Weekly Update

Well, it’s been a crazy time at work and I’ve been neglecting my posting duties, but I’ll finally take a few minutes to recap the action from the previous week.

Dave’s Tuesday
A slow start, but it ended up being a very good night. I showed up late after a business dinner (and drinks!) at Angus Barn. After a couple small rebuys early, I fought my way back to cash out for (I think) around $2,100. The night (morning!) ended with Charles and I playing $5/10 NLHE heads-up for a couple hours. I always enjoy playing 2-3 handed, especially against a good friend, and I got lucky and caught a few nice hands at the right time. Although I won this battle, our matches can go either way.

PKR PL Omaha8 Friday
This has quickly turned into my second-favorite game of the week. It’s a great group of guys, and the action is normally fast and loose. The was a crazy night; there were monkeys flying around everywhere! Again I had a slow start, but ended up cashing out for around $2,400. I got rivered to lose half of a few huge pots, or it could have been closer to $5K. Knowing Omaha, I guess I should feel lucky I won half those pots!

There were a couple hands of note. In one of the aforementioned, I was in position with 2d-3c-5c-Qd, and the flop comes Ad-Jc-8d, giving me the nut low draw and second-nut flush draw. Though I obviously have nothing now, I’m happy with the hand, since I have a nice draw to potentially win both sides. Elvie is first to act and bets the pot, and Eli repots! It’s around $190 for me to call, and both Eli and I have huge stacks, so I know I will get pay-ed if my card comes. Elvie just has a little more than enough to cover the raise, so I don’t have to worry about a huge re-raise, and I decide to call. Elvie pushes in for another $30-40 or so, and we both call.

Of course, I’m thinking “low diamond, low diamond…” and POW - here comes the 7d on the turn! Eli checks to me, and since there’s a dry side pot, I don’t want to bet the pot and possibly lose my fish. I not only want a call now, but I want the second-best hand to pay me off on the river as well. I decide on a bet of $400, and get the call. I figure any card that doesn’t pair the board gives me at least ¾ of the pot, and most likely a scoop. Of course, one good turn deserves a river, so here comes an 8, pairing the board. Crap. Eli immediately pushes in for $900 or so, and I call with my nut low.

Eli turns over A-A, for aces full, and we chop the side pot. Now I’m hoping not to get quartered by Elvie, who was all-in on the flop, but he hollers for the monkey and turns over 8-8 for his one-outer quads! Wow, turns out there weren’t many cards that could’ve paired the board after all, but at PKR, like the PGA Tour, anything’s possible. Neither of them had a low hand, by the way…

There was another huge Omaha hand that I wasn’t involved in (thank God), but it involved Akash and Eli. Eli has A-6 in his hand, Akash has J-J, and the flop comes J-6-6. Let the fireworks begin. I think Eli bets the pot, Akash repots, and Eli calls. Of course, we are at PKR, so the case 6 comes on the turn. Eli checks, and (to his credit) Akash checks behind. If the case J on the river surprises you, then you’re not paying attention. PKR is basically Party Poker without the eye strain and carpal tunnel. They get all the chips in, and Akash doubles up through Eli. One-outer quads on the turn, followed by one-outer quads on the river. Talk about a cold deck! You’ve gotta feel for Eli, he has quads and aces full in two hands, and loses a bunch of money in both.

PKR NLHE Tourney Saturday
Not too much exciting to tell here, especially after Friday night. I didn’t catch many cards until we were short-handed, but won a couple races to propel me to a second place finish. The game’s all about timing. Three-handed, I got A-A, K-K, and Q-Q all in the space of about 10 hands, but didn’t get any action with them. I was going to try slow-playing, but I figured someone would get tired of me doing all the raising and push back. Oh well, no such luck. I got a little bored, impatient and hungry once we got to heads-up, and re-raised all-in with A-7. I was immediately called with Q-Q, and for once (unfortunately for me!) the best hand held up.

PKR NLHE Tourney Sunday
With the $60 buy-in and $25 rebuys, PKR turns into a veritable farm house. You can actually smell the donkey crap! But (being a poker player) I have a masochistic side that needs to be sated, so I usually follow my nose over there on Sunday afternoons. Most players seem to have a three-part strategy they use for this tournament: 1) Wait for a face card. 2) Go all-in. 3) Rebuy, and wait for another face card. If that strategy isn’t working, most will abandon step 1.

I got knocked out when I raise in position pre-flop with Kh-Qh and got heads-up with another player. Flop comes J-9-4 rainbow, and Other Dude thinks for a second and leads out with a very small bet. I’ve played with this guy 2-3 weeks now, and am reasonably convinced he doesn’t have a strong hand. I’ve got two overs and a gutshot, and even though we’re both relatively short-stacked, figure I can raise him off the pot. I immediately push in, and he goes into the tank for a couple minutes before finally calling. He turns over 10-8 for the open-end draw, and the 7 comes on the turn. Turns out I was ahead when the chips went in, and that was my downfall. Never, ever, get your money in good at PKR (even by mistake!). The motto there is: “If you hit your card on the river, you can’t get sucked out on!”

Off to Dave’s tonight. Tonight the plan is to finish strong like last week, but without the slow start!

See ya at the tables…
Rick