Poker Week in Review

Yikes, having time off from work creates an abundance of opportunities to get in some time on the felt. When last I posted, I had just gotten home from AC at about 4:30 AM with a 4th place cash in the nightly tournament at the Hilton. So with just a few hours sleep, I dragged myself out of bed to help my wife get the kids off to school (this being Tuesday morning) and then grabbed about another hour when the phone woke me up. I then half-heartedly tried to go back to sleep, but knowing that there was a Riverchasers game starting in just a little while, it just wasn't going to happen.

So, off to Limerick I go. Early on, I gamble it up a little bit with flush and inside straight draws on the flop against a set and get there on the turn. He bets about 1/3 of my remaining stack into a now large pot, so I push the rest of my stack. After agonizing, he calls, knowing that he probably needs the board to pair. It doesn't. After a while, we go to the final table (somewhere around 50 runners) and I get crippled running AQ into AK. Then J9 can't catch up to A7 and IGH 7th.

No poker content Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I also went to the afternoon games in Limerick, but went out a little over halfway both days. Friday, though, it was early enough that I decided to do a brief afternoon shift in Conshy, just because I hadn't done one for a while and was inspired a bit by the recent escapades north of the border. Anyway, saying this place is about a C-list establishment is probably generous. However, something absolutely amazing happened. Out strolls a statuesque African butter face. And she has world class pole skills. I've seen a lot of pole work over the years in all classes of venues, and to find this kind of skill where I was sitting was shocking. In fact, she even broke out something I've never seen. Starting from the usual inverted vertical position at the top of the pole, she slid down head first about halfway then stopped abruptly, came around 90 degrees and held there. Horizontally. Tips of her heels over 6 feet from the pole. Spectacular. Bravo.

The kids were staying at the inlaws for the weekend, so I told my wife that I was going to play poker Friday night after I dropped them off. And that's exactly what I did. Champs Bar on the golf course. Starting table was absolutely nuts. After the flop. So I saw lots of cheap flops and finally found the spot I was looking for. I called with 53 from the small blind and flopped two pair. Slow played it. Check call. Turned the full house. Perfect. Let these monkeys overbet. Board now has two hearts and two spades. So when the potential flush comes on the end, I bet out. And get raised. Perfect. Called, reraised by me, get two(!) callers and that there is a lot of chips still in the first hour. Then with KK in the SB at 5/10, I make it 45 to go after a couple limpers. I knew I would be heads up against the LAG button chip leader and when the flop came K52, I checked to him but he checked behind. For some reason, he thought that I really wasn't happy to see a king on the flop. I wonder what gave him that impression. The turned paired the five and he bet pot after I checked again. Smooth call. I don't even remember what came on the end as I didn't care and shoved the rest of my chips in. And he instacalled with A5o. Nice.

Chips go up, chips go down, not quite as much as up, but the blinds are ever increasing. Then I get crippled. A3s > TT. Ace on the river when AIPF. Down to T125 at 50/100. Nope, chip up and new level, T200 at 100/200. In the BB, all-in. 600 in the main pot and I river a 4 flush with the K♠. Next hand, A3 guy doubles me blind vs blind with KQ against my AK. Now T1200. Final table and blinds go to 200/400. Fast forward another 45 minutes. I finished 2nd. I was 11 outs on the river for my opponent from taking the chip lead, him needing an Ace or a spade and he spiked the Ace. I'll take the 2nd out of 83. I know I played well, making the types of moves that needed to be made against the different types of tables I was at. Just a shame I couldn't finish off the comeback.

Then Saturday afternoon, I played in Lansdale at a bar I had never played at. For those that rag the Limerick Inn mercilessly, I suggest you go to the 3rd and Walnut, then decide. I got called an A-hole for calling a guy on shorting the pot. Most of the players were thoroughly drunk already at 4 PM, and it was some of the worst poker I have ever seen. I don't even want to remember the specifics of the game. It was clearly the worst venue I have ever played at. Even though the TD, who I am familiar with, ran a perfect game. As usual. I forget his name, but he is one of the best. I finished 6th of 40. Even though the only hands I played and showed were AA, QQ, and AJ, when I pushed from the button for 4.5 BB with A2s, the BB still called for most of his chips with A3s. 3 on the flop. I won't be back.

Probably another week off from work. I'll be around.