Monday fun at Dino's

Determined not to bust out 1st or 2nd this week (although apparantly I was 3rd out last week, not 2nd), I hopped in the minivan and headed to Dino's. Stevo and I had our "last shorter" bet once again, and off we go.

I had Fred, some older lady who played every hand, Andy, and PJ at my table to start (28 or so players). Didn't get too many hands for a while, but I was chipping up nicely with some medium-sized pots. Busted out PJ with a BB Special when jammed A-rag into a A-8-5 flop...too bad I was holding 8-5. No help for PJ, and he's gone.

I proceed to bluff off 1/3 of my chips on the next couple of hands, then douched a straight on the river against Pat when I had no business doing so to get up to 4000 chips again. I almost got into it with Annoying Clapping Fukktard (ACF - dude give a golf clap after every hand) after he lectured me on not having proper poker etiquette because I like to splash the pot with chips with every bet. I do call out my bet either before or as I'm splashing the pot, at least...I love these self-appointed "table captains" (alternatively known as, "Dicks"), just too bad I couldn't bust this dude out.

We finally get to 10 players for final table, and 2 hands in Dennis and Andy get into it when Dennis over-reacted to Andy calling him a "lucky bastard" for winning a big pot. Dennis was well within his right to say something about being offended by the comment, but he didn't have to be quite the asshole about it, either. Andy was shaken for the whole game by that, and don't blame him. Any Ace Ron blows a nut a couple of hands later, and I'll go through the action on this hand now....

Stevo opens up in EP with an all-in bet, and I'm sitting in MP with 9-9...I know Stevo doesn't play junk, but I have to figure out if he's holding a pair or if I am racing, because this is for all of my chips. Not to brag or anything here, but I'm the only person at this game who would even think of laying this hand down pre-flop...much less take 2 or 3 minutes to make a decision and actually make the proper laydown. Stevo makes a comment that "I guess our bet will be settled on this hand", and that was the overriding factor in me laying my hand down...I say, "Nice hand", and lay down my 9s. Harry calls with A-K, but Any Ace Ron takes offense to Harry holding his cards up so Scott can see them (even though he's out of the hand)...Stevo has A-A, and doubles up when it holds, and the arguing continues. For a fukkin' free tournament, some people take this game way too seriously.

Couple of hands later I get K-K in MP, and W-D Ron calls with 6-6 - I bust him out, and just kinda survive until we get to 5-handed. In the SB now, and Harry open-shoves for 3500. Meghan calls, and I'm up to a decision again as I have 9-9 - I know I have Meghan beat, but I don't know about Harry, but after another couple of minutes I make the crying call, then Andy also calls. I am delighted to see a 9 on the flop for the set, and after all the cards are flipped, my set holds up...Harry had 10-10, Meghan had A-rag, but she took the side pot.

I bust Jim out a few hands later with the ever-dangerous 2-2 (made a flush on river), then trade blinds and make some small bluffs for a while with Andy and Meghan until we bust Andy out. HU took a while, and I fought my way back from 4-1 to 3-1 down, then open-jammed with 8-3 soooooooooted, and flopped a flush to take the chip lead. Donked a lot of my chips away with K-9 after a K-7-5 flop when I put Meghan all-in, 'cept she hit K-5...doh! 2 hands later and down to 2 BBs (we actually went to 2000/4000 blinds), I shoved 8-2 against her J-something...flop of A-A-J was enough to end it (barring running aces), so I take 2nd this week. One misplayed hand, but what can you do...I'll take my $25 gift cert and not look back.