I started playing poker in about 2002. Just a little monthly home game with my dad, brother in law and a couple of mates. Of the original seven players, I was the only one to take it any further than that. My dad plays a bit of micro-stake pub poker, but the rest of them get together two or three times a year max for a couple of £5 STTs, which I still sit in on for nostalgia value (and rarely win).
In 2004 I made my first trip to Nottingham Gala. I thought it was a £20 rebuy so I took £60 which I thought would be plenty. Turned out to actually be a £60 PLHE rebuy. Against the odds in a chip thrower like that, I made it to the end of the rebuy period with £30 still in my pocket, so took the add-on. At 4am, there was a three-way chip count and I took 2nd for £1670. Easy money.
I played 30 times at Gala that first year and made 10 finals. That included an outright win, which was probably the only final table that year that a deal wasn’t done. I remember arguing with the cardroom manager and half a dozen players about how the blinds went heads up. I lost the argument and had to play the whole heads up match with the Button posting the Big Blind. I think I also met Tikay and Thewy that night, both of whom gave me lots of valuable advice over the following months which helped with the steep learning curve needed. It was pre-blonde, but there was an email circular that went round with hand histories and tournament reports from about a dozen or so contributors. Wish I’d kept them. They’d make great reading now.
I was working in a high street bank at the time and hated every second. I hated it so much I left and got a job in a factory short term, while throwing myself at poker. In spring 2005 the factory let everyone go. I decided to take a shot. I set up a poker T-shirt company called Shuffle Up Shirts and got stuck into $30-$50 SNGs. Long story short, I ran bad. Company never really got off the ground, never really adjusted to constant drain on bankroll from household bills, exhausted by new baby and school runs for eldest kid. By 2007 a drastic change was needed. The T-shirts were still not making any money, I hated poker, and I was pretty shitty to be around at home. I wasn’t a lot of fun on Blonde either, getting my back up at the slightest thing and falling out with some pretty decent people. I got a job testing fruit machines and after playing the opening weekend games at DTD (and finalling the first tournament
) I put the cards down and stopped playing.
I also walked away from Blonde before I said anymore I couldn't take back.
Three years later and I’ve steadied the ship. A couple of good promotions have put me in a pretty well paid middle management job. Family life is fantastic and I’m in a much better state of mind for poker. About this time last year I started playing Super50s when I could fit them in. I Chopped one for £2500 just before Christmas which was a nice pre-Christmas bonus. Took another one down early this year for just over £3k as well as a few other finals. Played a few multi-day events too, making day 2 of a UKIPT, and cashing in a Grand Prix and APAT event.
It’s been a bit of a challenge adjusting my game. It’s changed a bit over the last couple of years. In 2004 I was Moneymaker boom new school. Now I’m old school. There’s no point in me trying to butt heads with the young bucks at the tables. Just got to make my own moves work. I think I’m doing ok adapting to the current pace of play so far, but will keep working on it. That’s something I might write more about at some point, because it’s something that’s needed considerable thought over the last year.
So, the plan. Not formulated it exactly, but it’ll be something like;
- Grow and protect the bankroll.
- Hit the 2012 APAT season pretty hard.
- Play most, if not all £300+ events at DTD.
- Keep fishing in the Super50s
-Although I don’t really enjoy online poker, look for more ways online can supplement my live bankroll.
In fact, I can convert those to some specific goals.
-Finish 2012 with a dedicated £10K bankroll
-Two APAT final Tables
-Two £300 Deepstack final tables
-Two outright live tournament wins
-Five new entries on the Hendon Mob database
Bring on 2012.
Author