Friday Nights are for Fighting

I figured, after Thursday's craziness at the Riverside, that Friday would be off the hook. Sure enough, the heat was building by 6pm, and the tourney hadn't even started yet.

I'd probably just continue to play cash games and forget about the tournament, if it weren't for the cash games dying out during those two hours. The 4/8 is such a good game that the only way I can justify moving to the tournament is due to it withering up and stalling until players start busting out.

I never had many good chips except during the first hour, and that doesn't really count, because any player is allowed to make a "dealers" add-on for $15 (the whole $15 goes to the house/dealers, none of it goes to the prize pool, so I opt out) and get an extra 2500 in tourney chips. Plus the one optional rebuy/add-on can be taken any time in the first hour for 5000 in chips. So although I doubled up the very first hand, I still wasn't exactly looking pretty.

I limped in LP with Q8s. I flopped a queen and the BB let me take the lead, choosing to check instead. I turned a second pair, which ruined my runner flush and straight draws, but nevertheless strengthened my hand. I managed to keep betting the pot until I got him all-in, which doubled me through. He had QTo and never even once took the lead in the hand. Shame on him.

I got moved to Glenn's table. A much tougher table and local line-up. I still managed to hold my own, but Glenn got busted out shortly after I sat down, with AJ vs. 44.

Tommy is a local guy made good. He had a good run at the series this year, and has gotten sponsored by Bodog. He is moving to Vegas, looking for houses. He worked at a new car dealership, but quit after the series and is going to make a run at pro living. He is a tad too loose, and likes to see a lot of flops regardless of exposing premium hands to suck-outs. He is a nice guy, though, and I have been encouraging him to hang out with the right people. Unfortunately, he already had an experience with John Bonetti and the ponies. I told him to STFA from John, and get with some decent human beings. I gave him names, and I hope he makes it. He seems so vulnerable to getting pushed around and screwed by the wrong pros.

I finally met my demise in the tournament when an EP all-in, a stranger, had AJs and I had AKo. He flopped his flush, and I was crippled from 20k to 3k in one hand. After that, I tripled through with A2o vs. the two blinds, but then was forced all-in in the big blind with only 9k left (the blinds had just doubled to 4/8k). I chucked my last chip in without looking, and had the lovely beer hand, 72o, which got no help against QJo.

I got right back into the 4/8 kill, not liking the line-up of the NLHE game at all.

A 2+2er came to town from Pasadena and was playing in the game. By the time we left, he'd taken his $100 minimum buy-in and ran it up to about $500 or more. Glenn said he was extremely fortunate to run into other big hands when he had monsters.

Glenn got drunk and kept talking about poker. God, I hate it when he does this. I told him, "Why not just divide your $500 among the other nine players at the table and leave?"

I ran my stack up to about $350 in the 4/8, then had consecutive beats a few hours later. QQ demolished on the river by 32, jack high flush beat by king high flush the whole way (he never bet his hand, he check-called me from the flop, go figure).

Maniac Mike was playing the whole night. He is the guy who was OOP and limped in the NLHE game, then called my $30 raise (with AA) on my right, with 64o. He has something missing upstairs. He is a California biker, and almost came to blows with the Iranian couple, if you remember that story. He was playing the maniac off and on. Completely unpredictable. He would run from $1000 stack down to the felt and then back again over the nine hours we were there.

I finally ended the day at 1am, with a stack of $340 (bought in for $200, lost $40 pre-tourney, made $140 post tourney). Here are my overall results.

Last night:

-$65 (Net Tournament Winnings)
$100 (4/8 kill HE)
=35 Net winnings for Friday, August 18, 2006

(Total saved for new car pre-August 15 $2500. Current total $2510)

Felicia :)