Badugimania!

Last night saw the debut of the Friday night Badugi game (time and date to perhaps be adjusted based on availability). Because of short notice and a wave of apathy, there were only three participants: Josephine, HeffMike, and me. Wolfie was planning on playing but stayed out late and missed the opening gun. He did send his apologies, though, so it's all good there.

The play? Well, the play was like three blind people trying to paint the Mona Lisa, where they keep moving the canvas.* Josie was first to go out; her evaluation of the game was "I liked it just a little more than being poked in the eye." Heff and I danced around for a while, trading the chip lead a few times, but based on a combination of skill, experience, and blind shit-ass luck, I persevered and won the inaugural Badugimania.

I would like to establish a regular Badugi game, or maybe some kind of irregular-game schedule, like 2-7 single and triple, maybe Razz -- you know, the oddball games. I'd like your input as to whether or not you think that's a viable idea.

The point has been made, what good is three people playing a game, none of whom have any skill therein, if the idea is to improve? It's a valid point, but whatever game you play, whatever skill level you play against, if you put a thousand hands of anything behind you, you naturally get an idea of hand strengths, strategy, etc. Yes, your notions of odds will likely be approximate but I contend that's better than no idea at all. And there's something about Badugi that I find oddly compelling; there seems a definite right way and wrong way to play a given hand, a concrete series of decisions that I'd like to learn how to make properly.

So feel free to make suggestions as to what game besides Badugi you'd like to play, and I'll assemble the suggestions (both of them) and consider them appropriately, or ignore them utterly, depending on whether or not I agree with them.

As a post-script to the evening, Josie, Heff and I decided to participate in a 90-person, doublestack, knockout SnG, $12 + 1.

My first hand I was dealt AA in UTG+6 (button -1), blinds 15/30. Three callers in front of me, so with blinds there was 135 in the pot. I raised it to 195. Got two callers, one on each side of me.

Flop comes A72, two clubs. I had flopped my monster set. The pot had 690. First to act checks. I bet 390 - guy next to me calls, other guy folds.

Turn is 10s. Pot has 1,470. I figure I got this one: no made flushes, no made straights, no pairs on the board so no boats or quads - at this point I have the stone cold nuts. I shove for my (and his) last 2,415.

SNAP CALL. Get this: J10c. He risked his tournament life, all of ONE HAND OLD, on second pair and flush draw. And of course, the river rolls over a beautiful (for him) three of clubs, filling his flush and cracking my aces with a combination of horrible decision making and slackjawed good luck**.

I mean, you try and swallow something like that when it comes up, but there's no question that a hand like that stays with you for a while. I knew I was on super-ultra-triple tilt, so I didn't dare play any other game. I closed FT and swore to myself.

So until next time, please remember that Aces fucking suck.

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* Yes, I know the Mona Lisa, more accurately called La Gioconda, was not painted on canvas but rather on a panel of wood. Shut the fuck up. It's a goddamn simile.

** 78.12%/21.55% against.