I’ve just never managed to be any good at playing online.
It’s such a struggle to judge people’s hands.
I have to admit I’m getting a hell of allot better at it, winning 3 out of 5 tourneys I’ve played today and getting 2nd in another.

I seem to play a bit looser and aggressive online ...... something that I normally do anyway, but I suppose because I don’t see the money it doesn’t actually matter if I bust out with crap.
I’ve also developed the strategy of sitting out.
Normally if I’m running crap in a live game, I will effectively sit out for a few hands and let others take themselves out, and I have finally figured out that it is best to do this online also.

Don’t get me wrong I hate those people who get to the final 3 and then sit out, its f'in gay and there not even playing real poker like that.
But when it comes to big tourneys and I’m getting crap, I’ll sit out for a while, until it gets down a bit, then will try again for some cards.
Most of the time hit like crazy again.
I think this also comes from the fact that I play way better as short stack, I don’t have huge amount of chips to throw away but I go all in at anytime.

Now while I’m on the topic of online play, id just like to point out to all you people who get pissy every time you get Rivered.
Yes it hurts but dude THAT’S POKER!! It’s what we play, it’s how the game works and we know this, deal with it and move on, don’t go getting pissy and abusing people, calling them names or thinking they aren’t very good players!
Really there probably are better player’s because they see the potential in the cards, rather than relying on what’s already out!

So now onto my weekly some up:

Played a new venue on Wednesday, got 3rd so it was ok, but really was just same old same old people plus a couple of newbie’s hitting their beginners luck.
I have now learnt not to mess with this luck, if their hitting it then I will not go into that hand if I’m also in bad position.... u just don’t mess with beginners luck man!

Local casino’s running a weekly Free roll for the month of April.
Haven’t managed to get up there yet, but hoping to head up next week to see how many people are showing up.

Thursday was useless, I didn’t hit all night and busted out of the comp very early.

After having poker games and tourneys for 2 weeks straight, come Thursday I was well and truly sick of it so I haven’t played Live since then.

Online I’ve been having a bit of success, but only at low numbers due to my normal crappie online skills.
Once I start getting a bit better I’ll move up the stakes, but in the mean time, but still a big novice at online play.

Tonight ive got your Poker Ass. Cash Tournie ... preety low key at a 1st prize of $200, but still great fun.

Pendulum (auzzie drum and bass) plays this weekend in my town, and they have become my new soundtrack for Poker.
Just keeping me bouncy and happy, also emphasising my dizziness to people, leading them to believe I don’t know what I’m doing.

I recommend downloading ‘Slam’, ‘Fasten your Seatbelt’ and ‘Tarantula’ by Pendulum

Wow what a weekend for me!

This weekend just passed marked my first live Poker Tournament.
Held at the Dunedin Casino, with a prize pool of $18,000, the Summer Poker Tourney shaped up to be an entertaining and rewarding 3 days.

Day one started with drinks, a meet and greet and a run over the official rules.

May i just point out, Poker in New Zealand and esp. Dunedin is not especially huge. In light of this, casinos are hesitant to flex the rules in regards to poker games. Therefore this weekend i had to make do without my IPod and had to hide my tells as Sunglasses were also not allowed.

After plenty of nibbles and free wine about 60% of the players settled down to play a cash game at the tables.
Tables included NL Omaha and Holdem Alternating and NL Holdem.

After about an hour of watching a couple of possiable threats and sussing out some of their plays and tells, i snuck off to a NL Holdem Table.

Normally i wouldn’t play the night before, especially on a cash table however my luck had been running so crap for the last 3 weeks i needed a little buffer and warm up, and it proved to be just what i needed.

2 hours later i walked away from the table $800 richer, paying for my Re-Buy and my Add-On plus some.
Everyone continued to play right through to 4am, including some of those whom were in the morning session. I managed to drag my partner away at about 3am, not worrying too much as i had an afternoon session.

Little did i know that one of my mates had been changed to the morning session, and suddenly at 10am found myself with less than normal sleep, downing free cups of coffee watching these players who had been up till 4-5am try play their way through to Day 3. I still wonder how they do it.

After dropping down to 10 people the morning session closed, leaving me 30 mins to go force some food down and revise my game.
At that point in time i felt very good, as it seemed all the very prominent players were in the morning session, little did i know that i was about it sit down to one of New Zealand’s best tourney players.

Coming in it seemed as though my bad run of luck was still on me, as i managed to just drag my butt through to the first break, however after a long wait i hit some luck.

Doubling up twice off a local who is known for his amazing knowledge of the game and ability to calculate everything, i was sitting nice. 2 more hands went by and i hit again, this time taking out the 2nd to last player for the day.

I was sitting ok, roughly in 7th place for the day, but not nearly enough to take me to the final table the next day....

That night we sat down yet again to the tables, this time playing pot Limit Alternating. After a while i realised that it was far too rich for me, i simply could not compete with the $2000 raises in Omaha, so i beggared off to the Pot limit Holdem Table. I didn’t get as much luck as the night before however i walked away up yet again.

Day 3 began at 1pm, a nice time for me. 2 tables left, and i was stoked just to get this far. After few fast droppers, i hit my luck well and truly.

After receiving 3 lots of Pocket Queens in 5 hands, then the following hand hitting 2 queens on the flop again to make a set, i was sitting pretty. The cards were rather befitting as i was also the last female left in the comp.

After the break we moved into the final table. I was sitting on just over 15k in chips, about 10k under the chip leader.
Sitting at my table happened to be a national champion, the local champ, a couple of unknowns and 2 very aggressive blind stealers.
I made the discussion to let the big stacks battle it out for a while and fold almost everything.
I looked at one hand, pockets 8's and i went with my gut feeling, i pushed, and hard - all in infact. I got a caller with 10's.
Flop comes down A 2 8 rainbowed, giving me a set. Last two cards come and I’m safe, i honestly couldn’t tell u what they were, i was just focusing on that 8 haha.

We break for our final time with the final 6 sitting at the table. I was chip leader, sitting on 35k of chips.

Id just like to point out, I’ve never been chip leader in my life, i don’t play well as chip leader, and even though it looks pretty, i hate it.

After the break i stuff up. After 3 days of playing straight, my inexperience comes out and instead of laying down most everything, i play pocket jacks, my most unlucky of cards.
Now i had laid down some good cards, AJ and AK about 3 times due to position etc, but for some reason i wanted to play the jacks.
Well of course my mate and partners brother hit a set, taking roughly about 1/3 of my stack.

At this point i was just so happy to where i had gotten, and was happy with the prize money that i said Buggar it and went all in with a semi decent hand.

Of course i was beaten, coming out 5th place and $1300 richer.
Now i know to those of you whom play anywhere else in the world this is crap all money, however over here, for a 5th placing its quite big.

I was the first female to place in Dunedin ever, and therefore earn the right to call myself Dunedin's best female player haha not that i will. I haven’t looked into the earnings of anywhere else in the country, but apparently there’s only ever been 1 or 2 females play let alone cash anywhere else.

After the tourney, and seeing my mate cash in at 2nd and 8k i beggared off for dinner with my family, heading back to the casino after to relax at an casual table with the locals.

I couldn’t believe how tired i was.
Being my 1st tourney i had never experience the beating your mind and body takes from having to think about cards for 3 days. I had hardly eaten 3 meals in 4 days, and ended up being very very sick come Monday i think due to the lack of food and the extra stress.

I’ve defiantly learnt allot from this tourney, and am really happy with myself.
I got glowing comments from all the players and 3 invitations to tourneys throughout the country, including the NZ Champs, which I’m considering very very keenly.
Now to gain a little more bankroll!

Remember People - In tourneys:
- Get your required amount of sleep
- Eat enough - you may not fel like it but your body and mind will shut down unless you feed it!
- Drink enough - Not too hard to do if you’re at a casino if they have complementaries, but remember that water and coffee!
- Having the patience to sit through your bad luck or good hands but bad position is the key to it all

~Karen