Home Game Tournaments.

This weekend was my monthly home game with some friends and co-workers. Basically they start @ 3pm and we tend to play 5-6 $10 tournaments. You start with $20 in chips, and the blinds are .25/.50. Unfortunately, the blinds double every 15 minutes. It guarantees getting a bunch of tournaments in during that time, but the downside is that there's little room for play torward the end.

I did pretty well, managing 2 first place finishes. But after a long night of playing a bunch of tournaments, plus ordering food, and picking up flowers on the way home for the wife for Mother's Day, I broke about even. But this is a friendly game, and not really there to make money. It's about playing poker.

And I played pretty well in the two games I won. It's been a few days so details are a little fuzzy. The first game was really, just waiting for the right moments and outlasting a few folks. Then a strong heads up performance.

The 2nd game I won, was more getting hit with the cards, and knowing the right time to check and let them bet into me. Two key hands I did this:

(5 people left) I was dealt K9o in the SB. I called a raise of 3x BB from th button. no other callers. Flop comes K-x-x. All low. I quickly check. The button thinks for a moment. For a moment and goes all-in. I quickly call. "FUCK! You have the King." I flip over my hand. He shows pocket 10s. Turn and River doesn't help him and I bust him out.

(4 people left), I'm dealt Ac5c in the BB. Everyone limps and I make a small raise to reduce the field. Cutoff calls. Flop comes with 2 clubs. I check, he checks. Turn brings my beautiful nut flush. I check. He checks. DAMN. The river brings a 4th boarded club. Now I figure I really got no chance at money. I check. CO things, and pushes all-in. I quickly call. I flip over my nut flush and he mucks and is eliminated.

(side note: I had something very similar happen online a few days later. Unfortunately the 4th club on the river brought my opponent a straight flush! DOH! Can't complain about losing to a straight flush).

Three handed, I had a HUGE chip lead (only top two get paid). I'm dealt Q8, I raise, one caller. Flop comes 3-8-J. I don't hesitate and push all-in. The guy goes into the tank, trying to figure out what I had. Asking if I had pocket jacks. I'm worried. not worried about the 8. Finally he folds, just not liking it. I muck 'em. He starts asking me what I had. I didn't want to tell him at first. He asked, "Did you have 2 pair?"- "No".- He tells me he had a pair.- "Me too." - "Jacks?" "No." He's starting to think. I can tell he's about to tilt. "I had an 8." He's pissed (not at me). Didn't say he what he had but it was either pocket 10s or pocket 9s. He couldn't stop talking about that misread and ended up busting out the the other guy a few hands later. AH, I love the power of the big stack.