“Let’s Play Some Poker”

I arrived at the game about an hour and a half early because my wife was having a house full of women over for a Christmas party and I didn’t want to be “in the way.”

- $10 Buy-In -

I started off the tournament by raising with mediocre hands hoping to pick up some small pots. All I accomplished was spreading most of my chips around the table.

I got down to $2.50 out of my original $20 and pushed all-in with A diamonds 4 spades. I got 4 callers because blinds were at $1 and $2. The flop came 6 diamonds Q diamonds 8 clubs. Turn 10 diamonds. River 3 diamonds! So I quintupled up to $12.50 with the nut flush.

After that hand I started to play well and build my chip stack. We were down to 4 when this hand came up. I was in the small blind with blinds at $2 and $4. The guy under the gun folded to the button (jackal) who moved all in for $5 more $9 total. I looked down at A spades 7 spades and figured I had the cornered Jackal beat and maybe even dominated. So I smooth called. The big blind (jackal) looked at his cards and raised $5 more. Now I was confused. Why would he do this? Isolation? That really makes no sense when we have the short stack all-in on the bubble to cash. In my mind, he could have only raised here with a very powerful hand like a big pair or AK. I folded in disgust. The button jackal turned over A 3 off-suit. OK I was right there. The Jackal that “dry-bet” me out of the pot turned over K clubs J clubs! You’ve gotta be kidding me! Long story short the button Jackal doubled up without getting any help from the board. ARGH!

The 2 Jackals locked horns again in a hand all too common at this game. The blinds were at $2 and$4. Jackal 1 raised to $8 total on the button with K Q off-suit. I folded to Jackal 2 who moved all in for $9 more with AA. Jackal 1 called. The flop came A - 10 – J! Jackal 2 got no help filling his trips on the turn or river and was gone. I think Jackal 1 played the hand beautifully considering his K Q off-suit is a %92 favorite against AA. Nice Move!

I ended up getting 2nd place to Jackal 1 after I moved all-in with K 8 off-suit vs. his A 3 off-suit. I made $10 for my second place finish. Good playing Mr. Jackal.

P. S. I had you on the bubble but your Jackal counterpart saved you. HA!

- $20 Buy-In -

The table looked like this…

                 Elephant

Lion 2                             Lion 1

      Jackal 2             Jackal 1

                     Me


I was doing well and in complete control of myself. I have seen some strange hands in my day, but this next one takes the cake. Lion 1 was in the small blind with KK and moved all-in with 2 limpers in front of him. Jackal 1 was in the big blind and peaked down at his AA and called. The flop came Q - Q - Q. The turn brought the fourth Q. AA was still the best hand with the Ace playing now as a high card. The river came ACE which split the pot for the two players. Crazy!

I had built up a $55 chip stack when this hand came along…

Blinds were at $1 and $2. I was in the big blind and all of the players had limped in front of me. I looked down at A diamonds Q diamonds and decided to play “big stack poker.” I raised $10 figuring I would just pick up the pot right there but knowing that I would call any re-raise here as well. Lion 2 moved over the top for $8.50 more and I called. I figured he had a big hand but it was $8.50 to win $38.50, more than 4 and a half to 1 pot odds. He showed KK, but the first card off was the ace of spades and I now had a massive chip lead.

We got down to 2. It was me and Lion 1. Blinds were at $2 and $4 only 3 hands into heads up play the Lion raised to $8 total. I looked down at A 8 off-suit. Anyone that’s played much heads up poker knows that a king is favored over a random hand so an ace was definitely a huge hand heads up. I raised $12 more. The lion moved all-in for around $10 more and I called. He showed A 2 off-suit and my kicker was good enough to win my 51st bracelet. I made $40 for this tournament.

We played a little “Dealer’s Choice” after the second tournament and I was dropping all kinds of money in the seven card games. I finally got a BIG break during a hand of 5 card draw. I started off with a big hand A-A-A-10-4. I decided to just call before the draw with such a huge hand to camouflage my cards. I drew to cards with 2 players in. (A Mouse and an Elephant) I got my cards and slow peeked them to find the case ace! The Mouse bet out $3 and the Elephant called and I re-raised $3 more since I “thought” this was a $3 max bet game. They both called and I showed my monster. They didn’t even bother to show. One of the other players told me later that the dealer had announced that it was No-Limit 5 card draw. I wish I would have heard him.

I split a monster pot on the end and that put me back on the plus side for the cash game too. I won $75 on the night. It was a good night. I had good time and you can’t ask for a better group to play with.