Bugmann22j showed us how it was done tonight. He led the way after the first hour and was second going into the final table. Then he stepped up his play. I thought I had him in the heads up match but I just couldn’t get it done. Hyzer22 was third. Gjones survived a brutal beat in the first hour, at the hands of my quad jacks, to come back and take fourth place. Spideytwo put on a masterful demonstration of short stack poker to fight to a fifth place finish. Maybe it was just because I was at this final table, but the action was solid and exciting.
Forty-two players sat down to contest this week’s Holdem Affair. The action is heating up on these first hour tables. I laid a brutal beat on Gjones in the early action when I saw a flop holding pocket jacks. I hit my set on the flop and Gjones caught the nut flush on the turn. A modest value bet from Gjones kept me in the hand and let me see the case jack show up on the river. We were both all-in for the showdown with Gjones covering me by 250 chips. That hand doubled me up and kick started my night but it also defined Gjones’ night. But don’t feel too bad for jonesey – he battled back to make the final table. You will hear from him again before the night is over.
Twenty-three were still alive at the first hour break. Here are your leaders.
Bugmann22j = 8890
Sunbob = 6395
Maronie47 = 6080
MdnghtSn49 = 3635
Spideytwo = 3170
lisa1433 = 3080
Von Ebb = 2910
RipleyBP = 2760
Rocknfish = 2730
Annieboom = 2455
Oh and just to let you know – Gjones was already back to 13th place with 1510.
We seated the final table just forty minutes later. This is about the standard time frame for our little group but it is interesting to note that we are dropping more in the first hour the past few weeks. Here is your final table:
Maronie47 = 16210
Bugman22j = 9465
Sunbob = 7480
lisa1433 = 5540
spideytwo = 4745
Boat Flop = 4420
Hyzer22 = 4330
Gjones = 3385 (what did I tell you?)
Von Ebb = 3295
Agro = 1540
Agro came into the final table on the shortest stack and promptly ran into an aggressive and determined Gjones who showed him to the rail. In fact it only took 8 hands for Gjones to climb into second place, largely at the expense of Maronie47 to the tune of a 3050 chip pot.
With no antes yet and the blinds 150/300, even von ebb on the shortest stack had room to play with his 3290 chips. And play he did. Hand 15 and he got it all-in with Ah Qh against pocket sixes for Gjones. Double up time for Von Ebb and the field is tightening.
Hand 19, all fold to me on the button and I raise to 900. Gjones folded and Lisa1433 pushed all-in for 5240. I read this as a re-steal, most likely with a strong ace, so as I stared at my pocket fours I figured I was ahead. I called and was sick when Lisa turned over pocket eights. Oops, I misread that one. But the poker fates were with me tonight and the 4h bailed my out on the turn. Lisa1433 was gone in 9th place.
Hand 27 and the antes have kicked in at 25 with the blinds 150/300. Boat Flop opened for 1250 and bugman22j raised to 4400 taking Boat Flop all-in with his call. Boat Flop held pocket eights but bugman22j turned over pocket tens. The Td on the flop made it official and Boat Flop settled for 8th place this week.
Hand 44 and maronie47 is still the chip leader. Gjones opened for 900 and Maronie was the only caller to see the flop come Kh Kc 8c. Maronie bet 30 and Gjones smooth called. The turn was the 9c and they both woke up. Maronie fired 2725 and Gjones called with his last 730. Maronie turned over Qc 4s, guessing right that Gjones didn’t have a king but her queen wasn’t good when Gjones showed his Ad Qd. The ace kicker doubled up Gjones and Maronie was getting reeled in a bit. Hand 47 and Spideytwo rivered a king to double up through Maronie and, though still in the lead, Maronie was losing momentum.
Hand 49 and it was spideytwo and Maronie again going to the felt. Ace/queen again for Spideytwo and he doubled again. Spideytwo was now in second place and Maronie was now in 6th place. Spideytwo took the lead on the very next hand.
Hand 51 and Maronie fought back. It was a blind battle between von ebb in the small blind and Maronie in the big blind. The flop came Js Th 7s – Von Ebb bet 3450 and Maronie pushed the rest of her 6335 into the middle . She had von ebb covered but he made the call holding Kh Jc, top pair second kicker looks good on the flop. But not good enough when your opponent turns over 8c 9c and the flopped straight. Von Ebb was gone in 7th place and Maronie was back in the lead.
We haven’t heard much from Hyzer22 at this final table but hand 54 he made his presence known. With the antes 50 and the blinds 200/400 Maronie opened for 800, Hyzer22 made the call from the small blind. The flop came Jd Qc Kd. Hyzer22 led out for 2300 and Maronie raised to 9200. Hyzer made it 9310, all-in, and Maronie was happy to call with her Qs Jh. She had flopped two pair and was feeling good about her chances. But Hyzer22 turned over Ts 9s and had flopped the straight. No miracles for Maronie and Hyzer22 doubled up to take the chip lead.
Maronie lasted until hand 61. She pushed her short stack holding Kc 6d and Gjones called from the big blind holding 7d 5d. Interesting call Gjones. And an effective call when the board ends up 7c 2c Js Qs 4c. Maronie had gone from a very dominant chip lead to out on the bubble in 6th place.
We had our money table. Hyzer22 with 21260, bugman22j 13985, spideytwo 11910, Sunbob 8470 and Gjones 7375. I told you we were gong to hear from Gjones again before the night was over.
Spideytwo had been battling for the whole final table. He had been short several times and had been very successful in pushing his way back into the game. But hand 67 he ran into a brick wall. Hyzer22 opened for 875 and Spideytwo went all-in for 11860 holding pocket queens. This is the right play if you are going to play the aggressive style that Spideytwo had adopted. If you push off the other player you win a small pot and as freely as spidey had been pushing he could easily have gotten a call from a lesser hand. But this time he did it to the chip leader and Hyzer22 was holding pocket aces. Spideytwo had to settle for 5th place money this week. Very good game S2.
Hand 73 and Gjones opened for 800 only to have bugman call from the small blind. The flop was 9c 7c Jh. Bugman bet 2200 holding Qc Jc – top pair and the flush draw. Gjones held pocket kings and pushed all 6225 into the middle with his over pair. The 2d on the turn was no help for either and it looked like the kings were going to hold. But there were just too many outs still for bugman and the Ac on the river sent Gjones to the cashier to collect the 4th place money. Very good game Gjones – you battled back in amazing fashion.
We were down to three with Hyzer being the chip leader and bugman a close second. I was a distant third. Hand 80 saw that change in a big way. Antes 75 and the blinds are now 30/600 – bugman raised to 1200 and Hyzer came along for the ride. The flop came 6h Th 6d. Hyzer checked and called a 600 bet from bugman. The turn was the 4h. Hyzer checked again and bugman pushed harder for 4425. Hyzer called that as well to see the river Kc. Hyzer checked again and then called when bugman bet 13275. Bugman turned over pocket fours for the full house. Hyzer mucked his top pair. Bugman raked in a 39825 pot to furnish that house.
Bugman finished off Hyzer on hand 87. Hyzer opened for 1200 and bugman called to see the flop - 8h 3s Td. Bugman bet 600 and Hyzer raised to 4725 – and bugman called. Interesting – what have we here? The turn was the Ah, bugman bet 600 and Hyzer pushed 3095. Gee, do you think Hyzer might have an ace? Will bugman come along for the ride? Yep, he made the call and we got to see the cards. Hyzer had more than the ace, he had a ten to go with it. Top two pair. Excellent hand in this position. When you have more chips than the rest of the table combined you can gamble a bit and that is what bugman did on this hand. He turned over 9d 7c – the open ended straight draw. Quite the gamble Bugman – and it paid off when the Jd showed on the river to fill that straight. Hyzer was gone in 3rd place.
We were down to heads up. Bugman and me. You have seen my name much in this report so far. Actually this was a strange final table for me. For the most part I was pretty card dead and on those few occasions when I did hit a hand I couldn’t get anyone to play with me. I basically survived on timely thievery and the occasional made hand. But now I had my work cut out for me. Bugman had 52000 chips to my 10000. We sparred for 17 hands where I made on a very modest impact on bugman. Then hand 105 saw me get a hand. As Qh and I raised to 1200, bugman pushed back for 3750 and I thought – Whoopee – as I pushed my piddling stack into the middle. Bugman turned over Kd Qs. I caught and Ac on the flop and I now had the chip lead. Two hands later and I am looking down at a very beautiful As Kh. Good to see you slick. Let’s see if we can get some action. I raised to 1200 and bugman pushed all 30610. Well, we got our action but that isn’t quite what I had in mind. I like to be the one going all-in with slick, not calling the all-in. But, of course, you have to make the call in this situation. When bugman turned over Ac Qc and I saw I had him dominated, I figured I had this one won. I’m actually going to pull this one off. The flop came 5d 5h 8s and I was looking good. Then the turn brought another 8 and I realized bugman had gotten away. We were going to split the pot unless I hit an ace. I was disappointed but – hey – that’s poker. I’ll just have to get him on the next hand. The one thing I didn’t expect of course happened. The Qd showed up on the river and gave bugman the higher two pair. That was the deciding hand. I actually lasted eight more hands but it was done after that hand.
Great game Bugman22j and to all of the rest of you who I joined at the final table. That was one of the best played final tables I have ever experienced. The level of play in the Holdem Affair is truly amazing. We have come a long way in two years.
Peace
Sunbob
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