Saturday, December 30, 2006

Coachstove in a Rout

The bowl games today may have all been close and decided right at the end but not the Holdem Affair tonight. Navy lost on a last second field goal to Boston College. I hear that Minnesota lost in overtime after leading by 21 in the third quarter. Even my poor Iowa Hawkeyes were in the Alamo Bowl until Texas’ last drive of the game. But Coachstove ran away with the Holdem Affair this evening. He led at the first hour break; he was almost double Rshocker when we went to the final table. And then he just dominated the final table.

The final results found Coachstove in the winners circle for his fourth Holdem Affair victory. Hazy Cat was the heads up foil. Mellow Yellow had to settle for third place. WillBeRich made a very good showing to collect fourth place money. And Rankdizzle was clobbered by Coachstove and sent home with the fifth place money.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to everyone and

PEACE

Sunbob

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Papoorboy in a Classy Finish

Papoorboy outlasted Houn in a battle royal of a heads up match. The heads up lasted for 80 hands. Houn started with a commanding lead only to see Papoorboy take it away. Then Houn took it back. At one point Houn disconnected from an Internet delay and Papoorboy showed his class by sitting out until Houn reconnected. Papoorboy finally prevailed for the win. This is at least Pa’s fifth Holdem Affair victory. I’m not sure if I am missing any wins from the days when there was an afternoon Holdem Affair.

Rshocker took third place honors and knocked me out in the process. I was glad to settle for fourth place. Burldog44 went down in a blaze to finish fifth place.

Merry Christmas to all of you. And may the spirit of this celebration brighten your week and your hearts.

PEACE

Saturday, December 16, 2006

A Den of Thieves

It was a den of thieves at the final table this week. Steal after steal, raise and re-raise. You had no way of knowing who was going to come out on top. It was ThePokerWolf. The Wolf howled tonight and prevailed over the tiger and a field of other sharks. DebiMac was at our money table but was getting the “diss” as she sat across the table with no one else close to her.

Forty-two players sat down for the Holdem Affair tonight. ThePokerWolf was our winner, with Sengar coming back from the dead after the first hour to claim second place. Slick63 was back in action and action he provided, with a remarkable recovery from a tremendous beat to finish in third. Divinetiger was up to his tricks at this final table, giving action as good as he got. And he got enough of the action to take home the fourth place money. Our dear, sweet, properly bathed DebiMac had to settle for fifth.


PEACE

Monday, December 11, 2006

Jewelcard in the Bounty on UB

Jewelcard earned himself a pay day in the 9:01 PM, - $6+.50 Bounty tournament tonight. I started watching him early on and finally tuned him in for real when they were down to 25. I started paying close attention when they got down to about a dozen and Jewelcard was in second place. When they hit the final table Jewelcard was firmly in fourth place. Then I watched as he climbed the ladder. First sgolfers09 bit the dust, then littlemf pushed a short stack only to be run down by the chip leader. Redonthhead9 was the next to fall then rplace succumbed to the escalating blinds. Salonka busted out in sixth and we had the final five.
  1. Tazman070 = 709125

  2. descott = 400655

  3. Jewelcard = 319630

  4. JoeBabb = 161070

  5. 79transam = 37020

Jewelcard was climbing that ladder very well when he ran into JoeBabb on hand 67. They were down to just four players left. 79transma had already fallen. Jewelcard was firmly in third place with 293530 and JoeBabb right behind him with 222690. The antes were 1600 and the blinds 8000/16000. Jewelcard opened for 80000 and JoeBabb re-raised all-in. Jewelcard held Ah Td and decided to make the call. JoeBabb turned over As Js and our good friend was in trouble. The table finished 6h 3c 5s 4s 8d, missing them both. Jewelcard was now down to his last 70540. He stole the next blinds for 46400 and it looked like he might climb out of the short stack.

On hand 71 he limped in with Jc Tc along with JoeBabb and Descott. The flop came Qh 4s 5d. Both checked to Jewelcard and he pushed his last 54540. JoeBabb dove for cover but Descott made the call and turned over Qc 5s. I can’t fault Jewelcard for his play and it took a very good hand by descott with top two pair to bring Jewelcard to his end. The Kc on the turn made it interesting but the river 6d sent Jewelcard packing. He had to settle for fourth place in this 1,085 field and a nice little pay out to go with the bragging rights.

Way to go Jewelcard. It is always a treat to see one of our own Holdem Affair regulars go deep in the bigger fields.

PEACE

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Annieboom Breaks Through for the Win

Annieboom broke through for her first Holdem Affair victory.  I’m sorry that I was not able to be a part of the action this week.  Holiday events got in the way.

Forty people sat down this week and it must have been another great night.  As I look at the tournament results I see that they battled for nearly three hours.  We had some new names in the field and some new faces at the final table.  And I see that some of the regular sharks are notably absent from even the top twenty.  Quite a night.

We paid five again this week.  Your final standings looked like this.
  1. Annieboom

  2. Bugman22j

  3. gjones

  4. CowboyWillie

  5. michele1024 (now that’s a new name)

  6. Nik Domi

  7. Houn

  8. HolyDuces (another newcomer)

  9. Stevob19

  10. Mellow Yellow

Congratulations to all of the final table combatants.  It isn’t easy getting there in this field and it is good to see new names showing up on the leaderboard.

PEACE

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Stevob19 Gets #2

Stevob19 posted his second Holdem Affair victory this week in a masterful final table appearance.  Actually, I shouldn’t imply he was just strong in the final table.  He was a force to contend with throughout the event this evening.  Glenso had to settle for second place for the second week in a row.  This is starting to be a pattern – Glenso at the final table and well into the money.  Jillymae (we dubbed her sexy jilly)  was the third place finisher.  I didn’t blow up at the final table this week and took down fourth place.  And we saw a new face at the money table, Purplesage rounded out the field.

We had a field of forty this week.  A good turn out for our little event.  We were down to 29 by the first hour break.  Here are your leaders.
  1. VictorDave = 5325

  2. Jillymae = 4490

  3. the Tiburon = 3940

  4. Stevob19 = 3715

  5. Glenso = 3550

  6. CowboyWillie = 3250

  7. Purplesage = 2850

  8. winforlife = 2660

  9. skippy2 = 2405

  10. slotcrazy45 = 2140

It took another 45 minutes to shed those extra 19 players to set the final table.  VictorDave fell on hard times in the second hour and just missed the final table this week.  I’m sure we will see him back there next week.  Here is your final table.
  1. the Tiburon = 8960

  2. Jillymae = 8500

  3. Stevob19 = 7350

  4. Glenso = 6490

  5. Purplesage = 5680

  6. CowboyWillie = 5410

  7. slotcrazy45 = 5165

  8. Sunbob = 4360

  9. Mellow Yellow = 4245

  10. SdBe = 1495

SdBe was our short stack going into the final table but had improved in the first orbit.  When we got to hand 13 he was still low on chips but with the antes 25 and the blinds 150/300 was just in short stack status.  But pocket tens is a good hand and when you need to make a play they are a welcome sight.  All folded to me in the small blind and I raised to 1750.  SdBe looked down at to see tens in the big blind and I’m sure he factored in that I could very easily be on a steal.  He pushed his last 2565.  I made the call because this time I wasn’t stealing with air – I held Ac Qc.  No clubs on the flop and the turn was no help to me either.  But I rivered the Qs and SdBe was our first casualty of the final table.  And I was now the chip leader.  But only for one hand.  The Tiburon took the next pot and reclaimed the lead.  But then I took it back on the next hand.  This was getting fun.

Hand 16 and CowboyWillie was down to 1635 posting the small blind.  Stevob19 raised to 1275 and Willie was holding Ah Tc.  He decided it was time to take his stand and pushed his last 1610 into the middle.  Good play but Steve held big slick this time.  That king kicker was the difference and we were down to eight.  

The action was fast in the early going this week.  Hand 22 and Mellow Yellow was on life support with only 305 left in his armory.  All in with ace deuce is good enough in this situation but the shark held Ad 9d.  Tiburon took this one down and Mellow Yellow had to settle for eighth place this week.

The Tiburon was back in the chip lead but only for this hand.  On the very next hand he ran into Glenso.  Glenso opened for 1100 and Tiburon called from the big blind.  The flop came 4h Tc Ac.  Tiburon bet 2525 and Glenso came over the top for all 8380.  The shark made the call and turned over Ad 9c for top pair and very good kicker.  Oops, Glenso showed Ah Kh.  Top pair better kicker.  Both had the backdoor flush draw.  The 5c on the turn gave Tiburon some more outs but the 7h on the river wasn’t one of them.  Glenso was now our chip leader and Tiburon was now relegated to sixth position.

Hand 27.  All fold to Slotcrazy45 on the button who min-raised to 600.  Stevob19 re-raised to 2275 in the small blind on the re-steal.  Slot made the call to see the flop fall low, 3h 4c 9h.  Steve bet the pot taking slot all-in with her call.  What in the world could these two have that hit that flop.  Oh, okay – slotcrazy turned over pocket deuces but Stveob19 showed his pocket eights.  The eights held up and slotcrazy45 was our 7th place finisher.  That hand put Stevob19 in second place. – Glenso was still our leader.

The field was starting to shake out now and tighten up at the top.  By hand 39 Glenso was still our leader at 14860 followed by Stevob19 with 13050, Sunbob 11545 and Jillymae with 10305.  Purplesage had 5180 and the Tiburon only 5060.

We battled for another 20 hands without much change in the pecking order.  Then on hand 60, Glenso opened for 2000 and the Tiburon pushed from the big blind for his final 5635.  Kd Qs looks good against a steal attempt from the chip leader.  You can’t fault our shark for the play.  But this time Glenso held pocket tens.  Isn’t that the classic tournament show down?  Mid pocket pair versus two over cards.  This time the pocket pair held up and the Tiburon was bubble boy.  Bummer Ti. We had our money table paying five this week.  

Hand 72 and the action is picking up now that the bubble has burst.  Glenso has a commanding chip lead.  All folded to Purplesage in the small blind who completed the bet and Stevob19 raised to 2175 in the big blind.  Purplesage pushed back for the rest of he 9685 and we had a race.  Purplesage with Ks Jd and Steve held Ad 9c.  The 9d on the flop would have been enough but the river added insult with the As.  Purplesage finished in the fifth place money.  Stevob19 was now right up there with Glenso.

Just two hands later, I pushed UTG with my small stack of 5340 holding pocket sevens.  Do you like the play?  I thought it was going to be good but Stevob19 was right behind me with pocket queens.  He re-raised and pushed everyone else out.  No miracles for me this time.  I settled for fourth place this week.  I’ll take that any time with this field.

We were down to three now with Stevob19 in the lead with 27575, Glenso held second with 22495 and Jillymae was a distant third with 9930.

Hand 87 and Steve is puling away.  Glen folded and jilly raised to 2025.  Steve re-raised to 6300 to test jilly who pushed back with all 8730.  Ks Qs looked good to Jillymae but Stevob19 held pocket sevens.  Again the pocket pair held up in this race.  Jillymae was our third place finisher.  

Going into the heads up match, Stevob had 41330 and Glenso 18670.  Glenso fought hard.  He is always a force to contend with in a heads up match but this week he just couldn’t get any traction against Stevob19.  But it took until hand 134 before Steve could finish the deal.  They were all-in with Glenso showing 7h 8d and Stevob19 holding &h 9c.  The flop hit them both with Ts 8c Qh but Glenso couldn’t get any further.  Stevob19 had booked his second Holdem Affair victory and for the second week in a row Glenso had to settle for second place.

Another great week of poker and friendship.  This is the highlight of my week.  What does that tell you about my life?

PEACE