So. Why poker? Why now?

I suppose the timing was right and the signs were there, leading me. Most of my friends live a good 30mins drive, or so, away, and with the roads plastered with snow, ice and that brown mushy stuff, I was going nowhere in a hurry. I’d also exhausted the usual, er, distractions for a single man trapped at home. And reading Vicky Coren’s For Richer, For Poorer just made me all enthusiastic about it. It all made sense that this was the time to start playing poker online… for real money.

To be fair, I wasn’t exactly new to poker. I had the good, or bad, fortune to work in a casino for a couple of years and was exposed to the excitement of the card room. Some of the staff used to play on brakes for pennies. So… I knew how to play a little. I was also a massive fan of Late Night Poker. From the first series, I was hooked. I’ve played with my friends from time to time over the last few years, but only really for shits and giggles. But I think it was inevitable that I would end up here, doing this.

So, I signed up with PokerStars.com made a $20 deposit and that was it. Played for a while on a big stake cash table with betting increments of *gasp* $0.02, making a massive $2.07 profit. Now, cash games are alright, and everything, but the tournaments… that’s where the prestige is. I chose the Sunday 1/4 Million because the PokerStars website says ‘If you’re looking for your first taste of big money action then this is the tournament for you’. I progressed to the Sunday 1/4 Million tournament through the $2.00+$0.20 satellite and, if you’ve read my first post, you know how that went. But, its early days for me. I’m still learning the game, about bankroll management, fixing leaks, pot odds and so on.

Where am I going with this? What is my great ambition? To start playing well and winning some decent money is the first step. Even if the decent money is $8.50 from a $0.10 sit n go. I would really love to make it to a big, major live tournament, be it EPT, WPT, WSOP, etc. and win. Definitely not ready for that, but maybe in a year or 18 months… who knows. One ambition I don’t have is to become a professional poker player. If it becomes your job, it ceases to be something you do for fun. I mean, if it happens as a matter of course, fair enough, but I’ll never force it.

Its early days for me and I may get bored after a couple of months, we just don’t know. But keep watching, cos you never know.

...and so my first big tournament came to an end.

So, here I am in the PokerStars Sunday 1/4 Million, my first major tournament. I've just doubled up to $5,726 and knocked someone out. I've got a good 20 big blinds, or so, left and feeling confident. Next hand comes up and I'm in the big blind with A-hearts and Q-diamonds. From the cut-off Emily4 raises to $1k total. Everyone else mucks their hands, but not me. I have faith in my AQ off suit, and call the extra $750. The flop comes out;

[8S AH 8C]

Get in. Flopped top pair and got an extra pair of 8's to boot. No straight or flush draws on the board. This is looking good. I put in a bet of $1,350, just over the size of the pot. Emily4 calls instantly. Turn card next;

[6C]

That's an undercard. More good news for me. I ponder for a moment and decide to pull a little check-raise. Emily4 bets £3,250. That's nearly my whole stack, but this is the plan. I push all-in and get called. She, and I assume its a she from the name, turns over a pair of tens. Oh yes. I'm in front with only the river to come. Sweet lady river...

[10S]

...sweet lady river you can be such a bitch. Emily4 now has a full house, and there is me with a lowly 2 pairs of Aces and Eights. Thats me. Done. Finished. You have kicked me out in level 7, after just over an hour of play. I was so close too (actually I know I wasn't, seeing as the tourney went on for another 3 and a bit hours after I was so cruelly booted).