4 days late, a Dino's post

So I head back to Dino's after taking a week off to play in my Monday game. Not really caring how well I did (since the Wings were poised to win the Stanley Cup that night), I didn't bring my A-game...although I made a few reads/plays that were very strong.

Took a couple of early pots, then just kind of folded and waited patiently for a couple of hands. 2 hands in a row I won big HU pots against Harry, and that should have jump-started my night.

The first hand, Harry raises UTG to 150 (blinds 25/50), after everyone folds to me in the BB, I call with A-5 suited. The flop comes 6-2-2, with one spade, and Harry checks the flop, which I find odd - I can't imagine that helped him a whole lot (I have him on either a medium pair or an AJ/AQ/AK hand on this point). Another spade comes out on turn (a 9, I believe), and Harry puts out a bet of 100, which is begging for a call...yet it's a weak bet. At this point, he hasn't hit his hand yet, but neither have I, but I call figuring on stealing after the river even if a spade doesn't hit.

A 5 (no spade) hits on the river, and at this point I'm damn sure I've won the hand, and am not surprised when Harry checks - if he had bet this strong after the flop or turn, he might have gotten rid of me...this hand was misplayed all around on his end. I bet out 250, which I figure is representing more of a bluff attempt (I've been caught a couple of times already - never keep trying, though!) than a true value bet. Harry knows my game and I love to bluff with snow at times (especially against him - I get a kick out of watching him agonize over tough decisions lol), and he calls with his Ace-high, then bemoans his bad luck when I turn over the 5.

Very next hand, I pick up 6-6 in the small blind, and with 2 limps I am not upset to just complete here and play no set-no bet here. Harry once again raises, this time to 175, and after Andy and Gary get out of the way, I quickly call here. I think for a second about re-raising here, but I know Harry doesn't like to raise unless he has a solid hand (A-10 or better), so I play it a little slow here.

Flop of 8-4-6 comes, giving me a set - I check my set, waiting for Harry to bet, and get a bet of 100, and since I figure that he has another AJ-AK type hand, I smooth-call. After a Q on the turn, I bet out 125, which Harry raises to 275 - there was part of me that wanted to reraise him all-in here, but with no draw out there, I wanted to try to get more value out of the hand, and I just called after thinking about it for a minute.

River brings a 9, and now I'm trying to figure out what amount to bet here - I probably make my value bets too small, but I suppose I should err on that side and get more calls than to overbet and get zilch out of it. I bet out 300, and Harry goes into his "tough decision" mode (face slumps, hands go behind the head, then head buried in head, etc) - but he also has figured out that something is up here, because he says "That bet just reeks", and after a minute he says "Nice hand", and flips over A-Q after announcing he folds. I show my set of 6's, say "Good laydown" (enough players in our game won't get away from that hand), and move on. I bust out Harry a few minutes when my A-9 in SB puts him all-in with pocket 10's - hit ace on flop, survive flush draw on turn and river.

Shortly before final table, I lose a race to Andy's JJ with my A-K, even though I had a flush draw after the flop, and was down to 105 chips. 2 hands later UTG (5-handed here) I get A-8 - easy shove and pray here. Hit 2 pair on flop, nobody does better, and I move up to 405 chips, with BB coming out.

BB comes, and after announcing that I'm going-all-in for my last 5 (plus BB of 400) in the dark, I get 5 callers (including Vic, who doesn't have enough for BB). Oh yeah, I look at my cards, see pocket Aces, and laugh and say that "These rags might be able to play" - checked all around for flop, turn, river, and my Aces hold up AND knock out Vic - back up to 1900+ in chips.

Final table was uneventful - 6 hands in I decide to do an easly-position blind-steal with A-2 suited (plus, overtime was coming up soon in the hockey game, and I wanted to watch that a lot more than I wanted to play poker at that time), Fred takes me and some new cutie out of the game (not as cute as Bridget, but still easy on the eyes, nonetheless), and I finish 8, I believe. Oh well.

Fukkin A, Wings lose in triple OT, but come back on Wednesday to take it down - 4 in 11 years, not too shabby, I might say!