Monday, June 26, 2006

Win's Warriors Anniversary Event


Friday, June 30 @ 9:30 UB time. Our poopyheaded friend Winforlife will celebrate the first anniversary of his private tournament. Win reports that there will be several prizes to play for. He has promised that all at the final table will be decorated.

And for the winner there will be a trophy - designed and created by HemiHenry.


I hope to see all of you there. Wouldn't that trophy look good sitting on my desk at work?

Sunday, June 25, 2006

D O DD for the Win

D O Double D survived an excellent final table tonight to post his first Holdem Affair victory. He was in fifth place when we sat down at the final ten.  But when the cards had all been dealt, it was DODD holding all of the chips.  Idblondee was his heads up victim.  Sunbob (yes that’s me) was third and deadmanshand and Ark Diamond completed the money table.

Forty-one sat down this week.  That’s a pretty big field for the Holdem Affair.  There was a lot of action in the first hour.  That isn’t always the norm in this event.  I had some success early and when we went into the first break I was leading the field with 29 still battling.  Here is your leaderboard.
  1. Sunbob = 5120

  2. d o double d = 4620

  3. Mellow Yellow = 4430

  4. Hemi Henry = 4155

  5. Rocknfish = 3430

  6. TxBullet1961 = 3050

  7. lowe48 = 2400

  8. deadmanshand = 2370

  9. LazerRic = 2225

  10. BareAce = 2100

As usual it was the second hour where the biggest action occurred.  We were in a race to see if we seated the final table before the second hour break.  We made it to the break with eleven and it was the first hand back when Mellow Yellow bit the dust to send us to the final table.  Here are your chip stacks – 2 hours and 13 minutes into this Holdem Affair.
  1. Rocknfish = 12895

  2. Sunbob = 12655

  3. deadmanshand = 8110

  4. Papoorboy = 7505

  5. d o double d = 5230

  6. gjones =  3830

  7. Idblondee = 3575

  8. ArkDiamond = 3170

  9. Hemi Henry = 2980

  10. fstbk65 = 1550

By now we were posting 50 antes and 200/400 blinds.  I guess fstbk65 decided going in he was short and needed to gamble because the very first hand he pushed UTG holding Kd 8d.  Not a bad play and it almost worked until deadmanshand made the call from the small blind holding 5h 5d.  Two overs and a clean flush draw for fstbk but it wasn’t going to happen this week.  Fstbk65 was gone in the first hand.

The action settled down then until hand 17.  Antes 75 and blinds 300/600.  All fold to Papoorboy in the small blind who made the aggressive play and pushed holding Qh 2d.  How was he supposed to know that ArkDiamond was sitting in the big blind praying to the poker gods that someone would do just that, as she was holding Kh Ks.  The Kd on the flop just added insult for Papoorboy and he was gone in 9th place.  You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as this very feared competitor was sent to the rail.

Just two hands later and gjones pushed all 2355 UTG holding Ac Jh.  D o double d called from the big blind holding just Ad 6s.  Oops, what have you done DODD?  The flop came Td 6h Qs and DODD looked psychic.  But the Js on the turn brought him out of his reverie.  The river came and those chips are going to DODD. What the . . . it’s the 6c smiling at DODD from the river and gjones was gone in 8th place.

By hand 36 Hemi Henry was all-in posting the big blind.  Rocknfish raised to 3970 to tell everyone – “Let me take care of this.”  And it certainly looked like it when he turned over Kd Kh and Henry only held 6h 8d.  But the 6s on the flop and the 6d on the turn said otherwise and chants of “cockroach” filled the chat room.

Hemi Henry survived to hand 43, when his Kh 4s ran into deadmanshand holding Ad 8d.  This time it was the Ah on the flop and the 8h on the turn that decided the hand.  Henry had to settle for 7th place.

We were down to the bubble paying five this week.  Hand 46 and with the antes 100 and the blinds 400/800, Rocknfish raised to 4200.  With 1800 in the middle before anyone bets – this is the time to be stealing.  Sunbob (yes, that’s me) pushed all 13105 on the re-steal.  I would have been happy with the 6000 chips in the pot but I also held pocket queens so I was hoping I hadn’t run into a pair of rockets.  It was As Qh that Rocknfish turned over and when the case queen hit the flop, it was all over for Rocknfish and I was in the chip lead going into the money table.

ArkDiamond was the first to fall in the money.  Hand 55 with antes 125 and blinds now 600/1200, she was down to 3850 before she posted the big blind.  T 9 suited was good enough for a push from the big blind with only d o double d in ahead of her.  DODD held Kc Js and the flop looked good for our shortnpretty friend, Qd 4s Ts.  The Qh on the turn only made it better but eh Kh on the river gave DOD top two pair and ArkDiamond was sent off to settle for the 5th place money.

That also gave DODD the chip lead.  Hand 58 was the killer for me.  deadmanshand raised to 2400 and I came over the top for 8300 holding big slick – Ac Ks.  Deadmanshand made the call holding Th 9h.  This is a good example of why they call the AK the “Anna Kournikova” of hands.  At first glance it looks like I am a big favorite but actually I am only a 59/41 favorite over the suited T9.  And when the flop came  Ts 9d 7d that 41% was good.  I was still in second place but this was the mark that my fortunes had turned this evening.

I actually went on a rush on hands 65,66,67 and took back the chip lead but hand 68 I had to lay down my KQ when the flop missed me and DODD took that lead back.  But hand 69 saw me with Ad Qd and I hit DODD for a nice pot and grabbed back that lead. We would swap it back and forth three times over the next 10 hands.

During this time Idblondee was catching up to us.  By hand 80 I was in third place and by hand 83 Idblondee had the chip lead. This was a war.  It was hand 83 that saw deadmanshand down to his last 2055 posting the 150 ante and facing the 1600 big blind in the next hand.  As 5c is good enough in that situation but when DODD holds Ad Ks it isn’t good enough to win.  Two aces on the flop and a king on the river for good measure – deadmanshand was gone in 4th place.

Hand 86 and I’m down to 13745 posting the 800 small blind.  DODD raised to 6050 on the button and I pushed holding As Jd.  I was feeling good about that push until DODD showed KK.  Oops – what have I done.  But wait – look at that miracle flop - Ah Jc Th.  A guy could get a concussion from flops like that.  All I could think was “no king – no king” and the 2d on the turn looked sweet to me.  And there was no king on the river either but it was the Qs - - - bummer.  DODD hadn’t hit his set but he had converted that pocket pair of kings into an ace high straight.  My visions of doubling up and getting back into this game were gone as I saw the screen pop up congratulating me on third place.

DODD went into the heads up match with a 2:1 chip lead and Idblondee was never able to make any significant gains on that.  Twenty-one hands later it was over.  D O DD was our winner.

Great game folks.  Another fun week of tournament poker with good friends.  I will see you all next week and don’t forget Winforlife’s Anniversary tournament Friday night.  I want a cap if I can’t get that trophy.

PEACE

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Fisherfries Is Back

Our old friend Fisherfries is back and boy did he show me how to play heads up. We were about 20 hands into the final table before I caught on that BareAce was our old friend and early Holdem Affair regular Fisherfries. Of course he had already busted me trying to steal his blinds before I learned who he was. When we went into the heads up match I had the chip lead but that didn’t last for long. He busted me again when I pushed him with pocket sevens only to have him turn over pocket Queens. If I remember right, he used to pull that chit on me before. Oh well, it was a real treat to see him again. I had to settle for second place money and deadmanshand took home the third place prize.

Twenty-seven sat down tonight to fight for the honor of being the best in the Holdem Affair. By the time we took the first break we were down to 19. Here are your chip leaders.
  1. Jennifear = 5200

  2. deadmanshand = 4755

  3. hawk39 = 4200

  4. BareAce = 2625

  5. annieboom = 2430

  6. goodtime chas = 2395

  7. TxBullet1961 = 2260

  8. bombadil = 2160

  9. msrinny02 = 2150

  10. shootist = 1910

It only took about half an hour this week to find ourselves sitting at the final table. During that time I had hit a run of outrageous cards and had climbed into the chip lead by the time we were down to twelve. I thought I would have the lead when we sat down with 10 but Hawk had a huge hand on the other table and when we sat down I realized I wasn’t the big dog after all. Here is how it stacked up.
  1. Hawk39 = 12920

  2. Sunbob = 6015

  3. deadmanshand = 3630

  4. Jennifear = 3265

  5. msrinny02 = 3155

  6. Saffron = 2525

  7. BareAce = 2490

  8. shootist = 2310

  9. TxBullet1961 = 2255

  10. bugman22j = 1935

Not a loser in the bunch and with the blinds just 100/200 there was a lot of room for anyone to make a run. Jennifear broke early with her aggressive play and it was working for her for the first ten hands. Then she ran into deadmanshand who had the boat to sink her two pair and the next hand he took her out. Very strange to see Jennifear gone that early from the final table.

With comfortable stacks all around it was hand 21 before the next casualty. BareAce opened for 600 and TxBullet re-raised all-in for 2055. BareAce thought for a moment then made the call with his pocket tens. It was the right move as TxBullet showed pocket eights. TxBullet1961 was our 9th place finisher.

Now the tournament play began. Blind steals, re-steals, bluffs and all-ins were the plays but very few show downs. One of the things I have noticed over the past few months is that this group is getting very good at going beyond just playing their cards and they are now playing the opponent as well. This is one of the most fun things to watch in the Holdem Affair.

It was hand 61 before the next exit. The blinds were now 200/400 and deadmanshand opened for 1800. Two folds and bugman22j is the only one to accept the challenge and he went in big with all 2545 of his chips. Bugman showed Ah Qd and deadmanshand turned over pocket sixes. The table missed them both and the sixes held up this time. Bugman22j had to settle for 8th place.

Hand 65 and poor Saffron was down to her last 260 chips. She pushed them to the middle holding Ad 7h. Hawk saw the flop and I came along for the ride in the big blind. The final table showed 6h Jh 3d 5c 7s missing Saffron and Hawk but hitting my Jd Td. I won the hand and Saffron went to the lounge in 7th place.

We were down to six and here was how it looked. BareAce was in the lead with 10495, Hawk had 9895, Sunbob was third with 8250, deadmanshand was 4th with 5975 and rinny and shootist were struggling with 3315 and 2570 respectively. My personal strategy was to lay back a bit for now and let the blinds take out the bottom two. I figured I had a chance then at the money as we were paying only three tonight. With the antes 50 and the blinds 200/400 it shouldn’t take long. But the cards didn’t cooperate with that plan. Hand 71 and I see the cheap flop from the big blind give me an open ended straight draw. A raise on the turn and I win a nice little pot from dead. The very next hand I have pocket queens and nobody wants to play with me for the blinds. Hand 77 and I have 9s 9h in the big blind. Three folds to Hawk and he raised to 1700. He had me covered but I couldn’t lay down those nines. I read Hawk for a strong ace and decided to test my read. I pushed all 8050 into the middle hoping he would go away. Hawk went into the tank and I thought my re-steal was going to work but DANG, he made the call. I felt better, though, when he turned over pocket fives. My nines held up and what do you know – I’m the new chip leader.

That hand hurt Hawk very badly and the very next hand msrinny took him out with her AJ to his KJ. Tough luck Hawk – second place to busting out 6th in two hands.

We waltzed all the way to hand 100 with those five players. The antes were now 75 and the blinds 300/600. Shootist was down to his last 1000 chips when he posted the big blind. Deadmanshand opened UTG for all of his 3295 and Shootist made the call. Shoot had Ac 7d and Dead held pocket Jacks. A jack on the flop was all it took and Shootist was gone in 5th place.

It’s bubble time. BareAce and I were the big stacks and msrinny and deadmanshand were playing short. Hand 108 and I’ve got Ah Qd. I raised to 1800 and msrinny pushed from the big blind for 3485. Hmmmm – I’m getting better than 3:1 to make the call and unless she has AA, KK, QQ I’m only about 60:40. Guess I’m priced into this pot – I made the crying call. My crying stopped when rinny turned over As Jh. No miracles for msrinny this time and we were in the money table.

The very next hand saw BareAce raise to 1200 and deadmanshand make the call. When the flop came 7s 7c 9s, dead pushed in the rest of his 3695 chips and BareAce called. Deadmanshand turned over 5s 4s and was on the flush draw. BareAce had pocket sixes. Dead missed the flush and we were down to heads up action.

I had the chip lead going into the match but it was only for three hands. I min-raised to 1200 with pocket eights and BareAce re-raised me. We were all-in before the flop and I knew I was in trouble when BareAce turned over his pocket Queens. No help for your sorry reporter and I was in deep trouble. That really was the deciding hand. I doubled up once but hand 121 was the final. I saw the flop come 7d 9s Kd and I held 5h 9d. Second pair is good enough for me in this situation so I pushed it all in the middle. Of course it was an easy call for BareAce holding Td Js, He had a double gut-shot straight draw and the Qs on the turn ended the night.

It took me about 20 hands into the final table to figure out that the newbie BareAce was really an old friend – Fisherfries. FF was one of the original Holdem Affair regulars and he has been gone for awhile. Good to see you back FF. And good to see you playing as well as I remember you playing.

See you all next week.

PEACE

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

SpideyTwo Trapped Them All

Our favorite super hero spun his super web and claimed his first Holdem Affair victory Saturday night. He showed he was the best of the thirty-six member field. He wrapped up Burldog44 in the heads up match. Hawk39 took third, and bombadil and so humpable completed the money table.

Way to go Spidey, it's about time another BTPer rose to the top.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Coachstove Was On Fire

Some nights you are just on.  The flops are hitting you over the head.  All of your reads are dead on and your bluffs are timed right.  Ever have that happen?  I think we all have – at least, I hope that has happened to you at least once.  Well, that was Coachstove tonight.  He was on fire.  He doubled up in the very first orbit and barely looked back.  His reads were amazing, he was getting good cards, and he was playing them well.  And when he needed to – he got lucky.  Everyone knows that if you are going to win a tournament there are going to be hands where you have to get lucky.  That is tournament poker.

Tonight Coachstove showed us how to play tournament poker.  He won the Holdem Affair and did it while he was playing another, larger tournament and cashing in that one as well.  He took down Papoorboy in the heads up match in the Holdem Affair.  Newcomer, Madhatter53 took third.  Hawk39 was fourth and Unionthug was fifth rounding out the money table.  Poor Houn was on the bubble this week busting out in sixth when Hawk busted his pocket aces with a four card flush.  Join us again next week Houn – it can’t get any worse.

Oh, by the way, this was an all male final table.  The question was asked if this was the first.  After some research in the archives, it looks like this has happened at least two or three times before but not since the April Fools tournament of 2005.  Now that is a testament to our women.  We have some great ones.  And they can play poker also.

We started with 33 this week and we were down to twenty-four by the first hour break.  Coachstove had dominated his table and lead the field.
  1. Coachstove = 6875

  2. hawk39 = 4410

  3. Glenso = 3755

  4. msrinny02 = 3370

  5. Hemi Henry = 2730

  6. bombadil = 2435

  7. ThisBods4U = 2425

  8. Txmom22 = 2335

  9. Houn = 2160

  10. ThreesRWild = 1910

During the second hour I was switched to another table so I’m not sure what happened to Coachstove.  Looks like he took a couple of hits though as he was knocked from his throne.  Another interesting thing happened – all of the women were eliminated.  That just doesn’t happen very often in the Holdem Affair.  Our women are very good.  Bu this week was an all male final table.
  1. hawk39 = 9950

  2. Unionthug = 6530

  3. Glenso = 5780

  4. Houn = 5245

  5. Papoorboy = 4845

  6. Sunbob = 4305

  7. coachstove = 4025 (there he is)

  8. Madhatter53 = 3595

  9. ThreesRWild = 3545

  10. Shmakal = 1680

The action started fast.  On just the second hand we saw ThreesRWild open for 1600 and hawk re-raised to 2900.  TRW pushed it all to the middle and we had a race.  ThreesRWild showed Jh Jd and held the early lead over hawk with Ad Kh.  But the flop brought and ace and the turn a king.  TRW was gone in 10th place.

Hand 6 and we are at it again.  Papoorboy limped and I came along as did Shmakal in the small blind.  Glenso raised from the big blind to 1400.  All of us folded to Shmakal who called for his stack.  Shmakal had Jc Ks and Glenso turned over Kh Ac.  The board went low ending up 4s 3s 3c 7s 6h.  Shmakal was gone in 9th place.

Hand 10 saw Glenso in second place with 8260 and Coachstove the short stack with 3350.  The antes were 25 and the blinds 150/300.  Two folds to Glenso who opened for 1000.  Coach pushed all 3325 to the middle and got the call.  Glenso held Ad Jc and Coachstove showed big slick.  That king kicker was the deciding card and Coachstove doubled up.

Hand 12 saw a big shift in the power at the table Papoorboy took on the chip leader hawk39.  They managed to get it all-in before the flop and hawk made the very correct play with his Ac Kd but Papoorboy had As Ad – the pocket rockets. No miracle table for hawk and we had a new chip leader.

Hand 28 and I got caught between a rock and a hard place.  Antes are 50 and blinds 200/400.  I have 4830 and am dealt Ah Qh.  Two folds to Papoorboy who opens for 1800.  I pushed all-in hoping for the steal but figuring I was ok if Papoorboy called.  Two seats to my left Madhatter53 called my all-in so fast I swear his chips beat mine to the middle.  How in the world he did that I do not know.  I knew I was in trouble now.  I may have talked Papoorboy out of the hand if no one else called but with a caller I knew pa was priced in if he had anything.  Pocket nines was good enough for Papoorboy to make the call and Madhatter showed his tens.  I actually had a 39% chance of coming out of this hand alive but the table flopped low and not in my suit.  I was gone in 8th place.
    
Hand 30 was one of those tournament hands that make you want to quit.  All fold to Houn in the small blind who just completes.  Glenso raised to 1200 in defense but Houn made the call.  The flop came 4c Th 8h, Houn bet 400 and Glenso smooth called.  The turn was the Ah, Houn bet 400 again and Glenso pushed for 2210.  Okay Houn – is this a bluff repping the ace or does he have you beat?  Houn held 9s 7h – a straight draw.  Houn must have read it as a bluff because he made the call.  Almost right Houn – Glenso turned over pocket fives.  By my count Houn still had 14 outs and it only took the 9c to show up on the river to send Glenso packing in 7th place.

Hand 41 and Coachstove starts his charge.  A 7000 chips pot with AK battered Madhatter.  Then hand 50.  All-in when the flop came 5d Jc 8d.  Hawk39 held Kc Jd but Coachstove had pocket aces.  The turn was the 8d and the river the 9d.  Wait a minute, that 11400 chip pot is going to hawk.  Wow, he hit the flush.  Coachstove was down to just 4875 with the blinds 400/800.

Just three hands later Houn takes Coach all-in on the turn showing 8h 2s As Ks.  An amazing call when Coachstove turned over Kh Qc to Houn with Kc Tc.  Coach has doubled up.  

Hand 69 and Houn is all-in with his short stack of 2010 against Hawk39 holding Ah Qc.  The flop brought the Qh but Houn was still looking good.  But the river brought a third queen and Houn was gone on the bubble.

Hand 71 and Unionthug finally succumbed to the blind aggression and settled for 5th place money.

We were down to four and Coachstove was in the lead with 13095 but Papoorboy was 4th with 11815 so I would say they were all even.  Blinds 400/800 and it was time to go to war.

They danced – exchanging small pots for the next 15 hands.  Then on hand 86 hawk challenged coachstove’s raise with an all-in push.  Hawk got caught this time because Coachstove called with pocket kings.  Hawk was gone in 4th place.  Coachstove started to pull away now by taking 4 of the next five hands.

But Papoorboy never goes down without a fight.  Hand 97 and Madhater pushes all in the middle only to see Papoorboy make the call.  Hater had pocket sixes and Papoorboy two over cards Kd Jh.  A classic tournament race.  The Kc came quickly on the flop and Madhatter was gone in 3rd place.  We were going into the heads up match virtually even in chips.

700 chips gave Coachstove the lead.  With the blinds set at 600/1200 that lead was in name only.  They literally took turns taking pots for the next seven hands and Papoorboy had taken the chip lead.  Then hand 105 found all the chips in the middle with coachstove’s life on the line.  Kd 9h looked a little thin against Jd Js.  But when you are hot the flop hits you and this time it was the Kh that made the scene.

The very next hand and Papoorboy pushed with Kh Td.  Good hand Papoorboy but you were up against 8d 8c.  Those eights were enough for Coachstove to post his fourth Holdem Affair victory.

Great game Coachstove and all of the rest of you.

Peace.