Monday 5/18/10 Dino's game

Another glorious Monday night (re: "Cold and rainy") for poker at Dino's in Ferndale...need a big push to get to the Top 10 in the point race for the final in a couple of weeks.

Start out with Eric, Volcano Ron, "Kid", and Jay on my table. Win a few hands early, go card dead for a little bit, but still have 2200 (just under original stack of 2400) when our table breaks. Get seated with Pat and Dan on my left, and Brother Bob on my right - oh boy, not my best arraingment.

Have to jam all-in a few times at 150/300 and steal the blinds and A-rag or small pair, but no bites in action. Finally, Table 3 breaks up, and Nicole, Bunnie, and Rachel come to the table. I win a hand out of big blind from Rachel after bluffing her out with merely a 4-3 flush draw in my hand after the turn. Next hand I get a much needed double up from Nicole when my A-J holds up against her K-J.

Nicole is knocked out soon after by Rachel, then Bob cripples Rachel when he flops top 2 pair and watches Rachel overbet the pot on a badly-timed semi-bluff (A-J vs. Ks and Qs). After this hand, Bob knocks out Rachel to set up our final table.

With 3600 chips to start the final table, I go into action quickly, as I re-pop over Pat's initial raise to 1200 with all of my remaining 3600 with A-10...whoops, Pat has A-J, and I'm way behind. Hit my 10 on the flop, and dodge the J to double up. Nothing remarkable for a few hands except for losing a couple grand in chips, until we go to 7-handed.

The hand (or at least, quote of the night) happens later on in 200/400 level action. I raise in MP to 1200 with 6-6....folded around to Farmer Tim, who limped UTG, and he calls (thinking 2 overs here...I never give him credit for much of a hand). Dream flop of 6-J-6 gives me quads, and I check the flop trying to figure out how to get all the chips in the middle. Farmers bets out 3000, and since I only have 3500 left at this point, I give the "Well, shucks, if I call I might as well go all-in here", and put them in the middle. Farmer calls, and the understatement of the year comes out of my mouth:

"Tim, hate to tell you this, but you're a little bit behind here", and flip over my 6-6 to show him quads. A couple players give out the loud "WHOOOOA!!!", and a few of the cash, errrr, "side game" players come for a peek and a chuckle. Good thing Tim doesn't get offended by much, and he takes it well.

I bust Tim a couple hands later, then Brother Bob proceeds to take out Eric and Slow Joe to get down to final 4 of Brother Bob, Me, Bunnie, and Sharon. Looking at Brother Bob's monster stack compared to the rest of us, I mentally give him first place...and try to play my way into second, and get max points, in the process.

After a couple of double-ups, Brother Bob finally busts Sharon, and we're down to 3. Steal a few blinds to keep alive, but run A-Q into BB's 10-10, and when 10 hits the flop, I'm pretty much dead...but I get a bottle of wine.

So far, because of 3 missed weeks on the season, I'm on the outside looking in - but only by a couple of points. Another top 5 finish, and I should be good.