I'm back in school and that is going to be taking a lot of my time with papers and readings this semester, so I've decided to take a break from online poker. Basically if I'm going to be working on my computer I should be doing school work. OK, I'm working on it. But boy was I looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend. My brother in law was going to set up one of his $50 buy-in home games. A bit steep, but I've won that last two. I talked to him and he said to come down to the restuarant and we'd be playing around 11pm. So I get there only to find out that most of the people decided not to play. He tries to get a 4th person. That person agrees, but then leaves without a word. So we scrap the game and I head to back to the house. I decide, that this is a special occasion, and throw some cash onto Full Tilt and start playing.
I jump in the $10+1 Midnight Madness Tournament, which is a fun one. Played and sweated a buddy of mine who was also playing. 1300+ people, I finished 160. Won about 2x the buy-in. Unfortunately I dusted off a bunch of other money playing other MTT SnGs.
Finally I sat down at a micro-limil NL cash game, and won enough to be just about even for the night. Finally had to call it a night @ 3am.
Big hand of the night in the cash game.
I had pocket 4s and was playing with a maniac.
Flop was 3-6-Q. He bet a little less than the pot, I called.
Turn: Q. He bet again, I called.
River: x but it was higher than my pair.
He pushes all in, which was about 2x the pot, but that was less than 20% of my stack (i'd still be showing a profit it I call and lost). I think and because he's too much of a maniac, I called. He showed 7-3, and I stacked him.
Left shortly after since after he left it was just me and another guy, who was a pretty big luckbox.
Frustration
Channeling Jack Straus
"Chip and a Chair"
Sure this wasn't the WSOP Main Event, it was only a $5 + $0.40 Heads Up Shootout (4 players) on FullTilt.
I ended up my first headsup opponent in 23 hands.
BLINDS ARE 15/30
The first hand of my second match (each have 3000 chips), I'm dealt A3o. I call the BB and my opponent just checks.
*** FLOP *** [Ah 9c Qd]
I simply bet the 1/2 the pot (30) and my opponent folds. I win 60 chips.
Hand 2. I'm in the BB with 6c4c. Opponent calls the BB, I simply check.
*** FLOP *** [3d 2h 5s]
BINGO! Can't beat that flop. I bet the pot (T60). He smooth calls.
*** TURN *** [3d 2h 5s] [5d]
Stupiditiy abounds here. I bet the pot (T180). I get min raised to T360. I raise to T1,260. He raises to T2,160. I finish it off, pushing all-in to T2940. He calls his last T720. I get T60 back (woo freakin' hoo).
My opponent flips over his Quad 5s. I'm done. I congradulate him on a good game. And wait to throw in my final chips.
Chip Count (T5940 vs T60).
I'm dealt 6c9c in the SB. and I push all in for 60. I hope he folds (yeah right). He calls, and shows pocket 3s.
I flop two pair and double up.
(T5880 vs T120).
Next hand I'm dealt pocket 7s. I push all in and he calls with Q7. My hand holds up.
(T5760 vs T240)
I call the BB (additional 30) w/ Jd2d. We check it down and he catches a 5 on the river.
(T5790 vs T210) - Blinds increase to 20/40.
He min raises to 80, I push all in with KQo and he folds. More chips!
(T5710 vs T290)
I have Q6o. Call the BB. FLOP is [4s 3h 3s]. We both check. TURN: Qc. He bets 80, I push all in and he calls. He shows 4dTd. The river is a 3, giving me a better boat.
(T5420 vs T580)- I definitely have some breathing room now (with the blinds 20/40), despite the huge chip disadvantage. That was the 7th hand of heads up with this guy.
A few hands go by where not much happened. We checked down to the river, only losing the blinds, or I fold to a bet on the turn.
Hand #10. (T5340 vs T660)
I'm dealt 57off in the SB. I limp he min raises to T80. I call.
*** FLOP *** [Kh 5h 5d]
Opponent bets T160, I of course push, he calls and shows KJo. I, of course and sweating because preflop I was 98% to lose. No improvement for him and I have T1320!
Again there's a lot of checking down or folding to bets. I re-raise him a few times to take down pots.
(T3710 vs T2290)
Hand #58 - blinds are 40/80.
I'm dealt KJ in the BB. He limps, I just check.
*** FLOP *** [Qh 6h Ks]
I check, he bets T160, I just call.
*** TURN *** [6c]
We both check.
*** RIVER *** [8s]
I bet the pot T480. He calls.
I show my KJ, he shows T8 and I take down a T1440 pot to take a slight chip lead.
(T2990 vs T3010)
ABout 10 hands later, I lose the chip lead when I bluff of 1200 in chips, trying to represent a flush with 4 spades on the board. I bet 1/2 the pot value bet bluff on the river, he calls with 2 pair. I wonder if I bet more if he would have folded?
(T3600 vs T2400) - Blinds 50/100
I beat Kojack AGAIN this time with KQ. I'm in the SB. He min raises to T200, I call.
*** FLOP *** [Qc 4c 2s]
I check, he bets T400, I min raise to T800, he calls.
*** TURN *** [Ks]
I check, he pushes all-in, I call for my last T1400. He shows his KJ, I shows my KQ for two pair. The RIVER brings an unneeded Q for my boat. I'm the chip leader again.
(T1200 vs T4800).
It's over two hands later.
(T1100 vs T4900)
He raises to T200, I call with Kd7c.
*** FLOP *** [Tc 8h 9d] I hit an open ender, but with the idiots end. The reasoning behind my next move was two fold. First it was late (3:30am) and second, I figure I could push him around, and even if he wins, I would still have a slight chip lead. I pushed All-in. T4700 (though really only the T900 he had) into a 400 pot. He calls with AJ. He also has the, I guess, genius end of the OESD.
*** TURN *** [Js] Gives me the straight.
*** RIVER *** [Qd] For a split second I thought this was a chop giving us both the Q high straight on the board, but then I noticed my little King sitting there, all neglected, giving me a K high straight and taking down the Shootout.
A hard fought battle and a the biggest comeback I've ever faced. 99 to 1 chip deficit. Probably won't do that again in my life.
HERPES LIVES!
post soon
Had the second greatest comeback story. EVER. Ok, maybe second only to Jack Staus. I'll post soon (those of you from MSR got a short version) as soon as FTP sends it to me (don't ask).
