QT!

Wednesday July 21
12:15pm ANZPT Queenstown No Limit Holdem Main Event Day 1A AUD$2,500 (2,250+250)

I qualified on Pokerstars through a 3x turbo rebuy the other day! I am so keen to go snowboarding. I have been to Christchurch, Auckland and been on a few road trips but never to Queenstown.

Looks like I will be able to play at Ballina Wintersun Singles which is on the 17th & 18th of July then off to Queenstown via Auckland for the 21st.

A Story of Seconds (Part1)

As I get ready for my final exams and a couple of bowls trips up to Ballina and Coffs Harbour it is my ‘so-close’ finishes that I reflect on more so than my victories. I try to learn the lessons of my defeats and draw positives from how I got to be in those finals situations in the first place.

Winning is important to me and I have won a few things in my time, but by far the most interesting story I can tell is of my second place finishes. Of course I desperately wanted to finish in first place. Sometimes this just does not happen as my opposition has an equal or some may say greater will to win on the day. It may be the rub of the green or the change of wind direction in the air, but in the end they were too good and played in a way that I could not match or overcome them.

Dac Cameron (former Bowls Co-ordinator and now Chairman of Ballina Bowling Club said to me over the phone yesterday, ‘It doesn’t matter, people still talk about that final and say how great it was’ in reference to my second place finish to Brian Baldwin (Queensland State Singles champion and Club Secretary of Musgrave Hill Bowling Club) in 2007.

In this particular final I got off to a flyer. I will link the newspaper article at the end. Aptly it is entitled ‘Brian Bowls Over Ballina’ it is a great article and it captures my lack of cognition that the final was 31 up rather than the previous 25 up format. I thought I had lost the game when Brian had got to 25, I shook his hand and said, ‘well played, too good’. He looked at me strangely as if I was having him on. Steve Glasson was marking and assured me it was indeed first to 31...Christmas had come early! I had a second chance!

Just as a background to the above, my manager at the time NSWIS coach Geoff Campbell had clearly told me at the start of the game it was 31 up (first to score 31 shots). At the beginning of the game I knew this but I had gotten into such a state of focus and flow that I forgot about the score and went on a rampage early amassing a ten shot lead (15-4). The game then got a bit epic as the green slowed and Brian toughened up, I played a few in-between shots and drives culminating in dropped shots, then it got to about 20-19 against. By this stage I was fighting hard to adjust my feel to that of a firm passing draw as bowls were not rolling on as they had earlier in the afternoon sunlight.

http://www.finda.com.au/features/2007/07/30/apn-brian-bowls-over/

Canberra Can Be Fun (Road Trip)

(cold, then warm, then cold, then hot), spontaneous adventures...race track somewhere...tailgating and breaking...Astra racing...

After the fight night last week I had my last class of uni for the semester. I have been on a few adventures since, mostly unexpected ones. I guess it all started when a girl from the night was able to get my details after I somewhat absentmindedly failed to get any of her details before leaving (slaps forehead). My life is crazy at the moment and I feel like some character in a play that is so ignorant and stupid sometimes but lucky in that things work out when really they shouldn't.

The ANZPT is in Canberra this weekend. It is a $2200 buy-in event and I am making use of my Step 6 ticket that I won on Pokerstars in January whilst down in Melbourne during the Aussie Millions for cash games. I sold 30% of my action in 10% bundles and I capped it at that with my buddies. I so greatly want to win over 100k in a single tournament now. At the start of the year my goal was to win 100k in poker and that is still very achievable.

I have one exam on the 24th of June. I then head to Coffs for bowls tournaments 4th-14th of July. I have an option to not play the pairs in Coffs with Neil so I can spend extra time in Germany. I have to get my dates together for Germany. Skype will be getting a workout.

I Must Be Dreaming

The past month has exceeded my expectations in many ways. I work towards goals and opportunities and they become a reality. This month many amazing things have come to fruition and it is still surprising when they actually happen.

Jousting

I went to a Jabout fight night and it was stellar. They had Muay Thia and Shoot Boxing and both were great to watch. There were amazing athletes and warriors performing. The females fought with passion and heart and then the guys displayed raw power and tenacity that was astounding. We sat ringside and you could hear and almost feel the impact of the kicks and punches.

I decided to go straight home so that I could go and support the pennant teams early the next day. There were pretty amazing girls all around at the event, on our table and between the fight rounds. I am sure that all had a great time out tonight at the after party. I am staying focussed at the moment and working real hard in training physically and reading plenty of books to keep sharp mentally. It is hard to say but at times I am introverted and other times extroverted. I guess it just depends on what is important to me at the time.

Quick Update

Semi Finals of Port Macquarie Avum Singles $1500
Lost one pennant game to Wentworthville Leagues in season play-offs to miss out on state play-offs.
Cash games have been running and I am winning, lost biggest pot last night but still made profit for the session (2.7k pot, 3 way PLO all in, got rivered after having 35% equity and flopping top two, 50% to win on flop, 75% on turn). Up about 8k live and down $800 online in last 2 weeks.
Making plans for Coffs Harbour bowls tournaments, Park Beach Ford Open Singles and Coffs Master pairs with Niel Burkett.

The inches we need are all around us

Tony Hachem Bounty Event 5 ANZPT Sydney

Latest Score;
12.6k
2nd to
Michael Levy
273 runners

I played well early but nursed a medium stack through the middle stages of the tournament. I remained patient and when we got down to the last 60 I could have easily thrown away my chips but kept it together. A table change triggered an opportunity as I jammed and was not called almost 10 times. As the bubble burst I was the shortest stack with 11k after my A9 lost to KJ with 30 left.

My table changed and I jammed 4 times and was not called. The 5th all-in I had QQ and the guy folded pocket 10's (apparently/he said), the 6th all-in (re-ship) against the same guy I got it in with AK Vs AQ. Winning this put me upto 110k in chips. From then on with 18 left I ran hot and managed to reach the final table with over 200k in chips. More on the final table in the next post.

At the tournament I met Brad Bower 'Baza88'(Dubbo)and'Eee Tee'(Wellington) http://www.eeeteekid.com both online multi table tournament players that I really respect.

I have been doing very well in cash games before and after the tournament. The Omaha games have been getting big and No Limit is always pretty sweet. I want to go on a holiday soon to either the Philippines or Vegas. I did some shopping the other day and bought some new clothes and went for a massage. We are getting a new car replacing my brothers 69' Valiant and my Astra. Uni is almost over.

We are undefeated in our bowls competition. I was leaning towards a Taylor Bowls sponsorship but now with David Holt at Henselite I definitely think he is someone who looks after his players and whom I have had a long-standing bowls/business relationship with.

We have Mr Neil Burkett as our new club coach. He is well respected and played over 500 games for South Africa. He is probably the perfect person for the role.

At Club Merrylands we claw with our fingernails for that inch.