:(

All the Vegas talk is doing my nut in. Really am going to make a concerted effort to reach the WSOP by 2008.
In the online tournies iv been running bad. On the bubble hos this for a randomly shite tribeca play. I get AA in EP and elect to raise 3*BB (the limp at this stage just screams aces from someone like myself) and all fold apart from the SB who calls. Im pot commited now as i am only holding back 2/3 of my original stack and i dont fold these puppies to any sort of ugly flop in a 2 way pot here. Flop comes 5Q5 with 2 spades and i have A spades. He checks, i raise 2/3 of my remaining stack and he pushes. I think oh no QQ but i call and am duly shown the Q8, which he spikes on the river. Some twat gives me the rub-down with "you should have raised more preflop". ;)

Played at Luotn on Tuesday. Came a miserable 10th. 120 odd players and 10-18th place win £30. How dumb. Obv when 1st is £1600 im prepared to take a few risks. I tread water for ages, getting the tighter players to fold their big blinds when i can act 1st. I am shown AJs, A10s and pocket 7's. Blinds escalate rapidly and i have 10k with blinds at 800/1600. Shortie tries some shit on me with 45 and i cll with A2. He hits a house on the flop, now im a shortie. I win a few decent pots after. Get into the money and elect to play to win and amass chips now while the scared money is still here. I steal my way up to about 16k. I then find AK in the BB. UTG limps (shit!) but i think fukit i cant lay this down and just move in (or near enough, its PL).....to which he calls with A4d. I hold and have about 40k. Average is 30k. I then get pocket sixes and raise again (blinds at 4k/2k). I get re-raised and have to give up and am shown KK for my whining efforts. I now have 18k. Then this hand. Folded to me on the button, i get QJs. I raise here, the full pot. The SB calls. O bollox i think. Flop comes 468 with 2 spades. He puts me all-in (for like 6k more...and i have to call). He has J8s. Now please tell me why you would cal for 1/3 of your stack with that garbage. This player is the borther of a well-known and solid player, Lalit. His brother has charm, charisma and plays excellent poker. His brother has none of these attributes.
I wouldnt have minded a random call, BUT this twat was whining about an earlier hand where a player called his raise with A4d and sucked out on his AK. Dont give lessons when you yourself dont have a freaking clue. Most frustrating as i am getting close consistently but always suffer some sort of bad beat. Ah well, i feel good about my game and am confident that a rush of final tables awaints me.

Online action. Played a little cash today. Was lucky neough to flop set over set and get paid and also pick off a huge bluff. In 55 mins i made $144. If i can keep that hourly rate up i might be rich 1 day.........if i dont go broke playing live.....

gl all.

Tip of the day. Never underestimate your opponents, but equally never overestimate. There are some players out there who will always lose at this game. Keep studying, practicing and working hard to fix fatal flaws......in the long run, they will pay for your kids education.