muttley

I prefer the new formats too.

PokerStars have launched a new format called All-In Poker on their site. Basically, you start with 5bbs and you can either fold or go all in. If you manage to spin your stack up to 25bbs, then your all in is capped at 25bb, It's a fast and fun format, although the variance is huge, and I have played quite a bit and wondered if anyone else has? My initial thoughts are that it is beatable at the moment. Lots of people are pushing too wide with a big stack wen there are big stacks behind them, and players are folding too wide when they are the short stack, However, once people figure it out, it will simply become a rake trap, imo. Also, it takes a lot of the skill out of the game, as you literally have two moves, fold or go all in. Has anyone else played and what are your opinions on the game and it's future?

Daily tournaments Wynn Encore, Las Vegas. $684 and $2206. Total $2900

Ran stupidly good, as usual, but don't worry....I can't play next week as I'm off to Vegas in the morning!

A bit of drunken Zoom on Christmas morning! he paid my overbet on the river! Incidentally, for all those interested (ie no-one) ThysYool is a medieval phrase meaning "This Christmas". So there ya go. Merry Christmas!

Ah...I thought it was me!

When your 3-bet bluff works out!

No better place to do it!

Wow! I wasn't expecting that. Once again thanks to Avongirl for doing all the hard work, and to Punters Lounge for their generosity in supporting the league.

The dealer is being a dick, basically. I would ask for the floor manager, and if he ruled my hand was dead, I'd never play there again.

I rarely play online, (except for the PL League, of course) but I jumped into a game on Grosvenor Poker tonight.....$168.70

Super, providing you don't fold preflop

Not really a super flop when you're trying to get paid......he stabbed the turn, then folded the river.

Blackpool G Casino 1st/583 £7410....$9286

Folded preflop, sadly.

Villain has KK and decides to pay me off

Well said, Ian. My sentiment too.

When there were 6 players left only 3 responded to my request to pay top 3. I don't think you can assume that if someone didn't object then they must have agreed.

The game was set up as winner takes all. A few of us were prepared to do the normal 3 way split, but not everyone in the chat responded, so I assume it stayed that way. Helen, could you check to see if the rest of the month's games are set up with a normal payout structure?

My favourite book in the past was always Easy Game by Andrew Seidman, but I imagine it's a bit dated. Same goes for Doyle Brunson's Super System, which was groundbreaking in it's day, but old hat now, I read the Jared Tendler The Mental Game of Poker, and enjoyed it, but I'm not a tilty player, so it was of limited use. Maybe I should read it again. Other authors that I have found useful are Ed Miller, Jonathan Little an, as mentioned earlier, Alex Fitzgerald.

I was disappointed in Chris Moorman's book....not least because he didn't call it "The Book of Moorman"....It was him commenting on another guy's hands, rather than revealing his strategy. I recently reread the Gus Hansen, Every Hand Revealed, and it's still relevant. I thought it might have dated, but it's still good. The only autobiography I've read is Devilfish, which I enjoyed immensely, but it made me realise that I could never be a top poker player.

I'm always on the look out for new titles, so I wondered if anyone has got any recommendations? I've just finished Endgame Poker Strategy by Dara O'Kearney, and thought it was pretty good. My all time favourite poker book is Exploitative Play in Live Poker by Alex Fitzgerald. It's an easy read and helped me a lot. For beginners I still think Harrington on Hold Em is the place to start. It's a bit outdated, but a great introduction to the game.

That's what I said, Ian.

Unfortunately, (I just said "unfortunately") I'm off to Vegas for 13 nights this month, so I won't be able to defend my monthly title. I will be along tomorrow, as usual, to take your chips.