An interesting night...

Last night I decided to make my return to Jim's off-Friday game. I haven't been to Jim's in nearly eight months or so. But seeing how I had some extra cash and no plans last night, I figured I would try my luck. Here is how my night went...

A competative table

In the first game, I was sat next to Mark, Mohamad, Bill and I was two seat down from Henry. At first, the table was very tight. There were a lot pots checked down to the river and not a lot of raising preflop. I'm not exactly sure why our table was so timid because there were rebuys available for the first hour.

Anyways, the first big hand I got dealt was A(s) - K(s) and I raised the normal amount (3 x the BB) and I got called by two people. I didn't really hit the flop and I was in last psoition and it was checked to me. I made a continuation bet and took the pot down. The very next hand I got big slick again, this time it was unsuited. I raised and I got called by Bill. The flop was Q(d) - 10(d) - 5(c). I checked figuring Bill had a queen and maybe an ace or king. Bill checked as well, which led me to believe a few things, he was either slow playing a set or he had a pair lower than the board or he had the flush or straight draw and wanted to see a free card. Now I made a mistake checking there. I probably should have made a bet, but again, I didn't want to bet into the teeth of a monster hand. The turn was the 6(d). Now I had to check because I had no diamond and if I was right about Bill being on a flush draw that would've completed his flush. Instead, Bill checked along with me which led to believe he was afraid of the diamonds as well. The river was the another diamond, I'm not quite sure which one, maybe a deuce or a three. It wasn't a big diamond though. I checked again and Bill turned over pocket 7's with the 7(d) giving him the flush. I kicked myself because if I had made a continuation bet, Bill would've had a hard time calling with just a pair of 7's. No one's fault but my own there.

A little later I picked up pocket A's against Mohamad and took a big pot from him. After the rebuy period ended, I picked up K(s) - Q(s). It was head's up pot with myself and another guy. The flop came up J(c) - 10(h) - 4(s). I had an open ended straight draw and I checked and so did the other guy. The turn came A(s), giving me the nut straight and the nut flush draw. I checked and the other guy bet out about a little less than half the pot. I smooth called the bet feeling no need to force the issue at that point. The river was a blank for me and I wasn't really concerned because in my mind, I was holding the nuts. I checked and again the other guy bet out a little more this time. I immediately pushed all in and I had him covered easily and he called me with two pair jacks and tens and that was it for him. I was now big stacked and I continued to pick up cards. I had big slick two more times, I had ace - queen three times and a bunch of pocket pairs, the best of which being pocket kings. I made a key raise with those kings against Bill who made a good lay down with ace - jack suited. Some more people went bust there after and it was time for the final table.

Final Table woes

The final tabel was a far cry to what was happiening on the outer table. My run of monster hands stopped and the blinds got bigger and bigger. Every time I'd get an ace or face card, my kicker would be a deuce or a three, nothing was suited and I never got a pocket pair higher than 6's. Every time I even flirted with the idea of playing a pot, there would be a least one raise and more often than not there either a re-raise or an all in immediately following. The blinds started eating everybody alive, myself included, and forced people who were short stacked to make a move with weaker than average hands. I don't think I played a hand unless I was forced to in the blinds.

Soon after the final table began, people started dropping. It took less than 45 minutes to go from ten people down to six. There was a big hand between Bill, Jim and Moe in which Moe took Bill out and crippled Jim with Big Slick. Jim went in the next hand and was promptly busted by Moe which put us in the money. Surprisingly, I was second in chips to Moe who was huge stacked with only playing three of four hands. Jack and Greg were the two shorter stacks. I ended up in a three way all in with Jack and Greg shortly after it became four handed. I had A(d) - 9(c), Greg had Q(s) - 8(h) and Jack had A(h) - J(h). The flop came and my 9 hit. Both the turn and river were blanks and I ended up taking both Greg and Jack out.

Heads up with Moe didn't last very long, I think it lasted maybe ten hands or so. I either got really good cards our really crappy ones. There was a lot chips being exchanged as the blinds were ridiculously high. The final hand was Moe with pocket 6's versus me with queen - ten offsuit. Moe flopped his 3rd six and I was toast. I ended up with $140 which I was more than happy with.


Game 2, more of the same?

I will be perfaectly honest, the 2nd game I got absolutlely nothing when it came to starting hands. The only hand I won at the first table was a suited A(c) - 3(c). I was playing against Ryan and I had a decent read on him which I will not share, but I won the hand and I think it was the first time I outplayed Ryan in a hand ever. That just tells you how good Ryan is. I never really got anything else at that table but we soon merged to the final table.

I again had nothing at that table and I went down to about $1500 at my worst point. I ended up getting pocket J's in the big blind and I moved all in against Greg who called with king - queen suited. He hit his queen but I hit my jack to trip up. A little while later I moved all in over the top of Ryan with 7's. he called with king - queen offsuit and again I hit my set off the flop and doubled up again. The rest of the game went fast and I ended up heads up with Andy as the chip leader. There was only one hand heads up and here's how it went. I was first to act and I get pocket Q's. I limped in hoping Andy came over the top of me. Here is why I had limped; 1.) earlier this year I was heads up with Henry at Kurt's and I raised with pocket Q's and Henry folded. Had I slow played, I might have won the game. 2.) There was no need to push Andy out of the pot, I wanted Andy to play. Anyways, Andy did go over the top for all of his chips and I called. That was it, the board was a blank and I won.

So a 2nd and a 1st, an amazing night to say the least. After I was shocked and I couldn't believe I did so well. It's too bad that it wasn't at Kurt's for points. Hey, I'm not complaining, I'm goiong to take the money I made and use it to fund my trip to Foxwood's on Monday. But my interesting night didn't end there. After the game Bill, Ryan, Henry and I went to breakfast. On our way home Ryan, Bill and I got pulled over on 495 by a Mass State Trooper. It wasn't anything major, I personally think he just wanted to meet his quota for Memorial Day weekend. So that was my night, exciting, exhilarating, and fascinating to say the least. With any luck my weekend is going to get better when Bill, Ryan and I go to Foxwood's this Monday. Wish me luck!

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Not bad, grasshopper...

Hey all, I haven't posted in a while so I figured what the heck, might as well bring everybody up to date on what's happening with me and poker. So here goes..

Final Tables are Alright with Me

The past few weeks I have been making final tables consistently and getting pretty deep in most of them. I have been playing really well over the past few weeks and actually catching cards when I need to. I haven't won yet, but I've gotten real close with two 2nd's, a 3rd, a 5th, a couple of 6th's and so on. Not bad considering this time last year I couldn't buy a break to save my life. I'm somewhere near the top ten in points which is another boost to my ego. Last year I couldn't break out of the cellar.

I Found My Aces

I have finally found my aces after a near 3 month search. I got them this past week as well and I hope I get them with more regularity. Both times I have gotten them recently I have made a standard raise (3 x the big blind) and have gotten everyone to fold to me each time. I can't really complain. I guess I get greedy when I get bullets.

Miscellaneous Info

Bill and I are in the midst of planning a couple of trips at the moment. The closest is the one Memorial Day weekend we are going to Foxwood's with Ryan. There's also trips to Foxwood's and Atlantic City in the works as well so I'll let everybody know what's up with those. Well that's it for now, everybody take care and have a good Memorial day. Later peeps!

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