8/16/10 Dino's Poker results

Feeling pretty good about my game after quite a bit of playing last week, I head over to Dino's for the Monday night game. Share a few jokes/laughs with Kid Dave, Harry, Dr. O, and BBB (Big Bald Brad) beforehand, and boldly tell BBB that I am either going home really early, or busting someone out really early...I was just feelin' it. Errrrrrrr, or just clownin' around, I guess.

Get seated at a perfect table to start: From my left to right, I have Big Jeff and Slow Joe, then Andy, Black John (BJ), and Donald. There is only one person I have to be careful with (Andy) - and I have 2 people on my left that I can abuse their blinds liberally without much resistance.

Win 450 on the first hand with A-K against Andy, then bluff away and steal a couple of pots early on. At one of the last hands of the first level, BJ raises to 150, and with 2 other players in, J-8 looks beautiful given the price I was getting. After the flop I have a double-belly gutshot, and get paid off after I hit on the river by BJ's 2 pair.

The liberal bluffing continued, and this paid off handsomely when I bluffed 400 at a 4-5-6-8-Q board with A-9 (into a 600 chip pot), and get called by Big Jeff - I say, "Good call", and he flips over K-3!?! Andy and I are kinda speechless after that call...but thank you!

A couple of hands later I bust BJ out when my A-K survives his J-8 on a Q-Q-Q-3-Q board, and shortly after that Big Jeff is crippled by Slow Joe, which allows me to take him out next hand with the ever-popular Q-3 against his A-5 - Big Jeff had 1 BB left, and I was in BB that hand.

Volcano Ron and Nicole move to our table, a new guy joins them, Andy moves to other table, and we're 7-handed now, nearing our final table. I take Donald out when 6-6 beats Volcano Ron's 5-5 and Donald's A-Q, and after stealing a couple of blinds to get to 7600 chips, we merge to final 10.

I figure I am about 3rd or 4th in chips here, so I can be patient. Wait a few hands, then get a BB special of Q-3. Since it's a flush and straight potential board, bet out my made 2 pair and gladly take the pot down. The next hand, I see Joe is sitting with 850 chips in total (300/600 blinds), so I tell everyone that if it's folded to me that I will give Joe a chance to double-up without looking at my cards.

Of course, said plan goes slightly awry when Wayne-O limps in with who-knows-what. Q-9-6-8-9 board has been checked around, and finally I look at my cards to see a Q-9 for a full-house. Even a small value-bet of 1,000 gets no takers, and the table laughs when I turn over the full house.

We go to 7-handed, and I get to my high point of the day after Ron and I both bust Dr. O out with A-Q when O's J-10 fails to hit. Eric is out a couple of hands, and then the zaniness starts for the night...

Blinds 500/1000, Rachel shoves her last 2500 into the middle, and with 1,000 already in, a pretty easy (but crappy) call with 10-3 against her K-8. Rachel flops trip 8's, and doubles up, much to the consternation of Andy. Andy's K-K when short-stacked was cracked by Rachel's 10-3, so he was hoping revenge would happen...alas, it did not.

A couple of hands later I raise in MP to 3K with 4-4, only to have Nicole come over the top for 1000 more. Rachel calls, and I call, figuring that I am way behind here. Q-Q-9 flop is checked down, but I think I hit gin on the turn with a 4...bet enough to put Rachel all-in gets her to fold, and Nicole flips over Q-Q for the flopped quads - NICE!!!!

Slowly being blinded down by dead cards, but after Rachel busts out it's prize bubble time. Kid Dave sucks out a big hand against Volcano Ron on the river, and we get a classic outburst (at least his 2nd of the day) from Volcano Ron. Nicole, Cheryl, and I find the whole thing hilarious...better Kid Dave be the object of Volcano Ron's scorn than us!

I am cripple shortly after blinds go to 1K/2K when Nicole's A-Q crushes my Q-J...and Kid Dave takes me out the next hand when his A-something beats my 3-3 (all-in dark from SB) on the river - and I'm out in 4th place for 9 points. 36 or 37 points right now, and at this point I'm pretty much a lock to make it to the finale in a few week (40 is generally the number to get to top 10).

Nicole rivered a huge pot against Kid Dave to grab the chiplead, and never looked back to take out Volcano Ron for the title - congrats, lady!