Well, at my home game Friday night, we not only had a straight flush, but quad aces too! Not only that, but when the first tournament got to heads up, there were three all ins, and the underdog sucked out all three times! Action flops, big hands, I'm telling you, it's gotta be rigged!
Seriously though, I've enjoyed reading some other stories, so while I don't remember too many hands from Friday, here's my feeble attempt.
Our typical tournament nights consist of 6-8 players, 20 buy in. T2000, 15 min. blinds starting at 25-25, 25-50, 50-100, etc. Basic Foxwoods structure. It's not that much of a crapshoot as that may seem. Tournaments last 2-3 hours, and we typcially play 3 a night. My players like this set up.
A couple times a year I'll have T5000 tournaments with 30 minute blinds. I'm planning a WSOP type event for June, with T10,000, 45 min. to 1 hour blinds, starting at 25-50. Probably 16 players.
Anyways, this night we have 8 for the first game. I draw seat 8, and have a solid unimaginative player on my right. On my left in seat 1 is a punk kid who beat me heads up last fall, and hasn't come too often. He typcially is able to build a large chip lead early, but often manages to piss it away before the bubble. I'm my typcial tight self in the beginning, and don't see too many flops. One hand I remember is I have 83 s00ted in the BB. A good/deceptive player in seat 4 min raises. Two calles, I'm feeling frisky and decide to call. Flop is K53. One or two hearts (my soot). 3 checks to the min raiser, and he leads out with a huge bet, overbetting the pot. This seems fishy to me, and when it's folded to me, I ask him if he likes his K that much. His answer tells me he doesn't have a K, and I have a good feeling he's making a move. I am tempted to reraise him all in. I'm about 90% sure, and almost do it, but it's early and it is the first tournament too. Well, I fold and he ends up showing 22. So I'm happy with my read at least.
Now blinds are up to 50-100, I'm in the BB again. Two limpers, and the small blind completes. I see my 95o, and check. Flop comes 678 rainbow. Okay, what to do. Strong unimaginative on my right leads out with 300. He'd slowplay T9, and I know he'd expect me to slowplay a str8. With only 2 limpers, I don't expect anyone else to call if I do, so I reraise another 500. He reraises all in, and I happily call and flip my cards over. I guess I flipped them over real fast, like that hot french chick fast from the Ladies of Poker II WTP event. Everyone was commenting on my call and quick flip the rest of the night. Well, he had 87 for top two, and doesn't hit his four outer. The kid on my left is now moaning. Great, you had to double *him* up and make him the big stack. Heh. I guess everyone doesn't like my aggressive big stack play. That's a good thing.
Well, again I don't remember much, but soon me and the kid have big stacks, and two others are left with small stacks. They both get knocked out, and it's heads up. Now this kid puts on the definition of weak-tight, and is often folding on the button! He's getting angry at his cards, while I'm raising with 92 and picking up the blinds. Pretty straight forward, he raises or reraises me, he's pretty strong. He gets more frustrated, and I see AQo on the button. I'm now have him outstacked by about 2.5:1. I only limp and he pushes. I call and he flips A6o. All is well until the river when he spikes his 6. I try and take it pretty well, and just move on to the next hand. A couple people mentioned that I looked upset though, so I have to work on that a little more. Next memorable hand I have A5s, and limp from the button to slowplay. He checks, so I know he's weak. This is the first flop we've seen in a while. Jxx, and I have a backdoor flush. He checks and I push. He thinks for a while and calls with J2. Well, I make my runner runner frush, and he's short stacked again. I get 55 in the BB, and he min raises. Blinds were 500-1000, and only 16000 on the table. I reraise all in and he calls with QQ. Oops. But my miracle flop includes one of my two fives, and I pick up the first tourney.
Second game had me limp chasing with suited connectors quite a bit, and I'm down to 1200 when blinds are 75-150. BB yet again, but I have cowboys. 3 other limpers, and I have the option of slowplaying and seeing a free flop to make sure no A comes. Well, it's a good pot, so I raise another 600. I get one caller who debated a while before throwing his chips in. Flop is Axx, two spades. One of my cards is Ks. I'm probably beat now, but he could be playing a smaller PP. I'm not in the mood to play ultra short stacked, so I just lead out for my 450 more, and he calls and shows his A7. From first to worst. We got a late start, so only played 2 tournaments that night. Ah well, that gave me time to start inspecting my new chips!
