Anniversary thoughts

One year ago today, I sat down with the brother and he gave me my first lesson on this bizarre form of poker where everyone got 2 cards and 5 cards gradually appeared on the middle. The brother had been playing for a few years on the club circuit around Dublin making modest but decent amounts. I'd played a bit of draw in my childhood and was pretty good, but this type of poker looked a bit scary and mad. I'd decided to go for it after watching Nicky Power on TV in the Irish Open: he made it look like gas crack altogether, but also something where a quick sharp mind was an advantage.

I've always had a bigger ego and ambitions than the brother so I was never going to be happy as a decent recreational club player. The long term aim was to gradually improve to the point that by 2014, the year I intend to retire from both the business and the running, I'd be good enough to be competitive and maybe make a bit of dosh doing something enjoyable.

After the lessons from my brother, I played a freeroll on Ladbrokes, and won $117.12 when I was second in a field of 6000 or something. I didn't have much of a clue what I was doing but I was already playing tight aggressive, and running like God. I used that money to play Limit cash in the background as I worked for a while and gradually built it into a 4 figure roll.

At the end of June, I went along to my first live tournament in the Fitz. I think it was scalps and I ended up getting runner runnered when headsup with Smurph. I wasn't experienced enough to be devastated by such misfortune: I was just thrilled to be walking out of there in profit having given a decent account of myself and lost to a quality player. That night, I made my first entry in my record keeping copybook: up 690.

Started playing the Fitz regularly and cashing regularly. Online, I played 10 seater sit and gos for a while, then some headsup, then NL cash, gradually moving up the levels as my online roll expanded to 5 and then 6 figures.

In January, I bought in to my first major live multiday event. I was last player out on day one, but playing at the same table all day with Roy Brindley and Neil Channing (and Maud Mulder!) was a great experience.

In February, I bought in to the European Deepstack. I almost didn't after I failed to satellite in. I was convinced I was both running and playing bad having put together my longest ever streak of non cashes (6), but my better half persuaded me that the money I was already up and had won online rendered the 1500 Euro buyin insignificant. Lucky she did, as I ended up landing my first really big live score.

In March I played the Irish Open having satellited in for $11. I lasted just over an hour.

In April I made my first appearance in the UK, being one of the last ones out of the Manchester GUKPT day one, having satellited in for $11.

In May, I made the final table of the JP Irish Masters (having again satellited in) and cashed in the Newcastle GUKPT. I also satellited into the main event in the SE festival in the middle of a hot streak which has seen me cash 8 times in my last 10 live tournaments (I was 7th in the Fitz last night).

Looking at my record copybook, I see I played 78 lives tournaments this year. I won 8, had 5 seconds, 2 thirds, and 13 other cashes. My ROI live works out at over 300%. So it's been a very good year, way better than I could ever have anticipated. There's no point in being bigheaded about it though: I've been very lucky and there are much better players than me who have had worse years. From talking to a few of the more seasoned pros, I know the beginner's luck first great year is not that unusual, and is often followed by a difficult second year.

Looking forward to the next year, I hope to continue to improve as a player. I can still improve technically, and I think as I play against the same good players I'm going to have to mix my game up more. Solid ABC poker has served me well so far though, and I don't intend to stray too far into the realms of unorthodoxy.

It's been a great ride so far, I've been lucky as Hell to be ahead from day one, and I've met and got to know some really great people.

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