Playing Poker Sounds Like Fun!!!

This happens every so often.  A stranger wanders into the poker venue and decides that they want to play.  We are an "inclusive" club at the American Legion so it is open to any visitor.  She arrived fashionably late and wanted to buy in.  She was a blonde.  The open seat was #9 at table 4 where I was dealing.  I explained the chip values and told her what the blind level was.  When it was her blind I helped her put the chips out.  This was to happen many times as she never could figure out when it was her blinds and how much to put in front of her.  Also, when it was her turn I had to explain her options, call, fold or raise.....every single time.  It was an excercise in patience, and as is typical of new players she played every hand.  Because a guardian angel hovers over new players I was trying to be very careful.  I did take a big chunk of her chips when I turned a full house (temporary high hand of the night) but she almost eliminated a highly skilled (think WSOP senior/super senior cashes) player when he flopped two pair and she has 2 bigger pairs.  Now chipped up I was fortunate enough to raise with QQ and get her call.  The flop came A/A/Q and we ended up all-in.  I had nightmares of her playing ace/rag and hitting on the turn or river but amazingly she had given me all of her chips with 9/6 off!!!! WTF!!!!  Now armed with some serious chippage I went on to the final table later and ended up chopping for $256.  Interesting night if somewhat stressful at first.

Fast forward to the Seaside Legion "Big Game" on Monday.  There were 34 players and with the $100 buy-in plus $50 add-ons, the prize pool was around $5000.  Looking back, there were 3 hands that hurt me early.  The first was my pre-flop raise with A/Q called by Q/10.  The flop came Q/10/x and I was lucky to have lost "only" 1/3 of my stack.  The second came with a J/9 of spades on a flop of 9/x/x, two spades.  The turn brought in my flush draw and the persistent big blind called bets on the flop and turn.  The river brought another spade and this time we both checked.  He had K/x of spades for the bigger flush, only saving thing for me was the 4th spade which caused this savvy player who knows my game to put on the brakes.  The last regrettable hand was calling a shove from a short stack playing A/6 of hearts.  I snap called with A/Q of spades.  No problem until the river when he hit his 3 outer 6 to double up.  He would go on to chip up big and be one of the chip leaders on the final table.  The final table was tough for me with mediocre cards and a lot of aggression from the big stacks.  Down to 8 players (paying 5 plus bubble) I was down to 2 big blinds with 2 other players in similar predicaments.  I pick up AJ suited on the button and shove against another shortie in the small blind and the chip leader in the big blind.  He calls with 6/9 suited and manages to river a flush.  So close.  The very short small blind in that hand later went on to double up a couple of times and win $850.

Final report, last night at the Legion, I made yet another final table, went on a heater knocking 3 players out, finishing 2nd in chips on a 4 way chop for $299 each.  A good night of poker, one of my knockouts being the small blind player from the Seaside final table with my J/10 suited vs. 5/5.  River jack.  Another satisfying knockout was my shove of A/A called by KQ suited and despite flush and straight draws my pair holding up.

I have been on an incredible heater with these statistics in the past month:

10 Tournaments played
9 Final Tables (1- 10th place, just missing FT)
5 cashes
4 chops
2 money bubbles

Next week we are moving to Bothell, Wa into our small apartment there to be close to family.  I will miss my coast poker games and buddies but look forward to playing lots of morning tournaments and omaha cash games at the Tullalip casino only about a 1/2 hour drive away.  Will still be coming to the coast at least once a month and will time it to plug into some games here.