Coachstove Returns

Coachstove hasn’t been with us for awhile but tonight he stopped by just to remind us that he still knew how to play.  No, I really shouldn’t say that – it sounds like he was being cocky and any one who knows coach knows he is a pleasure to have in the tournament.  He is one of the early regulars but he has been away for awhile playing at Bodog (boooooooooooo).  Coachstove has logged two other Holdem Affair titles and tonight he added another to his trophy case.  Stevob19 finished second and Jennifear third.  Mellow Yellow and Glenso rounded out the money table.

It was a real treat to have Coachstove back again.  Maybe he will be able to join us some more this coming year.

Thirty-four people entered the Affair this week.  This was a small but strong field with several who have been showing their skills in the big tournaments on UB this month.   I made it to 14th again this week.  DebiMac doubled up through me early in the second hour and I just didn’t recover.  Oh well, I’ll be back in the next one.

The final table was seated just before the second hour break.  Here are your leaders:

1. Jennifear = 7380


2. coachstove = 7205


3. Glenso = 7075


4. Tai pan = 6255


5. Hemi Henry = 5800


6. LazerRic = 5180


7. Stevob19 = 4595


8. onelunatik = 4180


9. Jewelcard = 1980


10. Mellow Yellow = 1350

The stacks were solid and no one really desperate when the final table was seated.  It was the fourth hand though, when Stevob19 went all-in and Jewelcard looked him up with his pocket sixes.  Oops, Stevob19 held pocket nines and then a nine came on the flop.  Jewelcard was done in 10th place.

Hand 13 saw onelunatik make the push on the river.  He held 6s 4s and the board showed 3d Kd 3s 5c Ac.  It was a total bluff when the ace fell on the river but Mellow Yellow had come along to that same river holding an ace and onelunatik was gone in 9th place.

Hand 21 and Tai pan was very short going all-in for his last 355 chips holding Ac 4s.  Coachstove held Ks Kh and that was all it took.  A king on the flop was only window dressing.  The Pacific Islander had to settle for 8th place.

Hand 33, Coachstove in the small blind and Hemi Henry in the big blind saw a cheap flop come 9h Ts 9c.  Coachstove checked and Henry just mini bet 600.  The turn added the 4s.  Coach checked again and Henry pushed his 1800 chips to the middle.  He held Jc Td and figured his two pair were good.  But Coachstove held 9s Th and was trapping with the flopped full house.  No miracle ten on the river and Hemi Henry settled for 7th place.

The bubble lasted 15 hands until LazerRic and Jennifear saw a cheap flop -  7c 3s 9c.  It looked pretty ragged to me but LazerRic seemed to like it when he bet 3000.  Jennifear pushed back all-in for 7700 and LazerRic made the call.  Not a bad play.  Jenny had been pushing the table around, which is her style.  In fact she and coachstove had been battling for table dominance almost from the first hand.  But this time Jennifear held Kh 9h and Ric was done for the night.

We were down to the money table with Jennifear in the chip lead and Coachstove close behind.  Stevob19 was the short stack but took 4 of the next six hands to actually take the chip lead by hand 55.  Coachstove raised to 200 UTG on that hand and Glenso fired back with his last 4695 holding Kc Qd.  Coachstove thought about it but he was holding As Qs ands figured it was a good call.  When the flop came 3h Ad Jh Coach was golden.  Glenso was sent to the lounge with fifth place money.

Stevob, Coach and Jenny traded chips around for the next few hands until Mellow Yellow woke in hand 62 with Ac 8s.  Jennifear had no respect for his pre-flop raise and pushed back taking M Y all-in before the flop even hit the table.  Jennifear had Ad 9h and that was all it took.  The 9h on the turn just reinforced the result.  Mellow Yellow was out in 4th place.

When we got down to three the stacks were pretty even.  Jenny had 19K, coach 15k and Steve 15k.  The battle was on.  The very next hand Stevob19 tried a play and coachstove pushed back and won the hand, but it cost Steve 9000 chips.  From there it was a battle between Jenny and coach for control of the board.

This battle ended on hand 72.  Jenny raised to 2400 pre-flop and Coach fired back for 6200.  Jennifear pulled out the heavy artillery and pushed all-in.  Coach made the call.  Jenny held Ac Kh and Coachstove showed Ah Qs.  This was an interesting hand.  Before the flop Jenny was  a 3:1 favorite.  The flop came Jh 5h 9h.  Coach now had a flush draw and the odds changed to 59:41 for Jenny.  The turn was the Tc adding a straight draw for Coachstove.  But the odds looked better for Jenny with just one card to go 68:32.  The Kd on the river hit them both.  Jenny had top pair but Coachstove had the straight.  Jennifear was gone in 3rd place.

With a 10:1 chip lead it just took Coachstove three hands to finish this tournament.  Stevob19 really needed some cards to come back and they didn’t come for him.  

Another great night.  I know, I know – I say that each week.  But am I wrong?  Isn’t this one of the best ways to spend a Saturday Night?  Good friends and good competition, isn’t that enough for you?  Well if that alone isn’t enough of a reason to play each week then remember that this tournament is turning out some very good players who are having success in the big events on UB.  If you can play in the Holdem Affair you can play in the biggest tournaments offered.

Merry Christmas and PEACE.

Sunbob