A Great Experiment For February. Let's try this...

Ok, people, now that I've had the time and opportunity to clear my head, I've come up with a GREAT experiment for the month of February. The "classic" bankroll management strategy wasn't really my thing so I'm going to try something new for the month of February. In fact, it's so cool and fantastic, you're gonna flip yer flippin lid!

I know I've gone on about the bankroll management thing in the past....and about how it's good and then not so good... etc etc. But I'm just going to put my own wobbly spin on it so here goes:

Live Poker
£1000 will be put aside for the live sessions for the month. I'll take an amount down with me to The Empire or The Fox or The Vic and just play my usual cash game (£1/£1 or £1/£2). I'll have a spin at an MTT or two and just enjoy the experience. If it all goes horribly wrong then my "Stop-Loss Rule" will kick in to prevent me from losing a large sum.

Online Poker
$1000 will be deposited into online poker for the month. I'll continue to play the $100nl and $200nl games but be extremely fussy when it comes to table selection. I'll play less sessions and probably a lot less hands and possibly more MTTs, just to slow everything down a little bit. In saying that, I might try two- or four-tabling the $50nl game just to see how things go.

If I feel I'm still not playing well for whatever reason, or if I'm just getting hammered at the tables constantly then I really will need to reconsider my position with regard to online poker and this blog. It may be that it's just live poker for me from then on. Anyway, let's just wait and see eh?

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As as I say, at the moment if I'm going to play any online poker at all, it will have to be with my PKR points or with my rakeback payment (if that comes before my $1K deposit).  

Until next time...Uncle Wobble.

A Time To Reflect

We are now at the end of the month and, to be honest, I'm really not as annoyed as I may have been making out in my previous posts. To be sure, of course it's always a pain to have a poor losing month at the online tables once in a while but, let's face it, is there any decent player who hasn't? Furthermore, it's actually a winning month overall, for me, when you bring the "live game" equation into it so, once again, let's not start waving the white flag just yet.

The thing that, I suppose, has knocked me off balance the most is the fact that it's the opening month of my serious blog and I could have done without going into freefall so soon after such a good start. In short, I am not going to let this little hiccup defeat me. When I feel ready, I'll probably make another deposit and get back into the swing of things. However, I really do not know when this will be. In fact, I might well have a few live sessions beforehand seeing as I'm doing so well at the actual felt.

Finally, for the month of January I accumulated around 54000 PKR points which means I am, at least, due a nice rakeback payment of around $160-$180 in early February. On top of this I have around 66000 points in my account, at present, which I'll be able to use to enter the odd MTT or two.

Until next time...Uncle Wobble.

JANUARY - UPDATE #1

Well I know there's still one day left to go in January but I won't be playing any poker tomorrow, that's for sure, so it's a wrap for the month. It's been pretty wild for me and I'm afraid January has to be chalked up as certainly one of my worst ever months at online poker. In contrast, it's been a cracking good month at the live game even though I've only been out two nights to play!! What a start to the blog eh?

I'm not going to go into all the details and open up old wounds again cos, quite frankly, it will depress me. What mainly concerns me now is the route to take with the blog. What started off as a well-planned journey has just got a little complicated. The bizarre thing is, I'm actually UP £400 (~$620) for the year but even though this should be a cause for celebration, my online game has really messed things up - particularly as my reaction to it was to just get my bankroll out of the site. (I just cashed out my last $150.)

This has often been my response in the past and it's just my default reaction when things get rough which is something I just can't seem to shake off. Unfortunately, it could be difficult to keep the blog going on a daily basis if I have no online bankroll to keep my hand in.  What I'll need to do is clear my head a bit and have a big think over the next few days as to what I should do. After a short period, I'll probably end up re-depositing and starting all over again (it's what I usually do) but due to the exchange rate rip-off this is really not something I want to make a habit of doing (although I already have really).

Still, there is a player at PKR who goes by the username of MacDaddyNo1 who has just taken down the GUKPT £1070 main event in Manchester. Prior to this he made a post in the PKR forum bemoaning the fact that he was on the "biggest downswing" of his poker playing career. It just goes to show that these things can really turn around. In fact, here's a picture of him which I grabbed from the live feed just after he had won:

Well-done to Mackie D! Anyway, I'll leave you, then, with my stats for the month but who knows what February will bring?

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ONLINE: JANUARY -$860 (~£530)  /  YEAR: -$860 (~£530)

LIVE: JANUARY +£960 (~$1480)  /  YEAR: +£960 (~$1480)

TOTAL: JANUARY +$620 (~£400)  /  YEAR +$620 (~£400)

And The Online Plughole Takes My Money

As we approach the end of the month, I have so many mixed feelings about poker and this blog of mine that it's all starting to get a bit mind-boggling. With $860 up the swanny I have just experienced the worst month ever at the online game, yet have experienced a couple of live sessions at The Empire in London Town where I have picked up a cool £1000!

Ok, let's just clear up the online debacle first: I've just blown $300 in a very short space of time at the nl100 and nl200 games today which meant my bankroll had shrunk to $1170. I think bad play is to blame rather than bad cards and, obviously, I'm not feeling very good about this at all. I just can't seem to get any sort of momentum going at the online game; it's as if I've forgotten how to play properly!

In fact I've just emptied my PKR account of another $1K and have pretty much shut up shop at the online game for now. I've registered for the $27.50 Sunday Open but this is really a winding down process. (I have about $140 left which I'm not sure what to do with at the moment.) I mean, Jesus Christ on his fucking pogo-stick jumping up and down!!

I think if my live sessions had not been good, this blog would certainly not have lasted to the end of January. As it is I'm really struggling to convince myself that this whole thing is tenable. Anyway, I'm just going to throw up the stats for the week and will need to think about how the hell I'm going to proceed with this:

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ONLINE: WEEK 4: -$370 (~£230)  /  JANUARY -$860 (~£530)  /  YEAR: -$860 (~£530)

LIVE: WEEK 4: +£335 ($520)  /  JANUARY +£960 (~$1480)  /  YEAR: +£960 (~$1480)

TOTAL: WEEK 4: +£105 (~$150)   /  JANUARY +$620 (~£400)  /  YEAR +$620 (~£400)

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Looking at this objectively, you can see that my poker results overall for the week are not bad at all as it actually has me ahead. For the month, or year, I'm also ahead by a not too unpleasant $620 or £400. But the online game is really killing me at the moment and a break, or a big wind-down with my last $140 is certainly in order. Tomorrow, I'll do a review for the month and by then I'll hope to have a clear enough head to know what the hell my next move will be with all this.

6 Inspirational Poker Songs

I'm pretty sure that none of these songs were written with poker in mind but, following on from my previous "4 Inspirational Poker Songs", they can really give you the kick you need and I've added two more:  

The Long Journey Of Poker  

"Heavy Cross" by Gossip.

The Ups and Downs. A Chip And A Chair.

"Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba

Poker On A Sunday

"Beautiful Sunday" by Daniel Boone

Soul-read Opponents

"Darkside" by Trystero


Never Give Up Baby 
"Don't Give Up" by Eagle Eye Cherry


When You've Just Suffered Bad Beat Number 8
"Things Can Only Get Better" by D:ream

Live Session #2: Long Live The Empire! (Part 2)

Key Hand #1

First off, the table seemed to have its fair mix of decent to terrible players; the most notable of which was a slightly rotund and comical looking fellow of far-eastern origin who was a total gambler. Before my rush started I was in a hand against him where I looked down at AK suited. A £15 raise with this, of course, wasn't enough to push him off and he re-raised me by shoving his stack of £63 into the middle. I insta-called, of course. He held J2 suited and spiked a jack on the turn but I was happy to see club, club on the turn and river to complete my flush. (~£60 profit.) This put my stack at £250 and I really was thinking of just banking the win and going home (after the next hand I wish I had) but I carried on...   

 Key Hand #2

As I started spewing, yet again, and seeing my stack dwindle back down to £200 I played a dubious hand once again with AK against Mr Comically Rotund; but there was another player in the hand who threw a spanner into the works. It was preflop and Mr Comically Rotund limps. I look down at AK and chuck in £10. Mr Button calls but then Mr C.R. chucks in his £38 stack. I flat call (which is weak, I know) hoping just to see a flop as I sense Mr Button wants to get involved. Yes, he wants to get involved as he throws in the rest of his £90 chips. Sensing Mr Button is strong I make what is probably my worst play of the evening and fold my AK! (Maybe I just didn't like the idea of spewing more chips but sometimes you just play crap, right?) Anyway, as the low dry board is dealt out Mr Button shows JJ to scoop the pot. I would have lost anyway but I can't believe how weak I am playing! (~£40 loss)

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After 5 hours of break-even play where I knew I was playing badly and my table image was poor, three hands in about 20 minutes came along which changed everything:

Key Hand #3 

I get dealt KK from early to mid-position and raise £10 and get a call from the small blind. The flop comes Q 6 7, with two clubs. The villain checks and I put her all-in for all her chips amounting to about £75. She calls but misses her draw. (~£90 profit)

Key Hand #4
The very next hand I get dealt KK in the big blind. There are a few limpers and I see that the aggressive button has raised to £15. I re-raise to £42 and the limpers, along with Mr. Button, all fold. (~£20 profit) I mention this hand because, in conjunction with hand 3, it started to repair my dodgy table image.

Key Hand #5
About three hands later comes the jackpot hand. The hijack seat brings in a raise for £8. I'm in the cut-off and look down at JJ and re-raise to £21. The button calls and Mr Hijack calls. The flop comes down A J 8 giving me the set. Mr Hijack checks and I raise to £60. The button calls and Mr Hijack folds (he later reveals that he folded QQ). The turn comes a K, giving an A J 8 K board. I move all-in for my remaining £180 or so and he calls. The river comes a 10 which puts three spades on the board; plus it would have made the straight for Mr Hijack. This doesn't improve my hand but, more importantly, doesn't improve my villain's hand either who shows AK for two pair. I scoop in a large pot. (~£280 profit)

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Soon after this I went for a stroll to stretch my legs and grabbed a beer. I returned for another 30 minutes or so and left at around midnight with £550 in chips. (I cashed out at the casino, rather than the poker room, of course.) I really was thinking of returning to The Fox for another cash game but felt this would be pushing it so decided against it. This means, with the £10 loss at The Fox taken into account, I ended the evening with £340 (~$520) in profit. I try not to brag, I really do, but this means that my last two visits to The Empire have netted me a cool £1000! Online poker? Who needs it? Happy days indeed!

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One last thing I will mention is that Mr Idiot Floor Manager has cost his dealers a few pounds here because, after my last visit, I really didn't feel like tipping as much as I used to. Yes, I tipped, as always, but it was just the 50p chip here and £1 there rather than my usual generosity. My message? Keep the customers satisfied for crying out loud!

Live Session #2: Long Live The Empire! (Part 1)

I have just arrived home after my second live poker session of the year in London town - and I have to say that I'm quite a happy chappy. Here's my trip report all about it:

Before leaving, I took out £230 from the cash machine but gave £20 of that to my daughter as a quick treat after she got an email from a university saying they had given her an unconditional offer. Armed with £210, I left home at about 5ish and stepped out into yet another very cold day. When the hell with this terrible weather ever fricken end!? I arrived at The Fox Club at 6PM and went to pay my entry fee for the £35 freeze-out but the bloke behind the counter was kind of busy and ignored me so I sat down at a £1/£1 cash table.

I kept £60 back to enter the MTT later on and also in case I needed a few beers. I sat at the table with £150. With possibly one of the worst dealers I have come across (who kept having to check with the players that the amounts were right) I started to play pretty poorly but still managed to spin my stack up to £200. Then the spewing started and I proceeded to play even worse and ended up £10 down. Annoyingly, at the time, at around 6:30-6:45 I was about to pay for the £35 freeze-out but by this time there was a queue practically tailing back out the door so I didn't bother. (As it happened, I'm glad I didn't.) At 9:30PM I decided my table image was shit and I was playing far too weak so I left to give The Empire a try. (And I'm glad I did.)

I have to say, at this point, that I wasn't too impressed with the running of the cash games tonight. Apparently there was a waiting list of about 8 players for the cash tables but no communication between the dealer and the desk. In the end, the dealer just allowed any players who were hanging around to sit down and play when there was an empty seat. Admittedly they were busy (the queue at 6:30 for the £35 freezeout was the longest I have ever seen) but their system for seating players at the cash tables just seems shoddy to me. 

Anyway, after about three and a half hours of zero joy at The Fox and after consuming the greasiest lamb kebab ever at Leicester Square, I made my way to The Empire for some £1/£2. At this point I had exactly £200 and sat down at a brand spanking new table that was just starting up - always a good thing. Once again, it was business as usual for about an hour and a half as I was really getting nowhere and was still really not playing that well. Fortunately, after five hours of play the rush was about to begin...

In my next post I'll go over the key hands that landed me another successful session at the beautiful Empire.

Will Saturday Night Be All Right?

As we near the end of the month, I've had mixed blessings with this poker lark. So far, this year, I'm down $550 at the online game. However, with the help of just two magnificent hands at The Empire - one after the other - my live earnings amount to ~$960. This shows just how this game can swing around. Over 5K hands played online (possibly around 120 hours of play), has been overshadowed by the might of two live cash game hands within 5 minutes!

Anyway, today I have decided that I need to take myself off down town for another live session. I'm going to take out the maximum allowed from the cash machine (£250), leave the card at home as usual, and head for The Empire for the £1/£2 cash games. I don't really like starting with just £250 when the maximum allowed is £400 but I guess I'll just have to take it as I find it. Also, I know I said I'd limit myself to just one live freeze-out MTT per month but as I had so much fun last time I might well give the 7PM, £35 freeze-out another try at The Fox. But, of course, this depends on how I get on at The Empire.

The £250, by the way, is almost my entire profit from poker this year and if I get a wipe-out, I'll be pretty much back to break-even. It'll be a case of starting all the way back at square one as we kick-off into February. (Ho-hum, the fun that we have eh?)

Don't You Just Love It...

...When This Happens:

 

I know, I know, standard, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. We've all been there but look at that raise and re-raise!! Maybe the raising wouldn't have happened if I'd been in the pot but still, one for the album. 

A Conclusion

After some deliberation about what I really want to get out of this whole online poker thing, I have decided on a new plan of action. Before I get to that decision I'd just like to go through what is required of any cash game player who decides to "go pro":

1.  A massive bankroll  of at least 50-60 full buy-ins, although 100 buy-ins are ideal. ($10K-$20K for the $200nl games.)
2.  A commitment to volume; the aim to play around, at least, 20K-30K hands per month.
3.  The ability and skill to effectively multi-table at least four tables at a time.
4.  The time not only to play a huge volume of hands but to study and work hard at the game as well.
5.  To have a circle of like-minded players to be able to discuss hands and strategy etc.

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This is where I stand in all of this:

1.  My bankroll is/was between $5k-$6K. Not enough.
2.  I can barely get in between 5K-6K hands per month. Not enough.
3.  I can comfortably play 2 tables at $200nl and 4 tables at $50nl and $100nl - but prefer just playing 1 or 2 tables in general. I cannot play 4 tables over a long period of time. Not enough.
4.  I work, pretty much, 9 to 5. I have no time to get the right volume of hands in and not enough time to study the game if I want to be a real contender.
5.  None of my friends or family are into poker as much as I. No poker support system.

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So I said to myself this morning; I said, "Wobble - stop kidding yourself. You're not a pro so stop acting as if you are. You're not some kind of bigshot; you're an average player who likes to play "small" to "mid" stakes poker every once in a while." That's what I said. No area of my game is covered by the five crucial points above so who the hell am I kidding to be writing as if I'm someone special?

For this reason, I have decided to make some changes:

A.  The $5K-$6K starting bankroll idea has been scrapped.
B.  I have cashed out $4K and put that back into my bank account.
C.  My effective starting bankroll for the year is now $2K.
D.  I will play less online poker and more live poker.
E.  I will play any level I feel like playing without too much regard to bankroll management. Under-rolled or over-rolled - it doesn't matter!

With these changes, nothing really dramatic happens:

F.  The blog still marches on.
G.  Profits and losses will still be recorded as usual.
H.  I'll continue to play my "A" game but stop if I lose $2K.
I.    I'll consider myself a "casual/recreational" player. 
J.   My integrity stays intact.

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-- This weekend I plan to play some live poker but haven't decided whether to go on Friday, Saturday or Sunday or whether to hit The Vic, The Empire or The Fox. I'm currently just finishing off at work and don't really know what the weather is like outside - if it's too cold, it'll just be a cosy evening in but I really am due a visit to the live tables. 

Set Alight The Satellite

Did you see what I did there with the title? Clever eh?

Well, as my online bankroll continues to swirl down the plughole, I've decided to stop losing large chunks of money at the cash tables and lose less sums of money by playing some satellites instead. I'm going to start playing more satellites for The Masters and The Prestige which are fairly large buy-in MTTs held by PKR. At least this way, I'm not continuing to throw money away at the cash tables - which are just doing my head in at the moment.

The satellites are just $9 and $12 respectively. The former gives you a 1 in 6 chance to get through to Stage 3 (penultimate stage) of The Masters, while the latter is a 1 in 10 chance that lands you a place right in the $109 buy-in Prestige.

At the moment, I'm seriously considering taking $4K out from my bankroll and just playing at any level that takes my fancy with the rest of my balance, thereby just putting two fingers up to the whole bankroll management thing. I know this will be a major "sell-out" and will make a mockery of what I've written in previous posts about sticking to my task but I'm really starting to think that if I'm a "casual/recreational", semi-serious player then who am I kidding to be treating the whole thing like I'm some sort of pro!?

I know that if I do go this route then it will put my effective starting bankroll at $2K with a non-existant bankroll management strategy behind it. This, no doubt, will lead me to taking the path of depositing and withdrawing, withdrawing and depositing which is really not what I wanted to do. Many of my "Dos & Don'ts" will also inevitably go out the window as well and so the blog may be untenable and its days, unfortunately, numbered.

I know that I mentioned the possibility of doing something like a "$500-$5000 challenge" but I don't know if I'll have the patience for something like that. Either way, I really need to give this some thought and will let you know what decision I make.

Short Term Results (High Twaddle Factor)

As someone who has been playing poker for a relatively long time, I appreciate that the game should be looked at as a long-term project. Letting short-term results get you down "is bad" and I know this, particularly if you let those thoughts cramp your decisions at the table - but that doesn't mean to say that writing about your reaction to those short-term results should be a taboo subject. Looking at my last post, I'd never thought I'd be talking about a "stop-loss" contingency plan so soon after a pear-shaped start to the year. It does, indeed, appear to be a harsh reaction to a relatively harmless short-term hiccup but it did reflect how I felt.

I have made the choice of blogging, pretty much, on a daily basis - and as this blog is mainly about poker it's very hard not to write about how things have gone on at the tables during the day. When the end of the day comes I can't change how my results have gone; if they're bad, they're bad but I'm often compelled, by the nature of my blog, to write about those results and how I feel about them. Surely any player, after they turn off the computer at the end of a daily session, must think about how their session has gone.  The difference, of course, is that I choose to pour it all out in the form of a load of old twaddle. What would this blog be if I couldn't write about how things have gone over a day or two?

What I will say, though, is that I certainly try not to let poor short-term results effect how I play at the table and that's probably the most important thing. (I played about 15 hands yesterday, felt I was playing weak and predictably and just didn't feel right, so I stopped playing.) I don't know of any other blog that talks about results so regularly and, of course, the reason is because you should be thinking long-term, and I know this to be true. But what's wrong with bringing something a little different to the table eh?

Is The Internet Game Too Tough?

Yesterday, I blogged about my appalling week at the poker tables where a $550 chunk of cash flew out of my online bankroll. Now much as I put this down to good old-fashioned bad luck, it is still clear that even if I had won those key hands, I would still not be THAT much beyond break-even, if at all.

Furthermore, although last year's poker playing saw me reap a steady profit of around $10K, it has to be said that since the second half of last year I haven't exactly made a great leap forward or taken the poker world by storm. In fact the meagre profits gained are practically negligible. Some may cite the mass exodus of the French from the PKR site last summer as a possible reason why online poker in the UK has become more difficult but this isn't really fair. Some may point out that players may have just started to wise-up and are catching up with the regulars but the fact remains that my data tells me that online poker is just not the walk in the park that it once may have been.

I know I maintained earlier that there are weak players out there but, I have to say, they just seem fewer and far between these days. Similarly the percentage of regular players at the tables has gone up. Whereas a year ago there may have been just 2 or 3 good regulars at a 6 max table, nowadays that figure seems more like 4 or 5 and is often even 6!! In short, soft tables are becoming increasingly more difficult to find.

For this reason I have decided to place a "stop-loss" figure on my bankroll, giving me an exit strategy or the chance to pull out before I end up as one of the big donators. If I fall to this "stop-loss" sum, I'll reconsider my position and probably end up focusing much more on the live game.

However, rather than pull the plug completely, I've decided that if I fall to $4K I'll just write off that loss of $2K as a bad investment. I'll then cashout $3.5K and put that in my ISA from the beginning of April. The remaining $500 will then be used to do something like a "$500-$5000 challenge" or something of that nature. This way, the blog still marches on. What I will definitely do though is conclude that the online game has just become too hard to crack and bow out gracefully from the small/mid-stakes cash games. As I say, I will then concentrate much more on the more lucrative live cash games.

I know this sounds very negative and almost as if I'm throwing in the towel already, but it's just where my mind is going at the moment.

Still Sinking - Not a Good Week

Well, I hate to say it but things have been pretty miserable for me on the poker front this week. As I moved up to $200nl in midweek, I saw my AA cracked  twice, one night after the other. The first saw my villain's AK improve on a K K x flop while the second saw my villain snag a 2-outer when his JJ hand saw another jack fall on the turn to complete his set. In both hands I got it all-in preflop and lost $200 on the first and $182 on the second.

Following this I played good, solid poker to see my bankroll crawl back up from about $5.55K to $5.80K. However, on Saturday, although I encountered some weak villains I still proceeded to see an opponent hit a 3-outer on the turn when we got it all in on the 10 x x flop (A 10 v. J 10) and then, later on, the same villain hit his 2-outer on the river for his full-house to beat my earlier made set; once again, when we were all-in before the river. These hands cost me over $100.

A cheap flop and I'm ready to rumble...

Oh dear... Ever get the feeling things just aint gonna go right? (Actually, by the river he had 4 outs because another 9 would have handed the pot to him as well. Still these sorts of hands, especially when they accumulate, can start to hurt.)

To rub salt into the wounds Sunday has been almost as bad. I just don't seem to be hitting any of my draws, or indeed ANYTHING on the flop, while my opponents seem to be improving their hands with insane regularity. Of the very few hands I do hit, I'm just not getting paid off and every time I do make a move I get raised off...You know, same old same old.

Out of all this, part of me is still really encouraged as I feel I have played well overall and that it has to come good soon; especially with the play at $200nl really not being THAT special. On the other hand, towards the end of my session this afternoon I was definitely playing fairly weak, I was wimping out too often on the turn and playing predictable poker. Having to endure a barrage of bad luck can certainly breed negativity at times and can definitely make you play below optimum levels on occasions.

With around $300 being squandered this weekend (just as I felt I was turning a corner), my current online bankroll now stands at a disappointing $5.51K which means I've dropped around $550 in total this week. Not good. I don't know if I'll be playing any more today but, if I do, I may just play an MTT to slow down. In any case I'll do the statistical update later and enter it at the bottom of this post as is usual for my last Sunday post.

Surely next week things can only get better..

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ONLINE: WEEK 3: -$550 (~£330)  /  JANUARY -$490(~£300)  /  YEAR: -$490(~£300)

LIVE: WEEK 3: N/A  /  JANUARY +£625 (~$960)  /  YEAR: +£625 (~$960)
TOTAL: WEEK 3:-$550 (~£330)   /  JANUARY +$470 (~£300)  /  YEAR +$470 (~£300)

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Just two hands, in the space of five minutes, at The Empire Casino on a Saturday evening last week have made all the difference to my overall balance this year. Considering these hands in contrast to the 4200 hands, and over approximately 65 hours that I have played online this year, and it really shows what a difference a sudden slice of luck can make. Let's just hope my online efforts over the next week can put the online figures for January back in the green.  

The Top 24 Steam Games - The Reviews (Part 4)

Here is the final batch of six of my reviews for my Top 24 Steam Games:

Puzzle Dimension This challenging game has the player controlling a large gold ball which must cover the area of a surface before portalling out to the next progressively difficult level. The surface itself consists of squares, some of which crumble as you leave it, some are of ice where you slide uncontrollaby and some activate traps etc etc. The maps get more complicated as you dig deeper and rotating to plan your next line of action is a must. Some can really have you scratching your head but it's a good blast and really gets the brain ticking. (A blast of the gameplay in action)

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Sol Survivor Although I would highly recommend the smoother gameplay and more polished Defense Grid over this title, Sol Survivor is an interesting diversion if you would like an alternative in your tower defence games. The same principle applies - you build a variety of towers to shoot down waves of enemies to prevent them reaching the other side - and this can be satisfying but the graphics just seem "cheaper", less "rich" and just not as well done as my beloved Defense Grid. Furthermore the lack of a human voice just makes the whole experience more remote and less substantial. Worth a blast though. (A monotonous and deeply boring review)

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Swords & Soldiers For all real-time-strategy enthusiasts who've had a blast playing your classics like the superb Age Of Empires, Command & Conquer and Starcraft; Swords & Soldiers is a less heavy, more humourous and light-hearted 2D real-time strategy game. This has you producing your units and sending them off along a 2D path, side scrolling style, across the screen. Your enemies trudge across from the right of the screen and when the adversaries meet they do battle. The aim is to plough through the enemy before they plough through you. There are 3 races to play, each packaged with 10 missions for their respective campaigns. Lots of fun. (An interesting review, likened to tower defence games.)   

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Tommy Tronic Every once in a while, all you really want is a session on a good old fashioned, traditional style platform game where you just have to run and jump around while blasting at enemies. Well Tommy Tronic is that game; you run and jump around the place while blasting away at enemies. Oh, you do have to find keys and open doors and work out your route to the exit so there is a different level of thinking in some part but essentially you run, jump and blast away at enemies. (Tommy Tronic running and jumping and blasting)

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 Trine Trine is a highly recommended platform game set in a fantasy/fairy tale setting of caverns, skeletons, monsters, devious traps and weird and wonderful obstacles. You are one character but can transform into three different "modes" depending on whose powers you require for the situation. The archer gives you arrows and a rope to swing on, the warrior gives you brute strength while the wizard gives you telekinesis and the power to create useful cubes. The environments are beautifully rendered and a pleasure to traverse while the design of the levels and the intriguing situations that the player is put in is straight from the top drawer. Top quality stuff. (Another review) 

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Zuma's Revenge Essentially, Zuma's Revenge is a shoot 'em up. You control a fixed, rotating frog which shoots different coloured balls from its mouth. Around the frog is a winding path where different coloured balls slowly travel towards a hole. Your job is to shoot the coloured ball at two or more balls of the same colour to clear those balls off the path before they reach the hole. To be honest, it's a fairly mindless game and can get pretty mundane very quickly but it's fairly relaxing and fine if you just want to while away a few empty minutes. (Gameplay)

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Well there you have it. It took a lot longer than I thought but I hope you enjoyed checking them out as much as I enjoyed thrashing them out. Today my focus will be on poker, that is, if the missus doesn't start busting my balls. Later I will do an update of my progress and let you know how my week has gone at the tables. (At the time of writing, this is not exactly going to be a tale of great joy and happiness.)

The Top 24 Steam Games - The Reviews (Part 3)

Here are another six reviews, which make up Part 3, of my Top 24 Steam Games:

Obulis Delicate, soft sounds and swinging balls dangling from chains with inviting receptacles such as vases and cups for the steel balls to fall into - are the simple ingredients that make up Obulis. All the player has to do is snip a few chains at the right time to manipulate the movement and trajectory of the balls so that the right colour balls fall into the correct cup or vase. There are 3 chapters with about 60 or so puzzles in each (each square on the map represents a puzzle). The first chapter is a fine experience but they get so fiendishly difficult it can be enough to have you tearing your hair out. (SPOILER to one of the trickier ones.)

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Abe's Oddysee It may be showing it's age, for sure, but when it comes to a puzzle platformer with a twist, the creepy and macabre oddworld of Abe's Oddysee should give plenty to those who demand something a little different from their games. It's a platform scroller which has the player controlling and issuing commands to Abe who uses these orders to navigate himself around the world  and to rescue his fellow slave workers from the mine while avoid a disturbing set of enemies at the same time. The whole game is just a bit kooky and weird and it comes also with one of the most bizarre and confusing save system in the world as well. (The first 10 minutes)

Osmos You start each map in the middle of the screen as just a small blob floating in the middle of outer space among hundreds of other small blobs. By placing the cursor behind your blob and pressing the left mouse button you jet propel your globule through space with the intention of merging with smaller ones in order to make yourself grow bigger and bigger. Each thrust though, needs power from your own organism and that takes mass off you and makes you smaller! The map ends when you have achieved your objective and you move onto progressively more difficult maps. It's very satisfying and quite relaxing. (Kick-ass music but not part of the actual game)

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Portal Ok, so as I mentioned in an earlier post, the makers of Portal are not exactly a small indie company and this IS quite a large game. However, this has to be one of the best designed and thoroughly absorbing first-person games to hit the PC. There is no combat, no killing (apart from your own), no real violence, no shootings (in the conventional sense) and the rewarding feeling you get when completing the brilliantly designed levels just gives such a great buzz. The game is all about spacial awareness and anticipating movements and where you'll end up after entering portals. For a relatively short game the "wow" moments come thick and fast. (Gameplay moments)

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Professor Fizzlewizzle As a one-of-a-kind game to get the grey matter pumping, this superb little platform puzzler supplies just the right quantity of "tease-factor" to really get the player heartily involved and grappling with the problems. You teleport onto the one screen and then, with all sorts of objects around you like barrels, crates, magnets, buttons, gates, robots, ice and sand etc etc... you have to figure out how to reach the other teleport to get you out. The game gets progressively harder and, at present, I have just reached 55% along the red path and I am just starting to struggle. But it's a GOOD struggle. The yellow path is super-hard by the way, while the blue and purple paths are more for young children. Each screen is a platform landscape and every screen has a hint button if you get frustrated to the point of madness. For £8 it's a no-brainer to purchase. (One of the puzzles being solved) 

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Puzzle Bots Unfortunately, like Drawn: The Painted Tower, this review comes with a confession - I've hardly played it. However, from the little I have played so far and from what I've seen on youtube, it really reminds me of Professor Fizzlewizzle - so I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy it. The game is not exactly heavy on the graphics, with its simple cartoon-like environments and low pixel count, but it's the type of game that doesn't need to be. You take control of five robots where each have different roles. You make them scurry around performing their alloted tasks to complete the levels. All good. (A word from the designers.)

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This completes Part 3. Part 4 to follow either today or tomorrow.

The Top 24 Steam Games - The Reviews (Part 2)

Here are another six reviews, which make up Part 2, of my Top 24 Steam Games:

Death Spank For the mountain of "Diablo" fans who are still having to wait and wait for "Diablo III", there have been a few options. "Titan Quest" certainly helped scratch the itch, "Torchlight" lit the way and eased off the craving for a bit and now we have Death Spank. In a few words, this game is "Diablo II" or "Titan Quest" but with a cartoon-like edge and a comical twist. True to the mechanic of those other games you hack and slash your way through various enemies while exploring the world and gaining more interesting and stronger powers. It's highly satisfying and a great stress-buster! (Another perspective)

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Defense Grid As far as tower defense games go, I really don't think you can do any better than Defense Grid. "Plants and Zombies" comes pretty damn close for sure (not on here because I bought the retail version) but this game has got the genre down just right. Here's the drill: you plonk down towers in strategic locations, waves of bad guys follow a path and you watch as they get shot down to smithereens by your towers. The joy comes in using different strategies each time and seeing what works and what doesn't as you improve on your high-score. This game is an absolute blast! (Game Trailer)

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Drawn: The Painted Tower Ok, so here's the confession: I only bought this game yesterday and have hardly scratched the surface of it but just know it deserves a place in my Top 24. This game seems to blend in all the good elements from various hidden object games (but without the boredom), adds similar puzzles like the "room" puzzles of "Asada" (only making it more logical and interesting), wraps it all up in a mysterious Brother's Grimm like setting with a creepy Alice In Wonderland twist and brings it all to life with intriguing magical animations and absorbing, stirring sounds. Nice. (Hal computer droning on about it) 

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Flight Control (HD) It's often said that the most simple and basic game with the most basic rules can conjure up the greatest games. Well, I'm not sure if the word "great" can be attached to Flight Control but its very ordinary gameplay mechanic has certainly supplied me with hours of entertainment for sure. Here's the deal: colour-coded planes of varying speeds enter the screen and need to be guided to their respective runways. As the game progresses you have to handle more and more planes until you have a mid-air crash. Then it's game over. There are about 8 or 9 maps to choose from but, as I say, simple yet fun. (Gotta love that music)

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Mole Control Like "Flight Control", Mole Control comes with a very simple gameplay mechanic: it's "Minesweeper" with bells and whistles! In this case, rather than a boring flat 2D grid screen with a pointer, you get to control a device resembling a rounded dodgem car with an old vacuum-cleaner type hose attached. As you move around each lawn, you take note of the number revolving around your dodgem car to help you work out where the moles are hidden. You then suck up the mole with your vacuum-cleaner and hey presto. Admittedly, the game has not been fully tested by yours truly but it seems ok.  (Gameplay from a super-fast player)

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Mystery Case Files As far as I'm aware, the "MCF" games don't contain any real element of detective work. Judging from the one I have played ("Huntsville") they are essentially "Hidden Object" games where you stare at the screen for a length of time in order to locate the hidden objects that the game wants you to find. Once done, it then moves you onto different screens with a new set of objects to find. While boring to some, it can be compelling and does make you want to crack it to progress. Admittedly, I have not played Return To Ravensheart as yet but include it here because even though any "MCF" will do, Ravensheart has had the most favourable reviews in the series as they do add more dynamic gameplay to each title as it's added to the mix. (Snippets of gameplay)

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There you have it. Half way through with the next set of six to follow...

The Top 24 Steam Games - The Reviews (Part 1)

As I pointed out in my previous post, I have played plenty of well-known, big-name, big budget titles when it comes to computer games and if I were to mention them here it would just take up far too much time and space. Therefore, this will have to be postponed for another post or ten. This post (and the next three) is devoted to those "indie" and "casual" games that are available from Steam (a site which provides the games to users in a downloadable form). I have whittled down all the games I have downloaded, which number just under 100, to a select few of 24. What follows are my brief reviews of each game.

Axel & Pixel This is a quirky but deceptively basic point and click adventure game that has the user getting the eponymous heroes from one screen to the next by clicking on objects on the screen and seeing how the characters interact with them. It's similar to the "Monkey Island" or "Sam & Max" style of game but evidently doesn't have the same production-values. The characters, rather than talk to each other, just kind of grunt and burble. It is actually more comparable with the equally bizarre but more difficult "Machinaruim" game. It's very unusual and a bit "arty" so investigate before you buy. (Very amusing clip. Better than the game?)

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Azada This is a puzzle game, pure and simple. It's one of those super-friendly, cosy and warm, family-type games that is for all ages and which will offend no one. It contains over 30 different types of classic puzzles, has plenty of variety and is tastefully done in soft colours. You progress by completing 10 chapters with 8 puzzles in each but there are "boss" puzzles thrown in as well. It is timed, which may have some pulling their hair out, but there's always youtube and walkthroughs. I must confess, I needed them for the madenning matchstick conundrums. (A Must - Matchstick Solutions)   

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Blue Toad Murder Files This is another puzzle game, very much along similar lines to "Puzzle Agent." It has a real Cluedo feel to it and is set in a quiant and gentle, sleepy town in the heart of the countryside. The voice-acting is hammed-up to extremes bringing with it an over-the-top Agatha Christie flavour. The town has various buildings which you click on to enter and solve puzzles. The puzzles themselves are a pleasant undertaking but, I must confess, this was a recent purchase and I haven't delved too deep into it. (SPOILER - Solution to one of the puzzles)   

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Braid Braid is a platform game unlike any other you have seen before. Out goes the shooting and the frenetic ducking and diving and in comes the need to ponder and think of how on earth you are going to get from A to B this time. The main departure it makes form other platformers is the use of going back in time which you do with the press of the "shift" key. Be warned, however, although the first world draws you in by its charm and ingenuity - it begins to get brutally difficult requiring regular trips to youtube. There is no long waiting for screens to load and you never really die. (First five minutes, rushing through game and not doing it properly.)

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Chainz 2: Relinked "Bejeweled" and "Jewel Quest" may have been all we needed as far as match-up games go but ever since then, they've been churned out by the bucket load. Chainz 2 uses that age-old formula and just shakes it up a bit. It has a zany, cartoony feel with a jazzy soundtrack similar to the saucy "Carry On" films and the navigation through the game is sharp, fast and slick. It has four modes including; Classic, Arcade, Puzzle and Strategy with high-scores thrown in to satisfy the nerd in all of us. The game is great for a short blast of fun. (A few clips, poor quality) 

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Clones  This is another fine thinking-person's game that takes its ingredients from the classic game Lemmings. Here, you begin each screen with a landscape which effectively consists of a series of obstacles that the clones have to traverse and overcome. They negotiate this by being given a series of orders by the player. The orders range from being told to dig, build a bridge or float or whatnot. The clones just keep walking blindly forward until you give them the order - they will often walk to their death if you don't think fast and tell them what to do. Good stuff. (Trailer, with some complicated-looking levels)     

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There ends the first six of my Top 24 Steam games. Although these games aren't bad at all, they certainly aren't the best of my selection and there are far better games to come. I will endeavour to complete the rest through the weekend.

Steam - Top 24 Games

Although I did donk off a few dollars last night, after I managed to claw my bankroll up to $5.8K, I'm not really "steaming" as the title of this post suggests. No, this post is about my other little addiction that takes hold of me every once in a while and that is researching and playing computer games. It's not necessarily the case that I spend a huge amount of time playing a lot of games, it's the fact that I spend more time researching, reading reviews and watching the youtube clips of games rather than actually playing them! Yesterday, during my day off work I researched loads and downloaded seven!!

The trouble is these games are just a short download away and there is a site called Steam which will have you playing these games right there on your PC often well within half an hour - and that's even without requiring you to get up out of your chair. It's just too convenient, all too damn convenient. Furthermore, because I personally tend to go for the "indie" or "casual" game, they are not only relatively small files and download quickly but are very reasonably priced as well. I reckon if you dig around on the net you could probably download them for even cheaper, but Steam is just convenient and keeps them all nicely together.

All in all, I have downloaded 97 games from Steam and I have all the thumbnails nicely laid out in my library. I think I should probably stop at 100 but I know I won't. The trouble is, a lot of them really are very good value and just offer fantastic entertainment. Most of my "Top 24" (which I will post below) were picked up for less than a tenner and a few more were less than a fiver. I do play other more well-known titles from the big name companies as well, of course, but I'm just flagging this up as an "alternative" way to go about gaming. Here are my "Top 24" in alphabetical order and in an upcoming post I intend to do a quick review of each. Be warned though, they are certainly NOT everyone's cup of tea.

Portal, by the way, made by Valve, was created by the same makers as the Half-Life 2 series and Team Fortress 2 (all of which I bought, ages ago, over the counter as one package called The Orange Box). I include Portal here because it's a one-of-a-kind thinking man's first-person computer game that isn't a shoot 'em up. In other words it's one of the few of this kind that doesn't involve any killing but does involve a fair amount of logical thinking and figuring out - it's smashing!

A Day Off Work and a Rant

After staying on late at work on Thursday night due to commitments (parent's evening), I decided I needed the day off work today and phoned in sick. Now although I don't have any physical symptoms of the usual illnesses that make people take a day off, I do believe that the odd day off to relieve mental stress is an absolute necessity - especially in a trade such as the teaching profession. If you don't take the odd day off to relieve both the mental and physical strain that the job demands, then I really reckon you can push yourself over the edge, I really do.

I know teachers have plenty of holidays and there are, of course, the weekends to recover from the madness but sometimes these just aren't enough. It's a work environment where you're constantly and relentlessly having your tolerance and patience tested. It's taken for granted that you have to expend the energy to guide the students, give them credit for their work, actually teach them something AND make sure they don't fuck about. Then there's the torrent of admin tasks being thrown at you left, right and bleedin' centre (over half of which are TOTALLY pointless - but must be done anyway). Oh, then there's the endless meetings, the marking of books and coursework and the preparation of lessons! By the end of the day you're feeling pretty exhausted I can tell you - it's a wonder I actually have the stamina to play poker on a work-day at all!

Even at home while I'm tring to enjoy the day off I get my balls busted from all angles.

Life can be well-tough innit?

The $1K Top-Up

After yesterday's debacle, I decided that the time was right for a $1K top-up to the online bankroll which puts my effective starting bankroll at $6K for the year. With my bankroll now at $5.6K it also means that while playing $0.50/$1, I have about 56 buy-ins. If I switch up to $200nl, this would mean 28 buy-ins but strictly speaking I don't think this is enough. (I think a minimum of 30 buy-ins is right for that - but even then it should probably be more.)

Therefore, even though the temptation to play $200nl is as strong as ever (and I may well have a crack if the table looks nice), I've decided that I need to prove myself at the $100nl game once again. I think the sensible thing to do would be to try to get my bankroll up to $6K before taking the plunge back into the $200nl again. Well, that's the "sensible" thing to do - not necessarily what I WILL do.

No worries about the $1K top-up. Although I am, of course, annoyed about dropping over $800 in five days, this reload came pretty much from my winnings from the live game session last Saturday - so it's not as if I'm just throwing more money in from my savings to fix the problem. Nevertheless, here's a rousing song to go with the thoughts that accompany my feelings behind this top-up: This time, I'll get it right. Marching on boys!

On The Slide. Back to $100nl.

Well, that was short-lived. A short 15 minute session at the $200nl tables after work consisting of a couple of nasty river cards costing me $250 was all that was needed to send me back down to earth with a big bump. It's not that I played particularly badly (well, letting the villain in cheap to hit his flush draw on the river was kinda crap) but it did knock me back. 

On top of this, all I've seen are my villains hitting their draws 100% of the time and just nothing really going my way. With an added $100 going up the spout tonight at the $0.50/$1 game it means that my bankroll has slipped to $4.58K. This is just a bit dis-heartening as I'm now down $420 this year after such a good start. All this, of course, means that I'm scurrying back off to play the $100nl game for a while until I can try to repair some of the damage. I'm going to stick to $100nl until I can try to get the bankroll back up to $5K again.

In fact, with the way I feel right now, if I do get down to $4K I just feel like pulling the plug on the whole damn thing. I don't know if I feel like playing any more poker this evening as I'm feeling a bit tired and, no doubt, tilted. Also, with work commitments on tomorrow evening, I don't think I'll be able to play tomorrow either.

It just doesn't feel like it's happening at the moment and I'm not feeling great about it. Maybe an early night is in order.

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Update

The long haul back begins. $60 clawed back and my bankroll goes to $4.64K.

AA Cracked Again At $200nl.

I'm enjoying my time at $200nl but it's a shame I can't say I'm enjoying the results. It's now twice in two nights that I've got it in good with aces but not reaped rewards. With this loss it's a deficit of about $380 on the two hands. Just 75 hands played tonight but... you know the routine:

Looking Good...But here we go again...

Oh dear.

Strange, I actually don't feel so bad about this one because getting it all-in with a strong pair to a weaker pair is just what you want and getting outdrawn happens all the time. The only reason I'm slightly vexed is because it's happened in quick succession with AA just as I've moved UP to the higher level.

From this small stint I feel that I'm actually playing just fine and judging from the standard of play from my opponents, I'm encouraged overall. As I say, it's a shame that I can't say the same about the results. It will be the first time I'll be leaving my bankroll below $5K overnight - I guess no one said it would be easy.

Let's Have A Hand Count

With the date at 18th January, we're 60% through the month. The total hand count for my online poker sessions this year has reached just under 3.5K which means I'm heading to complete around 6K hands for the month. (72K for the year.) It doesn't seem to be a massive amount but I think I've had a slow start as far as volume is concerned, particularly as work has taken up a hell of a lot of my time this year and I'm always arriving home completely knackered.

Today, for example, I arrived home at about 5PM, surfed a bit on the internet and then crashed out for my siesta at 6PM. I slept for an hour and woke up at 7PM. With my daughter demanding food, I had a shower, washed the mountain of dishes that no one bothered to wash last night and made dinner for me and the hungry daughter. At 8:30 the missus arrived home from her meeting and the other daughter decided to trundle in. With the non-stop yakkity-yak going on and the time at 10:15PM, I've just not been able to play a single hand.

My profit/loss balance for the year stands at +$150 but $40 of this was my December rakeback payment and $50 was a reload bonus payout! This means I'm hardly taking PKR by storm but at least I'm not running at a loss...not yet at least! Still, once the madness subsides I may just be able to get a few hands in before bedtime.

All Is Well Again - My Biggest Pot Of The Year

In my last post I mentioned about feeling right back at home after getting back into the $200nl saddle once again. Even though I threw $200 to the winds thanks to a certain Zomgchipriffle cracking my AA with his AK, I wrote that it just felt "right" to be back playing $1/$2 again. Well, I'm happy to say that it DID come good, I DID hit a set versus my villain's two pair on the flop, I DID get it all-in and DID get the call, and all is well with the world once more.

Now I well know that any pro reading this might question my obsession with my balance. But I think it's very difficult NOT to do this when you single-table and when you don't play such a large volume of hands, and also when you pour more emotion into just the one intense table. True, pros will often note the single-tablers and immediately tag them as fish precisely because they are single-tabling and see them as more emotionally involved but I think the excitement you get by single-tabling can be a really good buzz - and I actually enjoy playing my poker this way despite the emotional rollercoaster ride that can come with it. In saying that though, I still understand the advantages of multi-tabling and expect to be regularly 2-tabling fairly soon.

Tonight, I lost the biggest pot of the year and then won my biggest pot of the year in the space of an hour. How much more excitement can you get just by sitting on your fat arse in your living room? (Don't answer that.) Here is my biggest win of the year so far:

On the button with 77 and I just flat call (!?) I hear you say. Who said I should play by the book?

To tell the truth, when I saw that river card fall to improve my villain's hand my heart missed a beat and I actually thought I LOST the hand. I got up from my seat, paced around the room for a bit, returned to my seat, and saw the $482 next to MY name. Which was nice.

Back Where I Belong.

Tonight, I have realised that my place is in the $200nl game. From the evidence of an hour's play just now at a $1/$2 table, I would be mad to continue playing for anything less. The result? I was down about $130! The players? Shocking!

I was playing fine, had identified the weak players, and was chugging along nicely with a $270 stack and then looked down at AA. I went all-in, got a caller from a regular who held AK, and looked on in disbelief as a flop of K K x came down to hand him the trips. Without help on the turn or river I lost $200 right there! I should have been up to a nice looking $470 stack and well in the black overall but it just wasn't to be. Arse!

In my annoyance, I angrily exited the table so fast that the hand didn't get recorded in the hand-history. I did not do this intentionally, by the way, as I would have liked to have posted it up here. In fact, this just means my PokerOfficer hand-history files are inaccurate now and my records will just be plain wrong. Nevertheless, with my bankroll now BELOW my starting bankroll of $5K, and me itching to get back to the $1/$2 tables it will be interesting to see how things develop. I'm going to study the tables to decide which one to plump for and maybe have another dip into the pool. I'll give a further update if I do.

What Goes Up Must Come Down.

Experts often say that you can tell how good a poker player is by seeing how they react  to downswings. You may be great at poker strategy on a hand-to-hand basis and even do the right thing a huge percentage of the time - but if you blow your top after losing a few bad beats and start attacking the higher levels while in an angry mood, you're more likely to make the wrong decisions. And if you do go ahead and do this (which is more likely when you're under-rolled and facing more tricky opponents) and end up losing a ton of money - then you're just kinda rubbish.

I also think that another test of character is how you react to huge upswings or "heaters" as they have come to be called. In my "Idiot Floor Manager" post I wrote about my £650 jackpot session when I competed in two consecutive monster hands at the live cash game tables at The Empire. Now the only place to go after going on a huge heater is down, and when you think about it, this is inevitable. The problem is that you undergo a type of ecstatic euphoria when this heater occurs and it can sometimes be hard for the mind to re-adjust when you're shooting down the slide on the other side. It's like part of you just insists that the money should keep flowing in your direction and that it's a massive injustice when it doesn't.

What I found myself doing yesterday, while playing online after my winning cash game session, was kind of insisting to myself that the money should have been flowing my direction and in order to make this happen I played far too many hands, far too loosely, and ended up sustaining a small dent to my bankroll. In a nutshell, this was down due to good old fashioned bad play - pure and simple.

LESSON LEARNT: SOMETIMES A REST AFTER A BIG WIN CAN BE JUST AS NECESSARY AS A REST AFTER A BIG LOSS.