Friday, August 05, 2005

No fuss please

This has been my most fallow period of posting ever, if I understand 'fallow' correctly. It is a little strange as poker has been mostly going very well indeed, and I have the excitement of finishing work next Friday.

I would really prefer to just slip away un-noticed, but evening drinks are kind of obligatory and so is a cringeworthy office presentation and faltering speech. I have asked that they don't get me any presents, and donate any such money to a charity. I really don't need any presents, nor anybody wasting their lunch hour buying them - and I can just about survive without the 'how much did I get?' barometer of my popularity.

Meanwhile, poker is good as I said - except that my second cashout from Eurobet is now at three WEEKS and a day without appearing in my bank account, when bank transfers are supposed to take five working days. It was meant to be a little extra spending money on my holiday in mid-July. I am getting seriously pissed off with this and with the fast-to-reply but slow-to-do-anything customer service.

On the plus side, PLO8 continues to reward me - with the exception of a sod's law session the day after I announced I was quitting work. Even better, Eurobet now have 6-max tables of straight PLO. I had a nice three hours on Wednesday reminding myself how much I enjoy straight Pot Limit Omaha - I just can't bear to play it in a full ring game any more.

What else have I been up to? Oh, I did something I NEVER do and played a satellite tournament (ultimate goal, a flash trip into a WPT event). I only needed to be in the top 4 of 23 players to go through to the final, but it went horribly. I reraised big with KK in about the third level, after a small raise and two callers. Only one guy called, from the blinds or under the gun, for 400 of his remaining 500. He had AJ. The flop was 8TQ, giving him nine outs by my reckoning, and sadly one of them came on the river. So instead of a leading stack, I was down to about 350.

The same player could not call quick enough with A3o when I tried to steal with T2s, and so he knocked me out single-handed with sheer brainless poker. Tournament poker sure seems like a game for the lucky, at times.

In other news, I am such a miserable, unsociable 'loner'. This weekend I seem to have innumerable calls upon my time, from boozing after work to a lengthy and messy party to a yawnsville walk in the country. All I want to do is sit at home, alone with my laptop, a few good books, tea and cigarettes.

That's all for now. Next time - views on two more poker books.