Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sunbob Wins & the gods Laughed

Well, I did it again. I won the Holdem Affair. This story should probably be about Red Barchetta. Red was in third place at the end of the first hour, I was in fifth. When we got to the final table Red Barchetta was in first place, I was in second. But when the final river card hit the felt and all the chips slid to one seat, that seat read Sunbob. I had won my sixth Holdem Affair.

Thirty-seven sat down in a scrambling start to our regular Saturday night event. Apparently there was some confusion as to whether or not there would even be a Holdem Affair this week. As close as 40 minutes before the posted start time, there were zero names on the entry list. But Marti came through for us again – setting up another great night of poker action. Thank you Marti.

I have often said that poker is a cruel, cruel game – and tonight the poker gods were laughing. This was a hard fought final table. But I guess I should have predicted that just by looking at the list of names seated in that circle.
  1. Red Barchetta = 10640

  2. Sunbob = 9070

  3. DaleT = 8095

  4. Msrinny02 = 7260

  5. Sengar = 7240

  6. Sajules = 3185

  7. Bugman22j = 3105

  8. Corn Grinder = 2750

  9. Slotcrazy45 = 2320

  10. Luckie in lov = 1835
That is an impressive list of Holdem Affair names. The final table lasted 182 hands - one hour and 15 minutes. Not the longest in Holdem Affair memory but up there with the marathon events. That is a testament to the skill that this event attracts.

Luckie in Lov was the first to fall when she ran into my pocket aces. Just two hands later Corn Grinder was all-in with pocket kings against msrinny02 holding Ac Qc. The Ah on the flop sent CG packing. That one had to have Felicitas and Fortuna rolling on the floor.

It was nearly 30 minutes into the final table and we were still at eight players. DaleT had been hit hard the previous orbit and was now very short stacked. In the small blind with only 500 chips left he pushed into the slotcrazy in the big blind. She held big slick and he was gone.

After this hand the top five were bunched up pretty good. Sengar led with 10370 chips followed by Red Barchetta, Sunbob, msrinny02 and slotcrazy with 8210 chips. Then I went on a rush and won seven of the next thirteen hands to accumulate 20595 chips and the lead.

Hand 69 and Bugmn22j was all-in posting the big blind holding 9h Jh and I was on the button with Ad 5c. I was the only caller to see the Ah come on the flop. Bugman was gone in 7th place.

The bubble lasted for 14 hands when msrinny pushed her h 6h and ran into sajules with a pair of queens. We had our money table. I was in charge with 23575. Sajules was 2nd with 16005, followed by Sengar – 7435, Red Barchetta = 5065, and slotcrazy = 3420.

Hand 98 I made the mistake of doubling up Red Barchetta. That got Red healthy gain and I was knocked down to second place behind Sajules. That play almost came back to haunt me. Just ten hands later slotcrazy doubled up through Red and he was back to a short stack and now slot was back in the game. By hand 120 we had ourselves a real dog fight. Sengar led with 14655 but I was right behind with 14480. Then came Sajules with 10305, slotcrazy with 9120 and Red Barchetta with 6940. With the blinds 400/800, Red was the only short stack in the group. But then Sengar lost his lead and was actually in 5th place by hand 125. This table was getting wild.

We battled hard. Swapping blinds and stealing whatever wasn’t nailed down until hand 144. With the blinds 600/1200, Sengar pushed his last 6900 into the middle. I was in the big blinds and made the call with Ks 9s. Sengar turned over 3s 3d. I caught the spade flush and Fortuna split a gut.

That put me back in the lead - - for two whole hands. Then Slotcrazy doubled up through me to bring me back to the pack. By hand 150, Sajules was sitting pretty with about 40% more chips than number two (me).

Hand 158 ended up being an important hand. I raised from the button to 3200 and Sajules called from the small blind. The flop came Qh 8d 2d and Sajules let me know she had part of that pot with a bet of 1600. she had me covered by just 200 chips so I pushed all 13070 that I had left hoping she would go away. But I guess I had bluffed her out of just too many pots this evening because she didn’t believe me this time. She made the call showing Ac 8c. Shehad a pair of eights. Fortunately mine was a semi-bluff as I held pocket tens. My tens held up. Sajules lasted two more hands and then I took her out when my Qd Th dominated her Qh 3d. Great game Sajules.

That gave me a large chip lead and on the very next hand I took out Slotcrazy02 when my Jc 9d caught a 9s on the flop to beat her 6h 5h. Red Barchetta and I were now heads up. I had 42380 and he had 13120.

I almost took Red out on the very first hand but he slipped through my trap and battled back. Five hands into the match he pushed all-in pre-flop and I was happy to make the call holding 8d 8s. Oops, he had Ts Th. Those tens held up and gave Red the lead. We swapped a couple of blinds and then he took a big pot on a re-steal to put me down almost 2 to 1. The very next hand I pushed on a re-steal holding Qd 7d. Red was happy to make the call holding Ac Qc. I sucked out flopping a 7c and doubled up. Felicitas was seen in the corner unsuccessfully stifling her chuckle.

The final hand saw all the chips in the middle before the flop. Red Barchetta held Kh Js and I turned over As Kc. The board missed us both and I took home my sixth Holdem Affair victory. And the not so faint sound of Felicitas and Fortuna laughing was heard in the rafters.

Peace.

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