Winning Week, Bad Shoves, Hero Calls and Fear The Fedora

Interesting poker week for me.  On Wednesday I managed to get money back on the bubble. Had I played it differently (i.e. folding rather than shoving) would have moved up one place on the payout ladder.  Here is what went down.  I am rather short stacked (around 3500 with blinds at 300/600) and am in the big blind.  There is one limper (Kyle a.k.a. "Juicy") when the extremely aggressive button (Scott) who has a big stack raises to 1800.  I consider his raising range and knowing that he plays very loose aggressive style and also we are 5 handed.  I shove.  Previously he folded to my shoves when I had big hands, QQ, KK, etc.  Kyle gets all thoughtful, and with a similar stack to Scott's, mucks his cards, but holds them aside for possible later viewing.  Scott calls and as I table my A/8, he rolls over A/J.  I comment that "8's are lucky for me, you are in real trouble".  And he is as the flop is 5/2/8 !!!!  But then he hits his 2 outer jack on the turn and I am out.  Kyle turns over 5/5. Had I folded, Kyle would have called the original bet and Scott would have been out when the jack hit on the turn for sure if not sooner.  Oh well, a cash is a cash.

That brings me to Friday's game.  Early on I got stung by a hero call.  Kurt, in the big blind with 2/3 and me on the button with 4/8 suited get a flop of 2/3/k with 2 clubs.  Kurt, a tight player min-bets.  I am definitely priced in and I call.  The turn is a brick for me, Kurt bets 2 min-bets and again I call. The river is a great card for me to bluff, another king.  When he checks, I bet 3 min-bets (around 125 as I recall) and unbelievably he calls.  There is absolutely nothing that I have other than air that he can call with his counterfeited 2 pair.  Hero Call!!!!

Later I hit a big jackpot with 6/6.  I am seated to the left of "Junior" a very loose aggressive player. He has chipped up nicely, nearly knocking a player out on the first hand of the tournament.  I limp under the gun, several other players limp as well, and Junior uses this opportunity to punish us limpers by betting big on the button.  I consider folding briefly, but then decide to shove just cause I think he will fold on a steal.  Nope, he ponders briefly and calls with......10/5 suited!!!!! Wow!!!  So the flop comes down with a 6 for my set, the board pairs for a full house and I am now pretty deep in chips.  Not too many hands later I have 6/6 in the big blind (blinds at 50/100) when the good young player Chris to my immediate left raises big (500) with A/K suited.  I call for the additional 400 and the flop comes down perfect for me, 6/A/x.  I check, he shoves, I call.  Player down.

At the break I am up about 3x initial chips and already thinking about the final table.  I win a few and lose a few after we get down to 2 tables, and easily make the final table with a healthy chip stack. I lose a big blind vs. blind hand to Robert (a.k.a.RB...or Rat Bastard) for a healthy chunk of my chips when he rivers a flush vs. my top pair.  He also short stacks the dealer when he had K/10 vs. K/J on a king high flop by rivering a 10.  He is one very lucky player we all concede.  Later I get most of those chips back from him.  We play down to 6, agree to pay the bubble, then 2 more players are eliminated.  Now 4 handed I am chip leader, we take a break, and at the end of the break agree to a 4 way chop which gives us all 2nd place money.  I take the silly points for 1st place, which absolutely no one cares about except me who has been point deficient all year.  Total win, $237 less buy-in and tip netting $177.  Hey, nobody said you get rich playing this stupid game.

Oh yes, I was dressed all in black, wearing my black fedora.  Might be my new poker look.