Sunday, June 22, 2008

ManBearPig From Start to Finish

ManBearPig From Start to Finish.

It was a small group this week. Only twenty sat down to contest the Holdem Affair. But it was many of the regulars so the competition was fierce. Sort like how the WSOP must have been before the world discovered poker and it ballooned to needing three days to play the first round. ManBearPig jumped out to an early lead and was in the front the whole evening.

We were half way through the second hour and on the 106th hand on table #2. The blinds were 75/150 and we were dealing hand by hand. Eleven left and fighting to make the final table. Two folds and MBP limped. Marti raised to 300 and MBP made the call along with ThePokerWolf The flop came 4h 5c 3c. Wolf checked, MBP bet 975 and Marti pushed all of her 1425. What in the world did she see in that flop? Wolf folded but MBP made the call. Marti showed her pocket aces and now we knew what she saw in that flop. MBP turned over pocket sevens and we could see his reason for calling but knew he was behind. His only hope was another seven or a six for the gut shot straight. The turn came and there it was – the 6d. MBP had taken it in the belly and Marti was gone. Off to the final table we go.

Here is your table:
ManBearPig = 6335
ThePokerWolf = 4525
Verdoy = 3660
Bugman22j = 2885
Stevob19 = 2825
Burdog44 = 2100
DrippinDodger = 1440
Msrinny02 = 1345
Sunbob = 1320

It was hand 16 when Stevob19 min-raised to 400 and MBP re-raised to 1500. Stevob19 was all-in with his call. Steve showed Qs Js and MBP turned over Ac Qc. The king high board missed them both and MBP has his first final table victim. It would be his last.

We sparred to hand 37. The blinds made it up to 150/300 and I had actually climbed up to fourth place. This time four folds to MBP and he raised to 1050. Two more folds and bugman22j stepped up and pushed. MBP called and turned over Th Td. Buggy showed his A J suited in hearts. The flop came king high and all in clubs. Not the suit for either of them. The Tc gave MBP his set and bugman’s only hope now was another club for the split. But the river was the Kh and bugman22j was our ninth place finisher. MBP had claimed another.

We danced for 17 more hands and watched as the 25 ante kicked in. Then hand 56 we watched as MBP folded and Hazy Cat pushed the last 1060 into the middle. Burldog44 was the only one to rise to the challenge. Hazy Cat held Qc Jd and Burldog fired back with Big Slick in clubs. The 9d 4h 8s flop gave Hazy a gut shot straight draw but the 8h turned and the river brought the 8d. Hazy Cat wondered off to the rail in eighth place.

Just 9 hands later, hand 65 saw Verdoy follow three folds with a push of 585. All folded to me in the big blind. I had already posted 300 so I only needed to call 285. But I held Kd 3d. Well, I figured since it wasn’t even a full bet to call and after all I was suited – I had to make the call. Verdoy showed a pair of fives and the race was on. The flop came 2c 2h Td and it wasn’t looking good for this poor blogger. But the Kc came to my defense on the turn and prevailed to send Verdoy off in 7th place. That boosted me into 3rd place out of six.

For the next 15 hands, ThePokerWolf and I were actually reeling in MBP and making a game of it. Then disaster struck on hand 80. MBP opened for 1200 and I looked at my cards to see two beards starting back at me. The Ks and Kd had come to join me. Okay, what do I do? Many people in this situation like to smooth call and push a non-ace flop. Others recommend a push in this situation. With 17 bets in my 5070 stack I was not desperate. I had a bit of room to play post flop. But MBP had been calling pushes and I thought I had him this time, so I put it all into the middle. And I was right, ManBearPig did call and I did have him. He showed us the pair of ladies he had fallen in love with – Qc Qh. I finally had trapped him. I thought. After all I was an 81/19 favorite. But poker is a five card game. The flop came Ts 5c 5s and my odds went up to 92/8. He had only 2 cards to help him. So what turns up? The queen of diamonds. I was done for the night in 6th place and MBP had claimed another victim. More importantly, MBP now had nearly half the chips in play.

Just two hands later MBP eliminated msrinny02 when he called her desperation push with only Th 9d. The Tc 3d Td flop gave him trips that turned into a boat on the turn. Msrinny02 had to settle for 5th place.

Hand 84 and drippinDodger had a big blind special come his way when he saw the cheap flop hit him hard Ts Kd 3h to go with his Ks Jd. MBP played him like a fiddle as he lured dodger all-in and then he turned over pocket threes. MBP had flopped a set. MBP hung another scalp on the rail and drippinDodger was bubble boy this week.

MBP now has more chips than ThePokerWolf and burldog44 combined. It was really just mop up now. Burldog44 went down on hand 92 when MBP held Ah 2h and it turned into a flush.

ThePokerWolf had managed to stay free of MBP and his opponent eating ways but it only took nine hands to bring his end. Hand 101 saw another example to prove that this really was the night for MBP. Wolf had Ah Qd and MBP held Kc Th. The flop 8h Jh Ad gave wolf top pair but the Qs on the turn completed the straight and the night for MBP.

ManBearPig took out eight of the last ten opponents. It was clearly his night. But don’t just think that was all luck. We all know it takes a little luck to win the Holdem Affair. We see it every week. But it also takes skill to turn it into the win. That was ManBearPig tonight. Well played.

Peace.

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