Home Tourney

So I had a home tourney this past weekend. I really pressed everyone to commit if they are going to play. I said I would take 36 players only (4 tables of 9). But I had 39 show up, so I sat 3 tables of 10 and 1 table of 9. I did make the tables become 9 players each after 3 people went out (instead of keeping 10 player tables).

We did 15K starting stack with about the same blinds as the RIO 2pm Deepstack (30 minutes starting with 25/50).

I played poorly. No excuses (my kids, entertaining others, checking on tables). I bluffed a couple of times and next thing you know I was down to 11K at the first break.

I got moved after the first break to a table with "Super Aggro Roy". I watched him raise 7 hands in a row. He was playing super loose and hitting cards like crazy. So when I got AQ, I shoved all in over his raise. A middle position player called, then SAR called. The flop came 10J2rainbow. I was hoping for a King to triple up. SAR went all in. "Uh-Oh".... But when MP folded, Roy showed the J10 for two pair, I thought I was sunk. But now worries, I'm the original luckbox...  9 on the turn and an 8 on the river gave me the straight to triple up.

The next hand I have JJ. I now have everyone at the table covered except SAR. SAR raises again, so I shove to win the blinds and SAR's raise. But the player to my left shoves with AA and I lose almost everything I just won. I still have chips and play on.

I get moved again (who is running this ridiculous tournament?) . I am in the BB when a pretty aggro kid limps and the SB limps. I have Q5off, and check. The flop comes 552. It goes check, check, check. Hmmmmm. Turn is a 7 with rainbow on the board. I figure I'm good but need action, so I check after SB check. Player behind checks. The river is a J. It is checked to me, so I bet out the pot. The person behind me raises, the SB folds and I go all in. He insta calls (I say "uh oh") and he shows 57 for the turned boat.

I stood up and felt good knowing there is never a situation where I can fold that hand. Oh well, It was great fun.

My new chips were very well received. Some interesting notes here: We had 1 player go all in on the first had. He had AKoff and was bluffing, and got called by quad 5's. Really? The board pairs and you shove with Ace high? He said later he put the wrong chips in .... uh, you said "all in". Whatever. Weird situation (he also took his side dish for the dinner break and took it home).

We played till 1:30 am. Super Aggro Roy won. Several people commented on how many times he got incredibly lucky. I know I saw him take someone out with 97off. He was just running hot. $60 buy in and he got $1010.

Another interesting note for you: If you have 40+ people in your house, it's never going to cool down while it's 98 degrees outside. Holy Crap my house was hot. But we grabbed a box fan and played through. We had a great cash game after the tourney. Hope you can make the next one...

CORNHOLIO

Wow, a week and no posts. It's so easy to do.

It is the last week (and last day) of the month and that is my busiest time. I'm going to try to piece some type of post together today in between my real work duties.

I didn't play a single poker tournament all weekend. It's been so nice out that I've ended up playing Cornhole while BBQ'n most nights. You don't know Cornhole? or "Cornholio" as I like to call it? Check it out this video on it here:


I did play "dealer's choice" poker Saturday night with the neighbors. It was nickel, dime, quarter stuff with a bunch of goofy but fun games. We did some stud games. And we played a game that I call Indian Poker where you hold one card up on your head where only your opponents can see what you are holding -you cannot. It is a very fun game that gets people laughing, but I haven't figured out a good way to bet it yet. So far, setting up an ante and then playing against the Pot, the same way you would with "In-between" or "Guts" is the best I cold figure. Each person would declare in or out, then pay or rake the pot accordingly. Anyone else ever play this game and have a better betting system, please let me know.

With the WSOP ME coming up, I'm trying to stake someone. Not really for the money making opportunity, but for the juice it gives to follow the action closer. Unfortunately, I can't hit a 10% figure like this guy wants, but I'm still working on finding the right person. I'll let you know if I get something worked out.


Hope the tables are treating you right! Stay patient...

Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?

I played in my monthly home game last Saturday night. I invited WillWonka and he was able to make it. It was really nice meeting a fellow blogger. We talked about how great a group all of the bloggers are. Here's a bunch of people you have never met, yet you know pretty well. Some of them you know about their families, some hobbies, some work, and some only poker, but everyone is very helpful and supportive of each other. It is an honor that any one person would read my blog, let alone both of you....

So we naturally took 1st and 2nd in the tournament.... Wait. We expected to take 1st and 2nd. We had 21 players (a bit lighter than normal turnout). Will and I were seated at separate tables to start off. At my table, I watched a calling station hit 3 sets and show AK twice in a matter of 10 hands or so. I failed to hurt him when I turned a flush to one of his sets. My flush was low, so I only took about 1/4 of his stack. Afterwards, I realized I could of popped him all in and he wouldn't get away from his set of 9's, but I could wait and get him later.

When we consolidated down to two tables (16 players) I was right at my starting stack of 2500. With blinds at 50/100, I overplayed AKo against a tight player. I raised from UTG to 400 hoping to steal the blinds. The button called me and I missed the flop (267 with 2 spades). I fired out 500 continuation and she smooth called. Turn brought a non-spade J. I checked and she did the same. River brought a 4 of spades. I fired out 500 to represent the flush but she came over me for a min-raise of 500. I knew I was dead and folded, leaving me about 850 behind.

Exactly one orbit later, UTG again, I fire all in with pocket 10's. Everyone folds around to the BB. Now this is the calling station from earlier, who was the chip leader at one point, but now has about 1000 in chips left. He has 100 in the BB and he decides to call me, leaving himself about 150 in chips. He flips over A8 off. Ace on the river sends me home.

Overall, I played poorly, because I wasn't reading my opponents correctly. I could have easily saved 500 in chips on the AK and possibly even 1000 since her preflop call was strong. I don't mind my 1010 shove since my M was at 8 and I had the blinds coming at me fast. Most importantly, I am relearning these players as this was only my 2nd home game with them after a 2 year break for me. And, I am confident I will be back at the final tables soon.

As for Willwonka, I'll let him fill you in. He had built up a huge chip stack early, but ended up not cashing. I am certain he took a bad beat. Surely. "And don't call me Shirley".

I was able to get a cash game going for 25c limit games. I cashed $12. A little bit back from my $50 tournament buy-in never hurts.

I hope the tables are treating you well. I am moving into a new house Saturday, so I don't expect to play much this week. Check out the BBT3. Great prizes and a chance to play with some FTP pros. Thanks again to AL and Riggs for setting it all up.

Stay patient....

For All Saint Louis Area Poker Players

Catching up from the weekend

Despite having a D- rated draft and a terrible trade while attempting to correct my mistakes, I managed to win a second straight week. 2-0. I don't know how long my receivers will overproduce and compensate for my week running backs, but I will take it for now.

What a crazy weekend in the NFL. How many of you picked the Browns to hang 51 points on Cincy? Not me. My Broncos sucked out on the river for the second week in a row. ICE ICE BABY. I didn't think Icing the kicker really worked anymore.

And, oh yeah, I played poker this weekend. I played online Friday night. Made a nice run getting up 50BB playing 1/2limit.

Saturday night we had a home poker tourney. 13 players total, so it was a little smaller than usual. We should be back in the 20's consistently starting in January. $20 buy in. I was card dead all night. Never saw a pocket pair higher than 77. I managed to buy a few pots and steal a few blinds, but would give it back getting caught later. I didn't use my pen and paper (see this post) so I don't have any HH to give you, but it wouldn't be interesting anyway. I finished 7th. My brother, who ALWAYS finishes in the money with his tight, tight, tight play, bubbled for the first time in a long time. Congratulations to Bill E. for taking it down.

We played a second tournament with 9 players. Same story for me. No cards, tried to push people out of pots, got caught stealing a few times and went out 5th.

Then we played $1/$2 NL. This is when everything changed for me. I started off aggressive taking a few losing (bluff) hands all the way to showdown. This set me up as a maniac. After that I could call down to the river and finish off with a min-raise and win nice sized pots with Top pair only (they were assuming I was drawing and then bluffing?). I also took several pots with c-bets after raggy flops since they assumed I was playing ATC even after pre-flop raises. A couple of nicely played monsters helped. We finished at 5:30am, and I was up 70BB. Not a bad night, I paid for 5 entries to the tournament (Hawkette, one of my son's, and mine), paid $25 entry due for my fantasy football league, paid for $40 in white castles for everyone, and then had exactly the same amount of money left when I went up to bed. That's pretty good entertainment.

Stay patient...