WSOP 2010

The World Series begins today with the $50k 8 game event, it's not a big event for me, I do have a 0.5% interest in Joe Serock though. Tomorrow things will get into full swing with Event number 3, a $1k. I've taken a good chunk of action in the Series events, fingers crossed it works out well for me, it won't be disastrous if everyone bombs, but it will definitely be frustrating. I'll have to make sure am not too busy railing the events to focus on grinding online myself.

I'm not especially pleased with how I've played this month. I've made an ok profit, but have definitely been turning in way too many sub par sessions, which are definitely hampering me from realising as much profit as I'm capable of. I don't generally blog about my own poker, however, I think listing a few Aims for now onwards will be helpful:

1) No Msn/Skype web browsing whilst playing. Have pretty much completely neglected this obvious maxim recently, it should be easier when people are away in Vegas etc.

2) Quality Time. Endeavour to use playing time efficiently by ensuring am playing an optimal amount of tables and not just playing for sake of it. Play A game and improve focus/concentration, should enable me to develop some reads rather than just relying on HUD.

3) Reviews. Something I've always struggled with, actively working on game away from table. Daily reviews of hands flagged up in previous days play seem to be a good place to start and will hopefully ease me into getting in a routine of doing this. Continue watching videos, ensure take notes on concepts.

4) Less refreshing: Be it pokernews, checking up on the horses, Holdem Manager to check profit mid session (something have noticed myself doing way too frequently lately) or 2p2 to check the staking forum, all these things are detracting from my game.

Will be interesting to see how I get on, I definitely owe it to myself to make a good effort. Poker's so potentially lucrative I shudder to think how much this carelessness is, or could cost me in terms of missed profit/not moving up etc. Of course there's no-one there to tell me to strive to uphold these aims so I'll need considerable discipline.

Am enjoying watching "Luther" on the BBC at the moment, apparently the lead was in "The Wire", but don't let that put you off! The premise is different to other detective dramas in that the viewer is shown who the murderer is in the opening scenes, however, the tension is ratcheted up by the character of the nihilistic Alice Morgan, a former child genius who murdered her parents. Luther has been unable to convict her as of yet...

Respite

Since the last blog I've had several staking sweats. Wazz, who was mentioned in the previous blog finished up 4th in EPT SanRemo boosting my coffers to the tune of around £15k. Then on to EPT Monte Carlo, this was a tale of broken dreams really, Rupert and I had pieces of two people 2nd and 3rd in the Main Event with 11 left, with a first prize of 1.7M euro. We joked about how awful it would be if neither of the lads made the final. This prophecy realised itself, at the time the 5 figure payday seemed rather paltry, but it was better than a poke in the eye with a dirty stick I suppose. The 15 euro G&Ts in the hotel bar did not taste as sweet as they could have.

Since then have had another chap bubble a major final table, this time WPT Paris, c'est la vie. I've got a good chunk of money riding on Vegas stakes, so I could manage to drop a load of money out there without having to endure the unbearable heat, terrible people and general misery. I won't definitely rule out a visit, but am keen to continue getting in solid volume online and keeping the wolf from the door.

Am currently recuperating back in Devon having felt rather exhausted by all the travelling around I've done recently. Such was my reluctance to avoid expending too much effort I decided not to play the Pokerstars event in Nottingham which I'd won a seat for a few days previously. I'll try and update a little more frequently as trying to recap a month at a time is pretty hopeless. I've also signed up for twitter today as "bombtheturn" so I can snoop on all the nags.