Last Sunday I finally got my first "official" royal flush! I had never had a royal when holding two of the five necessary cards in my hand. I had one about 6 years ago holding only the ace of spades. About 3 years ago I got another one holding only the king of spades. I guess it was fitting that I got my first 2-card royal holding the A-K of spades!
I had been telling myself to go home for about 2 hours because I didn't want to spend all my Pendleton fun money ahead of time. I decided to play one more round. Good decision. It was an unraised pot. The flop was J of spades, 10 of diamonds, Q of spades, so I flopped the nut straight with a redraw to a flush and potential royal. I said to myself, "Come on, TJ put the right 10 on the turn." HE DID!!! It must have been ESP I swear. I also must have a pretty good poker face because nobody knew I had it.
I checked and called the entire hand and the river was checked as well. TJ was super happy with his tip and I was super happy to "break the seal" as it were and get this out of my way. I've been waiting for one for so darned long I didn't think it would ever happen. Plus I got even more fun money for Pendleton for winning the monte carlo! What a day :)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
How Did I Ever Get This Lucky?
On Thursday April 12 I played the Lucky Bridge tournament. There were only 48 players as many were playing satellites for the Wildhorse poker round-up. I took third place for a profit (after tip) of $168 so that's not bad. My luck in this tournament was better than I've ever seen it.
My first 2 hands were K-K and A-K and they both held up. I folded my third hand (K-Q) to a raise. My 4th hand was 8-8. The blinds were 25-50 and I called a 200 raise out of position. The flop was J-5-5 rainbow. The original raiser bet 300 and I called with two pair. The turn was a 3 or something & he checked. I bet 1,000 having determined that my two pair was good when he checked the turn. After a brief hesitation he called, which I didn't like at all. However, the river brought my 2-outer with an 8. He shoved all-in. Even though I honestly thought he may have been slow playing J-J I called to find he had 9-9 and had been WAY ahead of me the entire way until the river. This was truly lucky.
My two super lucky hands came at the final table. I had K-7 suited in clubs on the button and there were about 4 limpers. Another K was accidently mucked face up before I called so it was probably a bad call except for the flush possibility. The flop was Q-7-4 giving me 2nd pair. I was second short stack so when everyone checked to me I shoved. Everyone folded except crazy Ali (who was in the big blind) who looked at me and said "I know just what you are doing" and called me with Q-6. I was so crushed, but then I hit another 7 on the turn. Good grief. Staying alive is fun! Ali just shook his head.
The best hand was when George raised to 4,000. I looked down at Q-Q and had only 14,000 remaining so I shoved all-in. Dustin went over the top and I knew immediately that he had K-K or A-A. Ali also went all-in for 14,000 and George folded A-10 face up. Ali also had A-10 and Dustin did indeed have K-K. I hit my 2-outer queen on the turn and took Ali out and left Dustin with 3,000 chips. Ouch! These chips enabled me to take 3rd place. (Also, when I did go all-in on my last hand I had A-7 and got called by the monster chip leader who was perfectly correct to call me with any 2 cards (8-6) and she hit a pair and I didn't.)
I honestly don't think I have ever been as lucky in any tournament as I was in this one.
My first 2 hands were K-K and A-K and they both held up. I folded my third hand (K-Q) to a raise. My 4th hand was 8-8. The blinds were 25-50 and I called a 200 raise out of position. The flop was J-5-5 rainbow. The original raiser bet 300 and I called with two pair. The turn was a 3 or something & he checked. I bet 1,000 having determined that my two pair was good when he checked the turn. After a brief hesitation he called, which I didn't like at all. However, the river brought my 2-outer with an 8. He shoved all-in. Even though I honestly thought he may have been slow playing J-J I called to find he had 9-9 and had been WAY ahead of me the entire way until the river. This was truly lucky.
My two super lucky hands came at the final table. I had K-7 suited in clubs on the button and there were about 4 limpers. Another K was accidently mucked face up before I called so it was probably a bad call except for the flush possibility. The flop was Q-7-4 giving me 2nd pair. I was second short stack so when everyone checked to me I shoved. Everyone folded except crazy Ali (who was in the big blind) who looked at me and said "I know just what you are doing" and called me with Q-6. I was so crushed, but then I hit another 7 on the turn. Good grief. Staying alive is fun! Ali just shook his head.
The best hand was when George raised to 4,000. I looked down at Q-Q and had only 14,000 remaining so I shoved all-in. Dustin went over the top and I knew immediately that he had K-K or A-A. Ali also went all-in for 14,000 and George folded A-10 face up. Ali also had A-10 and Dustin did indeed have K-K. I hit my 2-outer queen on the turn and took Ali out and left Dustin with 3,000 chips. Ouch! These chips enabled me to take 3rd place. (Also, when I did go all-in on my last hand I had A-7 and got called by the monster chip leader who was perfectly correct to call me with any 2 cards (8-6) and she hit a pair and I didn't.)
I honestly don't think I have ever been as lucky in any tournament as I was in this one.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Everyone Wins With King-Jack Except Me
I hate king-jack. I don't know why anyone ever plays it. I'm dead serious when I tell you that the only time I play it is in the small or big blind with no raises in front. If anyone raises at any time, my king-jack is in the muck.
I had a bad experience two weeks ago at the Lucky Bridge when I raised 4x the big blind under the gun and K-J suited called me & flopped two pair & knocked me out of the tournament. I wrote about this previously.
Last week (again at the Lucky Bridge) I had A-K of hearts. I was in the big blind and blinds were 100-200. I raised to 700 with 6 limpers that had already called. The next guy (who had only arrived at our table the hand before & who was one of the limpers) went all-in. He had me covered by all but 800 chips or so. Everyone else folded. I knew nothing about this guy but I thought he was making a move so I called. He was. But he had the dreaded K-J. He turned a straight. I was out on the very next hand after going all in with A-J (another of my least favorite hands).
I can probably understand the play of my opponents in both these hands. In the first instance, the raise I made wasn't that much & the K-J had another caller in front of him, so he had (barely) odds to call & he did flop a monster.
In the second instance, the guy was making a move & if I hadn't had a pretty good hand myself, I would have folded & perhaps I should have anyway, but oh well. It worked out well for him.
I am sticking to my guns, however. K-J is garbage most of the time & you won't catch me making these stupid calls & moves with that hand. Having said that, it's all about the timing right? Who knows what might happen next time.
I had a bad experience two weeks ago at the Lucky Bridge when I raised 4x the big blind under the gun and K-J suited called me & flopped two pair & knocked me out of the tournament. I wrote about this previously.
Last week (again at the Lucky Bridge) I had A-K of hearts. I was in the big blind and blinds were 100-200. I raised to 700 with 6 limpers that had already called. The next guy (who had only arrived at our table the hand before & who was one of the limpers) went all-in. He had me covered by all but 800 chips or so. Everyone else folded. I knew nothing about this guy but I thought he was making a move so I called. He was. But he had the dreaded K-J. He turned a straight. I was out on the very next hand after going all in with A-J (another of my least favorite hands).
I can probably understand the play of my opponents in both these hands. In the first instance, the raise I made wasn't that much & the K-J had another caller in front of him, so he had (barely) odds to call & he did flop a monster.
In the second instance, the guy was making a move & if I hadn't had a pretty good hand myself, I would have folded & perhaps I should have anyway, but oh well. It worked out well for him.
I am sticking to my guns, however. K-J is garbage most of the time & you won't catch me making these stupid calls & moves with that hand. Having said that, it's all about the timing right? Who knows what might happen next time.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Me vs. Joe
This interesting hand came up during the Island deepstack tournament when I was involved in a pot with Joe who is a pretty loose aggressive player. This was the 4th or 5th hand of the tournament, so blinds were only 25-50.
I was in the big blind with six limpers & not one raise in front of me. I checked my option with 6-5 suited (diamonds). Before the flop I told the guy next to me, "I shouldn't check this monster". I was only kidding.
The flop was 6-6-3 rainbow. Bingo bango bongo! I was very happy with that. Naturally, I checked. One check behind. One player bet $300. One player folded. Joe called. Another player folded.
The turn was a 5 and it also added a flush draw. Bingo bango bongo again! Naturally, I checked. The player who bet $300 now checked. He probably wasn't too happy with the 2 calls he got on the flop. Joe bet $1,000 into what was now approximately a $1,200 pot. I just called. The original bettor dropped out.
The river was an ace and I believe it made a flush, although I honestly can't remember. It didn't change my hand at all unless Joe was playing A-A or A-6 and I didn't believe that for one minute. I checked my full house. Joe bet $3,000. I raised to $6,500 and he insta-shoved. I said something out loud about him maybe playing A-6, but I just couldn't fold. I couldn't believe this was so early in the tournament. I called.
Joe proudly turned over 6-3 for the flopped full house. He simply couldn't believe my extraordinary luck of hitting the 5 on the turn. Quite frankly, I couldn't believe it either. I had no idea I was so far behind. Sometimes slow paying can really get you in trouble. Poor Joe was just mumbling and shaking his head all the way out the door.
The good news is that I doubled up early. The bad news is that I simply couldn't catch another hand at all. I went out 1 player before the final 2 tables. Phooey. I got to play for quite a while on Joe's chips though.
I was in the big blind with six limpers & not one raise in front of me. I checked my option with 6-5 suited (diamonds). Before the flop I told the guy next to me, "I shouldn't check this monster". I was only kidding.
The flop was 6-6-3 rainbow. Bingo bango bongo! I was very happy with that. Naturally, I checked. One check behind. One player bet $300. One player folded. Joe called. Another player folded.
The turn was a 5 and it also added a flush draw. Bingo bango bongo again! Naturally, I checked. The player who bet $300 now checked. He probably wasn't too happy with the 2 calls he got on the flop. Joe bet $1,000 into what was now approximately a $1,200 pot. I just called. The original bettor dropped out.
The river was an ace and I believe it made a flush, although I honestly can't remember. It didn't change my hand at all unless Joe was playing A-A or A-6 and I didn't believe that for one minute. I checked my full house. Joe bet $3,000. I raised to $6,500 and he insta-shoved. I said something out loud about him maybe playing A-6, but I just couldn't fold. I couldn't believe this was so early in the tournament. I called.
Joe proudly turned over 6-3 for the flopped full house. He simply couldn't believe my extraordinary luck of hitting the 5 on the turn. Quite frankly, I couldn't believe it either. I had no idea I was so far behind. Sometimes slow paying can really get you in trouble. Poor Joe was just mumbling and shaking his head all the way out the door.
The good news is that I doubled up early. The bad news is that I simply couldn't catch another hand at all. I went out 1 player before the final 2 tables. Phooey. I got to play for quite a while on Joe's chips though.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Smashing the 4-8 Game
Yes, you can still play 4-8 hold 'em in the Tri-Cities. For the last couple of weeks Jokers has been offering live 4-8 after the 12:30 tournament on Saturdays. I had played (sort of) in the monthly tournament of champions and after getting busted out, I decided to play 4-8 for the first time in forever.
I started with $75 and had no luck at all. I thought maybe I should stick to tournaments. However, I decided in the end that I should make ONE rebuy and try again. Never give up. Never surrender. Never get out of the boat (G_ _ damned right)(see "Apocalypse Now").
I rebought for $100 and was immediately glad that I did. I was so lucky (or skilled - whatever) that I had a hard time losing a pot. As an example, I had a set of queens hold up on a board that had 3 straight cards and 3 hearts. Wow!
Three hours later I cashed out (after basically breaking up the game which was not my intent) for $535. This was a $360 profit or $120 per hour. Good grief, I wish I could make that kind of money all the time. I could quit work - LOL!
It was a lot of fun playing 4-8 again and not just because I won big. It's just super cheap entertainment compared with a 2-20 game. I've noticed that players around here tend to play 2-20 like a 4-8 game anyway, so why not play for cheap? I may have to do this more often.
I started with $75 and had no luck at all. I thought maybe I should stick to tournaments. However, I decided in the end that I should make ONE rebuy and try again. Never give up. Never surrender. Never get out of the boat (G_ _ damned right)(see "Apocalypse Now").
I rebought for $100 and was immediately glad that I did. I was so lucky (or skilled - whatever) that I had a hard time losing a pot. As an example, I had a set of queens hold up on a board that had 3 straight cards and 3 hearts. Wow!
Three hours later I cashed out (after basically breaking up the game which was not my intent) for $535. This was a $360 profit or $120 per hour. Good grief, I wish I could make that kind of money all the time. I could quit work - LOL!
It was a lot of fun playing 4-8 again and not just because I won big. It's just super cheap entertainment compared with a 2-20 game. I've noticed that players around here tend to play 2-20 like a 4-8 game anyway, so why not play for cheap? I may have to do this more often.
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