nice hand to double his chips.
He seems to be in good spirits and focused on the task at hand. He bought a calling card so that he could call me despite his malfunctioning mobile, so we may have more updates tonight. Stay tuned!
nsidestrate on 01.07.06 @ 12:28 AM GMT [link]
Matt is now playing his first day
Despite many conversations and some test runs from Scotland, I've had no live updates from our man Matt . My best guess is that his UK-based mobile doesn't work in the islands. I've sent him a couple of texts and tried to phone it and get no response. So you might not get quite as many exciting updates as we had hoped. We do know a few people down there and they are looking out for him, so if we find any news during the day, we'll post it here for you.
In the meantime, no news is good news. If he was out, he could come over and tell us. If we don't hear anything, he must be flinging chips around the table still. Keep your fingers crossed!
nsidestrate on 01.06.06 @ 08:40 PM GMT [link]
Again works wonders for the table image and not before long I've worked my 8k up to 22k ( a nice run of cards and a guy who slow played a flopped full house then letting the board quad up and me pushing with my bare ace helped