Poker: Home tournament–December 2010

Due to work commitments, family occasions, sickness, the weather, etc it ended up with there being only 6 players for the final game of the season.   Whilst it was a little disappointing not to have more players for the grand finale, it did at least guarantee my third league championship in a row

Despite the reduction in numbers, there was no reduction in the quality or enjoyment of the Poker.   Early on in the session I got AKo in the Big Blind and re-raised Andy’s initial raise    With a raggidy flop, we both checked so I decided to bet the blank turn as well, which Andy called again.   The A on the river almost certainly assured me of winning the hand so pushed all-in and Andy called me with his A-T and I took a big pot

Karen and Sean were having one of their ding-dong battles, this time Karen had the advantage when the Sean got all-in with pocket 6’s with three tens on the board (for a full house) but Karen showed the remaining ten in her hand for quads ! 

The good hands kept coming, as my unpromising looking 5-4 in the big blind looked a bit more interesting on the A-7-6 flop.  Karen bet out small and myself and Darren both called.   The 6 turn wasn’t helpful but Karen was only betting  small still, and again myself and Darren called.   The 8 river was a great card for me, but as I was wary about a higher str8 or full house, decided to just call Karen’s bet , with Darren also calling.   As Karen and Darren both just had Ax  I took down another big pot and am clear chip leader.

At the break, myself and Karen have most of the chips, Andy, Darren and Sean are all fairly low.

It didn’t take long for Sean to get his chips into the middle on a K-9-5 flop and was in serious trouble when Jock called with K-x against Sean’s 6-5 (or similar)   Sean got no help and was the first out, but at least he got 3 points !

It was a tough battle after that, although having around 11’000 chips (average 7200) it wasn’t to bad for me    I had a bit of bad luck against Daren, when with K-3 in the blind saw a K-K-6 flop   It was too good to bet, and Andy, Jock and Darren also checked.   The turn was something like a 5 and again I checked but this time Darren put in a small bet which only I called.  The river was something like a 8 and decided to bet out 1000 into the 2500 odd pot, hoping Darren would shove his remaining 3000 chips… as it turned out he flat called, worrying I had hit str8 but his K-Q out kickered my hand.   

With the blinds at 600/300 my crucial hand of the night came.   I was sitting UTG with 3-3 wondering whether to fold, call or raise… this time decided to play as a draw and just call, hoping to get a good flop.  Jock plus Darren and Karen in the blinds saw the flop with me which came 7-7-3 !  can’t hope for a much better flop than that.   I was also gob smacked that Karen came out betting 200 into the 2400 pot, so was clear she had something she liked.   I was certain I was ahead (as didn’t think Karen would get quads twice in a night, and 7-3 was also unlikely) Deciding I was way ahead, and wanting to try and keep the others in, decided to flat call (with plan to shove to a re-raise or on the turn)…. sadly Jock and Darren folded.     The T on the turn wasn’t scary so was delighted to call Karen’s all-in of around 5000 chips, however was a  little saddened to see Karen’s T-T for a higher full house.   My one remaining 3 didn’t come to save me, so am now lowest chip stack at around 2000 chips

Couple of hands later I’m in the big blind so when Jock flat calls and Karen makes up the small blind, I shove all-in.  Turns out Jock was being a bit sneaky with A-A and the K-4-2 flop didn’t help my J-T and I’m out in 5th place !

Couple of hands later Andy is also out by Jock and we’re down to three players

The chip stacks are roughly equal and so it’s a tense tough game, with chips moving around from player to player.  

It took until the last round of play before Jock finally succumbed to Karen who had a commanding lead.   After a couple of tense hands, and with time getting short, Darren shoves with something like A-5o and Karen called with K-9s but Darren held on and doubled up.   

The stacks were very close and although Darren had more chips, the blinds were high enough that Darren had to win at least one out of the last three hands.  He picked the first hand to shove, Darren had something like K-9o against Karen’s Q-8s.    This time Karen hits a str8 draw on the flop and makes a flush by the river leaving Darren running on fumes.   The formality of the remaining hands was cut short when Karen won the next hand as well, knocking out Darren for the extra point

Wow, despite the low numbers it was certainly a tense, tough and exciting game… so well done to all

This games results didn’t change much on the league table, as Andy and I already had qst and 2nd sewn up.  Karen’s win and 2 knock outs took her to within 2 points of Steve W’s third place so was close call.

Hope everyone enjoyed the 2010 season and I for one am certainly looking forward to wiping the slate and starting afresh in 2011