Eden's Gate 2/23/07

4 tables, 9 people per table. Mark and I ended up at the same table. He knew I was just there trying to play my way through being "on tilt". Unfortunately for me, the guy to my immediate left, Curtis, was drunk off his gourd and demonstrating all the reprehensible behaviors that make that a by word for stupidity.

The first couple times anybody raised he just immediately went all in. He showed his hands every time (everyone folded) and once had something like K/J, a Q/10, and an 8/7 off. I was getting nothing to play anyway. Once I picked up A/Q suited and raised 3 times the blinds. He went all in. I thought about it, really did. I looked at Mark and he just grinned knowing I was going to make the call. And it hit me...if I made the call it would make me go on tilt more because I would get Rivered. So I folded it. I am proud of that fold. And after that it did take me off tilt.

Well, presently someone DID call Curtis and took him out. A couple hands later a move Mark made was misinterpreted and he ended up all in, ending up with just a handful of chips after the same guy rivered him. Meanwhile I was playing the fold, fold fold game.

Finally I picked up pocket kings. I came over the top of a raise and took down the blinds. A few hands later I picked up pocket aces and again raised, though this time only twice the blinds...and again everyone folded. So I needed to loosen up, play a few hands and get them to pay me when I got a hand. But then we broke up the table.

At the next table I had a calling station with a monster chip stack to my immediate left and a maniac to my right. Interesting. Lots of folding ensued until I picked up pocket kings. I raised, caught calls from my left and right, everyone else folded. The flop came 6/7/6. Check, check, I raised and only the maniac called. This made me nervous as I could see him playing a 7/8 or something like that. But I raised again on the turn and he called, then went all-in on the river and he folded. I chose not to show.

The next hand I picked up A/J and limped in. The turn came A/J/blank. Check to the maniac who raised. I came over the top. The calling station folded...and he folded pocket kings! The lady 2 seats to my right folded...pocket queens. The maniac called to the river and I doubled up with 2 pair.

Those were a couple very strong lay downs, by the way.

Well, lo and behold I made the final table. At that point I was ecstatic as that was really my only goal...to prove that when I felt like it I could make ANY final table at any group I play at.

Not only that...I was chipped up enough to do very well. But I could not get a playable hand, especially when people were raising every hand to the point where I might as well go all-in if I were going in at all. 2 people went out before I got a playable hand. Meanwhile, we watched A/K go down to A/10 when a 10 came on the river. 2 hands later I was in the big blind. The same guy who took out Curtis, Mark, the maniac from the previous table and Gail raised it. I read him for something like A-paint, maybe medium high pocket pair. I looked at A-K of clubs. That is a raising hand. Would not have left me much so I went all in. He thought about it long and hard. He knew I only played premium hands. Finally he called and flipped up k-10. I flipped up mine and he nodded. Flop: q,q,K. Uh-oh. turn, blank. He nodded, said good hand. Then he spiked the jack to knock me out.

Overall I felt pretty good about it. I finished 7th, I did not make any "tilt" plays, I achieved my goal and played very well. I had 4-1 on the hand I went out on to double up and did not have much time left between blinds and antes. Overall a very solid performance.