My friend is always going on about how ‘rigged’ online poker is.

This same friend has won nearly 30 MTT tournaments.  And recently he won $17000 from a $3 ticket entry.  He also won $2750 back-to-back at Bodog.

Yes, it is rigged.  In your favour buddy!

I’m in study mode right now, so am de-addicted to poker.  Yes, multi tabling 500 hands per hour is now a distance memory - but not for long.  I’m studying, watching videos and getting ready for when I have time to focus…hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks.  Meanwhile my bankroll stays static at several Ks.

I’ve played 35,000 hands and now I’m fully non-chalent.

I more play it like a system, trying to make some profit.

Sadly I’m running at $0.10 per hand, but that at least is profit.

The last thing I am, is addicted to poker or texas hold em.  I’ve seen it all.

Jerry Yang - you are one lucky SOB.

I watched the WSOP 2007, final 100 players and Jerry Yang goes in with A3 off suit…and wins.  If he lost that, he would have been gone.

He grinds it to the final table.  Coming from low stack, to well, lowish stack on the final table.

Then he just catches lots of cards and gets aggressive.  He moved all in with JJ and Lee Watkinson laid down QQ!

Jerry loses the odd hand but in the end demolishes the competition - how does the saying go, you can’t beat a lucky donk? It’s true to say Jerry isn’t the most skilled poker player, you won’t see him turn pro or on the high stakes cash games on TV.  Although I do believe he helps refuges and such like, so his intentions are good (being an ex-refuge himself).

Still, some of the hands he moved in with like J9 offsuit were insulting.  And then he outdraws to win.  I feel sorry for some of the other players!

Well, I went from $1200 to $9000 playing higher limits on Full Tilt.

Then wham!  Couldn’t win a thing!

WOn the odd big hand but got crushed on the others.

Online poker is riiiiiiiiiged!!!

After some roller coaster, I have multiplied my stack x3.  Profit = x2 my stack. Good result for 3 weeks.  It was bigger but I had a bad run of cards and some crazy moves which I needed to tone down.

Sadly, even a bad run of cards can cost you 700-1000.  I’ve watched the best players and they suffer this variance also.  I need donkeys to double up fast!

Decided to try Full Tilt Poker and see how I did.

I nearly x3 my stack but am now only 50% up on my starting ‘investment’.

I’m playing the higher limits and it doesn’t seem too crazy juiced or rigged in anyway.

Report back further progress…..

I’m sick of bad beats online, so I’ve decided to abstain from online.

The best game I ever got was at high stakes 1/2 table.  I won big but I was just waiting for the software to screw me.

Live my results are sooooooo much better.  So for the time being, I’m stopping online play.  I might play some freeroll or free cash from Titan….but that’s it.

It’s not long now - 3rd June for the 50 runner WSOP qualifier.  I’ve paid my $540 entry fee already…the biggest entry fee I’ve ever forked out for tournament.

I am hoping there are enough runners for the $20K first prize.  Right now I’m avoiding the poker club so no one can read me, or get an idea of how I play.  Last couple of visits, I’ve played real aggressive and loose during the rebuy.  Hopefully that memory will be with these players for a while….

Donkeys - they’re also known as donks.  Basically poker players that aren’t too savvy - they bet all their chips on flush draws when they’re 30% favourite or call on top pair with crap kicker.

My latest suck out was when I had 77 in the hole.

Flop came :

7 / 10 / K (two spades)

I figured I’d stop a flush draw so I bet.

7 / 10 / K / 4 (still two spades)

At this point, anyone on a flush draw had a 14% chance of winning.  They needed a spade and it couldn’t be a 7 (to give me quads) or 10, K or 4 which gave me a full house.

So I moved all in

He called, hit his flush.

Yuk!  Donkeys.