Turbo Takedown Takes Me Down.....

I am just watching The Quantum of Solace as i write about how my worst poker month ever just gets worse and worse. I have had this film to watch for over a year now.... so its about time i got round to seeing it... lol

The story of my cash games is that its my first month of being an FFP pro and there are a few things that i need to get used to. Firstly, i have been playing longer sessions than i have been used to in the previous 5yrs and my concentration has slipped on a few occasions. I have almost addressed this and will be fine in July. Secondly for some reason i made changes to my ranges and played a bit more creatively which has not worked. I have now reverted to my previous hand ranges in each position and will reduce slightly on my creative plays. I have been a marginal winning player over the last 5yrs. If i can get back there and collect the FPPs i will be okay with my income as i work on improving my game. At the moment i seem to be the biggest fish at every table i sit on....lol... not good. Playing 20 tables is something i am not completely comfortable with at times, so i will trial between 16-20 to see how it goes. My bad plays this month have made me around -$800 i reckon, but the bad beats i have taken account for around -$2,000. If this had gone the other way i would easily be in profit with my FPP earnings this month, but as it stands i will report my largest loss ever for June.

I just played the $1,000,000 Turbo Takedown Tourni as i watched Argentina Smash Mexico playing football the way it should be... with flair, pace and great finishing. Oh, and England are out and they were complete rubbish... enough said about that... Hopefully those idiots at FIFA will bring in goal line technology and enter the 21st century.

Anyway, The Turbo Takedown is a fun Tourni with a 3000FPP buy-in, making it accessible to all players at pokerstars. One of the features that i like about this tourni is the prize structure, paying out around a third of entrants as opposed to the 10-15% player payout in most tournis. There is also a multiplier bonus for continued cashing and a bounty on PS Team Pros. Not that its any use to me as i have played twice and bummed out early both times. Its a fast tourni with 3000 starting chips and an Audi TT + $60,000 first Prize

Today's Tourni epitomises how my month has gone. After 45mins i should have been sitting on around 9000 chips but instead i am dumped out. Here's how it went:

I only played around 7-8 hands but here are the main ones:

1. I pick up JJ in mid position and bet 3bb. I get called by the cut-off and the Button. The Flop comes Q95 rainbow. I check, cut-off checks and the button bets around 30% of the pot. This is a situation early in a tourni so i think i have an argument to fold, call or raise. As his bets is small i choose to raise... he might have bet small to induce my raise or he may have a hand like AT or KT, but i want to know where my Jacks stand. I think i should have just called considering there is another player in the pot. The cut-off folds and the button calls. The turn is a T, giving me an up and down straight draw... now if i was deep in a tourni i would consider pushing with this, however i check and he bets big. I now either go all-in or fold... i think for a while and fold. I have around 2700 chips.

2. I pick up AT in late position and open for 3bb, the cut-off calls and all others fold. The flop is 835 Rainbow and my hand is probably still good as this guy has been playing many pots. Again deep into a tourni i would probably Cbet this, but so early with such small values in the pot i choose to check, he checks and the Turn comes a T, giving me Top pair with top kicker and putting 2 diamonds on the board. I bet around 60% of the pot, he calls. The turn is the K of diamonds, putting a potential backdoor flush and an overcard out there. I will check-call if he does not check behind me. He bluffs around 50% of the pot with AJo and i take it down to finish with 3500 chips.

3. I find AKo on the button. A player in early position opens for 3bb, all fold to me and i triple his bets. SB calls and the initial raiser folds. Flop is TA3 (2 spades). SB checks and i bet around 70% of the pot which is around half his stack. He will fold or move all-in, i don't see a call. He moves all-in, i call and he has AQ. You know what happens next, yes, The turn is a Q and he doubles up.... The story of my month, in with the best and busted by a 2 outer. I now have around 1500. I win a small pot a little later and have 1800 chips.

4. I pick up AA UTG and mini-raise 2bb. All fold to the cut-off who raises 3x my bet. I re-raise and he moves all-in, i call. He shows TT. The flop is 25Q and I'm looking good. But, i know what is coming and yes the 2 outer T appears on the Turn and i am busted. Thank-you and Good night....

That's Poker.......