Successful January Shock

For the last two years January has been associated with poor poker results for me, terrible weather, bad health and generally depressing blog posts. See Janaury Blues and Routine Losses.

So to be able to report on a successful poker month, a period of good health and even only fairly miserable weather is massively satisfying. Whatever happens in the next few days I will make $600 plus this month thanks mainly to five visits to Full Tilt Daily Double final tables, including my first win in such a game for $372. These profits have been topped up by some solid results in my Dirty Dozen Jackpot games.

One feature of my poker sessions this month has been listening to poker related material while I play. This seems to really help with my focus.  So whilst playing upto six games I am also soaking in Jared Tendler Podcasts or Nick Weathall Winning Poker Blueprint training instruction. Both are of a high quality, though I now need some new material. If anyone can recommend a quality poker podcast please comment below or e-mail me on jasontomlinson44@btinternet.com.

Thanks very much.

Jason

Double Trouble For Full Tilt's Hana Soljan

Now I am not in the habit of interacting with beautiful Croatian women. Last night however was an exception as I tangled with Full Tilt Pro Hana Soljan in my regular Daily Double MTT game. Our encounter culminated in a defining hand that doubled me up at a crucial time and left her very short and quite soon after, out of the tournament.

I started this key hand in reasonable shape with twenty big blinds, not far off the money bubble and raised with nines. We had played a couple of hands already. Hana had been very active playing nearly every other hand. When she called from the small blind I was certainly more excited than afraid. A 533 flop saw her make a bet which I raised. After a short pause she went all in and I called. Her pair of fours got some help on the turn when a two came but my hand held up giving my general confidence and my chances in this tournament a boost. 

The pot set me up nicely to cash and via some good play and good fortune make my first final table of the year. Snagging fifth for $91 is not a big score for sure, but its a start. 

Cheers Hana.

The hand was recorded as follows:

Full Tilt Poker Game #33767926807: Daily Double - B (263436762), Table 4 - NL Hold'em - 150/300 Ante 25 - 17:31:37 ET - 2014/01/14
Seat 1: BadBRM (4,980)
Seat 2: grigoreb (14,545)
Seat 3: nutslikeme (8,845)
Seat 4: MopsRoll (7,100)
Seat 5: Sachs777 (7,222)
Seat 6: Hana Soljan (7,960)
Seat 7: sergos1 (13,420)
Seat 8: Kartajana (6,110)

Hana Soljan posts the small blind of 150
sergos1 posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Kartajana [9d 9h]
Kartajana raises to 800
BadBRM folds
grigoreb folds
nutslikeme folds
MopsRoll folds
Sachs777 folds
Hana Soljan calls 650
sergos1 folds
*** FLOP *** [5c 5s 3h] (Total Pot: 2,100, 2 Players)
Hana Soljan bets 900
Kartajana raises to 2,700
Hana Soljan raises to 7,135, and is all in
Kartajana calls 2,585, and is all in
Hana Soljan shows [4s 4h]
Kartajana shows [9d 9h]
Uncalled bet of 1,850 returned to Hana Soljan
*** TURN *** [5c 5s 3h] [2s] (Total Pot: 12,670, 2 Players, 1 All-In)
*** RIVER *** [5c 5s 3h 2s] [Kc] (Total Pot: 12,670, 2 Players, 1 All-In)
Hana Soljan shows two pair, Fives and Fours
Kartajana shows two pair, Nines and Fives
Kartajana wins the pot (12,670) with two pair, Nines and Fives