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Yo, Ain’t posted on here in ages with the main reason being that I took 6 weeks off completely from playing poker. I actually really enjoyed the break but 6 weeks was enough and I couldnt wait to get playing again. In the summer I am hoping to make it into Jon Lundy’s Pro Stable and therefore I decided to only grind 6max cash on VC as this is what Jon will require me to do from May onwards.
In the past when I have played online I have never really taken it seriously and prepared properly which I believe is one major reason I have never made any real monies. Therefore, at the end of 2009 I sought help from Dan Trett who sent me a huge 3 page email setting out everything from BRM guidelines, session preparation and how I could transform my profitable live game to the online world.
I also made sure I stopped by ‘The Philli Stable’ in January to see the set up there and I must say its awesome. I was there for a good 26 hours without any sleep and just being surrounded by such players as Lundy, Milo and Buzz helped my game so much. Jon taught me the basics of one of the styles of his 6max cash game strategy and I was able to put in a good few hours there applying it. I am a very keen student of the game and took notes from watchin Jon play and I was constantly asking advice from Milo and Buzz who considering their age know an astonishing amount about the game and they helped me a lot.
On Tuesday I deposited $600 onto VC under the alias of ‘hitthedole’(thanks Knerrard lol) so I could grind the 20NL 6 max cash. I know this leaves me a little underrolled but I just couldn’t bring myself to play 10NL.
So with Dan Trett’s advice in mind before I played my first session which was at about 10pm at night I showered, put on some clean clothes, grabbed a bottle of water, made sure my room was uncluttered and locked the door so my housemates couldn’t come in and distract me. I played for just over an hour on 4 tables and finished $12 up. Despite being in profit I felt I didn’t play my best and by the end of the 1 hour session I was very tired.
In my next two sessions which were yesterday, I moved up to 6 tables but I finished $29 down collectively. I felt in both I started well but once again after about an hour I felt tired and my concentration was not at 100% which led to me making mistakes.
The last session I played was mid-afternoon today and I felt much better about my session. It was only an hour and a half but finished $14 up. I felt less tired, played better and made less mistakes. For the first time I also listened to music whilst I played which helped my concentration. My profit from this session would have been much greater had I not lost a big pot with Fullhouse over Fullhouse.
So after about 2,200 hands I have found that my sessions should be earlier in the day as in the late night sessions I was getting tired and not playing my best. Also, after every hour of a long session I will take a short break just to keep fresh. Listening to music will also always be on the agenda.
I have a 50% rakeback deal with VC but to maintain that I have to rake $500 a month which I have been told at 20NL is around 38,000 a month. I therefore think that from next week I may move to 9 tables as I am only aiming to break even in these first couple of months whilst I clear my sign up bonus and get to grips with this game that is so new to me. One thing that could be a problem with this is that even when 6 tabling I am finding it hard to make detailed notes on the reg’s as 6 max is so much more intense than full ring cash.
So far I have realised that 6max cash is so different to any sort of poker I have played before and I definetely need some help with it. I will be looking to watch some training videos and seek advice from anyone who knows how to win at 6max cash. Peace
JuniorBomber
Bomber here wishing you a happy new year! Think this team will be making some big money in 2010!
Well done to SamJ who brought home the team event individual winners trophy. Great, patient performance from the big bird but once again he couldn’t of done it without the superb rail of the North East’s Finest Poker Team! Also, well done to Ridla..without his final table appearance we wouldn’t of finished runners up! And if I had been a bit more patient and got one more point we could have came where we deserved…1st!!
Ok so decided to play some 0.25/50 cash tonight and I had an interesting battle with this one guy known now as ‘friend’ (because I want to play on his table all the time). I played many hands with him but these are the 3 that stick to my mind.
Seat 6: JuniorBomba ($54.01) Seat 9: grnninfromctoc ($12.80)
Ok I am on the button with Qc 5h. My new ‘friend’ limps UTG. It’s folded to me on the button and I haven’t played a hand in ages so decide to mix it up and raise to $1. SB calls, BB folds and ‘Grnninfromctoc’ calls. *** FLOP *** [5c 8h Ks]
SB checks, ‘friend’ bets 50c into a $3 pot. I make it $1.75. SB passes and ‘friend’ calls. *** TURN *** [6h]. Now I still think I am good…no idea why but having watched this guy play I have seen he bets and calls with a lot of random cards. He checks and I bet $4. He insta-calls. I now have no idea what he has got. We both check the blank river and he has…….Q5….split pot!!! WOW-my words entered into chat box!!
Few hands later…
Seat 6: JuniorBomba ($54.27)
Seat 9: grnninfromctoc ($7.81)
In the hijack with QJ off. Its folded around to me and I limp in. Cut off and button pass and my ‘friend’ completes his small blind and the BB checks.
*** FLOP *** [Th 8h 3d]
Checked to me and I bet 0.75$. ‘Friend’ calls and BB folds.
*** TURN *** [3s] He checks to me and convinced he has nothing I lead out again for $1.75. He insta-calls.
*** RIVER *** [5s] He checks again and I shove for his last $5 hoping he folds what I believe to be Ace high. He calls and shows KQ. WOWWWWWWWWW- I write this in the chat box only for him to write back ‘I have got your number.’
At this point, I proceeded to check his Sharkscope and found he was nearly 1k down and had an ROI of -60%!!!!!
Revenge time….After seeing him play these two hands, I knew there would come a point where he would call me very light and I would ship a big pot.
Seat 6: JuniorBomba ($46.46)
Seat 9: grnninfromctoc ($18.13)
In my BB I have 4 5 of diamonds. Some guy raises to $1 and with 4 people (including ‘friend’ in the pot already before it gets around to me and I call.
*** FLOP *** [3c 4h 2d]
I am first to act and bet $3.25 into a $5( I have been super aggressive on this table and it has been working). Everyone folds but my friend who sticks around.
*** TURN *** [3c 4h 2d] [8s]
On the flop I knew I was ahead and I put him once again on Ace high. I therefore decide to shove for his remaining $13 and if he has Ace 8 then GGWPUL me. He tanks for a while and then calls with….Ace 7…great read Bomber. He bricks the river and I win a $37.40 pot! ‘Got ya’- I type into the chat box….’you did’ he replies. I can’t wait for JuniorBomber vs Grnninfromotoc Round 2!
The Sensations are about to make their official debut in a team event. I know its going to be a day of drinking and crack which I can’t wait for but I reeeeeeeallllly want to win!! Anyone else? After the NPF championships last week, everyone has been commenting on how strong and well bonded we are as a team. I feel this is an oppurtunity to not just show that but also to show we are in fact(as our slogan states) ‘The North East’s Finest Poker Team’.
Anyone know the plans for Saturday? Are we meeting for food and drinks before hand? Is the plan to drink all day and go out after we ship the trophy??
Anyways, look forward to seeing you all on Saturday, bring your A game and your world class banter!! Come on the crisps!!!
Ok for some reason I cannot get onto the NPF so I havent been able to update my thread. Today I began at 9.20am and had an awful session. I played 10 9 man Sngs and cashed for 3rd in one and lost the rest. Eventually when i was $80 down for the session I decided to take SamJ’s adivce and play the $6 90 mans. Great advice SamJ as I took down the 1st and came 3rd in the second one. For a combined total of $207. I then did a quick 40 minute stint of 6 tabling the cash tables and left $45 to the good..weeeee! Bankroll is at $750..lets hope it continues this way!!
On Friday I found out I had been chosen to take part in the $500 to $1500 challenge and it came as a huge shock. Unfortunately SamJ spoilt my excitement by telling me I was chosen before I had a chance to watch the NPF news. Out of the Forum Four I am the youngest and most inexperienced and therefore many peoples underdog. Despite this Nice to see that my fellow Walkers Sensations Spoona, NRH and the Gaffer Gaz Walker have backed me in the online poll so thanks lads for the support and belief you have in me…lets hope I ship it for the Sensations! Very excited but a bit apprehensive at the same time as I know everyone is watching and I don’t want to let myself or the team down as I am going up against a Radgie and a Cub.
During this challenge people will be posting on my NPF sticky thread and giving me advice which will be appreciated but it’s from the Sensations that I really want to hear from. Your advice is worth 3 times that of anyone else! This challenge is going to be very hard not just to get to $1500 but also to firstly put in all those hours required. Secondly, it will be hard to deal with downswings and avoiding tilt. Finally, dedicating myself to the challenge instead of partying and getting drunk 5 times a week as an outgoing university student living away from home could be the hardest thing of all. I will post on here again on Monday to review how my 4 day ‘boot camp’ went. ( Not really a boot camp…just sounds better than ‘4 days of sitting in front of a computer playing online poker with a poker playing mate watching me as he wants to learn from my game surrounded by poker magazines and books’. I will be playing on Full Tilt under the screen name JuniorBomba. Thanks for reading
JuniorBomber
Ok sorry it has taken so long but here is my first post on how I became JuniorBomber.
The day my life was ruined forever was back when I was about 13 years old, a time when I was still as tall as I am now and had as much facial hair as I do now! I run so bad! On this day my friend taught me 5 card stud, however at the time I thought it was a card game not a form of poker! Nowadays you never really hear much of this version of our great game but it became a game I quickly taught my other friends so that I could own them. We didn’t have any money so we played for sweets, this resulted in my football career going down the swanny after I put on about a 3 stone in a month!! Shipppp the Quality Street! On a school skiing trip I suggested a game of poker and me and 5 others sat round a cramped makeshift poker table with stacks full of euros in front of us. When the dealer only dealt me 2 cards I was utterly confused! He then described to me the game we all know Texas Hold-em. ‘Texas whattttttttt’ I proclaimed!! 2 cards? 2 fucking cards! What is this shit! After ranting for a good 20 minutes I refused to play and watched. The game looked so easy, so much more fun and creative than 5 card stud…deal me in!! 2 hours later and the game ends after I finish 150 euros up…weeeeeee! I’m hooked!
I introduce my new found love to my friends and we get a regular home game going once a week! A game I never fail to cash in and alas…after years of searching I believe I have found my talent in life! At this point I thought I was going to be a pro when I left school! By the time I reached 6th form everyone knew I was the best in our school even if they didn’t want to admit it and I also made sure I told anyone that would listen! I was St.Thomas More School’s very own poker brat Phil Hellmuth! One day we started playing cash poker in the common room with 50p antes! We had no sense of structure in these days so there were no big or small blinds. It became addictive; I missed classes to stay and play a few more hands, missed lunch just to see one more flop and missed out on chatting up many beautiful ladies to run one more bluff! Some days I would come home and be up £90…all be it in 50p’s and £1’s. Eventually people stopped playing with me and so I got my A levels and went to university! The summer before I left to head to Leeds, was spent playing poker with my mates 2 or 3 times a week. Over this time I started winning less and less and I was frustrated that my reputation with people from school would disintegrate. My confidence was low and I lost a bit of love for the game. My first year of uni was spent drinking and banging birds and none of my new mates played poker so I took 8 months out of the game. The break did me the world of good and when I moved back up here for the summer in May I stumbled across my old football team-mate SamJ and the big bird took me under his wing and worked with me on my game. I read Harrington and the Theorem of Poker, opened up a Sky Poker account and started making sum real money…I was turning £30 into £300 in a day but with no sense of bankroll management I would quickly lose it and have to redeposit! I then made my first trip to a casino and cashed for 4th place at Circus! My confidence was back! Therefore, much to the anger of my parents me and SamJ started venturing to the G on regular occasions, often pulling all nighters at the cash tables and I was making a tidy profit from them, only showing a loss on 1 occasion…cheers IrishAndy! It was whilst at one of these cash tables that I got my nickname. I was wearing my big blue hoody with the hood pulled right down over my eyes and this woman and some kid kept calling me the ‘Unabomber’ after Phil Laak and this eventually was changed to JuniorBomber by some other wise guy at the table Thank you wise guy…before his input I was known as SamJ’s mate. I got to know quite a few people from the scene and loved it and it helped my game improve loads. I can’t believe I used to think I was good back at school as even though I have learnt so much this summer, there is still much more for me to learn. I play on Full Tilt now and when my student loan comes through I am going to have a proper go at spinning myself up a nice bankroll! Thanks to the Newcastle poker scene and the NPF I got asked by the great Gaz Walker to join his team something I was very proud to do. I will wear the black and yellow with pride and hope to repay his faith in me by scooping a few tourneys for the North East’s greatest poker team.
Long Reign the Texas Ranger ‘Gaz Walker’
