Happy New Year for 2010!
Posted by Mal | December 31, 2009 | Posted in: News | Comments (0)
#9 – Live Poker Show
Posted by Mal | December 30, 2009 | Posted in: Pokercasts | Comments (0)The weekly live poker radio show is now available for download. This episode features Mal, Gareth and Gary Hurst. We cover topics like Goal Setting, Tournaments and Cash game hand reviews. A great show this week.
Enjoy the show and don’t forget to tune in live next week.
Prepare For the Next Poker Boom
Posted by Mal | December 29, 2009 | Posted in: Articles | Comments (0)2003 and 2004 saw a massive poker boom that still can be seen today by the large amounts of interest and participation in live and online poker tournaments but during the last couple of years has seen the games toughen and player pools dropping. There are two reasons why poker has suffered from stagnation.
The first reason is that the UIGEA bill is scheduled to be implemented into US law next year and this has already seen many poker rooms banning USA poker players from playing at their sites fearful of legal reprisal by disobeying the US authorities.
The second reason for the drop in pokers popularity is that the global recession meant players no longer had large disposable incomes. Lots of people have lost their jobs and cannot afford to risk money anymore. Harsh lessons have been learned by property investors and many other investors who thought the sun would always shine on their investments. Many have been proven very wrong and for many the money they would normally use for Poker was simply not there anymore.
Took Part in World Record Poker Tournament
Posted by Mal | December 28, 2009 | Posted in: Mals Blog | Comments (1)I know there was 149,196 starters in the biggest ever online poker tournament which smashed the 65,000 current record. I outlasted the most players ever by beating about 148,000 of them to finish in 21,030th place. Sounds better than it is, but I did cash for $2.50!
The best part of the tournament for me was the five minute lag in starting the tournament and then going on a five minute break after one hand! When we went hand for hand on the bubble there was 3003 tables and when the next hand started we were 500 players past the bubble!!
Great to play in it and congratulations to all the big winners. Local lad willis59 came in 4th place for $10k from Billingham! Play finished at 1.30am after started at 7.45pm.
High Stakes Living – Ari Engel and David Chicotsky
Posted by Mal | December 26, 2009 | Posted in: Poker Video | Comments (0)The online version of the “MavenVT” poker training will be released early in 2010. Here is a video of High Stakes Living touring the “Ari Training Center”
It seems like a really nice place but these guys charge a LOT to be there. I do not endorse or criticise the training as I do not know what it is, but I would be hesitant in paying $5000 to find out. Most player have nothing but good to say about these guys though.
Pokerstars World Record Attempt
Posted by Mal | December 26, 2009 | Posted in: Poker Offers | Comments (1)“Record Attempt” in this context really mens “New World Record” because Pokerstars are holding another monster tournament at 19.45 GMT on 27th December 2009 with a prize fund of $300,000. This means there will be a great overlay with 30,000 players cashing for the minimum $2.20. First prize is an amazing $50,000 with the top 80 players all cashing for over $100. One lucky player will see the decade out in style by turning $1 into $50,000 and it could be you!
Currently there are just under 70,000 entrants! This will be a new world record after the largest tournament so far in online poker history had 65,000 poker players taking part.
Sign up for Pokerstars and take part in this amazing event. The buy-in is $1 with no registration fee. My username is Mal255 and look out aswell for garethwitty (live radio co-host). We will both final table, just wait and see! Sign up and be part of online poker history.
The format is $2000 starting tournament chips with blinds increasing every five minutes. The action will be quick and eliminations unbelievably fast for the first 50,000 eliminations! Don’t miss out!
Get Your Poker Rakeback Here
Posted by Mal | December 25, 2009 | Posted in: Rakeback | Comments (2)We are happy to announce that by clicking on our Rakeback link above you can now sign up to receive Rakeback via our specialised website.
Every poker player should get rakeback. It is money you can get your hands on by simply being well prepared when you sign up for an account at a poker room. We have deals with Full Tilt, Betfair Poker, Doyles Room, Cake Poker and many more. The website is very easy to use with clear instructions on how to get set up for your poker rakeback.
Once set up correctly the payment of rakeback to you is automatic. All you must do is promise to play great poker! (Even if you don’t you still get your Rakeback payments but here at itsawinner we want everyone to win).
If you choose to join a new poker room use our Rakeback site to work with itsawinner.co.uk to get Rakeback from a trusted site. It’s money you can always earn from playing online poker.
Click here to visit our Rakeback Site to get started right away!
Itswinner.co.uk 2010 Site Promises
Posted by Mal | December 24, 2009 | Posted in: Articles | Comments (0)Notice that I avoided the use of the word “resolution”. This site has come a long way since it’s creation as a modest poker blog way back in June 2009. OK. Not so way back but it has come a long way. From guest articles from Carl “The Dean” Sampson, to podcasts (now live) with Gary Hurst and Tiltdonkey16, otherwise known as Gareth Witty we are a better organisation all around in my view.
Read the rest of this article to discover the plans I have for the site in 2010 and beyond. It is sure to be a bumpy ride.
Merry Christmas
Posted by Mal | December 24, 2009 | Posted in: News | Comments (1)Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at www.itsawinner.co.uk
Here’s to a big year for our site and for you in 2010!
No Radio Tonight
Posted by Mal | December 22, 2009 | Posted in: News | Comments (1)Due to various Christmas engagements there will be no radio show tonight. It will return next week and run fine from then on. Family up, etc it’s proving to be a timing problem.
Tune in next week for a bumper post christmas show!
Poker Bankroll Management Made Simple
Posted by Mal | December 18, 2009 | Posted in: Garys Blog | Comments (2)Gary Hurst has provided me with a simple chart to solve players having problems with bankroll management.
To download please right click on the graphic and press “save target as”. Any questions use our comments.
180 Man Sit and Go Poker Tournament
Posted by Mal | December 18, 2009 | Posted in: Mals Blog | Comments (1)Last night I played a $2 + $0.20 180 man sit and go poker tournament which I have not done in some time. Overall I enjoyed the experience although Gary rightly pointed out that the correct long term poker strategy for these thing is to play them on a volume basis. I managed to finish 21st out of 180 with 18 paying. Just missed out on the money. It was only because of an amazing heater run of cards midway through the tournament that I even made it that far.
Here is a hand where I got unlucky with KQ, although looking at the stacks etc now it was probably a bad call. I did think correctly, however, that I was ahead when the money went in.
Things went well just after that with AJ, AA, JJ in three hands which held when people shoved getting me pretty much straight back to 8,500 chips. I did not do much (which is a mistake) until there was 21 left and I needed to make a move. I found Ace Ten then shoved on a limper and another opponent found KK. Busto!
I think I played both hands badly. I shoved with too many players behind me in the last hand focusing more on the limpers stack size than considering that my hand was not that strong but I did not want to go through the blinds. My bad. I was unlucky when the guy showed KT in the first hand but he found the flush. I actually used all of my time bank before calling. I had seen the dude raise with rubbish and that all-in seemed a steal to me. I am reading Collin Moshmans SNG book which I bought as a christmas present for myself so my play will get better!
I need to work on my game when I have chips and not sit back on them. I did not do enough stealing and waited for big hands. I will do better next time and hopefully take it down!
