It's Easier To Blog When You're Winning

It's Memorial Monday, hats off to anyone who reads this who also served in the military. I have mad respect for anyone willing to put their ass on the line for this country.

I am winding down my weekend of poker debauchery, and it's been a good one. I started off Saturday with the team tournament at Dave's. I managed to talk Special K into playing (though lately she hates tournaments). I had asked Ryan Rufe to be the third on our team, and he initially declined but changed his mind after the other person we asked cancelled on us. There were 48 people in the tournament (16 teams). It was a zoo. As with anything Meat handles, it went painfully slow.

The beginning stages were not good for me. I started with 15k in chips and quickly dusted off 6k. I flopped a set of 8's and lost to a guy with QQ who drew a gutter on me (-$4k). I also lost 2k to Con when I flopped a pair of K's and tried to check-raise him. He had raised preflop and I expected a c-bet but he checked behind and hit his two out set on the turn. Con, I discovered, has a horrible tell and after that hand I had zeroed in on his preflop hands. I could tell when he had a large Ace or K, a mid pair or medium cards, or nothing. After that I got into one scrap with him where (from his tell) I was certain he had a small/medium pair and I had AKs. Flop was 345 two spades. I check raised him and he shoved. I had to conclude he was either over the board or had a set and I folded since I have not been winning many races. He showed a set of 5's (thanks for confirming your tell again BTW). After a few rounds I picked up some steam. I busted a short stack who shoved with AQ and only 2500 in chips with my Q8 (8 on the flop).

I played a monstrous hand where Con raised preflop (and his tell indicated he had a large Ace). The guy between us (can't remember who it was) shoved for $11k. I flat called with 55. Con tanked and folded. The other guy had QQ (oops!). A five on the flop sealed it for me. I busted Randy a few orbits later. I limped with 97 offsuit. Con limps, Randy checks in. Flop 9-8-2 two hearts. Randy open/shoves his whole stack. I flat call. As Con is thinking Randy excitedly flips over 10-7h for the open ended straight flush draw. Con tanks now, seeing the cards. He uses a consult with Malcolm and finally folds. I roll over my pair of 9's and Randy catches two bricks. Con would've also bricked.

In between I also made a bad read on Krazy Mike that worked out for me. He raised preflop with 99. Monsignor calls and I call with 44. Flop comes J-8-7. Checks around. Turn is another J. Monsignor checks, Mike bets. I decide Mike has AK or AQ and figures we don't have jacks. I flat call. River is a 4. Mike checks, I bet about half the pot. He calls and I show the boat and he gets upset. I made the correct play for my read, just got lucky. I smoked Tuttle in a hand where I flopped two pair from the button with 10-8, turned a boat and he paid off a river bet. He didn't say what he had but I think he made a flush. I made a good read on Monsignor and picked off a semi-bluff. He fired two barrels with nut flush, wheel, and over card draws. I called him down with a low pair (6's?). He was not happy. After the break I got into the hand that made my entire tournament. I had AA on the button. Con opened for a raise to 1500 or so. Hiphop raises to 11k. I shove. Con folds and Hip tanks. He consults Colin who tells him to push. He calls off his last 10.5k with AK and I win a monstrous pot almost 50k. I gave some back after Eskimo (who had a horseshoe up his ass) flopped trip J's on me, plus I took a shot at busting both Krazy Mike and Con and whiffed both. I worked my way back up to 88k for the final table. By then the structure made it mostly push-n-pray so it was pretty straightforward. I folded AQ preflop to a Data shove (he had me covered, said he had 88). I snapped off Con by limping with KK, he shoved and I overshoved. His A-10 didn't get there. I was up to 170k and guaranteed 4th place cash when I finally got horsefucked.

I was SB with 55. Nick open shoves his stack $160k. I call. Eskimo and Jen fold. He has A5. Bink, A in the door. If he doesn't his his three outer I stack him and would have enough chips to win, but sadly it wasn't so. Fourth paid $210, still not bad. K mashed the cash game for several hundred dollars before cashing out.

The next day when we got up, K and I kicked around the idea of going to Rivers casino in Pittsburgh. We were both up and had been playing well, so we decided to do it. I went in and decided to play some of the Hold'em table game. I sat down in the poker room at $4/8 and went on a heater. Made straights and flushes, got paid. Pairs held up. People folded to my raises. It was magical. For one day, I knew what it was like to be Hiphop and hit everything. I raised with large aces preflop and flopped pairs. It was awesome. I finished up $267 which is a huge profit for $4/8 limit. I gave some of it back playing video poker but still left with a profit, which is just fine with me. I made it back to Cleveland with enough money to begin repleneshing my bankroll. The next few weeks at work will be nuts, it's been three straight days of 80º+ outside and the A/C calls will be non-stop. I hope I get some time to grind some $3/6 at Nautica this week.