Betfair Official Blog

Regaining focus

It has been five days since my last post (more...) mainly because I just have not been in the right frame of mind to write anything, never mind anything remotely related to poker!

Mrs P's hormones are well and truly kicking in now and Step Pud is not only going through the 'terrible twos' right now but terrible threes, fours and fives (more...) also, so I have been pretty stressed out this past week.

Whilst my cash games continue to slump to new depths, my tournament game seems to be going from strength to strength. I know I said that I would not be playing many tournaments because when Baby Pud arrives at the back end of March, I simply will not have enough time to play them and be a proper dad and partner as it is going to be difficult with a baby and toddler in the house.

I played in a freeroll (more...), hosted by WPT magazine, where I managed to finish 21/479 which gave me some confidence and then I made a final table of a small tournament, finishing 5th for a small $23.80 prize. Nothing that is going to break the bank but it feels really good to go deep in two tournaments, despite their entry-fees.

Continuing with tournaments, I have been given a brilliant opportunity to qualify for the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe (more...) for free! A friend of mine as said he will enter me into three of the $55 satellites on Betfair, which filter into the massive satellite game on September 7 where 21 seats to the WSOPE are guaranteed! Whilst I do not kid myself by thinking I am the best poker player ever, I can hold my own against most fish at my stakes (usually) and it will be great fun and experience to play in a $55 game, as it will be the largest buy-in I have played!

If the unthinkable happens and I managed to qualify for the WSOPE, I think I would have heart attack! LOL! It would be far too soon for me in a poker sense, as my skills are nowhere near what they would need to be to go deep in one of these huge tournaments, but just the experience and the atmosphere would be amazing and something that I would love every second of! I will not be playing my three games until later in the month as my friend is currently away on business and cannot transfer any funds etc until his return but as soon as it is sorted out, you will be the first to hear about me owning the $55 buy-in donks! LOL!

The Pud Jr situation is still as weird as ever but I have a new focus to get it sorted out once and for all. I have been having access to him but only for two hours per week and when I do have him, I have had to be chaperoned by his granddad! LMAO! WTF do they think I am going to do, kidnap him? The icing on the cake was yesterday when I asked if I could take him swimming and they said yes but told me which baths I could go to! Not only that but his granddad and mum turned up to watch even though we were 100 yards from his grans and my mum, a trained carer, had come to see him for the first time in 5 months. It is a total joke and something my solicitor will be sorting out in the coming weeks, that is for certain.

I am just going to take things easy for the next few days, regain my composure at the tables, and go through hand histories with a fine toothed comb. We have an appointment with the midwife on Thursday where, hopefully, we will get to hear Baby Pud's heartbeat for the first time, always an amazing experience, one you never forget, and one that puts everything else into perspective.

As always, thanks for reading and best of luck at the tables!

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