reality of poker office

I'm not really one for writing articles, but just for anyone that has had any bad experiences with lets say shady poker software tools or crappy ebooks that have turned out to be nonsense, this tool is a dream come true.

I got this software on a free trial last year for 300 hands and before I used them it just so happened i stopped playing online poker due to business commitments and work. I'm now at the stage where because I have a bit more free time on my hands been able to get back to playing online.

Now don't get get wrong, I'm much more of a fan of the live game of poker than I ever will be of the online game but it does have its benefits. You don't have to leave your PC after all so like many of you I simple stick the laptop on when I come across a free hour and hey presto I've got my fix and a few extra quid for my troubles.

So without rambling on about too much shit, I decided to get myself the full copy of poker office.

I was lucky enough to get this copy for free and Poker Office the company were happy to give it to me on the terms that I used it in my articles for people to read when they were browsing my blog. I'm under no pressure at the end of the day to try and sell this thing as I've already got a copy but if it can make the poker players more reliable then I'm up for that.

Some of the features in this tool are better than others. The most valuable one I find, is the table overlay. This is the piece of the software that tracks the amount of hands your opponents at the table play as well as how they played them and how they have won/lost or raised, re-raised, called or folded. Now you might sit there and try and tell me that you know all of this about your opponents because you watch them all carefully enough. Sorry you're chatting shit. There is no way on earth that any one could track ten players at a table and how they have played every single hand they have ever played against them, it's impossible.

So just this feature alone is worth every single penny.
That's not all it does though. It has different features as it can tell you how much you have won and lost without you having to track it yourself. It also builds a data base so every time you go onto poker office, which should be every time you play all the info ever gathered is there to build a picture about everyone that sits beside you at the tables. The data base not only tracks your profits and losses but also your opponents. So this part of the software is very useful in trying to work out if your opponent is successful in their own game.

I cant go on enough about how this picec of software can be so profitable to anyone's game just as long as they take the time to start the software every time you sit down to play a game of poker online.

The perfect case scenario I wish for now is that when I log onto an online multi table tournament is that everyone at my table has hand history in the data base. Right away this tool lets me know how many hands I have played against them. It tells me how each of them has played either tight aggressive or loose passive etc. I know straight from the out set wether or not I can steal blinds check raise with out having a hand of my own and from past history I have the necessary information available to work out what each players action represents.
Please have the common sense to understand the difference this piece of software can make to your game, and it doesn't cost a penny.

To find out how to get it free just go through one of the links on this blog.
Feel free to drop me a line and let me know how poker office has made a difference to your game. Skipper......

Coming Soon To Southport Mon 10th september 7pm

Happy to announce that Core Bar Southport is starting up a "No Limit Texas Holdem"
poker league.

The league will be run over a period of ten weeks, then on the eleventh week the final will be held. Entry to the final will be free, and will be played out by the top eight players on the leader board


Structure of the competition is as follows
£30 entry fee
£25 for comp prize pool + £5 Final prize pool
10,000 starting chips
Self Dealt
Blinds increase every 30 mins

Level 1 50 100
Level 2 100 200
Level 3 150 300
Level 4 200 400
Level 5 300 600
Level 6 400 800
Level 7 500 1000
Level 8 600 1200
Level 9 800 1600
Level 10 1000 2000
Level 11 2000 4000
Level 12 3000 6000

Prize pool will be divided as follows

Entries 1-30 will pay

1st place 50 % of prize pool
2nd place 30 % of prize pool
3rd place 20 % of prize pool

Qualifiers for the final will be the top eight players on the leader board as the prize pool will be divided as follows

1st place 50 % of prize pool
2nd place 30 % of prize pool
3rd place 20 % of prize pool

Please note that entries to this competition are limited and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book your place early to avoid disappointment. Entry will be accepted on or before 7.00pm Mon and can be placed at Core Bar, East Bank Square, Southport Tel. 01704 530002

The results of each competition will be available on this site and updated on a weekly basis, the points table will also be available in this site as well to keep track of the standings.
If you have any queries please feel free to email at
Email colinmctaggarrt@hotmail.co.uk
Web site http://www.colin-theskipper-mctaggart.blogspot.com/

$100 double stack freeze out vc poker

This is a comp I have liked and never seemed to get the chance to play in it, and so tonight's the night, lets hope the poker gods are with us, or at least with me any way.
I think my main thought process going in to this game is to make sure I play tighter than a tight thing. Its a double stack so that means starting with 4k in chips with normal blind structure so I really don't think there is any point in getting involved early doors. I'm not the type of player that gets so concerned about building a stack early on I feel the cards will usually fall one way or another. So that means that whilst not playing any hands the time is used sensible to work out who's doing what how weak, tight, aggressive,fishy the table is playing. I think this is the most important part of poker because when it comes time to mix it up with someone I need to know the best way to play them, weather I have a hand or not. That's why the pro's seem to go on about playing hands differently all the time, its because there is always a better way to play one player than another. I'm not going to start writing a book, but you know what I mean.
Time now is 8.40pm so I've got 15 mins before the start, so I will get a coffee sorted and the smokes at the ready.
The cards are in the air
Only 10 minutes gone so far and nothing really happening yet, very few players showing any cards, table playing tight.
My first hand I flat called an utg raiser with aj flopped my ace and he bet into me the whole way turns out he flopped two pair, aces and tens.
Total of 91 players entered 82 left blinds still at 15/30.
Still not really anything happening at the minute raised up with ak in early position got a caller then had to fold when I bet out and got raised for half my stack.
Total chips 2485, nothing to worry about at the minute with the blinds being so small but would be good to get the better side of healthy on the chip front.
Nightmare, I get in late with with ten jack off suit and got called from the chip leader, I flop two pair and bet straight out the turn is a king, I check he bets, I re raise all in and he calls he has ace jack, one pair, the river brings another king to pair the board. As you know this forfeits my pair of tens and he wins on the ace kicker. Well that was a pretty nasty out draw better luck next time. Take it the poker gods didn't have their eye on me tonight, till next time, may your pots be monsters and all that crap....... skipper

$30 f/o blue square 66th/222 runners

OK folks the cards are in the air again.... Sat in seat 6 first table no one on there I know and no previous notes so as usual I will sit out and see whats happening and wait for the premium hands to arrive, 222 runners for tonight's comp, 3000 starting chips prize pool paying out to top 30 places.
OK end of the first level no hands to get involved with yet, blinds 15/30 and my stack is 2970t.
205 players remain current position 85, 16 hands played and I've been moved tables already I hadn't played a hand on other table so my image is worthless now.
Made a call in late position wit aq raised by an idiot missed flop and he put me all in, so I folded.The next hand I'm in late position after three limper's with 67 spades, flop comes and gives me a spade draw and a flush draw, he bets I call turn comes and I'm open ended and flushing he bets again I get all my chips in the middle and fill the straight on the end to beat his pocket kings putting me on 5180t.
Just taken a knock when called in sb and hit second pair, I got min raised after I bet it and I called then folded to a bet on the end, 43oot. Bad play from me really, the guy already showed that he bets when catches big part of it and I should of folded my second pair.
150 remain, average chips 4k, blinds 50/100.
Found myself limping into a few to many pots being priced in getting 9/2 when its my turn to act with hands like kj, would be better raising or mucking straight away.
3500t current 75/116 blinds 75/150.......... on a break not in bad shape but have to admit i have squandered a few chips not happy about that table has lots of tight players on it but i have got both the large stacks to my immediate left and right hand side so it they that are swallowing the action and its hard to get involved with out a hand.....blinds 100/200 56 hands played but happy enough that i haven't had decent cards so far lets hope they are on their way......moved again to another table 1h 14 mins gone....3290t...... average chips at the minute is 7.5k I'm currently on 2900t blind at 150/300 so it could be time to shake it up and hope table see i haven't played a hand yet....I'm early get jj one limper i push as there is a couple of big stack after me and i get no callers.....3690t... i showed.....74 players left I'm 65th....all three stacks in my stealing range has over 20k not looking good at all!!!! out in 66 all in kt got called by aj all over....... not too beat up about the way i played it. it was one of those comps where i just wasn't getting cards early on to build a stack to play with... when i did take a chance and doubled up I found myself having to make compulsory calls in late position with cards i prob wouldn't normally play but in the situations were I'm getting like 9/2 and 5/1 to see a flop and those odds cant be passed when u have chips at the end of the day if your getting 9/2 for your investment pre flop your priced in unless u suspect a raiser is sitting after you to act ......... no return on investment is the downside but from a positive point of view I didn't throw away any chances the cards and situations just didn't arrive, next time fellas.........

$15 f/o blue square 1st/247 runners

First hand dealt aj os in late position I'm in seat 9 flat call a raise pre flop, flop comes I miss he checks I bet he calls, turn puts out 3 clubs on board he checks I check, he bets out 150 on river I think he caught his flush and screaming to get paid, no chance I fold.
Haven't played another hand, 7 hands played and I'm moved table 1360total in chips.
247 players started down to 216....
Mid position dealt aa, bb 40 I make 160 to play they all fold...lol.
Not a hand in sight, the table is really loose aggressive.1195t.
Blinds ready to go up shortly to 50/100 so that puts me on 10 big blinds, not feeling very comfy at all about this table so may have to pick a player to go to a flop with and hope he misses. Nightmare 35 hands gone and I have moved tables again, not doing me any favours at all this comp think the tournament director has it in for me lol. Only good thing about this table is everyone is approx. equal in chips no large stacks really, the two players on my prob have little over double my stack so that's a help.
Big stack been moved to table in my stealing range, but I'm going to have to make a play soon.
Just limped utg planning to push to a raisers, two seats away min raises bb calls I push the raiser goes all in, I hit two pair kings and tens, he had pocket aces. Think i was due a bit of luck after a very bad start with cards..
Got in on bb with qt after button min raised and sb and me called, getting 5/1 so I must call.
Flop comes with 9j4 i bet out half pot they fold, 2740t, 94 players remaining I'm 53rd.
Not much happening at the minute.
On first break, 1 hour gone 2965t, 75 players left I'm 52 position average chips is just under 5k at the minute but I'm not so worried about that as the next level of blinds is 100/200 so with my "M" ( bb+sb=M) being about ten I can only be happy after a very poor start with dry cards. Coffee time lol.
Played a hand late position but if I,m honest should not of bothered if I was going to be so weak about it down to 2400t,blinds at 150/300 they have just gone through me so I need to think about getting them all in.
All in on the button when it folded to me with j2 std called by ace2, (wtf) I rivered a flush bargain, he should never of called in the first place 3770t and moved tables.
I need to make sure now that all my chips go in at once don't think I can raise out of position.
I'm on the button dealt 9 ten suited, don't want to push because of a crazy player that's been calling all In's wit j4, so I see a flop. Flop comes down i have gut shot all check, turn gives me straight but puts out a flush draw so I go all in, no customers 4220t.... blinds 200/400 now and I'm still waiting on the cards that probability suggests are on their way lol.
Blinds about to go up 300/600 puts me in bad shape really, could do with a hand or at least a chance to double up.
Decided to push before the blinds came through me with j7 suited, got a caller aq, I hit a jack on flop and for good measure the flush arrived on the end.
Much happier in the skipper camp now 7,540t got in a steal when flat called late wit k ten flop comes i miss they both check I bet, they fold 8300t.
Blinds 500/1000 so at the stage where I can prob see one more orbit but will have to pick a time to stick them in again. All in utg wit a5 clubs they been good to me in this comp but no callers as you can imagine very happy to get the blinds. That move may have looked really strange but I think at this table they believe that I have enough chips to go through the blinds so they can only put me on strong holdings.
Just about to go on second break now, this has been one tricky comp but I most say I'm happy to get into the money again, its just horrible the way things have gone, just need to keep getting my chips in when I can. Plan A is to stay alive plan B is to double up.I will be on the sb when the game begins so after that hand if I don't push on it I will have 7,240 total so need to get doubled up soon if I'm going to bag this baby lol.
24 remaining current position 18th average chips is 15k so if i doubled up i would still only be on average, wish me luck.
Then the monster arrived!!!!!!!!!! I'm on the sb going straight back into play utg limps very strange from him because he is a raiser, crazy guy calls I call 89 std clubs (again) bb checks flop comes 10 8 8 I check, bb checks, utg bet half pot, crazy folds I call turn comes 8, yes 8 lol, I'm sure this guy has a big pocket pair(full house) so I bet straight out the minimum hoping for the other guy to push, I think he has a big pocket pair and he does when he pushes all in with kk and of course I call.
16,280t great news but still a journey away from getting to the leaders but not to worry for now got average chips (yippee) and 14 ish bb so, game on, for a bit lol...
My current position is 8/18 remaining.
Popped in a steal 20k now, still trying to keep head above water but blinds are 1k/2k could do with a hand, blinds coming through me i got 23k,
oops bet out wit my jack and got called by someone who would of folded if next card no good and he set me all in down to 10k I folded.
Straight away after that I push all in, twice in row, no callers, 16k....
Blinds just gone up on my bb 1200/2400.
Ye Ha loads of action, my bb late player min raises, crazy guy, one caller tight guy I call wit q4 cause I'm getting good odds again, flop comes q high, I check, crazy guy bets half the pot, I'm sure I'm ahead when tight guy folds I go all in, crazy calls wit aj, I hit the four on the turn to seal it.
Next hand 77 I raise pre flop crazy calls I bet out flop he folds.
12 remaining I'm 2nd 69k chips.
On the final table now I,m new chip leader probably switch off for a bit if the small stacks want to fight it out for a bit, but at the same time I will take my chances.
On the third break now and still in good shape 76k 3rd in chips with a four players around the 20k mark trying to survive, they need to double up blinds going back in are 2500/5000, so things should speed up a bit now.
The problem I'm having at the minute is I should be in work in ten minutes but rang to say I will be a bit late so I probably can play another three levels then I will have to get off, so expect fire works, just hope it doesn't spoil my chances of winning this after all my patience and hard graft to stay alive. ( not forgetting the luck lol )
8 players left. I'm getting aggressive now just lost big pot down to 66k...
6 left but really starting to worry now, need to get to work really is making me play terrible.
95k in chips now second place and 2 small starts alive..
4 players left I need to get silly got to leave for work in ten mins just gone all in 8 hands in a row no callers, I'm chip leader with three left. I have 330k other two have 15k and 25k left.
Result got to go $1000.35 return on $15 dollars work time .... Please excuse the final hand details but it was only a matter of time with the chip stack the way they were.

$30 double stack f/o blue square 22nd place

OK folks here we go again double stack tonight should be a bit more fun sat in seat 1 don't know any players at my table so most likely sit out for a bit a see whats going on.... Second hand brought into the action dealt pocket kings blinds15/30 I'm on the button and make it 160 to go and get one caller flop comes 9 high three spades i have the king of spades, he checks i bet weakly on purpose to get info on what he wants to do 100t he raises up to 500 i call turn comes another spade he bets out 1100 I'm sure I'm in front if he has the ace he doesn't bet so much but if he has tripped up i cant wait for the board to pr so i push and he folds....... couple of hands later I'm hj seat dealt ak three limper's so i make it 240 to go guy that's had a bit of play re raises i call flop comes ttj ck ck turn is 6 i bet he calls river 6 i bet he calls i win the pot he had re raised me wit kq os..... next hand i play is before first orbit has completed aa in the hole, i limp in no raises flop comes a45 two spades i bet out my trips they all fold never mind.... 1 orbit complete 5325t....
got a bit pre occupied there folks played a real bad hand with pocket sevens raised up late position got one caller made continuation bet on flop with two overs on the board and the caller put me all in and i had to fold........ got all my chips in with ace ten and doubled up 5540t blinds now 300/600 need to double up again but table really active at the moment with lots of big stacks around me ..... 50 people remaining I'm 41 only paying out to 30 so going to pick my hand and get them in.... wish me luck!!! blinds about to come through me at 400/800 that will put me on 4340 so prob got another 10 hands to get them in with.......dealt aq on bb folds around to button who pushes i call aq holds up, sb aj std i flat call cause bb a maniac flop comes three under cards I check he bets min i call turn puts a flush on board i check he checks i bet min on river he folds...13,080t......44 remaining I'm 17th average chips 14k so really happy from where i was but need to try a few moves if we are going to win this one......just been moved tables don't know anyone no previous apart from one player but he is on half my stack...blinds now 500/1000.... made it 2500 in mid position wit ace ten prob bad play got put all in had to fold....aj spades on the button folds to me i push blinds fold..folds to me mid i flat call wit ace ten all fold bb checks flop ten high he checks i bet pot he folds..36 remain I'm 20 so not to bad average 17k im on 12k 2hrs played and 100 hands dealt table seems a bit tricky people min raising all over the place but all seem to have decent holdings.... next level of blinds going to be 600/1200 so i got 12 bb not great so I'm considering slow playing any monsters but the table seems to be scared of anyone flat calling so that could mean either not getting paid or running into trouble i think its a case of only having one move and hope the cards hold up but i feel if u get called on this table your fat behind lol....folded to me in mid position I pushed wit kj clubs get called from sb bb folds aj hit k flop k on river.....19k total.... gets to my bb late position min raises sb calls i have to call wit 67 flop comes I'm open ended i ck he bets weak so i think he missed on ace high flop turn brings another heart got loads of outs i push they all fold ... back up to 19k after loosing a few blinds... 30 left I'm 15th.... bad seat for stealing tourney short stack to my left then a big stack on his left..blinds now 1k/2k....raised up second position kk no customers 3k in blinds better than an ace on the river lol.. got let in on my big blind with qt flop comes 228 all check turn 10 i bet min all fold.... all in mid position 99 called by ace ten on bb 10 arrives but 10k back all in very next hand with jt hearts looking like I'm on tilt called by ak hearts ak stands up..... out in 22 $46.50 return from a $30 investment its a plus figure and really though i was unlucky with the nines....... that's all folks back to fight another day, may your cards be live and all that carry on!!!!!!!!!

$5 freeze vc 18th/452

started off as usual pretty steady with 1500 in chips got all my chips in with 10 10 againest a mainiac he had jj but i caught a ten on the river bad read really i raised up 3xbb and he pushed al in but he already had all his chips three times before that one ocassion he had 47 o/s so i had to think i was good lol ... only a half hour gone and im on 3k happy with that. didnt play another hand for 15 mins got aa didnt get paid then straight after rsed wit aj std cost me 300t when rsed by a raising machine that called pre and bet straight out into queen high flop. ten hands later one limper then the machine makes it 400 to go im in bb flat call wit 99 flop comes nine high ck ck flop and turn i rse pot on river he puts me all in wit ace ten it turns out when i call....50 mins gone 49 hands 5710t..... got in a big pot with the idiot machine i hit a part of it thought he was bluffing again i caled he had a better part bad play down to 2980t... ok back up after a couple of limpers i shove on the button get called by large stack(30k) i double up to 5200t wit aq std.....
1h 23min gone moved tables thank god 68 hands still on 5200t average 6300 so not to bad should get a bit more play in on this new table once i find out whats happening.. second hand jj early make it 1200 to go all fold bb 400 now... 1h 34min ak os in late position guy utg been playin alot of hands min rses i go al in get called by the bb he has ajspades i hold up 10860t... happy enough...1h 44min gone i make my first steal couple hands later rse wit ak os only called by short stack on bb trips later im on 12k... woo hoo hoo couple hands later the long awaited arrives bb 600 i made it 1600 to go get two callers flop comes queen high i have pocket queens i bet straight out into 5k a 3k bet and get called i dont put him flushing but spade arives turn i chk he chks river prs the board i go all in he calls with kq os 26k...2h 7 mins gone min rsed early wit kj std got called by big stack then re rsed by other big stack easy fold to much trouble ahead.. rser had kk caller had aq formed a full house average on 15k im on 22k happy enough just need to be careful chip leader sat to my left so need to be tight from here i would imagine...not involved much after break rsed up ace ten sted one caller flop comes ten high i bet out he folds, min rser on my bb i call wit q2 diamonds flop 33q ck ck turn 7 i bet half pot he folds.....couple of folds at mid pos 1 rser i fold aq 77 in mid bb 1600 i make it 4k all fold nexxt hand 77 again early rser hadnt been at the table long so easier fold...2h 40 min gone trying to get involved but by calling not rsing blinds 1k/2k when i rse its 5k working very well 37,690t 23 players left im in nineth position average chips are 30k.... moved table again now chip leader is on my left again ...well limp utg then a raise in mid position guy goes all in im dealt kk put them all in the middle chip leader shows me aa and it stands up crackin game bad ending $25 return on $5 investment its a plus figure i suppose....result 18/452

bit of a roll 1st Place

Well it looks like a bit of form has hit, feeling really comfy with my game at the minute think the bit of a break i had has done me the world of good. The game i played at Southport was the first live game i played in prob a few weeks and its done me the world of good. Entered a little $5 yesterday on vc and can honestly its the most solid i have felt online in a long time. I don't have much time for online games as i do online the problem being is there is not as much info available for decision making lots of my game is based body language and knowing when too call that weak bet on the end because of what I'm picking up off people at the table. But with out starting to write a book on tells lol i managed to graft my way into the and after a long final table and a very quick heads up I finished first with the heads up only lasting one hand he moved in with A4 off I called wit A6 but by then i had 5-1 chip lead. $394 for a $5 investment job done. I think the keys to my strategy was being super solid in the first couple of hours, making sure i got paid on the ones i did play picking the right players to get in the mix with. I felt that although i was getting all my chips in lots I always thought i had the best of it. Didn't steal a thing til prob last hour and when we got to final table I was letting the small stacks sort themselves out before a got involved. By the time we reached the last four I was by are the most aggressive player on the table and to be quite honest they didn't know how to deal with it. later guys

southport £30 d/c f/o 1st place

Southport is probably my least favoured casino entries there are always small and training of staff just doesn't seem to happen. Arrived about half hour before start time to find out I'm the 7th entry only got 19 runners in the end. Started off very well with the table under grips when in a half hour guy on my left was playing very solid but picked a very bad time to make a wild play into a flop of qq7 when i checked in the sb he pushed with a5 button folded and i insta called with q10 and so I doubled through. This was when i found out players could actually have one add on or one re buy. This was a bit of a nightmare because i didn't take any more money with me and so it meant i couldn't have an add on. continued to build my stack gradually until i check raised with an open ender he called and hit his flush draw. I then got doubled up when I raised in early position with jj and got re rsed by a guy two seats to my right that i really had the measure had him on a pr i thought maybe 7s 9s at best he had 66.
I was in real god shape come the break being chip leader give or take a few but then the rest of the table had their add ons so that brought me down to average chips straight after the break i got moved and it all when wrong.
I re raised with pocket sevens pre and got re raiased all in. Put him on ak ish but couldnt call didn't know enough about him with just being moved.
next hand i got involved with was on the cut off I raised up with A5s got one caller who had played every hand ace on flop he check called me all the way to suck a king on the river for a straight. After that I'm in bad shape and loads of people limping into pots. I get into the pot with j8 os and flopped two pair idiot bets out and gets raised by next player I min re raise and the idiot goes all in i think the the only he could have is the straight but no he has 10j and my two pr holds up. settled down then and just grafted my way til there was four left. This level lasted for ever i was being real aggressive and getting lots of chips from the idiot. Made a call against a player all in after i had raised shes gone all in after a raise from a tight player and re raise from me she had AJ os I called with AK hearts and she caught not one but two jacks. That put me in real trouble on only 9k but was lucky when i put them all in a few times getting the blinds 1k/2k and then i got called from the short stack with A8 clubs vs my KQ clubs and i spiked a queen. Mr idiot went out on bubble making a call fro his tournament with A2 off and we were in the money. It was lots of pushing and shoving from there and we where heads up in no time.
The hand that finished it I'm in the bb the sb has limped which was very scary i was going to have to murder the board if my chips were going anywhere flop comes kj5 i have 67, she checks i Ch turn comes a 7 but I'm not playing she checks I check the river comes a seven she bets minimum i shove she calls wit pocket aces i win result £480 for £33 investment. later folks