In profit... only just!

It's becoming standard for me. I buy-in to a game, become chipleader, make final 18 then bomb out before final table... don't tell me to tighten up, loosen up or 'get it in goot' - cos I'm doing all those things and meh, I'm not getting anywhere near the cash! Send me to the nearest cash/side game and I prosper well there(!)

I missed playing in the Bell on Sunday night, so allowed myself a game on Monday in Hartstown. Hadn't been there in a while... I forgot how loose they can play! I set up a SnG side game with 8 players, ended up HU with Ciara but egged on by others, we split it for €80 each so we all can play another SnG! Didn't win that... leaving the pub I was grabbed by a couple of the regs - they were hosting a game back in one of their houses and were insisting I join the 4 of them. I made excuses (honestly!!!) but got brow-beaten into going back for 'an hour'... 3 hours later I finally arrive home €160 richer. Don't think they'll be inviting me back again... LOL!

Had back-to-back meetings in town all day Wednesday, last one finished at 8pm - making the most of my 'freedom' for the night I hit the Jackpot with Cee, Justin and a very reluctant Susie Woosie. Getting off to a good start, it wasn't difficult considering how loose the first table was, I was up to 20k before end of 2nd level. Cee and Justin crashed out early. By the time we got down to the final 2 tables, I was 3rd or 4th chipleader. Lost big with AQ to QQ by a player who I had tagged as loose, WP sir. Went utterly card dead for several orbits getting raped by the blinds. With < 5BB shoved with Q9s from BB, 4 limpers on the table already, I got 2 callers: KK and 88!!! WTF! Why limp with them hands people?!

Susie was still in, so I joined the cash table - bad move, I was too tired to play properly and allowed myself to get pushed off pots when the fresh-alert-me would played on... Got up 100 down and railed Susie on the final table. She played a tight game getting it in well but bombed out the 4th place with the villain hitting his flush on the river. WP Susie! Now aren't ya glad you came along girl?!! LOL!

Friday I was in the mood to go to Dunboyne, I really like this game: 10k starting stack and 25 min blinds. Food at the break and a late bar - meaning no rush to finish the game within a time constraint. There's 3 dealers so if there's extra tables they all take turns at the various tables, so it's not all self-dealt. Plus a nice soft side 1/2 no-limit cash table... There's nothing else better on offer out there! Its taking over from the Bell as my favourite game of the week!

I had to sort out kids before I could take off, arriving 'Maddog style' at the start of the (75/150) level... There were 4 tables in full swing, looking around my table, I had a mixture of regs and new faces; I vowed to play tight til I had a feel for the players. First hand was JJ; ah feck! Can't fold that!

UTG raised to 500, I re-pop to 1300 (didn't want to commit too much at this point with no read on the guy, plus I was in MP with 3/4 players left to act)... Player to my left called and action folded back to the blinds. As the BB was mucking his card one accidentally turned over and revealed a Jack. I wasn't too pleased to see that... UTG promptly folded, tapping the exposed J and announcing 'No point me calling!' Great(!) Making a mental note to myself to play this tight, plan to fold to raise on A/K/Q high boards. I was stunned to see the flop:

AJx (rainbow)

Ah... So someone is telling porkies(!) Feeling really powerful here, I bet out 5k expecting other player to fold. But no, he shoved for 2,900 more. I had to call... He tables AQ(!) Bad call sir, I could've had AK even(!) My set turns into house by river. Nice double up to start off. I get a ribbing from some players comparing my play to last week's similar but premature exit!

I gradually worked my stack up to 40k before I got moved, finding QQ UTG, I bet out big and SB calls. Flop comes 10 high... SB checks and I bet out 2/3 pot, he flat calls, turn is Ace. He check-raises me shoving all-in. Calling him would have left me with less than half my stack I had no option but to fold. He proudly shows 73 suited for air. Cheeky Chancer! Was down to 30k approx when we were down to final 18 and our table got broken. I was placed in a tough spot between Koolkid and the unpredictable Paul Stynes. After losing 10k to Paul, I went card dead and started drifting down to 12.5k, blinds were 800/1600. Finding Kh10h in CO, 2 limpers and the blinds on the table I felt it was a good spot to shove and gain 5k for my stack. I wasn't expecting Paul (one of the limpers) to call me with KK(!) Standard for Paul(!)

Two hearts and a 10 on the flop gave me a lotta outs but none came to save me and I was out in 11th place. Koolkid wasn't impressed, muttered at me for shoving when 'you weren't short stacked enough' til I pointed out I had an M less than 6, with the blinds increasing to 1k/2k in less than 2 mins I felt it was a good spot to shove. He gave out big time to Paul: 'Limp in with kings?!!! Why would you do that?! Dreadful play...' LOL! Think that ticking off put Paul on tilt and he bombed out shortly after that!

I trotted over to the cash table and sat in the only available seat beside the most annoying yakker you can have on a poker table; GHA was there too obviously on tilt from the Yakker (who was also drunk) going on about 'short arms'... so I tolerated him for that reason. Susie was also there, as was Lucinda and a couple of new faces. Plenty of value abound. Cheeky Chancer joined up making a deal with one of the regs to play with his money for a 50-50 profit split... Graham and I glanced at each other bemused. Putting 50 on the table, I used it to push two €12 bets off the pot with all-in button shove. Finding Js9s in BB, 4/5 players limped into the pot and Button (Well dressed LAG) raises to 25, I counted €14 on the table and felt WDL was just pushing us off the pot with any two, and called. Flop comes 10sQs10x, I check called another 25, 8s on turn and I was looking at a lovely straight flush! Niiiicceeee... I bet out 25, he raises to 50, I re-raise all-in for 20 more, WDL folds muttering 'ah you got your house right?' I table my straight flush to his disbelief!

The speech play banter between the Yakker and Cheeky Chancer was so off putting I folded a couple of key hands. Til Graham announced last hand... bugger! I'm on button now and so playing this regardless of what it is! Looking down I found 2 black aces - deadly!!!! 5 limpers and blinds to act - I made it 10 to go. 4 callers... including the WDL and Cheeky Chancer. Board comes 10 5 x, 2 clubs. Action checks back to WDL who bets 30. I min raise it to 60, and... they all flat call(!) Eh???! Turn brings another 5, as the players check back to me I shove. First player thinks for a minute then re-pops all-in but Cheeky and WDL folds, river was non-club. I table my aces announcing 'two pair' expecting to be beaten and was stunned when other player mucks. 'What did you have?' I asked... 'King 10, top pair, flush draw'. Oh. Ship the pot to me please!

After tipping the dealers I was delighted to cash out for €390.

Sunday was a beautiful day - really warm too... Spring has arrived at last! Had my princess fast asleep in bed by 7:15pm, she was shattered after being out in the fresh air all day! Was down in the Bell 10 mins later, just in time for my early bird chip.

I joined Tweety, Charlie (1st and 2nd last Friday in Dunboyne) Hussan on the table with Kojack on my right; Kojack was clearly spewing chips, playing so bad, I made a kindly comment on his play more or less telling him to take it easy and he took it badly snapping the head off me... a couple of times I was calling raises he was counting up my chips wrong and I had to ask for a re-check... The tension was mounting. I was playing Tighty-McTight, gradually building my stack up to 14k from 10.5k, folding more than I normally play. Finding QQ in SB (blinds 100/200) 3 limpers and Tweety to act in BB, I raised to 900. Tweety re-raised to 2400, and limpers folded. I had him covered so re-popped all-in. Tweety insta-called tabling AK off... I showed my Queens and he groaned, stood up and put his jacket on. Kojack started dealing out the board, chanting 'ace or king... ace or king... ace or king' - boy he really wanted me off the table didn't he(!) As it happened Tweety managed to suck out with a 4th club to hit his flush... as Kojack started pushing my chips over I stopped him counting them out rapidly myself... he lost it with me and threw the rest of the deck of cards at me. I was going to snap at him but instead told him to 'relax, I have him covered...' and got a curt 'f.. you' in return. Great sportsmanship there sir.

With less than 5bb I was out in one orbit, shoving with AJ - Tweety kindly 'donated', as did Kojack 'hope this gets her out' he mutters, 'Check it down yeah?'. Tweety looks at him after the 7 high flop and bet out 5k (nice one!) Kojack scowls and folds in disgust. Tweety tables K7 and asks if I had better I shook my head, tabling my hand, no ace or jack and I was gone. Glad it was Tweety than Kojack though...

I took myself off to Tallaght Poker Rooms and rode the roller coaster cash table, more for the double-cash hours than anything else! I've never earned enough to play in any of the leagues in the casinos so taking a shot at this one... Which looks like the most generous one around.

Arriving in an aggressive mood I made some maniac hero calls with A high and low pairs and winning them, drove 50 up to 345, had a 400 limit in mind but went down again... Another 50 on the table, went up to 200 then crashed out. The table is mad, they will call raises with any pair, any ace, any king, any suited two! It's a tough one to crack. Enjoyed the craic and the banter... very risqué and brash though it may be! Suffering for it big time today...

For all my playing this week I've just €125 left to show for it... ah, better a profit than a loss!