Live play this past weekend

Hawkette and I played in a live Charity Tournament this past weekend. It was nice to play live, and I was very relaxed since I wasn't really thrilled about the prizes. I mean, first place was a trip to Las Vegas and a $1,000 buy in to a WSOP bracelet event, but outside of that, I was just playing for the sake of helping the Charity (Ashley House Foundation).

There were 89 players and several local celebrities playing, including Dennis Phillips. Dennis wasn't at my table, but he seemed very nice from what I heard everyone else saying about him. This was a $100 buy in with rebuys available for the first hour and a half. The rebuys made a big difference in play, IMO.

My starting table was very wild. One of the regulars from my monthly poker club was seated to my immediate left (which I was not happy about since he is so aggro). There was a young Internet kid who asked if we can straddle. When my aggro buddy said "there's no straddles in tournaments", the Internet kid replied "well I typically play online and I know there are no straddles there, but I've seen straddles in tournaments before." We both just laughed.

My neighbor, who I invited to play with us, was also seated at our table. He plays in a monthly game at someones house (outside of my circle of players) and he plays online for micro stakes (I flip him $40 online every once in a while for all the work he helps me with around my house). But he has almost no experience in poker etiquette, which was obvious shortly into play.

The very first hand of the tournament, I was dealt QQ in the big blind. There were at least 4 limpers, so I raised to $300 from my $50 big blind (we started with $2500 in chips). I got two callers. The flop came 9 high with no draws so I bet out $600, about 3/4 of the pot. This only left me about $1600 behind, so a re raise at this point commits my whole stack. I get one caller, an older gentlemen with glasses wearing a hat that states in large bold letters: "VETERAN". The turn comes an Ace. I can't help but think he is playing tight, so I check and he shoves all in.
I fold my cards face up, as he says "good fold". Yeah, I know.

The play is pretty loose and there is lots of action at our table. I watch my neighbor get in a huge pot and then string bets on the river (he moves chips out in 3 different moves without saying a word, to finally be all in). The aggro buddy of mine next to me is in the pot heads up and starts complaining about a string bet. I remind him it is charity, and ask my neighbor to pull back his second and third stack of chips he put out. My aggro buddy, frustrated, mucks and says "I was going to fold anyway". But he is now on tilt.

A couple of hands later, my neighbor and my aggro buddy get heads up again. My neighbor bets one $500 chip with 25/50 blinds. So I chuckle a little, but my aggro buddy on tilt plays back at him. Aggro buddy checks then my neighbor fires one $500 chip on the flop and the turn and aggro buddy calls each. On the river, Aggro buddy checks again. This time my neighbor drums his fingers like he is checking. As Aggro buddy is flipping over his cards, my neighbor moves all his chips in like he is all in. Aggro buddy stops half way flipping his cards, and says "WTF? He checked." I agree and ask my neighbor to pull back his chips. He does and shows pocket 4's for a set of 4's as my Aggro buddy folds up two pair. He is now on super tilt with $600 in chips left. I got a pretty good laugh out of this and made several one liners trying to lighten the mood at the table after all this.

Aggro buddy goes all in with pocket 7's a few hands later and loses to A10. He leaves but returns with a rebuy.

I get pocket Queens again, raise and get two callers. This time the flop comes Q62. 1 player fires a big bet (I'm happy) and we get heads up with my call. He fires a big bet on the turn and all in on the river. I call and send him to rebuy after he shows a set of ducks. I'm up to $6,000 in chips.

This same player that just re-bought, gets it all in a few hands later with KK and loses to Quad 6's. The guy with quads called an all in bet preflop announcing "I'm sure I'm dominated here, but it is for Charity" and flipped over pocket sixes. Brutal. The guy with KK decided not to rebuy again.

The Internet kid at my table is playing terrible. He gets knocked out early easily, then rebuys. He is making moves just like a cash player would, and he loves to say "I check in the dark". But he hits a couple of draws and then has a pretty good size chip stack. He is on the button, to my big blind.

Internet kid limps from UTG+1, I raise to 4x BB with AQsooted. Everyone folds, Internet kid calls, and announces again "I check in the dark". Flop comes K72. I bet out half the pot, he calls, then announces "I check in the dark". Turn comes a Jack. I have a straight draw, but figure my opponent has some small piece of the flop, and hopefully the Jack and King will scare him. I fire again, this time $1200, and he again calls and announces "I check in the dark". I want to strangle him. A K falls on the river and I decide to slow down. I check and he shows K4 off. A great "limp-call-a-raise" hand. I'm down to $2500 in chips.

A couple of hands later, Aggro buddy limps from UTG and it folds to the button (Internet Kid). He limps, small blind folds and I check my option with 92off. Flop comes 997 with 2 clubs. I check to the two most aggressive bettors at the table with the intention of check/raising all in. They both check. Well then. Certainly, another 9 is not out there and no one could be on a flush draw or they would have bet out to protect it. A J of clubs hits the turn. I certainly don't want anyone chasing a 4 card flush, so I insta push all in. Aggro buddy insta calls and Internet kid insta calls. OOPS! I know I'm beat. I flip over my trip 9's. Aggro buddy flips 94off (a great UTG limping hand), and the Internet kid flips over Kc10c for the crubs flush that holds up to win. I'm out and Aggro buddy out in the same hand.

Oh well. It was for charity. I suppose I played that last hand wrong, but with two checks behind, I didn't put anyone on a flush draw. Or another 9 for that matter. I also don't think a check raise would have put the Internet kid off of his draw since my aggro buddy would have definitely called, putting so much money into the pot.

I did get a chance to pimp my upcoming Charity Tournament and am certain we picked up some more players. That was nice. And I made a couple of contacts that may get us a few more prizes.

Hope the tables are treating you well. Stay patient....