More Blogging
This year has been pretty sick so far. I’m up around $900k for the year so far. $600k ish on Stars (see graph) and about $300k on Euro sites. My target for the year was to try and win $1 million, I never guessed I would be almost there before the end of March. Hopefully the next downswing won’t be too brutal, and if I keep doing well I can play $100/$200 games more often.
Quite a few people have asked me about my involvement with SharkStaking. Basically I got involved with these guys to help them mentor some of their PLO horses and help grow the business. The staking operation has grown a lot recently, and I’ve been working with some really promising young PLO players, helping them with HU concepts and enabling them to move up pretty quickly. It’s always satisfying to take on students and see them develop, so this is something I’ll be spending more time on through the rest of the year.
A lot of the SharkStaking PLO guys have been playing on a VERY fishy network which always helps. Put it this way, some of the games running remind me of playing on Betfair back in 2005-2008 when the games were super good. SharkStaking are able to get players onto these sites (including US players) so if you want to get involved in these games email me (ben@sharkstaking.com) and I’ll do my best to get you a decent deal.
2012 Update!
Wow its been ages since my last blog update. I always say I’m going to try and write more often, but I can’t guarantee it.
In the latter part of last year I dropped around $400k, on Pokerstars and the Euro sites, which is a pretty standard swing for the stakes I play. I did get to finally move into my new house after 16 months of work. I basically bought a run down house, found an architect and embarked on a big project to sink the house, do a side and rear extension, have a landscaped garden, and a massive refurbishment. It was really stressful at times, and maybe my poker suffered a bit last year and my expenses were insane every month. It was worth it as i absolutely love the house now. Some photos of my new pad are below.
This year so far has been going really well. I’m up around $450k on Stars/Euro sites mainly playing $25/$50… I must be running very hot as that’s up there with the best months I’ve had in poker, especially as I haven’t been playing above $25/$50 much. Hopefully, a big downswing won’t come and I can start playing some $100/$200 PLO on Stars soon.
I’ve read a lot of views recently on the state of online poker, especially the bumhunting problem. I like the idea of there only being 5/6 tables empty tables allowed for Heads Up at each stake, and basically if you don’t play then you can’t have a table. I definitely proud that I have never table selected at any stake, on any site, since I started playing online poker. I have never typed no thank you to anyone who has sat to play me. Since I’ve been back at Stars I’ve played some of the biggest winners Heads Up, and the people who just sit around all day and won’t play anyone tilt me so badly. Players even sit alone at ring games tables and sit out when you join WTF?
I’m pretty much retired from tournaments at the moment. The only venues I can really be bothered in travelling too are Vegas, Australia and Monte Carlo. Vegas because its a lot of fun and there are PLO tournaments. Australia because it’s a great time of year to visit Melbourne, and watch the tennis as well, and Monte Carlo as it has some good memories from the beginning of my poker career.
More Stuff
I've been playing a fair bit on Pokerstars. Most of the players at $25/$50 and $50/$100 Heads Up sit out against me even though i've never played them that i'm aware off. The only two matches that lasted a decent amount of time were against verve oasis and ronnyr, who i thought both played pretty good.
So i've been playing ring games deep stacked with antes. I won like $130k ish, then dropped $60k today. The games have really taken off in the last week or so, hopefully i can have some run good on there and take some shots at bigger games.
Biggest pot i've lost on Stars
I also played the $10k NL High Roller. Lost most of my chips with KK lost to AQ all in on a 8TQ4 turn, Queen spiked on the river. I'll probably play the main event. The other events seem pretty small. They should have $5k or higher PLO short handed/PLO Heads Up, that would have been pretty cool.
I'm also pretty bored of the speculation my graph's have been faked. I'm in the process of getting the info i need to at least prove that my winnings are somewhere around where my graph's say 
New Blog finally
So I’m back, it’s been a while but with all the time and energy spent on my house there’s been little time for playing. I’ve been managing the build of my new house which should be ready by Christmas, and I can’t wait to get in there, it’s been a long 15 months. It’s meant that I actually took a prolonged period off over the summer months. I’ve started on a new venture with Sharkstaking.com. I’m going to be lead trainer and ambassador for the site, helping them with every aspect of the staking business.
We’re looking for players all the time so make sure you sign up if you’re interested in a stake. One of the perks is that you may get me as a mentor.
Also been back at the tables for just over 2 weeks now and it’s been going well. I’ve been mainly playing iPoker and there’s been some big games running. This is my graph since I’ve been back, small heater…
Even better news is that I’ve managed to get some money onto Stars seeing as the games have been so good lately. It’s weird, I’ve never played much on there and Stars always made it so hard for me to deposit on there but I’m planning on making a run at it, and plan to take on Blom in the Isildur Challenge within the next couple of months if I can play PLO only. We had some epic run-ins on iPoker if the rumours of his IDs are true before, so it should be a fun match. I’ll be playing a few WCOOP tourneys and putting in some decent volume at in the big PLO games before Christmas, so hopefully I can run good and win a chunk before the end of 2011.
I promise to keep this blog updated, also I’m now on Twitter so I’ll try to share some interesting hands and situations with you as they arise.
Also, another thread has come up on 2+2, with some people challenging the validity of my lifetime results at PLO. Its just become boring now so i've issued the following bet.
Terms of the bet if anyone wants it:
- If i can't prove beyond doubt that i've won at least $5,000,000 I'll pay out $60,000
- If i can prove beyond dount that i've won at least $5,000,000 I win only $30,000
To motivate me to get closer to the $8 million in winnings, i'd like a bonus of $20,000 for each addition million proved.
So if i prove $5,100,000 for example i win $30,000. I win $50,000 if i prove between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000 etc
Gl at the tables,
Ben
Stuff
Had a quietish April on the poker front. I tilt self excluded from Full Tilt for 28 days after i had a chunky loss at the end of May, so have only been playing the Euro sites. It was a winning month but nothing exciting, i only played 7,000 hands so i need to put in more hands i guess.
It will be interesting to see how Black Friday affects the games. I think on the Euro sites the games will carry on and probably be even busier. I also think the games at $25/$50 and $50/$100 will be easier on the US sites, lots of the biggest winners in the last few years are Americans, so it may be an opportunity we shall see...... i'm sure most of them will move or find some other way of playing again.
Not long till the WSOP kicks off as well. I'll be donating my usual buy ins to 4/5 PLO events i think, only planning a two week visit in the middle.....
Strangely Tilted
Was waiting for my heater to end before i posted again.... it was due.
Probably run bad after this
Poker has been going alot better this year, think i sorted my head out after my downswing last year.... and haven't tilted too much at all this year. I'm happy with my graph for the year so far, these things always say i run above EV. I doubt i can keep up the results of the last six weeks, but its fun while it lasts.
I haven't played any live tournaments for ages. Hopefully i'll make it to EPT San Remo and Madrid. If not, i'm definitely going to Vegas for about 18 days in the summer.
Jan Update
Not much happening on the poker front. I quickly went up $75k on the year, only to give the same amount back mostly to the same fish. I always beat the good players and lose to the fish (I know he is a big fish as all the nitty regulars play him)
I've been really busy working on choosing everything for my new house, its still not going to be done for another 8 months though. The refurb/extension is also costing double what i budgeted... FML
I'm also training to run the London marathon for Wellchild, only done a few weeks training, and i'm going to have to do some serious work to break the four hour mark.
If anyone is feeling generous, and wants to sponsor a good cause, my sponsorship page is here.
