Saturday Night Juice...

What a night! I won a couple of big hands early and was up most of the night... there were two turning points. In the first hand, I was in the big blind, Ron is the small blind. I'm following my cards in bound as is Ron.... Ac, As, 3s, 4d - and then there comes the fifth card and although Ron is tracking them in bound, before I can get hold up out of my mouth to Corey, Ron integrates the 5th card into his hand. That is the way to get rid of a hand when you get a crappy first 2-3 cards and since the likelihood of Ron not liking any first 3 cards more than I would, you know he's going to foul the hand given the opportunity. Damn, Corey... pay attention! I sit here weeks to get a hand like that and finally get it and I get a dealer that can't count to four cards and stop at the button. Yep... I was pissed. You factor into that the hand-by-committee between the Juice and his butt-buddy... p-Rick and you've got me NOT so happy most of the night.

Fortunately for me, my other big hands of the night involved the two most-likely-to-be-secretly-gay-for-each-other... Juice and p-Rick. The first one was well after I had busted out a couple of times and caught a hand of 2d, 3d, 4s, 7s.... the flop was a very pleasant Ad, 6d, 8d. The Juice had already raised pre-flop to about $70 or so with about 5 callers. When the flop hit, I could tell he was jonesing to bet so although I was in early position, I checked to him and he bets like $275 and everyone folds to Bill T who just calls. I am thinking that the Juice is probably drawing dead and with an "almost" un-counterfeitable low hand, I raise it up hoping that someone is on a crappy low and a crappy flush and that they might lay it down. Since I am relatively short-stacked, I push all-in for about $460 more. The Juice makes a quick call and after hours of deliberation, Bill T folds. I probably wouldn't have even seen the Juice's hand but I think he needed help figuring it out.... the turn and river were 5c, 2s.... giving me the nut low and a flush. The Juice turns over 2x, 3x, 3x, Xx.... sorry, don't remember the last one. His nut low was counterfeited on the river and I scooped.

The next big hand came just a few hands later when I catch Ah, 2d, 3s, 5d.... I'm on the button and Rick, the big blind pushes all-in for a straight $110. Keith, Bill T and I call. The flop is the 4h, 5s, 6h. Since its a low flop, I know there's not much chance of me bluffing my naked Ace of hearts but when Keith leads out with a $200 bet and Bill T smooth calls, I push all-in hoping to take it down right there. Unfortunately for me, Keith thinks that he has a hand and Bill T flopped 2nd nut straight. Keith deliberates and makes the big call and so does Bill T. The turn is 8c and Bill ends up making the nut straight with a 7x, 9x. Keith checks and Bill T pushes all-in for $550 more. Keith calls and he and Bill end up chopping the side pot and Bill and I chop the main pot.

There was one more juicy hand.... between me and the Juice. I think that Rick had already left by this point (its about 7:45AM) and the flop is Qx, 9x, 7x... I've got 7x, 7x and lead out with a $60 bet.... and the Juice immediately raises another $100. I'm thinking that I might be in trouble even though I am probably ahead right now. I was thinking that "most likely" the Juice has the top two pair meaning that if the board pairs it would give him the higher boat but I smooth call any way... the turn is the fourth 7x.... I could tell that he wanted to bet so I checked dark before the card came up. Boy, was I hoping that I had misread him and he was on the over-set. Since he is by nature, a four-year old girl and you can't count on him to bet into a hand drawing completely dead when the river hits. I lead out with a $200 bet and he just smooth calls with his top two pair. I couldn't believe it... he even made some comment about me being so surprised that he called. I was... I expected a big over-bet or a fold. So I turned up my quads and scooped one of the last pots of the night....

Oh well.... let the suck outs begin!