Bossbenzino for the Win

Bossbenzino joined us for the first time tonight and showed he could play with the old-timers. Welcome to Holdem Affair, Bossbenzino and be proud of that victory. It isn’t easy with this crew. Unionthug was the heads up victim. Glenso took third place money, Burldog44 and Sunbob (yes, that’s me) completed the money table.

Thirty-nine sat down this week and we still had 28 at the first hour break. Here is your leaderboard:
Glenso = 7355
TxBullet1961 = 4910
lisa1433 = 3250
Takechances = 2960
Jennifear = 2785
Idblondee = 2615
jdro = 2600
LazerRic = 2565
Amkaos = 2275
Unionthug = 2225

It took about 50 minutes to get to the final table. I had been struggling and just barely holding my own until we got down to about 14. Then I went on a rush getting 3 pocket pairs in a row and hitting sets on two of them. I knocked out two people in that rush and when we went into the final table I was the chip leader. Here is how we stacked up.
Sunbob = 11775
Glenso = 9325
TxBullet1961 = 8875
Unionthug = 7135
burldog44 = 5600
Bossbenzino = 4410 (watch this now)
jdro = 3940
Papoorboy = 2780
Holland13 = 2470
Big Lar8 = 2190

Holland was the first to fall from the final table on hand 5 when he pushed Ad Jc against TxBullet1961 showing Ac 8d. The flop paired their aces and Holland was looking good. But the river 8d was the deciding card. Holland had to settle for 10th place.

The action was fast early this week and on hand 9, big lar8 was all-in with Ah Qs. Unionthug made the call with pocket nines and flopped the set. That was all it took to send Big Lar to the rail.

The very next hand Bossbenzino raised and jdro pushed holding Ac Qh. Bossbenzino had no problem making the call with big slick. The board flopped low and the King was the important card. Tough luck jdro.

We were down to seven now and all had solid stacks. That made for some tight and vicious play the next 18 hands. Finally TxBullet1961 had taken a hit and was fighting back when hand 28 came around. With the blinds 200/400 and Tx only had 2910 left after posting the small blind. She pushed her Kc Qs into a Glenso raised pot. Oops, not quite good enough – Glenso showed Ah Kh. The ace on the flop was all Glenso needed to send poor TxBullet1961 back to the reloading bench in 7th place.

It was bubble time – paying five tonight. Papoorboy was the bubble boy this time. Twice on the bubble he ran into Unionthug with a higher pair. The first time Papoorboy had JJ and thuggy KK. The second time Papoorboy turned over pocket tens only to have Unionthug produce pocket jacks.

Thirty-eight hands into the final table and we were in the money. Told you this was an active table. Unionthug (25970) was in the lead with Glenso (12370) in second. Bossbenzino, Sunbob and Burldog were holding up the rear all with pretty much equal low stacks. The blinds were now 300/600.

Over the next ten hands the field reeled in Unionthug like the a Tour De France peleton catching the break away. Hand 48 was big. Bossbenzino was all-in preflop with As Qd and Unionthug made the call. Sorry Thug but that Jc isn’t good enough company for your Ah. The board went low and then the Qs floated down the river just to rub it in. Folks we have a new chip leader. And we have ourselves a race.

Hand 50 and I blew a tire. With the blinds still 300/600 I opened for 2175 in the small blind. Bossbenzino re-raised the minimum to 3750. I misread the min-raise as weakness and pushed for all 10825. But boss wasn’t bluffing. He was trying to tell me he had pocket queens. I missed that road sign and crashed short of the finish line in fifth place.

Boss was now in charge at this table with over half the chips in play. The others started firing at him, trying to take him down. Burldog was the shortest stack and on hand 58 he was in the small blind and Boss was in the big blind. Ad 2h is good enough for a push when all folded to the dog. And Bossbenzino showed he wasn’t going to back down and made the call holding Qd 8d. At first this might look a little bit loose from Boss but his chip lead would let him make that call 6 times and he would still be in the game. It was suited and very possibly both cards were live. I like the call. And Boss was right. The flop came 7c 8c 5d and burldog44 was sent back to the kennel in 4th place.

Those three battled for the next 18 hands. Unionthug was doing everything he could to catch up. He was up – then he was down – then he was up again. Finally on hand 76, Unionthug opened and Glenso pushed pre-flop with pocket sevens. Thug had him covered and made the call – pocket eights. Bummer Glen. And we were heads up.

Glen’s stack added to Unionthug actually gave thuggy the lead going into heads up. But Boss took the lead back the very first hand – then Thug took it back the next hand. We were in for a war and everyone could see it. Finally Bossbenzino took the lead and managed to keep it for a few hands. The momentum was shifting. But, wait, - no Thuggy just won a big hand and we were back to even. Hand 97 and they are even. Hand 98 – Boss wins the blinds. Hand 99 Thug takes them back. Hand 100 – Boss takes a 7450 pot and a bit of a chip lead.

Hand 101. The blinds 600/1200 – Unionthug raises to 3850, Boss calls – the flop is 2d 3c Qc. Thug bets 7950 and Boss calls. Hmmm – this is getting interesting. The turn is the 5c. Unionthug says lets go for it and pushes his last 11805 - - - and Boss makes the call. What have we here?
Bossbenzino showed Ac 6s. Nut flush draw and a gut-shot straight draw.
Unionthug turned over Tc Td. He had been value betting those tens. Looking a little shakey there Boss. The river was a club and it didn’t give him a straight – but the Ad did give Bossbenzino top pair and his first Holdem Affair victory.

Congratulations to Bossbenzino and to Unionthug for a great heads up match.
And to everyone else – thank you.

Peace.
Sunbob