Happy New Year to all my readers

Time for a little recap of my poker success in 2008 ... and it was indeed my most successful year so far.

Although I didn't make money on my first big trip in February I had a decent tournament. I am talking about Drogheda, Ireland and the European Deepstack Poker Championships. I lasted long but not long enough ... I am sure with my current style of play I would have made it into the money here. Nevertheless it was one of the first signs that success is around the corner. And I will be back at the EDPC in 2009 (see below).

Only a few days later I bubbled at the "Oceans Masters" at the Oceans Poker Club near Passau. Another location that gets a return visit in early 2009.

March got me back to Vienna and a result just two places shy of the money at the Spring Poker Festival (CCC). The APAT at the Poker Royale was some kind of a setback (63rd of 188) but it was interesting to play with the later bracelet winner Martin Klaeser.

My trip to the WSOP wasn't a success moneywise but again a great experience. I played my first real WSOP-Event and came close to the money at the Caesars Mega-Stacks.

End of June also saw me bubbling at the Pokertour.at (Landesmeisterschaft Niederoesterreich at the Poker Royale). I was very dissapointed about that result and little did I know that I will make a lot of money at the Pokertour.at quite soon.

July was the start of my work for PocketFives but unfortunately this job didn't last very long. Pocket Fives is a great community but the way they tried to reach the german market wasn't the best one. If they had been willing to invest some money they could have been very successful ... unfortunately they decided to take the cheap road and stopped after only 4 months.

In August I finally made it into the money at the PokerStars Sunday Million for the first time. Not too bad given the fact that it was only my 6th Sunday Million so far.

But the biggest success came in the last three months of the year. I cashed in several smaller live and online events as well as in some big ones. Back to back final tables at the Pokertour.at in Graz and Linz got me two more entries into the HendonMob Database.

And another entry followed shortly after with my personal highlight if the year: My trip to the Dusk Till Dawn poker club in Nottingham was a special experience ... crowned with another great final table finish.

Didn't made it ITM at the Pokertour.at final in Vienna but added some more promising results at other tournaments on that trip (e.g. bubbled at the Montesino).

The year 2008 was a success regarding my tournament play and gave me a lot of confidence for the coming year. Did I play better, was I more lucky this year? I think both. I gained experience, changed my style of play somewhat and now definately have my own player personality. Lucky? Well, at least not unlucky in some situations - but that's part of the game.

Unfortunately it seems that I won't have the freedom to play every event I would like to play in 2009. After I lost my job at PocketFives I tried to find something new in the poker industry. There was a very interesting opportunity but unfortunately these folks seem to be very lazy about the handling of important stuff. Well, while they didn't came through I got another opportunity in the IT-industry and finally decided to accept that position. We will see how this works out...

For that reason I didn't have too many fix plans in early 2009. I will go back to the Oceans Poker Club for the "Oceans Masters" at Jan. 3rd/4th. Not really deepstacks but with a PF=10 and 14 at least playable.

The first highlight of the year will happen again in Dublin. In early February I will be at the European Deepstack Poker Championships again. I plan to play the two side events and maybe try to satellite into the €1,500 Main-Event (not sure yet). As Dublin offers a lot of poker tournament options there's most probably some other tournament available in case I don't make it deep here.

No further plans so far ... but of course I will try to make it to the WSOP again in 2009. Other possible events: Casino Austria Poker Tour (CAPT), Pokertour.at, CCC Springpokerfestival, Norwegian Poker Championship at the Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham.

Hope you enjoyed this years blog entries and will follow me through the year 2009 again. I wish you all a great and successful new year!