No man's land

Since my last post I've done the decent thing and handed my notice in 'officially' at work. It is a real wrench to leave the school - I love teaching and I'm lucky enough to work at a great school and with great people. However, it's also very exciting and I can't wait to get started on the next phase of my life.

I've agreed to work until the end of the Summer Term which is only fair to the pupils in my classes. This does leave me in a bit of quandry poker wise - I'm desperate to put in more volume and play more but am finding it difficult to because of work commitments. Without going into financial specifics its almost difficult to justify going to work at the moment - the games in Blackpool are rocking and there are so many tours, events and festivals that I want to attend and play but can't because of work.

It's extremely frustrating as I don't feel I'm a poker player nor a teacher - I'm stuck in a kind of stasis that I'm terming No Mans Land. I've come flying out the trenches of teaching and am desperately trying to cross the gap to the poker world on the other side, but the quagmire in between is draining my strength and preventing me doing either thing as successfully as I'd want to!

I think logic should overide passion here and my focus has to be on teaching until the end of July. I'm going to continue to grind when I can live and had a couple of nice results over the last week. I played and binked a £50 live donkament last weekend at the new poker room in the Paris casino and this weekend I've been away playing the Grand Prix at DTD in Nottingham. I bust the comp in redic fashion but the cash games were good to me and I booked a solid win in a very passive £2/£2 PLO game. I also managed a decent win in the local £2/£2 dealers choice game Saturday night to add to the growing bankroll. It all adds up to me booking a £2k win overall for April - not bad for a part-time amateur player (especially as my first game this month left me in a £1k hole!).

My aims between now and July are to just continue to play where I can and add to the bankroll wherever possible. I've put the online side of poker on hold for now until I have more time to plan which games to specifically target and prepare myself for the rigours of online play.

The mind of a live player

This is a transcript of my mental ramblings during a hand I played live recently. At the start of the hand I had about £250 in front of me and the game is £1/£2 NL. Its a standard lol live lineup - a couple of shortstackers looking to get lucky, a couple of drunks and one or two solid, winning players grinding out a few quid. UTG in this hand has just had a bit of a beat vs one of the shortstackers and is in full steam ahead mode. He has about £300 in front of him and has just ordered a lot of alcohol of the valet.

These are the thoughts that were growing through my mind during the hand almost verbatim.

'Haha, what a dick. He's lost £20 in a standard spot and he's losing his rag. I've got the button here, lets see if I can get him before he spews it to someone else. WTF... £28? Wtf with the 14x open....... ok. Pass, Pass, call and leaving himself £12 behind wp dickhead. Pass, pass lets have a look. AJ of diamonds.......Call or 3bet, call or 3bet. I've got the button and he's steaming but I want to stack him, so flat this and force him to play deep against me out of position.
 'Call.... OK, both blinds pass.

Where the fuck is my coffee, Jesus.

Flop 7c8d9d.

Bingo.......... if he bets here I'm going to stick it right... check. Fuck. Shortie all in for his £12, wp preflop imbecile. OK, lets think. UTG steamer got big stack but looks disinterested. He's showing the guy next to him his hand, he must have AK/AQ something and hating flop. I lose him if I raise, I'll flat and hope he comes along 'for value' and tilt pay me off if I make my hand.

'Call'

Yep, he's ranting its only £12, how can I pass. Perfect.

Turn 2d.

Delicious. Please have the K or Q diamonds under there. Thats it, have a look. OK, he looks interested, we could be in business here. He's checking very dramatically, reckon my read is spot on. I'll bet something small, and try and build a side pot for if the diamond hits so I can try and get stacks in. I'm sure he's got one big diamond. Sizing important here, price him in don't scare him off. Pots about £120, I reckon £25.

Call. Perfect............ now put the fucking diamond out there. Stop tapping me on the shoulder during the hand FFS, piss off. I'll talk to you later you fuc......

4d.

Smoking, now how do I get stacks in here. Should I just shove or bet to induce.Whats the right bet size to induce him to........... oh, he's already all in.

'I call, I've got the nuts. Unlucky mate'.

Ship it - HOW MUCH FUCKING RAKE ARE THEY TAKING AND WHERE IS MY COFFEE?


I'm a very troubled man who likes coffee obv.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to leave a comment and hit me up on twitter if you want to discuss the hand or my thought processes.