LarsLuzak's blog

It's nice to finally have some really good news to blog about. It's been hard to find motivation to write positive things when I've been running like shit for a long time. But now, like some of you prolly noticed, I had a really good day at FTP two days ago. I'll tell you all about it but first let's see what else - and less interesting - has happened after my last blog entry.

I made Day 2 in Copenhagen with about an average stack. The day started out okay until I made a horrible call with QQ on an ace-rag-rag board hoping that the guy is pushing with a flush draw. In a way I was right, but his flush draw was ace high so I had one out. This still left me with an okay stack but I was so disgusted with my play I couldn't do anything else than to give away the rest. Well maybe it wasn't a total donation, I pushed the button with Q9 suited and BB called with KT suited and that was it for me.

I tried some of the FTOPS tournaments including the main and the 2.5k. Obv no good there... I was very close to making Day 2 at the 2.5k. After like 8 hours of play I busted 94th (84 to the money and less than an hour left of day 1) and had to stay up the whole night for nothing. Tournaments are clearly not made  for me.

Yesterday was my 8th winning day on a roll (first 6 days mostly on other sites than FTP). I'm running so good right now it's like 2008 again. It's almost  scary already, because I'm not used to winning much lately.

Day 1A at EPT Copenhagen just finished. I'm in with an average stack (50k). I managed to get some chips in the last level, the first 7 levels my stack was between 25k and 35k. Soooo boring day! No bad players at my table and everyone played super tight. I had aces 3 times and kings once. The only time I got any action was with aces when one other player had aces too and one guy folded kings preflop. I felt like he was the only winner in the hand when we split his 3k in half...

There is no good value at this EPT and I probably picked up one of the worst tables too. This was the most boring tournament day ever - no one didn't give any action at any point. But I guess I should be happy to be in with average anyways. Tomorrow is off and I gotta work out some, haven't done any sports in a week and I feel like shit.

Congratulations to Ville Wahlbeck for taking like all the awards here last night. Too bad there was almost no one from Finland at the awards party to see it.

I had my best day online this year right after my last blog update. I won a little over 150k playing 300/600 PLO and 100/200 cap NL. I lost some back after that day, but it still looks pretty good - I'm actually up this year which feels pretty amazing after last year, already forgot what it feels like to win at FTP.

I've been playing some more online now. It's been going okay, I won the first 8 days on a row, then I had a few losing days and now I'm back to winning. Overall I'm pretty happy with the results.

I've been winning even at FTP lately, been playing a lot of 100/200 NL Cap HU (30bb cap). I won a lot against first two opponents, but now I lost most of it to Clockwyze. He seems to know exactly what he is doing, I think he is one of the biggest cap-grinders at FTP. I prolly should quit playing against him, but it's a bit too tempting to challenge him again so I'll prolly do it at some point. He can't have much of an edge anyways I think, big part of it is just gambling and that's why it's so much fun.

I think I won around 150k against others, which is a lot of 6k "buy ins", then I lost like a 100k to Clockwyze. I've been running good in omaha lately too, and there has been some sweet 40/80 NL 5-handed games every now and then. I'm doing allright at other sites too.

Almost two more weeks in Monaco and then it's time for EPT Copenhagen.

I came back from the Bahamas last night. The trip itself was alright, but the flights were a nightmare. First of all it took like two days to get there. On the way back the flight Nassau-Miami was delayed for a long time and we were the last ones put on another flight and we got to Miami a few hours late. The connecting flight was supposed to be gone two hours ago, but it was late as well and just about to leave and we made it on the last minute. It looked like we were supposed to stay overnight in Miami and arrive a day late, so we were super-lucky to make that flight to Paris. Of course we missed our connection from Paris but that was okay. There was something going on the airport there, some army guys with rifles emptied the terminal we were supposed departure from. So we had to take the next one, but we didn't arrive late any more than like 4 hours. But obviously the luggage got stuck in Miami, and still haven't heard anything about that. Might take awhile...

I played two tournaments at the Bahamas, the main and the highroller. Busted from both of them the second day. Nothing that special in the main, didn't have a great stack or anything - I made I move committing myself with a pair and a gutshot against two players which prolly would've folded but third guy behind me flopped a straight and I was drawing almost dead.

Had an okay start in the high roller, after like 15 minutes the second day started I had about 150k average being around 80k. After that I just couldn't win a single hand, I don't even know  what happened to my chips. Ended up getting it in with a pretty short stack with QQ v. 88. Preflop all in and the traditional 8 on the river.

Tuesday was the last day I played and looks like the next flop I'll be seeing will be in January at the Bahamas. I have played way too much this year, I've tried to win the money back after my huge downswings in the spring, had a lot of pressure because of that which made me play too many hours. But now I give up, it's time for a break.

Actually I made some kind of comeback, I'm quite satisfied with the results on the other sites than FTP. Like I said before I've found some good NL games, and they have been going well. I feel like my game is in excellent shape, so I'm not worried at all even tho I lost a lot of money at FTP this year. But that's poker. I was down last year too, as late as October/November and I thought I'm very happy if I break even at FTP, but I made such a miracle comeback I actually ended up winning a lot last year (from FTP). But no miracles this year, FTP didn't give up at all, I Just couldn't win there. I won the last few months at all the other  sites (well not pokerstars, but didn't play there that much) but couldn't make it turn around at FTP. I know what you all thinking: I played PLO at FTP and that's why I lost. But I won a lot from PLO at all the other sites I played.

I busted out in half an hour on Day 2 at EPT Vilamoura. Got the money in with queens against tens but lost. It was over 100k pot and I had only like 3k after this, got my last chips in with A7 against J9 which I lost as well.

I ended up not playing the 25k PLO hu at FTP. I had only a few K on my FTP acc and I actually played 2 $500 and 1 $1k satellites to the event. Didn't get a seat. I busted out from the last satellite 20 minutes before the tournament started and I felt like I already put so much time into it so I have to play it anyway. I bought 25k FTP from someone and I received the money 5 minutes too late and was unable to register. At least I got some money for cash games, and so far it's going pretty well so maybe I was lucky not to spend the money on the buy-in.

There was a 3k € finnish online championship "big shots" tournament at Unibet last night which I played. Only 14 player field and I was the first one to bust. Called a raise with 56 suited, flop Q56, my opponent c-bets, I raise, he calls. Turn gives me a full house, and he calls again. River is a king and I have less than the pot left, I bet almost everything and got check raised. I knew he hit kings full on the river but was too committed to let it go. Another two outer. Ziigmund and Jeans played the tournament, too.

Time to start playing some cash again... lets hope I keep doing well.

I think I've been whining enough lately here. I don't have any amazing news this time either but at least I'll try to sound positive for a change. Things are not that bad actually, I been grinding some lately, playing some more holdem and it's actually going OK. I don't wanna give out all my nicks in every network, but I can tell something. I got sick of waiting at Betfair (EskiMoes7), never got any action really, been playing some at Ladbrokes (Barbaggo), some basic FullTilt (LarsLuzak), Stars (Lrslzk), and some other sites but that's enough information about that.

I busted 18th (I think) out of 27 (I think) in the Helsinki 7k tournament. Long story short, I opened with KT suited, got 3 callers, flop KT9 all clubs, I c-bet, one caller, turn blank, I have pot left, I jam in, thought I was beat and I was (QJ).

I'll tell you some of the key hands of the tournaments in Warsaw. First of all the main event. I've been building my stack up to 45k and I call a raise from the button with 44. 3 handed flop, 249 with flush draw. Elky bets out, raiser calls, I make a big raise, Elky goes all in, the other guy gets out of the way, I call. Elky had Q9 flush draw. I felt like I'm the one with the 30%, if even that. Obv impossible to pair the board and the flush comes on the river. 40k pot, I still have almost the starting stack.

Sorry for the lack of updates. It's just that nothing much has been happening after London. I've been back in Monaco, just taking it nice and easy. Had some friends and family over, played some golf, had some nice dinners etc...

I'm on my way to Warsaw now to play the EPT. I have never been to Poland before, so I'm not sure what to expect really. I heard it's a nice place and the field should be pretty soft too. There shouldn't be much more than 200 players.

I haven't been playing that much online now, and the little I've been playing is mostly on European sites.

The main event didn't go as planned. I had a bad starting table at the second day until a guy who played every hand joined the table after a few hours. My stack was pretty much the same as in the beginning of the day. This guy was nothing like I've ever seen before, I think he folded twice preflop within about four hours. For example he called a big 3-bet from the blind with 52 suited and outplayed AK to a J high board and showed the hand.