From Over The Weekend

I actually managed to get to attend two Riverchasers freerolls over the weekend. The first, on Friday afternoon, came about as all of the full time employees here had to attend an afternoon offsite thingy. Being an hourly paid consultant, I had immunity from such an endeavor and was told that if I wanted to do a half day, go right ahead. I went right ahead. Then, my wife had plans to be away from the family all day both Saturday and Sunday. I guess she felt bad for me when she got home as she said that if I wanted to get out and catch a game that night, feel free. I felt free.

Anyway, we'll do the second (and much shorter) recap first. Saturday night I played at the golf course. When I got there, there were already 9 or 10 full tables and another 12-15 players without seats. We needed to trek over to the banquet room to find more space and played the first hour over there. I saw a few flops, picked up a small pot or two, and folded to a few bets post flop. Cards sucked and I couldn't find a spot to really gain traction. Big Dave finally comes in to bring us all back in to the main room, and I get seated at aggro central. I have 185 chips at 10/20 and the blinds are coming around quick. Nothing through the first round of blinds, but then, at 15/30, I get 3 limpers around to my BB and see QQ. All in for 125 more and it's good that everyone respected the raise as I think every single limper would have either straightened or flushed on the board that came. Damn rabbit hunters.

Shortly after that, I get moved again, and in the first hand at the new table run JJ into both QQ and KK. Live poker is so rigged. Oh well.

Friday, was a different story, even though it started out quite the same. This was a traditional 100 chip starting stack tournament, so I usually play just a tad tighter than the double stack structure that will be the norm in 2008. I don't remember whether it was level 2 or 3, but I was down to about 75 or 80 of my original 100 when I got to see a free flop out of the BB with 62o. When the flop came 642 (2 hearts, 1 diamond), it was strangely reminiscent of the last time I played there. Flop was checked all around and the 8♦ fell on the turn. I checked, bet of 6, raise to 26, fold, fold, I reraise to 69 and am all in. Initial bettor folds and aggro raiser calls with A8o. No help to him and I double plus a little.

Now the hand of the day from my perspective. We're playing at 3/6 and I pick up 6♦7♦ in the cutoff and continue the limp train. Button raises to 15 and picks up a caller, so I throw in the extra 9 chips getting better than 5:1. Flop comes 5♠8♦9♦. I didn't even notice that I actually flopped a straight; I was actually too transfixed on the OESFD, but when the original raiser bet 10 after 2 checks and was called, I finally realized that, at least temporarily, I had the nuts. I called. Turn paired the 5 and the player to my right bet 15. I raised to 40 and that lost the original raiser, but the bettor called. A third 5 came on the river. The 5♦. I wasn't sure how much I was going to be able to bet and still get a call, so I threw out 50. She called and asked me if I had a 5 as she flipped an 8 to show her 5's full of 8's. I said, "better" and flipped the straight flush.

At that point I started feeling like I could play a little, so I called a smallish bet on a 782 rainbow flop with JTo and turned a 9. I limped with A♣T♣ out of the SB and checked an A84 flop then bet the 9 on the turn. The BB pushed for not much more and I wasn't totally sure I was ahead, but called and busted her with 92o. From then on, when I entered a pot, it was for a raise. 3x BB every time. No more limping. A7o, no callers. QQ, no callers. When everyone folded to my SB, I stole the BB without looking at my cards around 2 or 3 orbits in a row. It is true that chips just seem to breed more chips. I don't get to play a big stack at Riverchasers events all that often, so I really enjoy it when I can.

We finally get down to the 9 handed final table and I find a couple of shorties, 1 monster stack, and the rest with healthy stacks like mine (at least for the time being). Blinds are 30/60 when we start, and I pick up AK on the button on either the first or second hand and scoop the blinds. We don't play 30/60 for very long, and at 50/100 it's go time for just about everyone. To a point. All fold to my SB and find T9o. I try to steal, but don't raise TOO much as I don't want to get myself committed to the hand. Good thing as the BB comes over the top and I decide to pick another spot.

I double through the monster who called my 77 with 64o, thank you very much. Then I picked off a shorty along with a bunch of dead money with AJ as he already had a caller, but I came over the top and the caller folded a weaker A. 77 scored me another set of blinds, but that just about defined the high water mark for the day. The blinds moved to 100/200 and we were playing 4 handed. I found A8o in the SB and shoved, but was insta-called by the BB with KJo. (????) Insta-called? Anyway, the deck waited until the river but paired the K nonetheless and IGH 4th.

I always seem to have good days at the Limerick as I final table that venue well over 50% of the time, and finish in the top 4 80% of that. One of these days, I'll manage to actually take it down.