Coachstove Was On Fire

Some nights you are just on.  The flops are hitting you over the head.  All of your reads are dead on and your bluffs are timed right.  Ever have that happen?  I think we all have – at least, I hope that has happened to you at least once.  Well, that was Coachstove tonight.  He was on fire.  He doubled up in the very first orbit and barely looked back.  His reads were amazing, he was getting good cards, and he was playing them well.  And when he needed to – he got lucky.  Everyone knows that if you are going to win a tournament there are going to be hands where you have to get lucky.  That is tournament poker.

Tonight Coachstove showed us how to play tournament poker.  He won the Holdem Affair and did it while he was playing another, larger tournament and cashing in that one as well.  He took down Papoorboy in the heads up match in the Holdem Affair.  Newcomer, Madhatter53 took third.  Hawk39 was fourth and Unionthug was fifth rounding out the money table.  Poor Houn was on the bubble this week busting out in sixth when Hawk busted his pocket aces with a four card flush.  Join us again next week Houn – it can’t get any worse.

Oh, by the way, this was an all male final table.  The question was asked if this was the first.  After some research in the archives, it looks like this has happened at least two or three times before but not since the April Fools tournament of 2005.  Now that is a testament to our women.  We have some great ones.  And they can play poker also.

We started with 33 this week and we were down to twenty-four by the first hour break.  Coachstove had dominated his table and lead the field.

1. Coachstove = 6875


2. hawk39 = 4410


3. Glenso = 3755


4. msrinny02 = 3370


5. Hemi Henry = 2730


6. bombadil = 2435


7. ThisBods4U = 2425


8. Txmom22 = 2335


9. Houn = 2160


10. ThreesRWild = 1910

During the second hour I was switched to another table so I’m not sure what happened to Coachstove.  Looks like he took a couple of hits though as he was knocked from his throne.  Another interesting thing happened – all of the women were eliminated.  That just doesn’t happen very often in the Holdem Affair.  Our women are very good.  Bu this week was an all male final table.

1. hawk39 = 9950


2. Unionthug = 6530


3. Glenso = 5780


4. Houn = 5245


5. Papoorboy = 4845


6. Sunbob = 4305


7. coachstove = 4025 (there he is)


8. Madhatter53 = 3595


9. ThreesRWild = 3545


10. Shmakal = 1680

The action started fast.  On just the second hand we saw ThreesRWild open for 1600 and hawk re-raised to 2900.  TRW pushed it all to the middle and we had a race.  ThreesRWild showed Jh Jd and held the early lead over hawk with Ad Kh.  But the flop brought and ace and the turn a king.  TRW was gone in 10th place.

Hand 6 and we are at it again.  Papoorboy limped and I came along as did Shmakal in the small blind.  Glenso raised from the big blind to 1400.  All of us folded to Shmakal who called for his stack.  Shmakal had Jc Ks and Glenso turned over Kh Ac.  The board went low ending up 4s 3s 3c 7s 6h.  Shmakal was gone in 9th place.

Hand 10 saw Glenso in second place with 8260 and Coachstove the short stack with 3350.  The antes were 25 and the blinds 150/300.  Two folds to Glenso who opened for 1000.  Coach pushed all 3325 to the middle and got the call.  Glenso held Ad Jc and Coachstove showed big slick.  That king kicker was the deciding card and Coachstove doubled up.

Hand 12 saw a big shift in the power at the table Papoorboy took on the chip leader hawk39.  They managed to get it all-in before the flop and hawk made the very correct play with his Ac Kd but Papoorboy had As Ad – the pocket rockets. No miracle table for hawk and we had a new chip leader.

Hand 28 and I got caught between a rock and a hard place.  Antes are 50 and blinds 200/400.  I have 4830 and am dealt Ah Qh.  Two folds to Papoorboy who opens for 1800.  I pushed all-in hoping for the steal but figuring I was ok if Papoorboy called.  Two seats to my left Madhatter53 called my all-in so fast I swear his chips beat mine to the middle.  How in the world he did that I do not know.  I knew I was in trouble now.  I may have talked Papoorboy out of the hand if no one else called but with a caller I knew pa was priced in if he had anything.  Pocket nines was good enough for Papoorboy to make the call and Madhatter showed his tens.  I actually had a 39% chance of coming out of this hand alive but the table flopped low and not in my suit.  I was gone in 8th place.
    
Hand 30 was one of those tournament hands that make you want to quit.  All fold to Houn in the small blind who just completes.  Glenso raised to 1200 in defense but Houn made the call.  The flop came 4c Th 8h, Houn bet 400 and Glenso smooth called.  The turn was the Ah, Houn bet 400 again and Glenso pushed for 2210.  Okay Houn – is this a bluff repping the ace or does he have you beat?  Houn held 9s 7h – a straight draw.  Houn must have read it as a bluff because he made the call.  Almost right Houn – Glenso turned over pocket fives.  By my count Houn still had 14 outs and it only took the 9c to show up on the river to send Glenso packing in 7th place.

Hand 41 and Coachstove starts his charge.  A 7000 chips pot with AK battered Madhatter.  Then hand 50.  All-in when the flop came 5d Jc 8d.  Hawk39 held Kc Jd but Coachstove had pocket aces.  The turn was the 8d and the river the 9d.  Wait a minute, that 11400 chip pot is going to hawk.  Wow, he hit the flush.  Coachstove was down to just 4875 with the blinds 400/800.

Just three hands later Houn takes Coach all-in on the turn showing 8h 2s As Ks.  An amazing call when Coachstove turned over Kh Qc to Houn with Kc Tc.  Coach has doubled up.  

Hand 69 and Houn is all-in with his short stack of 2010 against Hawk39 holding Ah Qc.  The flop brought the Qh but Houn was still looking good.  But the river brought a third queen and Houn was gone on the bubble.

Hand 71 and Unionthug finally succumbed to the blind aggression and settled for 5th place money.

We were down to four and Coachstove was in the lead with 13095 but Papoorboy was 4th with 11815 so I would say they were all even.  Blinds 400/800 and it was time to go to war.

They danced – exchanging small pots for the next 15 hands.  Then on hand 86 hawk challenged coachstove’s raise with an all-in push.  Hawk got caught this time because Coachstove called with pocket kings.  Hawk was gone in 4th place.  Coachstove started to pull away now by taking 4 of the next five hands.

But Papoorboy never goes down without a fight.  Hand 97 and Madhater pushes all in the middle only to see Papoorboy make the call.  Hater had pocket sixes and Papoorboy two over cards Kd Jh.  A classic tournament race.  The Kc came quickly on the flop and Madhatter was gone in 3rd place.  We were going into the heads up match virtually even in chips.

700 chips gave Coachstove the lead.  With the blinds set at 600/1200 that lead was in name only.  They literally took turns taking pots for the next seven hands and Papoorboy had taken the chip lead.  Then hand 105 found all the chips in the middle with coachstove’s life on the line.  Kd 9h looked a little thin against Jd Js.  But when you are hot the flop hits you and this time it was the Kh that made the scene.

The very next hand and Papoorboy pushed with Kh Td.  Good hand Papoorboy but you were up against 8d 8c.  Those eights were enough for Coachstove to post his fourth Holdem Affair victory.

Great game Coachstove and all of the rest of you.

Peace.