Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sunbob In The End


Twenty-four players sat down this week to join in the fun we call Holdem Affair. I was a late arrival, slipping in as the tables were being seated but I was able to make it this week. And I’m glad I did because the crew was kind enough to let me win this week.

It took one hour and thirty-eight minutes to pare this group down to the final ten. Here is your final table as it was seated:
Bugman22j = 8200
Jillymae = 6880
Ghoundai = 4985
Msrinny02 = 4075
Spideytwo = 2850
Sunbob = 2225
Rshocker = 2000
Nutty = 1760
ThreesRWild = 1760
Marti = 1265

With the blinds 100/200 you can see that at least half the table was in rough shape. But this wasn’t one of those nights where we see people falling in the first orbit.

It was hand 15 before we saw our first exit. ThreesRWild pushed with 1535 and got two callers, Ghoundai and bugman22j. The flop came Kc Jh 6s and bugman22j pushed to force out Ghoundai. Bugman22j showed big slick and had hit top pair. TRW held pocket eights. The kings held up and ThreesRWild wished everyone a good night.

Marti was our next casualty. Hand 22 and Marti was down to only 645. Kc Jd is good enough to make a stand – and msrinny02 looked her up with Qd Jc. But the Qh on the flop was the deciding card and sent Marti to the rail to kibitz.

Jillymae met her Waterloo on hand 26. Only 840 chips as the stacks got thin and Kc 9c had to be good enough. But msrinny02 again was the meanie. Ac Js does well against a strong king and it held form this hand when the Ah fell on the flop. Jillymae had to settle for eighth place this week.

Hand 32 was a shocker as bugman22j raised to 600 only to have rshocker push for 3100. Buggy thought about it for a moment then made the call. Bugman22j turned over Ah Jd and rshocker proudly displayed his Kh Kc. The race was on. The flop brought 3d Tc Th and rshocker was looking good. But the As came around the bend on the next card and rshocker was toast.

Now we were down to only six. Nutty was short with 1110 and I wasn’t much better with only 1975. With blinds 150/300 and the 25 ante to boot, we were in deep trouble. But I doubled up off Ghoundai on hand 38 when my pocket nines bested his Ac Td. Then a big blind special on hand 51 strengthened my stack when my 3d 4d flopped two pair.

Hand 78 saw spideytwo double up off Ghoundai when his pocket deuces actually held up against Ghoundai with the over cards. That hurt Ghoundai leaving him with just 710 chips.

Hand 80 was a wild one. Ghoundai pushed and spideytwo re-raised to 5430. All folded to nutty who jumped in as well. Nutty had made an interesting play with a suited 65. Ghoundai had pushed with Qh 7h and spideytwo held the powerhouse 8s 8d. The board finished with 9h 2s Qc 7d Js giving Ghoundai queens and sevens, knocked out nutty and Ghoundai was now back in the game.

Then disaster struck for Ghoundai on hand 83. msrinny02 woke up with a simple raise to 800 and Ghoundai called to see the flop fall Qc 9h 4d. Both checked to see the turn 6c. Ghoundai bet only 400 and msrinny02 went along for the river 9c. Now Ghoundai pushed repping the flush I’m sure. But Rinny held Kc 7c and thought nothing of making the call. Ghoundai got caught in his own trap and was done in fifth place.

We were down to the bubble, paying only three with the small field. Msrinny02 was now our chip leader with 1045. Sunbob was second with 9510, spideytwo 8190 and bugman22j with 7895. We danced and sparred as is often the case on the bubble. I stole a few blinds and by hand 100 I was in the chip lead.

The tango party spirit was finally broken on hand 138. Three of us saw the cheap flop fall Qh As 8s. msrinny02 bet 2800 and I raised to 11200. Rinny immediately pushed the rest of her stack to make the call. Rinny showed Ad Td for top pair but I held another big blind special – 8h Qd for a flopped two pair. No more help for msrinny02 and she was done. We had our money table.

And I had a very dominant chip stack now. I wish I could say that it was just mop up now but that just wasn’t the case.

I did take out bugman22j on hand 141 when my pocket deuces held up against his Qh Ts. Good game bugman.

The heads up match went 47 hands. When we went into the battle I had a 27 to 8 chip advantage but that didn’t last long. I knew going in that S2 was a formidable HEADS UP opponent and by hand 173 he held the chip lead. But I slowly chipped away at that lead so that by hand 187 I had almost reeled him back in. I snuck into the chip lead on hand 188 and had spideytwo covered when we were dealt hand 189. Spideytwo raised to 2400 and I held pocket fours so I pushed. S2 held Ks Qh and made the call. Time to race. The race ended on the flop when it came Jc 7h 4s giving me the set, I thought. But the turn was the 9c and spidey had a gut shot straight draw. The river was the 2d and I was the winner.

It was another great night for the Holdem Affair. Thank you for the opportunity to get away from my working world. As most of you know, we are recovering from a major flood and my world has been consumed by the effort.

I hope I will be able to join you all next week. The diversion is very helpful to me. I hope the rest of you have fun as well.

Peace.

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