Regaining normality!!

I haven’t posted on this in a while so I’m probally gonna type up quite an update here. Recently I've feeling a bit fatigued when it comes to playing poker seriously so I've given it a break with the exception of playing the regular tournament in the local for the bit of craic and banter with lads. Online poker-I mess around a little bit on betfair, but will probably never be able to concentrate properly thus introducing the need for poker software which for sum reason my laptop doesn't agree with. I'm tempted to get a new laptop cos my laptop is shite anyway but I m not going to as I'm too lazy and besides if it prevents me from bleeding money online then its probably a good thing.

In the last few weeks I've come to realise just how much poker has consumed my social life ever since I took it up over a year ago so the break and loss of desire to play has meant I'm going out more and doing "normal" things. I've decided I'm definitely 120% quitting from Ashbourne Utd and so Paul & I had a meeting with some deaf lads, and basically we are going to get together every thurs for a training session until the end of may to see if we have the numbers of lads required to enter a team in the league for next season and reform officially as St. Vincents DFC. After the meeting, we went out to Quinns pub for a few scoops and I got caught up in the antics of drinking shots of whiskey throughout the nite as we moved onto Messrs Maguires. Met this really cute girl and I got her number. Next morning I woke up still half pissed and very jolly and proceeded to text her. It could have proved to be disastrous as I definitely appeared to be over-eager but thankfully she replied and from there on during the week I asked if she fancied meeting up for a few drinks. Naturally being the charmer I am, she said yes! lol!

Had the training session on the Thursday evening, there were 16 of us, 4 of which were schoolboys based in the wilderness of Ireland so they were deducted as potential players for next season. Glen McGrattan was also there lol! He's sound but as footballer I'd be embarrassed to be on the same team as him.. He can’t kick snow off a rope!! So realistically we had about 10 or so people that could be interested to commit properly to play club football next season. So we're gonna have to work hard on getting our old players back from their current clubs if we are to enter a team into the league next season.

Met the cute girl, Amanda on Friday nite. I had vague recollections of what she looked like but being sober on this occasion, I proceeded to mentally pat myself on the back when she arrived. Lets just say I probably wudnt have had the confidence to approach her in Messers if I was sober cos realistically she was way out of my league! Date went well I think, she was easy going as well so that always helps!! ;)

Saturday played poker with the boys in Derek’s house. Pretty decent of him to ask me to come out even though we’re just friendly acquaintances. Played a €50 FO, came 3^rd to get my buy in back and €10 worth of scalp on top of it…. Ah it was all in the name of fun really, stayed on to watch the Calazghe fight-it wasn’t a great fight. Went home afterwards cos I had to get up early.

Got the 10am bus into finglas and then proceeded to get a taxi to the AUL complex, we were missing quite a handful of key players from the Irish team. I really came to get a bit of a workout in the warm-ups cos I was nowhere near match sharp and Damon duly worked us keepers out properly. Match was a disaster; we lost 3-1 and performed poorly. I got ten minutes under my belt. I was really rusty and it showed with my kicking. But at least it was nice to get a run out all the same. I enjoyed being with the team, it’s always good fun being with the lads in a competitive environment.

Tilted!

Friday: Played a €20 satellite into the €100 game in CHL. Top 3 get a ticket. I bubbled which is happening too often lately. Go on a bit of a mini tilt and end up buying into the big game, which I had intended not to do. Run well at the start, 3 tables so it had about 27 runners. I reach FT, suffer massive dent when my QQ run into a lady’s KK. Push and the lady calls and gets a runner runner straight for the second time that night against me. I buy €120 chips upon exit and blow it all on the cash game of ohama/hold’em.

Saturday: Went to the Deaf club. EGM was a no-go because there weren’t enough people. Tournament got 18 runners. Standard was woeful. Play only two hands, TT and 99. Lost on both of them and I’m out in 15^th which I don’t really care about. Jay went on to win it.

Sunday: Ashbourne Utd away to Raheny-was an unused sub thank god. We had a bazillion chances to score but could only put the ball in the back of the net just the once. In typical fashion, Raheny don’t get a sniff until the dying minutes of the game where they equalise from a free kick. Only ourselves to blame for not taking our chances and killing the game off. Play the €100 FO in Coolquay later. Again 3 tables so it had about 27 runners. Standard was poorer than on Friday. Just before getting to the FT, I double up when I sucked out on the river against some messer with an awful hand J2 vs. AK. I apologise and he replies, “ah fuck off you deaf cunt”. I lose the head and go on uber tilt and spew my chips and butcher my exit hand horrifically-KK. A cock up with the tournament clock afterwards didn’t help and I leave the place feeling as frustrated as I have ever felt in a very long, long time.

Monday: Still not over what happened on Sunday. Can’t help as it keeps playing on my mind. I also am a bit frustrated with the fact I had it in me to win the thing if I had just ignored him. Certainly not going to play in the Coolquay again.

The long lonely walk home…

I had football training beforehand, the first proper session since I got injured. It was so boring, in comparison to Fran Butler’s sessions with DCU. My shoulder is way too weak for me to fully participate in a match but the game against our relegation rivals this Sunday is a must win game for the club and is the most important game this season. After the session I told Damo I wasn’t ready and that I hoped Marcello will come out and play in goals. But he didn’t look that confident that Marcello would turn out so I am feeling the pressure to return prematurely. I have to wait and see what happens on Sunday but it would be a massive gamble for them to play me when I’m 70% fit and also it wouldn’t be fair on me to cope with the pressure in playing in a game that could make or break us.

But anyway after the training session, I went home and headed straight to the pub. After the disappointment of playing so badly in CHL on Saturday night, I was relying on the usual Thursday night game to re-instil my belief that I am not really that bad (?!) I arrived a bit late and it was a little disappointing to see only 14 runners. Anyway I managed to get my initial stack of 2.5k up to 11k at the break. Purchased the add-on of 5k and when play resumed I was 2nd chip leader. FT had 9 players. There were two hands that defined my tournament, one was a squeeze play- blinds were 400/800, I was in the SB. Everybody had limped in when the button made a min-raise. There was 7,600 in the pot so I decided to squeeze before I even looked at my cards. (J8o) Squeeze looked to be perfectly executed when one by one the whole table folded except the short stack. He turned over JJ and I was duly exposed with my hand in the cookie jar. But it was still a good strategy to deploy. Lose half my stack but get it back up to a healthy 14k when I pick up KJo in the SB with blinds at 500/1k. I complete the blind after a few limpers. BB checks and the flop is J45 rainbow. I bet out 2.5k and get called by the CL who is a very loose player in MP. I know then that he has the J but I’ve a better kicker since he would have raised p/f if he had AJ. I decide to push if the turn is harmless since I figure he will call me with a pair of Jacks anyway. Turn is 6s, I push and get called. I laugh in exasperation when he turns over J4!!!!! Limping in with J4o from MP… Just LOL!! River is a blank so I get up and walk home. It’s never nice walking home after being knocked out. When I first started out playing these tournaments, I would get knocked out and find myself walking home with questions and self doubt ravaging my mind every week. Then I started improving and start to cash. And then Bam (Michael) would drop me home afterwards. So my early exit last night meant that this time I had to embark on the walk home with the old insecure thoughts running through my head about my play. But this time I knew deep down, I couldn’t do anything about donkeys limping in from MP with J4. It was his play that was questionable more so than mine.

Right now I am in work, organising a sweepstake for the Grand National tomorrow. The horses cost €1 apiece. I drew Backbeat and Nadover outta the bag, priced at 159/1 and 499/1!! Lol!!! But sure, it’s only a bit of fun! :-) I doubt I’ll have a punt on the GN tomorrow in the bookies; the race springs up too many surprises to be able to pick a winner from the racing post. Am looking forward to the poker after work in CHL and tomorrow night in the Deaf club. Not going out for a session simply because I know I would be wasting my time texting the boys if they are up for it. But all the same, I don’t mind playing poker all weekend! It’s fun!!! :-)

The aftermath...

Again it’s been a while since I’ve posted an entry so it looks like it’s gonna be another long one. I keep promising to post more regularly to make the posts shorter and more bearable to read but I can never muster the effort on a regular basis to do so.

Anyways this is what has happened within the last fortnight since I last posted.

Easter weekend:

As per tradition, I went to the inter-provincial championships which were being held in Galway this Easter. Once again, I was unavailable to play due to injury but I took up a new role, featuring as the assistant manager of the Munster team that was managed by Joey. It was a knockout format so we were drawn to face Leinster in the semi-final. It looked like as if the match would be going to penalties but our hopes of lifting the cup were dashed by a late goal that was headed in by Ross Byrne. The defeat meant we faced Connaught in the 3/4 playoffs. We trounced them 15-0, which was a bit embarrassing. The night beforehand was a bit of a disaster. Since it was good Friday and the pubs were closed, Donal, James and I were left twiddling our thumbs in boredom after all the players went to bed early because of their matches the next day. So we decided to head to the Eglington. But Donal and myself did not have any ID so we were turned away whilst James headed on inside by himself. We decided to go to the 4aces instead and arrived to find a cash game just starting...

It was a bit shambolic really, the chips were grimy and sticky. I didn't like the blinds-they were €1/€3. But all the same, we plumped ourselves down and bought in for €100 apiece. I quickly lost my stack on a pair of 9's with a flush draw. The villain called my pf raise OOP, called my flop bet and shoved the turn to show 42 for a straight. 42.. Jeez.. So I went on tilt and duly lost another €90 when I got it in with AK pre-flop only to come up against AA. Cue uber tilt and I cannot get out of there fast enough, leaving Donal to play on his own.

Thankfully I didn't play any more poker in Galway whilst I was there, never had the chance to really as went on the lash every night and duly paid the price for it when I came home. Recovery doesn't get any more easier and as I struggle to cope with the depression and loss of energy I promise myself that I would give up the sessioning for a good while.

Pick up a bout of flu over Easter but manage to shake it off to play the local pub game at the last min on Thursday night. 16 runners or so, pick up €200 for finishing 2nd to a total luckbox (he had 10 : 1 chiplead over me when we got to HU, I claw it back to 6:4 before losing the battle in the one hand). Saturday night- I try to organise a few drinks in town (so much for vowing to give up the sessioning) but get no takers so I head to CHL for the €55 DC with Frank. It got about 28 runners, I haven’t been playing too well but manage to get to the FT along with Frank who has about 6BB left. 8 players left, top 5 get paid. I bubble with a badly played QJ that I attempted to steal the blinds with from LP. So agonising finishing one place off the money but given the way I had played that night, I don't suppose I can feel aggrieved because I know my play that night didn’t deserve any reward. I recovered my buy-in on the blackjack tables later but still went home feeling pissed off with myself. Lesson learnt.

I've decided to go back to reading articles on strategy and theory for confidence if anything else as my confidence has been dented playing at cash tables and this has kind of carried over into tournaments (but not to the same degree thank god) Plus you can never have too much knowledge on these two elements! Right now, I'm reading Ryan Fee's Strategy guide, which makes the bus journeys home from work seem that little bit quicker.

On Saturday IDP are having their monthly tournament. We're also having an EGM to incorporate a new constitution and to elect a new committee in accord with the constitution. I'm up for staying on but I don't know which capacity-Secretary or Chairperson. Will decide closer to the day. Will probably play in the tournament afterwards as well... It'll be fun trying to put some guys on a range of hands anyway! It'll be a bit of fun; it's not the WSOP anyways. At least I dont have to worry about Donal sucking out on me cos he won't be there! :)