Playing Texas Hold’em on Ladbrokes Poker recently, I got lucky on the flop and hit a full house. Wanting to maximise my profit, here is how I started off slowly to lull my opponents into a false sense of security…

(My online poker name is “Stunshot”).

Stunshot: T♣ 8♣
Stunshot posted small blind (10)
Nixo posted big blind (20)
Game #522,858,739 starting
Dealing Hole Cards
julien22 called for 20
Hoken66 folded
kudu_kid called for 20
Stunshot called for 10
Nixo checked

No-one had raised, I had posted the small blind and it would only cost me another 10 to see the flop, so I decided to stay in the hand.

Dealing the Flop: T♥ T♦ 8♦

Fantastic! I had hit a full house on the flop Now, how should I play it…?

Stunshot checked
Nixo bet for 20
julien22 called for 20
kudu_kid called for 20
Stunshot raised for 80
Nixo called for 60
julien22 raised for 120
kudu_kid folded
Stunshot raised for 360
Nixo called for 360
julien22 called for 300

I’d managed to get two players to put a few hundred chips in each – hopefully enough to convince them to stay in the hand ’til the end.

Dealing the turn: K♠
Stunshot bet for 540
Nixo folded
julien22 went all-in for 1,040
Stunshot went all-in for 460
Extra chips returned to julien22, 40

I bet a hefty amount, but not enough to make my hand seem totally convincing. Just enough to coax my opponent into “calling my bluff”. Of course, I wasn’t bluffing!

Dealing the river: 9♥
Stunshot wins 3,420 with a Full House, Tens full of Eights

I’d have usually folded a 10/8 suited, but on this occasion it paid off

Tags: poker,Texas Hold'em
Categories: General
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Hello again everyone. Similar to this post from March last year, I’m back again after a number of months without posting. No excuses this time other than the fact that I’ve been extremely busy with work and moving home (again). I intend to post more regularly on here from now on, although who knows… the best laid plans of mice and men, and all that!

Tags: Mullen.tv
Categories: General
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Congratulations to whoever has just viewed my news archive from March 2007 – you have just registered the 100,000th page view since my site went live in April 2006!

Although I have been fairly quiet recently, I intend to post to my blog more frequently in the coming weeks and months. I also hope to add some more useful scripts and tools to my site.

Thanks for taking an interest in mullen.org.uk – looking forward to 200,000 views

Tags: Mullen.tv
Categories: General
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Well, after a six month sabbatical I’m back Things have been pretty hectic: I’m in the middle of getting divorced; I have sold my house, and I’ve moved to a new apartment by the riverside in Sunderland. For the last few months I’ve been without Internet access, so I’ve been unable to update my site at all. Last month I got a BT line installed and I now have broadband net access again, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep my site up-to-date from now on.

I have updated my photo gallery, (mainly the section dedicated to my daughter Katie), and will be adding much more content in the coming days and weeks.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions for my site, please feel free to contact me.

Tags: Mullen.tv
Categories: General
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I had been thinking about getting myself a mountain bike to help with my new healthy eating/fitness regime. Working in Darlington, I thought I’d pop along to the local Halfords on Monday at lunchtime to see what they had in stock. I found a nice Raleigh MT260 less than half price – £99.99 down from £259.99. In hindsight, what I should have done is waited until I got home then went to Halfords in Sunderland to order it. Like an idiot though, I went ahead a bought it on the spur of the moment. I had the bright idea of picking it up pre-built, ready to ride away and riding it home to Sunderland.

It wasn’t until I got into work and planned my route that it dawned on me just how far it was from work to home! It’s about 37 miles door-to-door – a little further than my usual journey to work as I had to avoid motorways, specifically the A1(M). Not only was it a fair distance but a lot of the country roads featured some pretty steep hills.

I took the afternoon off work today, collected my new bike and set off at 13:10. Everything was going well but by the time I passed through Coxhoe en route to Quarrington Hill, I felt absolutely exhausted! I was a bit concerned as I thought there was no way I was going to be able to continue all the way to Sunderland. After all the steep climbs though, I inevitably reached a nice downhill section. Not having to pedal for about three minutes gave me the opportunity to get a quick rest and, by the time I reached Sherburn, I was feeling tired but confident that I was going to get home before it got dark

About twenty minutes later I reached the A690, the main road between Sunderland and Durham. Not far along that road is a sign reading, “Welcome to the City of Sunderland, Twinned with Essen and Saint Nazaire”. Once I passed that, I felt like I was home already. Unfortunately it was actually another hour and a quarter until I reached my front door at 18:10!

So, it had taken me five hours in total. I had reckoned that at an average speed of around 12mph it would take me about four hours. However, I did make a few brief stops to buy bottles of water. That coupled with the large number of uphill sections meant that it was always going to take me longer. Considering I haven’t owned a bike for about ten years, I don’t think I did too badly!

I took a few photos using my mobile along the way, mainly just to prove to any doubters at work that I did actually make the journey. I suspect they thought I might give up and phone for a taxi! You can view my photos here.

I am aching a bit now but by far my most painful body part is my derrière! I am very saddle sore, walking a bit like John Wayne and I’m playing football tomorrow evening. Methinks I shall require a cushion or pillow at work tomorrow

Tags: cycling,Darlington Sunderland
Categories: General
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On my way to work this morning I stopped to fill my car up with petrol. I handed my debit card over but, much to my horror, it was rejected. I asked the cashier to try again as there were definitely sufficient funds in my account, but once again it failed. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was told I couldn’t leave without paying. I offered to leave my driving licence as security while I went to a cash machine but the fella behind the counter was adamant that I was not allowed to leave. After much banter to and fro I went through my mobile contacts and rang my mate Kev who kindly paid over the phone with his debit card.

I fully understand the need to crack down on people driving off without paying for fuel. However, surely people should understand that there are occasions when customers genuinely forget their wallet or whatever. I felt like a criminal, especially as there was a queue forming and everyone was staring at me disapprovingly! If I was intending to steal fuel, I certainly wouldn’t have gone inside the shop so my card could be swiped and my face recorded on CCTV!

The whole episode made me late for work but if my mate hadn’t answered his phone, I could have been there all day! Incidentally, after I left I went to the nearest cash machine where I withdrew cash and confimed my bank balance was positive and well within my overdraft limit. So, BP, may I suggest you replace your obsolete electronics with reliable, working card readers? Failing that, how about training your staff to be a bit more compassionate? Considering your company values include “treating everyone with respect and dignity”, I think you should have a word with the jobsworth that served me this morning

Tags: BP,Kev,petrol
Categories: General
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