An Actual Poker Game!

Yesterday I played a tournament at a local club where Josie, FDD Spuds, and I have been playing for years.  The atmosphere is convivial and fun, if a little smoky (as a private club they are exempt from the anti-smoking laws).  Turnout was pretty poor this time around, which was a little disappointing, but with 10 runners  all crowded around one table, it was both empty and crowded at the same time.

OK, I didn't make it rain quite like this, but sometimes it feels that way

I chipped up early thanks largely to Josie.  Of the first ten hands I was dealt, perhaps seven were quality enough to open with, which can be very frustrating if they don't connect.  So when I looked down and saw pocket sixes, I once again raised to 3xBB and waited to see what happened.  

The flop came 4-4-9.  The guy to my right, the 24 year-old son of one of the older members of the club, had already started stepping on my bets when he perceived that I usually just folded post-flop when I didn't connect.  Sure enough, he bets out 300, which was about a 3/4-pot sized bet.  Thinking that he was just being an aggro douchebag (actually he's a good dude but whatever, he's the enemy), I raised to 800.  Josie snap-raises to 1500  (I'm pretty sure; J remembers it as being 2000 but I'm almost positive it was 15). That slowed me down, but after thinking a while I thought she probably didn't have it, and despite the fact that I couldn't technically justify it, I made the very loose call, thinking vaguely that I'd try to maybe take a stab at it on the turn.

The turn was a beautiful, sexy six.  Gin! Now I hoped that Josie DID have a third four.  Bet, raise, shove, call.  Josie turns over a four - she had it all along - thinking she was gonna win, but I turned over my sixes full and dragged a huge pot, leaving Josie with three chips, a paper clip and an old peppermint candy to her name.  

But I will say this:  Josie takes a beat with class.  She hates it when people bitch and moan about being sucked out on, or being victim to intemperate play, and so she almost never does it herself.  She took this beat, in which she lost over 90% of her stack, and didn't say a word about it, nor did she pout or mope; she took it, for lack of a more appropriate term, like a man.  

Anyway, right after that hand I won two more big pots in rapid succession.  Holding a suited A, after the flop I had a flush draw and an inside straight draw.  I bet the flop fairly big, hoping for folds, and indeed everyone folded except for seat 2. Turn comes a blank for me, I take a second shot at the pot, and get called again.  Uh-oh.  I whiff the riv and shut it down, figuring I had to be beat, but he checks too - and as it turns out my ace high was good!  I drag a giant pot holding - and having to show down - ace high.  Wow. You know, I've gotten so used to being fucked over by bad players...to be able to finally profit from stupid play was very cool.

Hand after that I looked down to find JJ, which held up - and the genius in seat 2 kept betting into me with pocket 3's.  Matt, I think his name was.   I hope he comes back next month, I'll tell you that.

With that kind of stake I was able to sort of coast my way into the money.  One other hand of note: i held A7 five-handed.  I was still thinking what to do with it - I was probably going to raise with it but hadn't officially decided - when Aggro young'un to my right, who was short, shoved for about 1/3 of my stack.  As I went in the tank I started trying to justify a call, out loud: "You could have A2 or something like that," I said.  "Or two decent cards...you're probably just shoving with the first halfway decent hand you got...[long pause] OK, I call."  And sure enough, he turns over A3! I called his hand almost perfectly and had him crushed in the bargain.  But the board came up with four diamonds and he backs into a flush. Taking my cue from Very Classy Josie, I didn't say anything much about it, just let it roll off my back.

Long story short, I knocked out third place which gave me the chip lead but offered the #2 guy - Aggro young'un, of all people - a split which he accepted.  We each pulled about 3 1/2 buy-ins, not bad for a few hours of fun. So now we have some folding money for a family trip to a local institution 'round these parts (Kowloon's on Route 1 for you locals).  

Monday's post will, as promised, have my Kindle Fire review, finally.  Until then, stay warm and enjoy the football today!