Chasing Fame, the swings of online poker and where's my $58k, Mr. Hassan?

Well the Goa money still hasn't arrived, but ho-hum, I am assured it'll be there tomorrow. Sometimes people take such liberties of our good nature, or maybe it's just the fact they know we are lazy and try and screw every last day of interest they can get on our cash. Someone's going to walk the plank courtesy of JPK if it isn't in my account tomorrow!

Here are a few pictures I've come across of me in Goa.. but they've come out in the wrong order, so work from the bottom up:

Probably taken after the bad beats, how else can I look so disgusting?

The final crushing blow is dealt, muff number 3 and another runner runner, I am sent to the rail in 5th place.

And promptly muff number 2, and flipout number 2 occurs, again in front of the cameras.

Pranath contemplates moving all-in on my big blind, obviously with fresh air

Scandie player donks off

Caught red-handed taking a peek down Anna's top

Sans bandana, the pirate association would be most displeased

Moving all-in before muffing number 1, and flipout number 1

Car crash stuff, I hope my next tournament is more successful, and less spectacular, I'm still trying to get over the swings of it all.

Anyway, I'm back on the live scene soon as I head off for the Irish Open in Dublin on April 5th. With a 2 million euro guaranteed prize pool, with 550k for 1st it's going to be a battle to the death & despite my finish in Goa I am due a bit of luck, so we'll just see. I was interested to read that Mel Judah, someone I spent a lot of time at the tables with in India, is favourite for the tournament at 80-1. He is a very good player, however I feel I am more than a match for him and it gives me a bit of self-belief that I can hang with such reputations.

I am selling maybe 20% of myself in the tournament just to cover hotels, flights etc as I've decided to tighten the purse strings on non-poker activities (some will say that has always been the case). Entry is 3500 euro, so I'll be selling 10% for 400 euro. E-mail jfarrer69 at aol dot com if you know me and are interested.

I'm going to cool it with the live trips in general as I need to get on the march online. The UKPT in Manchester is on the list, then it's off to Thailand for a month (why not?) then straight off to Vegas for the WSOP main event. I will probably only stay in Vegas for 2 weeks, I don't get the whole "I'm going for 6 weeks and caning everything I've got" attitude that many of my friends have but it's horses for courses. I might drop in on my mate in Florida for some summer sun in Tampa Bay, such is my current adoration for life in England. So, 3 tournaments planned until the end of WSOP. I did say a while back on here that I'm not chasing fame and glory and that this year would be consolidatory, obviously the cash in Goa have skewed things a little bit but I'll save the Monte Carlo's and Los Angeles and Australia's for next year, methinks. I won't be able to resist the Caribbean, though, and there's a tournament in the Bahamas at the Atlantis in the near future that looks tempting, as well as a cruise in Mexico. If it goes well in Dublin... :D

Online has been "steady" profit-wise, but there's been days where I could really have run wild if it weren't for multiple outdraws. However, I am happy with my play again and it's nice to turn things around online, albeit slowly. The fact I am making money in MTTs, Sixpaks & cash collectively pleases me; my cash game is really beginning to develop and I am beginning to find some discipline. I had a situation the other night on Betfair where I was $4000 to the good within 30 mins, however I lost two big pots by being outdrawn, and down to $1500 profit. A few months ago that would've spun down to zilch and probably a loss, but I decided just to come off. I've finally realised there's no shame in that, and you can't always finish as high as a kite.

Regards,

JPK