Lydias, 8/6

Did not play in the main game tonight as traffic once again meant I was late arriving. However, we did get 6 for a consolation table so I went ahead and played in that. With John, Randy and Janet there it was not a walk in the park and Marylou is wild enough to make her angerous. Jason, some nights he catches cards and is lethal, other nights he makes some calls that can lead to an arched eyebrow.

Early on everyone was limping. I hit a few hands, missed a few, and was yo-yoing between about 1200 and 700 (consolation starts with 900). I was having a good time. Then came a hand where I could have bankrupted a bunch of people.

I was the dealer and picked up Q/8 diamonds. This is not a hand I would play if people were raising pre-flop. Sure, it has straight and flush possibilities, but both of those are problematic. The flush would be Queen High and anyone hitting a diamond flush in that situation would likely have the Ace or King. The straight would have to hit perfect and goes down in flames to anyone playing a Q/K. Even if I pair I have good pair, weak kicker or mediocre pair, decent kicker...nothing to write home about. So if people are making you pay to play it is not a playable hand. I got in cheap.

The flop was absolutely perfect...3 queens. I had flopped quads. Since I don't play for points and was really just filling in so they would have enough to have a decent game I did not want anyone going broke on this hand. So I said, "You can all just check to me and I will bet it so you can fold. I have it."

Now, normally when a scare flop like this comes people go into their shell, check it down and call it a hand. This time Janet led out with 300 chips! Hmm...pocket pair? An Ace? They folded to me, I said, "If I were playing serious I would go over the top all-in right here. But I don't want you to go broke so I will just call." The turn was a 6. She reached for chips and before she did I said, "You might want to check that." and flashed the Queen. Then we checked it down. Obviously I could have put her out (I had her covered at that point) but I just wanted to play a few hands.

A little later I had given back most of the chips and was down to about 700 after paying my big blind. Flop came 8/7/5...not a bad flop for an 8/4 hand. I had top pair, gutshot straight and backdoor flush draws. I bet 200. John thought about it for a few seconds, then measured out my last 500 and raised it. I sat back to think about it, leaning towards a call but not sure yet. I did not like either draw enough to call that bet. He could have overs, he could have top pair, better kicker, or he could be bluffing. I instantly ruled out the bluff. He is a by the book guy who bets when he has it and not when he doesn't. He had already demonstrated he would go all-in with top pair, good kicker as he was somewhat on tilt from an earlier hand where he flopped top pair, decent kicker, and lost on the river when Janet paired her kicker with same top pair. A couple hands later as soon as he hit top pair he went all in. So I had him on top pair. That meant my top pair was matched and I was drawing to a 4 or a 6. Not good enough for me to risk my tournament life.

But before I could fold he flipped up his cards thinking I had called. I went ahead and folded anyway...because his 8/5 was 2 pair and I was too far behind.

Now I was low on chips and went into fold/all-in mode. When I got to 400 I picked up pokcet 5s and went all in. They folded. Pocket 6s all in. I doubled up. Now I am back over where I started. Pocket 2s. I raised to 3 times the blinds. Janet came over the top, more than doubling me. John called. I folded. An Ace high won the pot. Janet had K/10 suited and John had A/10.

And so it went. I hit a straight, did some damage...but all night I carefully avoided taking anybody out. I let them do that.


I actually felt I played pretty well. Had I wished I could easily have won the thing. My reads were pretty good. I put Marylou on three consecutive hands that I called out loud, she showed what I called, and they were a bit intimidated by it. Plus, when I needed to hit, I hit.

Meanwhile, Randy busted out when his Queens did not hold up to an Ace on the flop, Jason took a beating when he folded his queens to an Ace/K on the flop...only to have Janet show the Queens she had bet with...he was gone soon after, Marylou went out with a strange, strange hand, and John then took out Janet. I still had a slight chip lead but he wanted to go home (and so did I) and I had accomplished my purpose...see a few flops, try to read a few hands, so we called it a night.