Playing 5/10 cent Rush, I was sitting behind 11.78 when I was dealt A/Ko. The guy under the gun is someone I have marked down as raising every time it is folded to him so when he opened for 30.
(Rush is Texas hold 'Em, 9 handed...where as soon as you fold your hand, you are sent to a new table with new players and dealt a new hand. It is easily possible to see anywhere from 2-400 hands per hour per table. Many people multi-table, so you know they have little or no idea who they are playing against. It makes certain plays...position bets, continuation bets, etc. much more effective, but bluffs much LESS effective because the odds anyone still in the hand past the flop actually has a hand and will call you down.)
A/Ko is nice pre-flop but tends to miss a lot. On top of that, Villain is aggressive enough that I am going to have a hard time putting him on a hand. He could have any ace, any pair, any two face cards, or even any one or two-gappers, suited or not. That is a pretty wide range.
I bounce it up to 1.05 and it is folded back to him. He calls. I am not particularly disappointed. On most flops I expect him to bet and plan to re-raise. If he calls that or re-raises, I am done with the hand. The cards do not really matter, I figure I am playing the player at this point.
Until the flop comes K/K/9, 2 hearts. I just hit the third nuts. The only hands I am afraid of are pocket 9s or K/9. Sure, both of those are reasonable holdings even under the gun for someone as aggressive as he is…but I am not going to play in fear of them.
He checks. This brings warning signals to my brain. Why would he check?
Four possible reasons.
First, he has nothing, is afraid of the board, and fears that hit me. He has given up on the hand and I am not going to get paid off.
Second, he hit it huge, has the stone cold nuts or close to it. He wants to induce a bluff.
Third, he has a draw…either straight or flush. People on Rush chase gut shots all the time, even in the face of obvious better hands, so…I would believe that.
Fourth, he plans to bluff me off the hand with a big check-raise if I continuation bet.
Now, I have tried everything to get paid on these type hands. Standard continuation bets, overbets, underbets, checking the flop, or even checking all the way to the river. It almost never works regardless…which is not unexpected. Hard to call if you do not have a King or pocket 9s.
Well, I decided to go the “fear bet”, betting 10 cents into a pot of about 2.50 after the rake.
He pauses, then raises to 2.55. Sadly, this tells me little. It pretty much eliminates the first possibility, but does raise the idea that he missed but thinks I missed as well and is playing the player.
He could also just be going blind aggression, raising and reraising at every opportunity. I have seen several people do and I do have him marked as hyper-aggressive in my notes.
I actually half-expected him to re-raise, I got my result. Now, how to handle it.
I refuse to play in fear and plan to play it aggressively. The only thing I am realistically afraid of is him having A/x suited and drawing to the heart flush, but even if he hits it I have a 10-out redraw to the full house.
Still, I would rather make him pay to draw out on me and if I am behind a pair of nines, I want to at least put him to a big decision, wondering if I have Kings so I re-reraise him all-in.
He thinks about it for a bit, but calls all-in. We now have a 19.00 pot…and he turns up the A/Q of hearts.
He is drawing to the flush and runner-runner straight.
And of course turned the flush when the 2 of hearts hit.
So now I am about a 3.4-1 underdog. Any 9, 2, or Ace will give the full house or the miracle king would give me quads. 10 outs, we know 8 cards, 52-8=44, 10 winners, so 34-10 or 3.4 to one against.
I wonder how upset he was when the King hit to give me the stone cold, absolute nuts...quad kings, Ace kicker?
At first it felt like I had put a bad beat on him, mostly because it was the King that hit instead of one of my other nine outs. But percentage wise, I win about 23% of the time.
Compared to the brutal 21-1 hits I have taken repeatedly, it was pretty reasonable. And had the roles been reversed…had a blank fallen on the turn and he caught a heart on the river, I would not have felt like I took a bad beat. I would, however, have known he did not get the right price to draw to the flush.
So I wonder how the hand looked from his side.
“I have A/Q suited under the gun. Usually when I raise, most people fold. I raise three times the blind.
Oh, someone re-raised. Everyone folds to me. My 30, 15 cents from the blinds, I am getting somewhat better than 1.8-1 and if I hit a flush I might be able to stack him.
A re-raise usually takes a stronger hand. So he probably has a medium pocket pair or better, Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, or A/K. I am probably behind but if I catch up, those are hands that will pay me off.
Ooh, bad flop…K/K/9. At least I have the nut flush draw. Let’s check and see what he does.
Hmm. Led out for 10 cents. I have seen people do this before. They are just trying to see if I have anything, figuring I will fold if they bet. A re-raise should drive him off and if not I have the flush draw.
What the…he raised all in? Lets see…my 2.55 plus his is 5.10 plus the 2.5 from pre-flop, pot is about 13.85 and I figure to have 9 outs. If he had the king he would just check so he might have the 9 or a small pair in which case I lose an out or two but pick up 6. I am getting a little better that 2-1,calling 6.50 to win 13.85 and might have as many as 14 outs if I am even behind to begin with. That is 18 outs twice, so I am actually a favorite to win. I call.
But that is not how I would have played it. Lets switch places for a second.
I pick up A/Q Hearts under the gun. I am going to raise. Uh-oh…re-raise. (Note that I do not know if this other guy keeps notes…if he does, they are probably going to show the re-raise as coming from someone who does a lot of re-raising, though usually from middle to late position.)
Lets put him on a range of hands. To re-raise someone who raised under the gun, he needs a pretty strong hand. Of course, I have seen some pretty loose re-raises with hands like 6/7 suited, King/Queen off and so forth, but mostly I am going to put him on Jacks or better or big slick. I am mostly looking to hit the flush if I call, not sure how happy I will be to hit either my Ace or Queen.
Hmm. K/K/9, two hearts. That hits almost every hand I put him on. Check-fold seems wise.
He raised ten cents into that pot? Ridiculous. One of three things. Either he hit it hard…Big Slick or pocket kings, maybe Jacks, Queens or Aces and figures it missed me and I will fold but does not want to invest too much if it hit me or, more likely, it missed him, he figures it missed me and I will only call if I hit it.
I did miss it but I have the nut flush draw. If I re-raise he will most likely fold and if not, I will believe he has the King or nine and be done with the hand.
Raise to about 2.55 does seem right, but when he came over the top all in…I would fold.
Not that I would not check my odds to the flush, but more that I could already be drawing dead to the full house. On top of that, there are easier targets than getting all my money in on a draw where I am getting the wrong odds and might be drawing dead. I would rather raise all in than call all in, particularly when I am calling all-in to someone who showed strength pre-flop and on the flop. A fold seems pretty clear to me here.
And that analysis represents, to me, the difference between aggression and prudent aggression. Whichever side of the situation I am on, I like the flop re-raise. I just hate the all-in call if I am the one making it.
Perhaps that is too cautious. Maybe it is marginal situations like this I need to improve on. The problem is, the range of hands I might put my opponent on has far too many that hit that flop or are well ahead of me and far too few where I am a favorite.
Add to this...it is not necessary to get involved in such close situations. Rush is a pretty soft game. People fold otherwise playable hands because by folding they get dealt a new hand that might be Aces. It is not unusual to see everyone, including the blinds, fold to a min-raise from any position...even Under the Gun, the Button, or even the small blind.
So why get involved in a HUGE pot where you might be drawing thin or dead to someone who has twice shown strength?
Not to take too much of a page from Phil Hellmuth...but I feel I am a bigger favorite with 2/7 in a small pot where the opponent is out of position and shown no strength than having the Nut Flush draw on a board likely to have someone holding trips or better. Win small pots, let big ones that are close go.
Yet there are times I will make a loose call, as well.
Also on Rush, later same session, but this time there is nobody at the table I have made a note on. This is in itself unusual as I have notes on thousands of players.
Under the gun limps in. This typically means a suited ace, suited connectors, or a small to medium pair, probably 8s or worse. Under the gun +1 also limps, and I put him on about the same range of hands. One other player limps, the small blind folds, and I have a 4/9 Hearts. Not a great hand. I consider raising since nobody showed strength, but elect to just check.
I will be out of position for the entire hand with what can only be charitably described as a trash hand. I am drawing at the 6th nut flush against three players out of position…a pre-emptive fold would not be a bad idea here. I check.
The flop is intriguing. 6s, Jh, Ah.
I hit nothing but did flop what is now the 4th nut flush draw. Also, the Ace is out there, which means the most likely flush draws I will be facing would be the King/Queen or suited connectors…and the suited connectors I could beat.
Still, I check and when the next guy bets .45 into a pot of 40 cents (after rake), I am going to fold…until the other two guys call. Now I am getting 3.78-1 to call…and will probably get more action if the flush hits.
Then again, I am still afraid of something like an unsuited j/10 where the 10 is a heart, or K/10 or K/Q where any of those are the heart. Fold or call?
I decided to take one off. I call.
And I do not know if I love or hate the turn…7H. I completed my flush. But there are lots of flushes that beat me and it did not complete any likely hands.
I could raise here, representing a better flush…but I am only going to get called or re-raise by better hands so it would be wasted money. I would like to see a cheap showdown. So I could play some pot control and check.
That is what I do. And to my surprise, everyone checks behind me.
Okay, time to do some analysis.
Under the gun limped, bet the pot on the flop and then checked the potential flush. Hands that fit this criteria include big aces, J/10, suited connectors, medium pairs. He could have top pair good kicker, a gut-shot straight draw, a small set, or even something like A/J for 2 pair.
Oddly, the one thing I did NOT put him on was a flush. Most players who limp with suited connectors raise big when the flush card hits. Sure, a few will slow-play it, but mostly they are doing so much betting and raising they figure they need to protect against something like K/Qo where either card is a heart.
The calls are more troubling. If they had a big hand, knowing the bettor was silent, they probably raise here trying to build the pot. By not raising, it becomes more likely they hit something callable if cheap, like top or middle pair or, if good players, are also trying to see their weak flush to a cheap showdown.
I figure my hand is good.
River is an off-suit three.
Check or raise?
I elect to make a thin value bet, raising to 90 cents into a pot of about 2.10. Both under the gun and under the gun +1 call…I am curious. Both with low heart flushes? Seems unlikely. Maybe a medium set afraid of the flush and a big pair? Maybe two pair?
Then it gets worse. The button raises to 2.20. What a weird raise…it is 1.30 to me, and 2.20 into a pot that now has 5 bucks or so in it.
He is raising into one guy who has raised an earlier street, one guy who has called the raise and raised the river, and one guy who has called a flop raise with people behind him, a river raiser and two callers.
If he makes a serious bet...say, pot size or better...I am going to believe I am beat and go away. I will not be getting the right pot odds with a weak hand. I am not afraid of laying down a hand when i believe I am beat and, in fact, at least twice have laid down suited connectors on the river when a big re-raise has convinced me the opponent(s) had a better flush. But he made it very, very affordable.
In fact, I expected both guys behind me to call again, so it would be a double digit pot I would see really cheaply.
So now I need to call 1.30 to win 6.1. I am getting 4.69-1 to call on a hand played really strange…but there are two people behind me. If they do call, I am getting almost 6-1.
The three completed no draws. The only hands that beat me are suited hands containing the King, Queen or ten of hearts. Still, re-raising into 3 players, this looked like a value-bet.
I nearly folded but elected to call based on the great pot odds.
And here it got even stranger. Both early limpers fold and the showdown is between the button and me.
I had to think about what hands he could have that I could beat because that 3 changed nothing.
Two pair, a set, or a complete bluff. The way he played this hand, I figured maybe a weak ace or set. Those were the most likely hands, but there was a possibility he could have K/Q hearts.
And my soft bet and two soft calls certainly did not represent a lot of strength.
If I could convince myself he did not have a suited hand that held the King, Queen or 10 I would re-reraise. However, if he re-raised, i would have to fold. Much better to see the showdown the call.
Still, when he turned over A/3 for two pair…I want to play more hands with him. Odds are good he had at best the third best hand and maybe even the fourth. I would be surprised if at least one guy did not fold a set or low flush, maybe even the 10.
I was feeling fishy for making it to the river.
On the bright side, between my blind, flop, and river I put 2.75 into what turned out to be a 7.69 pot…and I took it down.
Wednesday
A Fishtastic Feeding Frenzy
5/10 Texas hold Em
New Player in the cut-off posts 10 cents, the button disconnects, and play begins 8 handed.
Under the Gun +1 limps in, folds to cut-off who checks, the small blind completes and the big blind checks.
Pot is now 40 cents.
Flop is 7 Clubs, 10 of Spades and 5 of clubs. The blinds both check, utg+1 min-raises to 10 cents, the cut-off calls and both blinds fold.
Pot is now 60 cents.
Turn is the Ace of Hearts. Both players check, pot remains 60 cents.
River is the 8 of diamonds.
UTG+1 raises 60 cents.
Cut-off hesitates, then raises to 2.40.
UTG+! thinks, then raises all in.
Cut-off calls the last 2.83.
Now, the board is 7C, 10S, 5C, AH, and 8D. What could each player have?
On the 5/10 level, a limp from early position is often a trap with Kings or Aces, though many other times it is a small pocket pair, a suited ace, a dry ace, or even suited connectors.
Coming in paying to see flops from the cut-off is by definition a weak play. The problem with being a blind is you have to put chips in the pot without knowing what cards you hold. Checking it with one limper and 2 players to act certainly indicates no strength either, and he could literally have any two cards.
The blinds folded at the first sign of interest in the pot, so it is safe to assume they had sub-standard hands.
First, lets play it through from the eyes of the UTG player.
He picks up pocket 8s. There are 2 big blinds and a small blind already in, the table has seen lots of limping, and the button is disconnected. Hand values go up slightly therefore.
If he can see a flop getting 4-to-1 odds, he is still taking the worst of it, particularly out of position, but if he is disciplined and lays them down if someone raises or if he misses the flop then it might not be a brutally bad play but it is pretty weak for sure.
Flop 7C, 10S, 5C
The blinds check to UTG. Only one player behind him who has two random cards and entered the pot involuntarily. He may or may not have some random hand that the flop hit but it is likely the 8s are the best hand. A raise to see where he stands seems reasonable...but a min-raise?
He is offering 5 to one odds and expressing weakness. This is a horrific bet. At his level, with a player who has already shown he is somewhat loose by his early entry, the cut-off is going to call with any Ace, suited or not, if he hit any part of that flop or has even the most ridiculous of draws, perhaps even any 2 face cards. So really, a min-raise will tell the UTG nothing about his hand, eliminating only hands that you want to hit like 2/7.
So the cut-off calls, telling you nothing about his hand, the blinds fold, and now the pot is 60 cents.
The turn is Ah. On the bright side, it did not complete the flush draw. On the dark side, it it a lot of hands that the cut-off might have called with and, if he was playing 2 face cards, gives him an inside straight draw. Not good odds...but you figure he might play them. You check, and he checks behind. Did he miss it?
The river is beautiful...the 8D. It completes no draws. Unless he was slow-playing pocket aces or pocket 10s or holding specifically J/9 you have a lock on the hand and now you need to figure out how to get your last 5.23 in the pot when there is only 60 cents in there.
Previously you min-raised. Now you raise the pot, 60 cents.
For the first time, your opponent takes some time to think it over. Then he raises you to 2.40. This seems good.
After all, you have shown no strength in the entire hand. The 8 seems very nonthreatening. He could have something like A/5, A/7, or A/10 and have hit 2 pair. Or maybe he has an 7. If he held 4/6 then he hit a straight, but that is an unlikely holding. You can rule out the pocket Aces with a great deal of certainty. Everything is coming up roses. Raise to all-in and hope he calls.
Now to look at it from the cut-off position.
You have had a rough night away from the tables and sat down on tilt. People sucked out on a couple of ridiculous draws, taking down your pocket aces with A/9 off-suit and with A/5suited. You know you are on tilt and should not be playing.
The table has been checking to the big blind, so you take a calculated gamble one off the button and pay into the blinds. Then the button disconnects, so in effect you limped from the button. You pick up J/9o, a truly weak hand.
Under the Gun+1 limps, folds to you. That limp represents weakness most of the time, but there is no point to raising here...if he re-raises you will have to fold and you already wasted a blind by buying in at this point. Happily, the small blind completes and the big blind checks. You take a flop 4 handed and with position.
Flop 7C, 10S, 5C.
A complete blank. You hope everyone checks and you can take one off looking to hit your inside straight. The blinds follow the plan and the UTG player then min-raises.
This is bad because he could easily be playing a suited Ace where one of these cards hit his kicker, he could be semi-bluffing on a flush draw, or might even have hit a set of some sort.
However, the min-raise is offering 5-1, the limp pre-flop followed by a min-raise after 2 checks feels like a pot-steal. So there are 2 ways to play it:
1) re-raise about the pot, trying to take it down with air.
2) call, planning to raise if he checks the turn and a scare card hits.
With 2 players behind you, both with random hands that might have hit, you decide to call, planning to raise the turn regardless of what card comes.
Both blinds fold and you take the turn heads up with 60 cents in the pot.
The turn card is perfect, the Ace of hearts. He checks. Time to bet and take down the pot...but wait...what if he had an Ace and is slow-paying you? Bet or check?
The entire reason you called the flop was for this situation. Doing anything other than betting is the wrong play. A half-pot bet should let you know exactly where you stand. If he is truly as weak as he appears, you will get away with your weak pre-flop and flop play. If he actually has something, he will likely raise you and if he just calls, you will at least get one more shot at your ridiculous inside straight draw.
Remember, there are only 4 cards that complete it, and one of them also completes the flush. Though the flush is unlikely, it is certainly possible enough to call your outs maybe 3-1/2, giving you roughly 7% to hit your hand, meaning you need about 14-1 pot odds to call anything he raises you.
You weakly check. Bad, bad play.
And it is promptly rewarded when the river gives you the absolute nuts, the 8 Diamonds. You can only hope it gave the opponent enough to call your raise.
It does better, he comes out raising to the size of the pot.
That is a curious amount giving his pre-flop limp, flop min-raise, and turn check. A quick look at the board...no flush, no full house, no higher straights. He must have the Ace or 2 pair.
How much to raise? There is 1.20 in the pot, he raised the pot, so re-raising the pot to 2.40 seems about right. Hopefully he will call.
And he does.
Show-down; the UTG loses with his river set of 8s to the river straight of the cut-off.
Sadly, I was the UTG and think I played this hand about as poorly as I could. No question I was on tilt. On the flop, I did not even really consider the inside straight. I read him for weakness, believed any face card or ace on the turn would win the pot for me, and called his raise based on that. Then, when the perfect card hit, I checked as I switched my thinking to "I bought the card, might as well see if I can get lucky and hit my straight."
I actually thought he had something like a dry Ace or perhaps some suited connectors and that even the Jacks might be outs. If I hit any 8, 9 or Jack I would call his river bet assuming he stayed true to form and bet small, so the 5-1 pot odds I called were reasonable when I did not know what he had. I thought I had 10 outs and was about 4.7-1 against, getting 5-1 to hit my hand with implied odds much, much higher.
Of course, once I knew what he actually had, the math changed a bit. He held 2 of my outs so I only had 8, slightly worse than 6-1 against and if I hit a 9 or jack, he was unlikely to call so no implied odds.
I played the hand very, very poorly and need to remember hands like this so I do not play this way. Just because it worked out for me this time does not mean it was anything other than a huge, huge mistake.
New Player in the cut-off posts 10 cents, the button disconnects, and play begins 8 handed.
Under the Gun +1 limps in, folds to cut-off who checks, the small blind completes and the big blind checks.
Pot is now 40 cents.
Flop is 7 Clubs, 10 of Spades and 5 of clubs. The blinds both check, utg+1 min-raises to 10 cents, the cut-off calls and both blinds fold.
Pot is now 60 cents.
Turn is the Ace of Hearts. Both players check, pot remains 60 cents.
River is the 8 of diamonds.
UTG+1 raises 60 cents.
Cut-off hesitates, then raises to 2.40.
UTG+! thinks, then raises all in.
Cut-off calls the last 2.83.
Now, the board is 7C, 10S, 5C, AH, and 8D. What could each player have?
On the 5/10 level, a limp from early position is often a trap with Kings or Aces, though many other times it is a small pocket pair, a suited ace, a dry ace, or even suited connectors.
Coming in paying to see flops from the cut-off is by definition a weak play. The problem with being a blind is you have to put chips in the pot without knowing what cards you hold. Checking it with one limper and 2 players to act certainly indicates no strength either, and he could literally have any two cards.
The blinds folded at the first sign of interest in the pot, so it is safe to assume they had sub-standard hands.
First, lets play it through from the eyes of the UTG player.
He picks up pocket 8s. There are 2 big blinds and a small blind already in, the table has seen lots of limping, and the button is disconnected. Hand values go up slightly therefore.
If he can see a flop getting 4-to-1 odds, he is still taking the worst of it, particularly out of position, but if he is disciplined and lays them down if someone raises or if he misses the flop then it might not be a brutally bad play but it is pretty weak for sure.
Flop 7C, 10S, 5C
The blinds check to UTG. Only one player behind him who has two random cards and entered the pot involuntarily. He may or may not have some random hand that the flop hit but it is likely the 8s are the best hand. A raise to see where he stands seems reasonable...but a min-raise?
He is offering 5 to one odds and expressing weakness. This is a horrific bet. At his level, with a player who has already shown he is somewhat loose by his early entry, the cut-off is going to call with any Ace, suited or not, if he hit any part of that flop or has even the most ridiculous of draws, perhaps even any 2 face cards. So really, a min-raise will tell the UTG nothing about his hand, eliminating only hands that you want to hit like 2/7.
So the cut-off calls, telling you nothing about his hand, the blinds fold, and now the pot is 60 cents.
The turn is Ah. On the bright side, it did not complete the flush draw. On the dark side, it it a lot of hands that the cut-off might have called with and, if he was playing 2 face cards, gives him an inside straight draw. Not good odds...but you figure he might play them. You check, and he checks behind. Did he miss it?
The river is beautiful...the 8D. It completes no draws. Unless he was slow-playing pocket aces or pocket 10s or holding specifically J/9 you have a lock on the hand and now you need to figure out how to get your last 5.23 in the pot when there is only 60 cents in there.
Previously you min-raised. Now you raise the pot, 60 cents.
For the first time, your opponent takes some time to think it over. Then he raises you to 2.40. This seems good.
After all, you have shown no strength in the entire hand. The 8 seems very nonthreatening. He could have something like A/5, A/7, or A/10 and have hit 2 pair. Or maybe he has an 7. If he held 4/6 then he hit a straight, but that is an unlikely holding. You can rule out the pocket Aces with a great deal of certainty. Everything is coming up roses. Raise to all-in and hope he calls.
Now to look at it from the cut-off position.
You have had a rough night away from the tables and sat down on tilt. People sucked out on a couple of ridiculous draws, taking down your pocket aces with A/9 off-suit and with A/5suited. You know you are on tilt and should not be playing.
The table has been checking to the big blind, so you take a calculated gamble one off the button and pay into the blinds. Then the button disconnects, so in effect you limped from the button. You pick up J/9o, a truly weak hand.
Under the Gun+1 limps, folds to you. That limp represents weakness most of the time, but there is no point to raising here...if he re-raises you will have to fold and you already wasted a blind by buying in at this point. Happily, the small blind completes and the big blind checks. You take a flop 4 handed and with position.
Flop 7C, 10S, 5C.
A complete blank. You hope everyone checks and you can take one off looking to hit your inside straight. The blinds follow the plan and the UTG player then min-raises.
This is bad because he could easily be playing a suited Ace where one of these cards hit his kicker, he could be semi-bluffing on a flush draw, or might even have hit a set of some sort.
However, the min-raise is offering 5-1, the limp pre-flop followed by a min-raise after 2 checks feels like a pot-steal. So there are 2 ways to play it:
1) re-raise about the pot, trying to take it down with air.
2) call, planning to raise if he checks the turn and a scare card hits.
With 2 players behind you, both with random hands that might have hit, you decide to call, planning to raise the turn regardless of what card comes.
Both blinds fold and you take the turn heads up with 60 cents in the pot.
The turn card is perfect, the Ace of hearts. He checks. Time to bet and take down the pot...but wait...what if he had an Ace and is slow-paying you? Bet or check?
The entire reason you called the flop was for this situation. Doing anything other than betting is the wrong play. A half-pot bet should let you know exactly where you stand. If he is truly as weak as he appears, you will get away with your weak pre-flop and flop play. If he actually has something, he will likely raise you and if he just calls, you will at least get one more shot at your ridiculous inside straight draw.
Remember, there are only 4 cards that complete it, and one of them also completes the flush. Though the flush is unlikely, it is certainly possible enough to call your outs maybe 3-1/2, giving you roughly 7% to hit your hand, meaning you need about 14-1 pot odds to call anything he raises you.
You weakly check. Bad, bad play.
And it is promptly rewarded when the river gives you the absolute nuts, the 8 Diamonds. You can only hope it gave the opponent enough to call your raise.
It does better, he comes out raising to the size of the pot.
That is a curious amount giving his pre-flop limp, flop min-raise, and turn check. A quick look at the board...no flush, no full house, no higher straights. He must have the Ace or 2 pair.
How much to raise? There is 1.20 in the pot, he raised the pot, so re-raising the pot to 2.40 seems about right. Hopefully he will call.
And he does.
Show-down; the UTG loses with his river set of 8s to the river straight of the cut-off.
Sadly, I was the UTG and think I played this hand about as poorly as I could. No question I was on tilt. On the flop, I did not even really consider the inside straight. I read him for weakness, believed any face card or ace on the turn would win the pot for me, and called his raise based on that. Then, when the perfect card hit, I checked as I switched my thinking to "I bought the card, might as well see if I can get lucky and hit my straight."
I actually thought he had something like a dry Ace or perhaps some suited connectors and that even the Jacks might be outs. If I hit any 8, 9 or Jack I would call his river bet assuming he stayed true to form and bet small, so the 5-1 pot odds I called were reasonable when I did not know what he had. I thought I had 10 outs and was about 4.7-1 against, getting 5-1 to hit my hand with implied odds much, much higher.
Of course, once I knew what he actually had, the math changed a bit. He held 2 of my outs so I only had 8, slightly worse than 6-1 against and if I hit a 9 or jack, he was unlikely to call so no implied odds.
I played the hand very, very poorly and need to remember hands like this so I do not play this way. Just because it worked out for me this time does not mean it was anything other than a huge, huge mistake.
Monday
Starving Crazed Weasels, June
Smaller turnout of 11, but that is all good...will be that way sometimes.
Actually had a pretty soft starting table. I did have Kev to my left...he has become one of my toughest opponents. But next to him was Amy, playing for the second time, to her left Tess, also playing for the second time, Then Rick, playing for about the 4th time. So really, a good table to play ABC poker...fold a lot, raise my good hands, and so forth. In fact, I think only twice at that table did I get to the showdown with second best hand; once when we had an All-in and checked it down, once when I checked after the flop and she never bet.
Started nicely with pocket Queens, raised, couple callers, flop small and ragged, raised, they folded. I showed.
I wanted them to have in their minds that I always had the best hand so wanted to show a lot of strong hands.
Played a few small hands and won them. Meanwhile, Kev kept getting rivered by his sisters. In one hand he flopped 2 pair, bet to the river and lost when Tess hit the straight on the river...but was also beat because Amy hit Flush on the same card.
I was hitting a lot of hands but nothing memorable, so I played and won about 8 or 10 hands and had a nice stack.
Got to the final table and now it was getting ugly. Had Josh to my left..I want him on my right. To his left was Tim, then Tess, then Amy, then Rick, then Phillip, then Ken. So I had Phillip and Ken to my right and Josh and Tim to my left. I was not happy.
I put out Tess when she had few chips and I paired, and the very next hand put out Tim when he had less than the small blind.
I had a nice chip lead, but then came an ugly hand. I had A/10, raised.Ken called. Flop was rainbow, small cards. Ken checked, I raised, he almost folded, then said, "I don't like calling on outs, but I am going to. He called. Turn put a second Heart on the board, he called my raise. River was another Heart. He checked, I read him as having hit his draw and checked behind. He was bummed I checked and flipped up the King/2 of Hearts. He hit runner runner to take 3K from me. That hurt.
Josh took out Phillip and was climbing the chip board.
I got little bits back from Ken a couple times.
Amy was next to fall and then Rick, who was tired, went to the river on a hand he normally would fold and Josh took him out. Uh-oh, both Ken and Josh have lots of chips and we are down to final three.
I had A/8 spades, raised. 3 handed, that is pretty good. Ken called. Flop was ragged, a couple Spades. I raised, he called. . Turn was a blank, raise/call. River gave me the flush, I raised him all in, he called with...2 pair maybe?
Down to Josh and I. I had maybe a 2 to 1 chip lead and the advantage of being in Josh's head. Picked up A/2 Diamonds first hand. Raised. He hesitated, was going to fold, then called. Flop was ragged, no help, just one Diamond. I raised. He called pretty quick. I was done with the hand. Turn was 5 Diamonds. Hmm. I raised to keep control of the hand. He snap-called. River...another Diamond. I river-ratted him. How to get the most out of him?
A quick glance at the pot told me it had more than he had left, I raised all-in, he called. He had the straight. I had the Flush. Back to back hands I put out 2 of the most dangerous players we had.
For the night, about everything went right. Not only did I pretty much only play good hands...those hands held up. Only once did I get crushed and that was a hand I felt Ken normally wouldn't (and shouldn't) have stayed on, but he had a couple back door draws on the flop and one came home so I don't mind that at all. I played well and had good results. And a lot of fun,
Sunday
Starving Crazed Weasels poker
I have not done one of these for a while. We decided more or less at the last minute to have a poker tournament Saturday. Actually, for some of us (read "me") it was last minute. Others had thought it was planned, so...well...
Going in my plan was to play pretty tight. Play top ten hands from early position, play a wider range from later. Pretty standard. I also planned a lot of raise-or-fold play. In other words, disciplined poker.
Folded the first couple hands and then picked up pocket 7s from middle position. I will sometimes take a flyer on these hands and did on this one, planning to raise but Robin beat me to it. Cris and Tracy called, I called, Pete called. Flop was 10/something/10. Tracy raised. I almost called. This would test how I was playing.
When I am playing poorly, I will call here trying to get lucky and planning to simply tighten up if I lose the hand and win with solid poker. But getting lucky is not playing skillfully. It is deliberately playing in situations where you should not and trying to, instead of win by skillfully getting your chips in good, trying to win from behind.
I folded. Turn was another 10. D'oh! I would have had a full house. But there was heavy betting with Robin leading out, Cris and Tracy calling. At the showdown, Robin had pocket 6s for a full house. Cris had pocket 7s (my hand was dead...) and Tracy holding the case 10. She had quads. Nice.
Folded a few hands, then came one of the key hands of the night.
2/4 of diamonds on the button. About 5 people had limped so the circumstances were perfect to play this hand; get out cheap if I miss the flop, if I hit it I should pick up a nice chunk. But then something happened. Pete raised to 250 from the small blind.
Pete is a good player but struggles with this League because he relies a lot on 2 things: 1, people understanding what bets mean and 2) bluffing to pick up pots.
Problem is, many of the players in this league don't understand what raises mean. They have no idea about relating raise sizes to the blinds and/or other people in the pot, when a raise means something and when it doesn't. But that is a minor problem. Actually, it means when you have a good hand you should rake a nice pot because people are not scared away by the bets. It is not uncommon for people to call over pot-sized bets (or, for that matter, to make those bets in the first place) nor to see people fold to minimum bets with dozens of blinds in the pots after the river.
In this league, bluffing is French for "giving away your chips to anyone with even a weak pair or two high cards". With that element removed from his game it is much tougher for him. This is not a knock, simply a recognition that his style of play and this league's style of play do not mesh well. When he learns to mix up his play he will do very well.
You can, if not outright win, at the very least finish top 2 or 3 every month simply by playing A-B-C poker. Fancy plays, check-raises, value bets...these nuances are too advanced for most of the players in the League at this point, though there has been incredible and vast improvement.
Anyway, when he raised, that SHOULD have driven out almost everyone. A big raise from late is supposed to indicate a strong hand
Instead all but one called so I was priced in. In position with a weak drawing hand, true...but I could get out after the flop easily. Besides, I know Pete will often raise like that trying to steal small pots like this one where lots of people limped.
Except there was no need for me to get out, it was a dream flop. 2/2/j rainbow. How to get the chips in the pot? Pete bet 500 , Cris and Tracy called. I wanted to keep people in so I did not re-raise and just smooth called.
Turn was a 6 of one of the suits, I think hearts. Now with possible straight and flushes on the board, checked to me, I raised. I wanted to charge people for staying with horrific back-door draws. It is not unusual to see people needing runner-runner stick around. Pete, Cris and Tracy all called. River was a blank. I raised it to 1000 or so. Pete called with a look on his face that let me know he was irritated and knew he was beat but had a hand he could not lay down. Cris called all-in and Tracy called. I showed the trips. Pete showed pocket Kings and Cris showed top two pair.
Now I was sitting pretty. We start with just 3000 and I already had almost 11K.
Hit a ht streak, won 2 or 3 consecutive small pots. Had no hand for one hand and someone went out. Boo, I needed points and needed to take people out. *sigh*
Folded (!) to me about 1 to the right of the button. I had 2/7 of Hearts, lots of chips. I thought it would be funny to raise. At this point the blinds were 50/100 so I raised to 300. Pete was down to 650 and went all-in. Folded back to me.
I had been raising frequently, though every other time I raised I legitimately had good hands. I did not want people to think I was raising with junk. How to either call or fold without destroying the table image I had been working to develop?
Aha! "I was just raising to be funny that time," I said. "I am thinking about calling because I think it is funny."
Actually, I was planning calling because I knew Pete had a super-wide range of hands he would make that move with. With only 650, he wanted a heads-up pot and there were only the blinds and I to force out. I had been raising a lot so he knew my raising range was wide. That meant any pair, any Ace, any two face cards, and maybe even something like J/10.
I know I am all but dead to any pair but against the rest of his hands I am 60-40 and something about his raise did not feel like a pair. It felt like a desperation, lower-end of his range, somewhat on tilt all-in. So I was actually figuring it for a coin flip and I will take that kind of chance to put a dangerous player out. And at worst, he would double up and be having fun which is something I want everyone to do at these things.
He made it easy. "With the blinds, you are priced in."
He was right. His 650 , the blinds, and my initial raise meant I now needed to call 350 to win 1100, more than 3-1 and I believed I was only a 3-2 dog. I called.
He was right where I thought he might be, at the low end of his range of all-in hands, A/9. He was still the favorite, but I had two live cards.
And I hit the 7.
To this point I had been red-hot, picking up hand after hand. Now I went card dead and just at the wrong time. I needed points to catch Kevin and Josh in the standings. To get points I needed to finish well and take out lots of people.
Instead I had to sit there folding as Phillip, Tracy, and Rick went out. Then Joe went out. Then Emily and Robin in the same hand. My stack was blinding down and I was getting no cards. We were down to the final 9. Eric had a huge stack, Kevin had almost as much, and I was way behind them in third.
Bad part is, I was tilting and I knew it. Every hand was taking forever. I could tell certain people were going to fold before the action ever got to them, but they would sit there and ponder their move for 3 or 4 minutes every time. And with 3 people at the table doing that, it got real boring real fast. This is not a super serious league as a general rule. We like to keep it fast-paced. Instead it was sooooooooooo slooooooooooooow. I was trying to get myself out. But I wanted to do it on a good hand.
Picked up Jacks. Raised, everyone but Josh folded. Flop was ragged, 10/6/2 rainbow. I bet the pot. He looked like he was going to fold, then called. I should have gotten suspicious as that is a pretty reliable tell but I missed it.
Turn was a King, I checked, he checked.
River was a blank, I bet enough to put him all in, he called. He had a 6/10.
yes, Josh, the guy I think is usually a real good player called a healthy raise with 6/10. He later admitted he only did it because he had not played a hand for a while and it was his big blind.
Anyway, that hurt.
A few hands later I had j/9 on the button. About 4 people limped, I limped, big blind checked. Flop was Q/J/4, all Hearts. My 9 was a heart. I had middle pair, enough chips left to be dangerous, and a mediocre flush draw. I went all in.
And promptly got called by Kevin, Eric, and Josh. Uh-oh, I was dead. No way was middle pair any good against three callers, especially with Eric being one of them. He is a very conservative player. Josh will take a flyer trying to get me out and Kevin will call with a wide range of hands when he has a lot of chips, but Eric? No, one of them for sure, probably two of them already had me beat.
Turn was a blank. River was a blank. I reluctantly showed my measly pair of jacks...and it was the winning hand. What? Well, one had A/K, one had a King high flush draw, the other had I think a straight draw? Anyway, it never hit any of them and Jacks were the best hand.
Ironically, I now had over 13K, more than at any other point in the game.
Josh was crippled and soon taken out. Down to Amy, Kevin, Eric and I. I really needed to outlast Kevin as I was pretty sure I now had enough points to overtake Josh as I was only 100 points behind him when the night started and with 17 people, that meant I was scoring well.
Poor Amy was pretty out-classed. It was her first time ever playing the game and she was hitting a lot of hands that she might not have been in had she known the game better. I was excited for her to have done so well, but now that it was just some of the tougher players left, she was intimidated and ended up going out when her pocket Aces got beaten by Erics' two pair.
And then something funny happened. I got a J/10, raised, flopped a straight. Kevin and Eric stayed with me right to the river and I tripled up. I was now sitting on over 25K.
And then Kevin went all-in on a gut-shot straight draw when I had trips. I took him out.
Eric is a solid, A-B-C player. He also is super easy to read if you pay attention. Example:earlier, Rick had limped in. Eric looked at his chips. Blinds were 50/100. He had no 100s, so he just tossed a 500 out there which we allowed as a raise. Rick reluctantly showed me his hand, K/J Hearts as he folded.
"Should have called, you have a better hand than he does." Sure enough, flop came Jack high and Eric now made change and bet 200.
"Told you," I said to Rick. "You had him right there." After the river betting I told Rick, "He was afraid of the Jack. He had some pair lower than that and wanted to bet but was afraid of that."
Sure enough, later Eric told me he had tens on that hand.
It was a good hand to raise, but not to raise to 500 with blinds at 50/100. He made that raise not because he had a good hand but because he had a hand he wanted to play and did not want to make change. After the flop, he wanted to make a continuation bet but when he made change he might as well have flipped his cards up.
Now that it was he and I, I went to town. Three times I did not even bother to look at my cards, just watched him. If he hesitated I knew he had a weak hand and bet. Once, ironically, I did not look at my cards and limped in. He checked. Flop came A/K/something. I bet, he folded. Looked at my cards...A/K. Awesome. Not that it mattered, I was playing him not the cards.
But the patter was set. Any time I had a pair I bet. He folded. Any time he checked, I bet. If he bet....well, he didn't. Soon I had the chip lead. Soon I had the game.
I played really well at first. I made good reads, made the correct play, maximized my winnings and minimized my losses. When I went on tilt, I still played well. I only played hands that had a chance of winning...other than the one semi-bluff that inexplicably won.
Once I got down to three people I knew I had a real good shot at winning. I picked my spots, built my stack, and ended up winning for the first time this year after a 3rd, an 11th, a 2nd, and I think a 4th.
Oh, and for the record? Because Kevin had been in first place, I got 20 for taking him out instead of 10...and in the current standings I am ahead by 10 points. Awesome.
Friday
Starving Crazed Weasels March
Had not been playing very well. I play so rarely any more that I started playing like a maniac. Stay in until the river hoping for that miracle card, that sort of stuff. So this month I decided to play well just to see if I could. Nice turnout.
Had Tracy to my right, then Phillip, then someone, then Emily, then Shelli, to my left Rick and then Chad. Fun table.
About 2 hands in picked up pocket 10s. Raised. 2 callers. Flop saw an Ace, a raise and call ahead of me. Lately, I would have played it hoping to turn a set. This time I folded.
A few hands later picked up pocket Jacks. Raised, couple callers. Flop was A/K/10. Heavy action, again I folded instead of justifying the loose call with hope for a set or straight. I was playing well.
Picked up Big Slick, raised, couple callers. Flopped an Ace and a couple diamonds. Pushed it, took down nice pot.
A/J, raise, hit the Jack, took down smaller pot.
Took down a couple pots here and there, lost very little. Got up a small amount, picked up the Cowboys, raised it.
Flop was ragged, Queen high. I raised it and Emily came over the top. Now, I taught her how to play and I know how she plays. There are really only two times she does that; one, if she has something like A/Q and wants to chase out stuff like pocket jacks or draws, and when she is on a pure bluff...which she has only done once. Anyway, there was no way I was getting away from this. I also thought she might have Aces.
Whoops. She had pockets. Not Aces though...worse. Pocket Queens. Which means she had a set. I was drawing mighty thin, about 5% (21-1). Turn was a blank. I was going to be out early for the third month in a row.
Except the river was a King.
Suddenly I was chip lead. Caught a hot streak.
Started trying to put people out. And twice people hit runner-runner to stay in. No big deal.
Rest of the night was just a succession of raise with good cards, fold bad ones until Phillip came calling.
He completed from the small blind and I checked. Heads up, I had an A/4. Flop was a blank. He raised, I called. He will often raise trying to drive people out with weak hands and if they call, just try to check it down. Sure enough, he checked the turn and river so I bet enough to put him all in.
He correctly said I was bluffing, but he was low and did not want to go out with such a weak hand. He showed what he was folding...2/3. He had a pair of 2s and would have beat me. We both read each other correctly but I went with my gut and he didn't.
Lo and behold, we got down to kevin and I. He was more aggressive than I have ever seen him and, since Em and I had to leave and because I love to see flops, I basically called every hand and he took me to the cleaners. He badly outplayed me and deserved the win. But I was happy, I played well except for the one hand against Emily. Other than that, I either got in good every time or read the person correctly.
Had Tracy to my right, then Phillip, then someone, then Emily, then Shelli, to my left Rick and then Chad. Fun table.
About 2 hands in picked up pocket 10s. Raised. 2 callers. Flop saw an Ace, a raise and call ahead of me. Lately, I would have played it hoping to turn a set. This time I folded.
A few hands later picked up pocket Jacks. Raised, couple callers. Flop was A/K/10. Heavy action, again I folded instead of justifying the loose call with hope for a set or straight. I was playing well.
Picked up Big Slick, raised, couple callers. Flopped an Ace and a couple diamonds. Pushed it, took down nice pot.
A/J, raise, hit the Jack, took down smaller pot.
Took down a couple pots here and there, lost very little. Got up a small amount, picked up the Cowboys, raised it.
Flop was ragged, Queen high. I raised it and Emily came over the top. Now, I taught her how to play and I know how she plays. There are really only two times she does that; one, if she has something like A/Q and wants to chase out stuff like pocket jacks or draws, and when she is on a pure bluff...which she has only done once. Anyway, there was no way I was getting away from this. I also thought she might have Aces.
Whoops. She had pockets. Not Aces though...worse. Pocket Queens. Which means she had a set. I was drawing mighty thin, about 5% (21-1). Turn was a blank. I was going to be out early for the third month in a row.
Except the river was a King.
Suddenly I was chip lead. Caught a hot streak.
Started trying to put people out. And twice people hit runner-runner to stay in. No big deal.
Rest of the night was just a succession of raise with good cards, fold bad ones until Phillip came calling.
He completed from the small blind and I checked. Heads up, I had an A/4. Flop was a blank. He raised, I called. He will often raise trying to drive people out with weak hands and if they call, just try to check it down. Sure enough, he checked the turn and river so I bet enough to put him all in.
He correctly said I was bluffing, but he was low and did not want to go out with such a weak hand. He showed what he was folding...2/3. He had a pair of 2s and would have beat me. We both read each other correctly but I went with my gut and he didn't.
Lo and behold, we got down to kevin and I. He was more aggressive than I have ever seen him and, since Em and I had to leave and because I love to see flops, I basically called every hand and he took me to the cleaners. He badly outplayed me and deserved the win. But I was happy, I played well except for the one hand against Emily. Other than that, I either got in good every time or read the person correctly.
Saturday
Beacon Rock, Dec 6, 2008
Golfnow had a great price, the sun was out, the Goose wanted to study, I wanted to golf...so off I went.
Hole one has a slight right bend, trees along the right, open to the left. I slapped it about 250 yards, ended up curving around the trees and along the right-center of the fairway. A nice chip, 2 putt, PAR. Nice start.
Hole 2 has a bend left at about the 125 from green mark, a 285 yard hole. About a 240 yard drive left me about 60 yards off the green after I faded right. I hit the front of the fringe and 3 putted for bogey.
Hole 3 is a 150 yard straight par 3. Well, except the trees that overhang both sides. So keep it low and go straight or, like me, ramp up an 8 iron, get under it, and end up about 10 yards short. My chip left some work to be done, 2-putt, bogey.
Hole 4 is a Par 5, 391 yards so not especially long. I lost sight of my first shot, was pretty sure it was along the right side, maybe just into the sparse trees. Never found it. Technically, I should have re-teed. Instead, I backed off to about the 200 yard marker and dropped in the rough. Not officially correct, definitely Drew correct. 7 wood was a few yards short of the green. Chip was weak, 2 putt. I counted the drop for a 6, bogey.
Hole 5 There is water, but no way to tell how far away. Well, there is one way...shorten your swing and put your drive into it. Re-tee, crushed it. It is a 467 yard hole and I was about 135 off the green, well over the water. An 8-iron got me close, 1 putt PAR even after the penalty!
Hole 6Par 4, 316 yards, water down the right side, trees close on the left. I was right of the water. About 100 yards, took a gap wedge, landed short, chipped on, 2 putt, bogey.
Hole 7, par 4, 345, trees left, trees, water and houses right. Sliced a bit, but still had a clean look at the elevated green. Did not want to be short, added a club, skulled it, over green to the back fringe. Chip was wimpy (notice a trend?), 2 putt, bogey.
Hole 8, 134 yard par 3. My pitching wedge is my 135 yard club. Yet I left it short. My chip barely got on the green, 2 putt, bogey.
Hole 9 starts tight but opens up, a 333 yard par 4. However, if you go right on the tee shot, a large oak overhangs the right side of the green. I crushed the drive about 250 yards, shanked my chip over the tree, then barely chipped onto the green, 2 putt.
43 for the front, I was pretty happy with that. I thought I was playing poorly; my drive was all over the place, my chipping was short, short, short, short...but averaging 2 putts per hole covers a lot of errors.
The back plays slightly different as they change I think 3 tee boxes. Hole 10, though, is just playing hole 1 again.
This time I sliced and ended up where I was worried about hitting a tree on my back swing, even though about 20 practice swings showed I had lots of room. I actually whiffed on the ball I was worrying so much about hitting the tree. I did not count the stroke since I did not hit the ball, don't know the "official" rules and was playing Weasel golf. Then I shanked the shot right of the green. A short chip left me a make able putt which I left short. Bogey.
Hole 11 Par 4 I was worried about my driver, you don't want to go too far, so I pulled out my beloved 7 wood. And promptly chunked it about 130 yards and right, leaving myself a 160 yard shot. For some inexplicable reason, I whipped out my 8 iron instead of my 5 or 6. In a shock to, well, nobody, that left me short. Tired of landing short, I chipped over the green for variety. Back onto the green, 2 putt, a 6. My first big number.
Hole 12, the 150 yard par 3. I aired it out, thought it was great, but ended up about 6 yards short. Nice chip for a change, about a 5' putt for PAR.
Hole 13 This time they changed the tee box, making in a 338 yard hole and the hardest on the course. I clipped it, pulling a ground ball left about 80 yards. I declared a Mulligan. I re teed. Well into the trees. Ironically, could not find the 80 yard grounder, but the tree one I found. Sand Wedge back onto the fairway...except short, so in the rough. Chip to fringe, putt from fringe, then 1 putt. Bogey.
Hole 14 A 501 yard par 5. I crushed my drive, clearing the water. Then I hit my 7 wood, pin high but right. Chipped on to about 6'. Missed the birdie, got the PAR.
Hole 15 7 Wood, slightly teed. Went too far right and short. 160 yards out, pulled out my 5 iron. Splash in the lake I thought was past the hole. Drop. Aimed left, waited for wind to die, which was pretty strong by now, 5 iron aimed left...thought it was water again. Upset, pulled my 8 iron, powered it up, landed about 4' short on the fringe. Went to see if I could recover either ball. The first one was gone, but did find my second. Chip was nice, putt lipped out, so a 2 putt a 7. Another big number. Ouch.
Hole 16 The tee box was moved back, making it a 425 yard par 5. With the wind, I teed lower and crushed the drive. Unfortunately, I was playing it to slice so I powdered a tree. It bounced left into a marshy area. No problem, line of sight to the elevated green, 7 wood distance. And my 7 wood I hit so bad my divot ended up 45 degrees left of my line of sight, the shot went about 40 yards. Now 85 yards out. Gap wedge. BAM! Smack into a tree, bounced onto fairway about 45 yards away. Now, that means I SHOULD use my Sand Wedge, but I don't trust it. 8 iron, hit to the right fringe. Used putter, got close, 1 putt, saved a bogey. This hole could easily have been a big, big number, maybe even double digits but I kept my head, didn't get upset, and made something out of nothing. And had I aimed slightly right, missed those trees, I would have had a great shot at an Eagle because that drive was as hard hit as any I hit all day. See hole 18 for why that matters.
Hole 17 133 or 134 yards. The wind scared me. Teed my 8 Iron low to the ground. Moved the ball forward. Aimed about 20 yards right of the green. Skied the ball. Almost hit the 9th/18th hole tee box about 40 yards left of the green. Spectacular chip, about a 6' putt that rolled in. PAR.
Hole 18 I CRUSHED my drive. 284 yards. I walked it off. I then managed to watch my modified 8 iron roll over the green. And weakly chip. And my par putt lipped...hung...and rolled out. Bogey.
44 for the back. Not bad.
An 87. I am ecstatic with that. A course I have never played before, Rated 67.4 with a slope of 107 (as if I know what those mean...)
Glendoverr, 10/25
Kyle and I had been wanting to golf together for a while, so off we headed to Glendoveer. 18 holes, walking. My goal for the day was to break 100, something I have never done for 18.
First hole is a short, 275 yard par 4 with an elevated green, sand short and right. I had a nice 240 yard drive, pitched on, 2 putt for par. Good start. Kyle went way right with his drive and struggled, finally taking a snowman. Ouch.
The second hole is also short, about 242 yards with sand in front and to both sides of the green. I had maybe a 200 yard drive, another pitch, 2 putts, par. Kyle also scored a par on this hole, which was cool.
3 is a tight fairway with some fairway bunkers and to a dropped green that has blind areas in front. I went right unfortunately far, had a great approach, 2 putt, par. Kyle also scored a par.
#4 is a 154 yard par 3 that is just short and straight. We both chunked our tee shots, it took 2 to get on, 2 putts apiece, a couple of bogeys. At this point I am pumped. 1 over after 4 holes is great for me.
#5 is where it gets tough. Both sides have trees that make the fairway tight. It is only 268 yards, but you cannot stray too far. Well, Kyle pulled out his 3-wood and said, "I am going to bounce it off that tree and be in the fairway." And promptly hit the very tree he pointed at and bounced back into the fairway. So I pulled my shot left, it would have been great except there was exactly one branch I could hit...and I did which knocked 40 yards off my drive. I was still in the fairway. Pitch, putt, putt. Par, Kyle not so good.
Hole #6 is a 357 yard par 4 that is again very tight. I had a complete meltdown. Poor drive, weak second shot, I think 5 to get on and a 3 putt. Suddenly my great round had a snowman. Poor Kyle did little better, scoring a 7.
Hole #7 is 335 yards and even tighter. I sliced and was behind some trees, but had a bead on the left side of the green. I punched out onto the green, 2 putt, par.
Hole #8 is 346 yards with a soft bend left. I yanked my drive badly left into the trees, punched out, hit the green from there and 2 putted to save a bogey.
Hole #9 is a 424 yard par 5 with the green guarded both sides by sand. Again I pulled left. My second shot I played my 7 wood and blasted it, a great shot that gave me a good look at the green. Unfortunately, my chip was short so I had to chip again, then 2 putted for a bogey to close the front out with a 43, including 5 pars, 3 bogeys, and the one quadruple bogey.
I am pretty proud of that 43 as Glendoveer is a tough course for me and by hole 7 I was starting to feel fatigue as evidenced by my driver deserting me.
Meanwhile, Kyle shot a mighty fine 48 with 3 pars (including hole 9), 3 bogeys, a double, a triple, and a quadruple bogey.
#10 is only 265 with fairway sand right where you want to land. Before we could tee off, 2 guys asked if they could join us. We wanted to say no but couldn't. I do not play well with others. *sigh* I sliced, punched back into the fairway, chipped close, chipped to about 2 feet and 1-putted for a bogey. Kyle also bogeyed.
#11 is a 372 yard par 4 with sand guarding both front sides of the green. Again Kyle and I both took bogeys.
#12 is a 112 yard par 3 with water in front of the green. I hit just short of the green and it rolled back towards the pond but stayed just above the ater. Unfortunately, it was in front of a clump of grass and I had no footing. I decided to give a pretty good pop to the grass and overshot the green, which was tough because it is a pretty large green. A good chip left me about a 5' putt which I drained for a bogey.
#13 is a 308 yard par 4 closely guarded by trees on both sides with sand in front of the green. My drive was not good...right and behind the trees. I tried to punch under the trees and over the sand...but hit the tree and bounced back into the sand. The sand for a different hole...well, I chipped out of the sand to about 5' from the cup and one-putt for par.
#14 is a 340 yard down hill with trees both sides. I ripped my drive but far right. I still had a clear look at the green from about 136 yards out. But I shanked my 8 iron and ended up in some trees right of the green with a tiny window to the green which lay downhill with some rough ground between me and it and a sharp drop that made part of it blind. So I took a short swing with my 8 iron and landed about 2' from the cup and tapped in for par.
#15 is a457 yard slight left bend par 5. I scrabbled back from going way right to somehow reach the green in 3 and 2 putt for another par. I was on fire for me.
The next hole, #16 is only 383 yards but still a par 5. I pulled my drive left. It was a ground ball we though went maybe fifty yards. Turned out to be about 150, crushed a 7 wood from a sidehill uphill lie to a blind fairway, 136 yards and was looking at an uphill shot with sand traps flanking both sides of the green. 8 Iron left me with a 10' downhill putt which skittered a good 6' past the hole. I managed to hit that to save par.
#17 climbs sharply, playing as 341 par 4 uphill. I hammed a 280 yard drive down the middle. Pulled out my gap wedge for the first time all day. Perfect choice, it landed pin high...but bounced way up the hill. I was maybe 15' from the cup and tried to hit a 3 foot putt. Ended up 10' below the cup it was that steep and that fast. My come back putt died on the lip and I went from a birdie attempt to a bogey. Aggh!
#18 is a 144 yard par 3 with sand in front on both sides and a warning; don't go above the flag as this one is badly slanted to the front. I promptly shanked my 8 iron about 5' above the pin and 30 yards right of the green, easily one of my 3 or 4 worst shots of the day. I had sand between me and the green and electrical wires in the way. Boo! Sand Wedge...straight into the sand. Blasted out of the sand to the far side of the oversize green. My putt coming back I aimed about 10' above the hole, laying about 25' to the side. And my putt HIT the hole! but rolled about 6' below it. I yipped that and finished with a 6.
Still, with no big numbers on the back, I was only one shot worse, a 44. I had 3 pars, 5 bogeys, and the triple. So I shot bogey golf on the back which I am ecstatic about.
For the day I shot an 87. To be honest, there was one putt I joked around with and missed so I took 1 mulligan on the front. Other than that, completely legit score. An EIGHT-SEVEN!
I am pretty jacked about that. Kyle also played well, shooting a 45 on the back, or 2 shots better than the front to finish with a 93. For two hackers, that is outstanding. On 8 holes, or almost half, I had pars. I cannot tell you how happy I am with my round.
West Killarney
Went to West Killarney with 3 guys from work. John likes best ball and likes to win. Bill, by his own admission, is not very good. Dave and I shot about even last week. I don't care too much about winning, particularly best ball format, which I don't care too much for, so I said, "Me and Bill will make a team." This made John happy as he looked forward to an easy win.
First hole is a dog leg left. About a 180 yard drive gets you to the corner, 200 yards puts you behind a tree so you really need to be accurate. John hit a gorgeous drive, Bill faded right, Dave chunked badly, and I whipped out my 7 wood. And topped it, maybe 140 yards. Terrible...but Bill was behind a tree so we played mine. We went back and forth...took us 4 shots to get on the green and then we 2 putted. Played 3 of Bill's shots and 3 of mine. Dave and John took a 5 so we were down one.
Hole 2 is another "target golf" thing...maybe 160 yards to get past a tree, 190 yards means you might be out of bounds. Short right is trees and canyon. Both Dave and John hit gorgeous, near perfect drives. Bill had a playable drive but to the green blind. I mis-hit my 5 iron, it never got higher than knee level and sliced...fortunately, that meant it was a perfect shot. Unfortunately, I then topped my 9 iron and it went maybe 5 yards? Brutal. Fortunately, Bill put us close to the green. We then both chipped over the green. Our chip back on was okay, we 2 putted. Again, 3 of my shots, 3 of Bill's, Dave and John again had a 5 so we were down 2 after 2. About right.
Hole 3 is a 95 yard par 3. Bill chunked it way short and right. I took a half swing with my 8 iron. However, I crushed it. We thought it was OB so we played Bill's. I then blasted my ball to who knows where. When we went to play his second we found my first. So we played that. I managed to get mine on the green. We played one of my putts and one of his. Dave & John also had a 4.
Next hole is a long par 4 that is tree lined on both sides. Bill hammered out a nice drive as did John. I tried my driver but was still using the new uni-height tees. Sky-ball slice. Brutal. 7 wood went nowhere, Bill had a nice hit if a bit right. We played my chip to the green and his putts. Another bogey, as did Dave & John.
At this point I was extremely frustrated. I was trying to play relaxed, smart golf. I was underswinging, going with soft swings, and so forth. And I was chunk-chunk-chunking my shots. I took a ball I had found and baseballed it into the woods with my putter, went over and sat at the next tee bench.
The next hole is the first par 5, about 475 yards. Bill hit a short shot, John hit a long one, Dave hit short, and as I got ready to swing, Bill said, "Drew is ready to unleash a legendary drive...of F-bombs." I tried my driver with a normal tee. And CRUSHED it. It was about a 270 yard drive and right center of the fairway. I then blasted my 7 wood pin high. They reached the front fring in 3 and we were still farther then them after 2. Then John chipped to about 6" from the cup. I chipped to about 8', we 2 putted. We played 5 of my shots and got the par. Unfortunately, John's chip meant we were still down 2.
The next hole is a 360 yard par 4 with trees tight to the fairway on both sides. John hammered a nice drive, Bill and Dave both sliced short and bad, and then I stepped up. I had to avoid the tree that inhibits a skied driver on the right so I aimed left. Again I absolutely crushed it. It blasted loose a small branch and still landed dead center in the fairway 90 yards from the green. Bill chipped short and left, I chipped pin high and right. We took mine, I rolled onto the green and close, we 1 putted for a par. Unfortunately, John rolled in about a 20' putt. Again the stroke we thought we were going to get back was ripped from us.
Next hole was a 135 yard par 3. John landed on the green. Bill went OB past the green. Dave landed on the green. I always struggle on this hole, but this time I hit the deep left corner of the green. Both Bill and I got close with our putts but mine was slightly closer and I holed it for the par. So did Dave & John. 3 straight pars for both partnerships.
Hole 8 is a short par 5, about 475 yards. It makes up for the length by having trees even tighter to both sides of the fairway. Bill hit very short, Dave was off in the woods to the right and John hammered a nice drive into the center of the fairway. So again I demolished my drive, long and straight. We were laying about 160 yards off the green. Over a 300 yard drive and center of the fairway! Unfortunately, both Bill and I went right but I was about pin high so we took mine. I chipped onto the green and their third shot was long. They chipped on and were laying 4. They 2 putted. I had about a 7' putt with a left bend for the birdie that would tie us. John actually laid his putter in front of the hole. When the antics were over I put the putt on the lip; 1 more rotation and it would have fallen. So I tapped it for my 4th consecutive par, all of which were exclusively my shots. I was playing awesome.
We were now only down 1 with 1 hole to go, a very tough dogleg left par 4. Bill went first. He sliced badly and hit a tree about 40 yards down and right. John stepped up and hit a great drive that looked like it made the corner and was a great, great shot. I pulled out a 3 iron, trying to get past the corner without driving the road as I usually do here. Instead I shanked it shorter than Bill's and further right. Horrible. John and Dave were counting up how many strokes they would pick up. So then Bill overdrove the fairway and went OB against the road. I decided to try my 7W over the trees, over the water, over hole 5 to the green. Instead I caught mud and a branch, hit a low overhanging branch with the ball, and ended up about 40 yards from the green...short of the pond...behind trees. Sadly...that was better than Bill's shot. I ripped out my sand wedge, took a stout swing, the ball flew over the trees and pond and landed on the green about 6' from the cup. It was an outstanding shot. Dave hit a tree and ended up further from the green. John sliced behind a tree. For whatever reason they took Johns even with no view of the flag. Neither of them reached the green. Then they both chipped to the far back side of the green. They were laying 3, so were we. Their next putt barely got closer than ours. If we made our putt we would win outright. We both missed by inches so we took a 5. John yipped so it came down to Dave...who hit the lip and it rolled in for the tie.
Still, Bill and I should have gotten KILLED. We played only 12 of Bills shots. We shot a 43, 7 over. So I actually played really well once we got past the 4th hole. I played the next 4 holes alone and then we matched well on 9.
I ended up having a good time despite the rough first 4 holes. A good finish to the year.
Monday
Three Rivers Golf Course
I knew Dave's wife was at a lace convention and the Goose was studying so he and I headed off to Longview. Unfortunately, there was a slight flaw in the directions I got from Googlemaps...namely, they said to take an exit that...well...doesn't exist. So we did the tour de Longview and ended up driving the length of the town. Like 3 times. So I was a bit frustrated by the time we got there.
Fortunately, there were very, very few people at the course. We basically paid and walked up to the tee. It is a long par 5 where the tee shot needs to be blasted to get up the hill to a blind fairway. Since Dave was taking his new clubs for the maiden tour I had him rip first.
He promptly sliced approximately 100 yards right of the fairway into some trees well short of the top of the hill. Now, I had just purchased some new tees. I habitually tee the ball too low. I also prefer to tee off with my 7 wood with which I do not use a tee. However, recently I read a couple books that pointed out doing this was a disadvantage to myself and even some of the best ball-strikers in history teed up every change they could because it was an easier shot. Taking this to heart, I decided to tee up every drive. I also bought tees that are universal in height...when you use them, you will always tee up the same height, it is impossible to do otherwise. And it is significantly higher than I have ever teed up before.
So I promptly made Dave's drive look spectacular; I might have hit it on the hosel, my hit was that bad. It was shorter than Dave's and further right.
My second shot, I decided to play "smart golf" and just hit it back onto the fairway so I could then use my beloved Fairway wood. Unfortunately, I did not hit it quite hard enough and left myself in the rough. And it was rough. My beloved 7 wood turned in my hands and I pulled it well left. And now had to contend with tree branches behind and above me. So I botched that shot. Well, Dave ended the hole with a snowman...and I snuck into double figures! Ouch. I had not put a 10 on the scorecard in years. Not an auspicious beginning.
Hole 2 is a par 4 with a slight bend left. Dave hammered his drive. Unfortunately, he had lined up so far left to compensate for his drive that he went way left...directly into trees. I crushed my drive (for me). 248 yards, just right of the fairway. My second shot landed on the right side of the green. A nice lag putt left me a 6' which I thought was in but left about 2" from the hole. I took a 5, not bad, but I wanted that par! Meanwhile, Dave had taken an adventure and took a snowman so I actually had a 1 stroke lead...
Next up was a par 3. I shanked my 8 iron. Not a good sign as that is typically one of my 2 best clubs. I rely so heavily on my 8 iron and 7 wood that those 2 clubs need regripped...but no other club is even worn yet. When it deserts me I am in trouble.
Instead of wisely chipping with my 8 I decided to hit my sand wedge. I have been experimenting with it lately and like the flop shot. Unfortunately, I chunked it past the green. Now a chip from a sidehill lie with the ball under my feet barely reached the green. A quick 3 putt and my 6 to Dave's 4 meant he was back up 1.
The next hole I absolutely crushed my drive. Unfortunately, I had elected to play for the fade I often hit and by so aligning, was aimed about 4 - 5' left of the fairway about 200 yards out. Well...I went further than 200 yards, never faded or sliced, and landed behind a tree. A quick punch onto the fairway, an 8 iron to about 20' from the cup, and I missed the putt but about 6".
A bit later we both sliced our drives. I ended up in a fairway bunker. I used my 7 wood, picked it clean, and almost drove the green. Unfortunately, the word "almost" is the operative word. I was short, blocked by a tree. I punched out...and over the green. Another 6. The big numbers were piling up. Of course, Dave took a snowman, so I was back up 1...
We went back and forth until at one point he was up one. The hole is a sharp dog-leg right to an elevated and blind. Neither of us had any idea how far to the bend. I decided to unleash the driver and my overswing would cause a slice. This would, in theory, carry my somewhat up the hill. Unfortunately, I skied the ball. It probably went 250 yards. Of course, 242 of those yards were up in the air...it did not even get to the ladies tees. I crushed my 7 wood but aimed poorly. Had I aimed better it would have been a great shot. As it was, it was about as far from a great shot as you could get. Once more I was blocked by a tree. I could punch it right of the hole, but out of bounds loomed. Or I could go OVER the tree...so out came the sand wedge. Took a good, hard swing, got over the tree, but left myself needing to fly a sand trap. Another sand wedge...except I skulled it. It bounced off the fence marking out of bounds. An 8 iron, my backswing hit the fence. Another snowman. It was UGLY.
By the final hole we had traded the lead 3 or 4 times and were tied. I promptly pulled my drive left. I hit a provisional and this time I just dropped a ball and ripped my 7 wood like I used to. It was a great drive, slightly left side of the fairway (which is what I wanted since it was a dogleg left hole) with an easy 160 yards to an open green. Found my first ball and it was about a foot out of bounds per the local rules so I took my second shot and was laying 3. Dave promptly chunked his second shot into the pond. So now we were both laying 3. I pulled out my 5 iron. Earlier on a 160 yard par 3 I had landed on the green with a 3/4 swing with it. So this time I went full swing. Yep, pulled it left. Dave landed on the green but it skittered into the sand. I overshot the green, he got on. A weak chip, a 2 putt...to his 3 putt. We tied.
For the day I rang up the highest 9 hole score I have had in probably 6 years, a 58. Only twice all day did I hit the green in regulation and both times left putts on the lip of the cup. It was horrific.
But it was also fun. Good time. And if I were smart and went back to teeing off with my 7 Wood I would easily be back in the 40s. We will see if I get smart. Don't count on it.
Fortunately, there were very, very few people at the course. We basically paid and walked up to the tee. It is a long par 5 where the tee shot needs to be blasted to get up the hill to a blind fairway. Since Dave was taking his new clubs for the maiden tour I had him rip first.
He promptly sliced approximately 100 yards right of the fairway into some trees well short of the top of the hill. Now, I had just purchased some new tees. I habitually tee the ball too low. I also prefer to tee off with my 7 wood with which I do not use a tee. However, recently I read a couple books that pointed out doing this was a disadvantage to myself and even some of the best ball-strikers in history teed up every change they could because it was an easier shot. Taking this to heart, I decided to tee up every drive. I also bought tees that are universal in height...when you use them, you will always tee up the same height, it is impossible to do otherwise. And it is significantly higher than I have ever teed up before.
So I promptly made Dave's drive look spectacular; I might have hit it on the hosel, my hit was that bad. It was shorter than Dave's and further right.
My second shot, I decided to play "smart golf" and just hit it back onto the fairway so I could then use my beloved Fairway wood. Unfortunately, I did not hit it quite hard enough and left myself in the rough. And it was rough. My beloved 7 wood turned in my hands and I pulled it well left. And now had to contend with tree branches behind and above me. So I botched that shot. Well, Dave ended the hole with a snowman...and I snuck into double figures! Ouch. I had not put a 10 on the scorecard in years. Not an auspicious beginning.
Hole 2 is a par 4 with a slight bend left. Dave hammered his drive. Unfortunately, he had lined up so far left to compensate for his drive that he went way left...directly into trees. I crushed my drive (for me). 248 yards, just right of the fairway. My second shot landed on the right side of the green. A nice lag putt left me a 6' which I thought was in but left about 2" from the hole. I took a 5, not bad, but I wanted that par! Meanwhile, Dave had taken an adventure and took a snowman so I actually had a 1 stroke lead...
Next up was a par 3. I shanked my 8 iron. Not a good sign as that is typically one of my 2 best clubs. I rely so heavily on my 8 iron and 7 wood that those 2 clubs need regripped...but no other club is even worn yet. When it deserts me I am in trouble.
Instead of wisely chipping with my 8 I decided to hit my sand wedge. I have been experimenting with it lately and like the flop shot. Unfortunately, I chunked it past the green. Now a chip from a sidehill lie with the ball under my feet barely reached the green. A quick 3 putt and my 6 to Dave's 4 meant he was back up 1.
The next hole I absolutely crushed my drive. Unfortunately, I had elected to play for the fade I often hit and by so aligning, was aimed about 4 - 5' left of the fairway about 200 yards out. Well...I went further than 200 yards, never faded or sliced, and landed behind a tree. A quick punch onto the fairway, an 8 iron to about 20' from the cup, and I missed the putt but about 6".
A bit later we both sliced our drives. I ended up in a fairway bunker. I used my 7 wood, picked it clean, and almost drove the green. Unfortunately, the word "almost" is the operative word. I was short, blocked by a tree. I punched out...and over the green. Another 6. The big numbers were piling up. Of course, Dave took a snowman, so I was back up 1...
We went back and forth until at one point he was up one. The hole is a sharp dog-leg right to an elevated and blind. Neither of us had any idea how far to the bend. I decided to unleash the driver and my overswing would cause a slice. This would, in theory, carry my somewhat up the hill. Unfortunately, I skied the ball. It probably went 250 yards. Of course, 242 of those yards were up in the air...it did not even get to the ladies tees. I crushed my 7 wood but aimed poorly. Had I aimed better it would have been a great shot. As it was, it was about as far from a great shot as you could get. Once more I was blocked by a tree. I could punch it right of the hole, but out of bounds loomed. Or I could go OVER the tree...so out came the sand wedge. Took a good, hard swing, got over the tree, but left myself needing to fly a sand trap. Another sand wedge...except I skulled it. It bounced off the fence marking out of bounds. An 8 iron, my backswing hit the fence. Another snowman. It was UGLY.
By the final hole we had traded the lead 3 or 4 times and were tied. I promptly pulled my drive left. I hit a provisional and this time I just dropped a ball and ripped my 7 wood like I used to. It was a great drive, slightly left side of the fairway (which is what I wanted since it was a dogleg left hole) with an easy 160 yards to an open green. Found my first ball and it was about a foot out of bounds per the local rules so I took my second shot and was laying 3. Dave promptly chunked his second shot into the pond. So now we were both laying 3. I pulled out my 5 iron. Earlier on a 160 yard par 3 I had landed on the green with a 3/4 swing with it. So this time I went full swing. Yep, pulled it left. Dave landed on the green but it skittered into the sand. I overshot the green, he got on. A weak chip, a 2 putt...to his 3 putt. We tied.
For the day I rang up the highest 9 hole score I have had in probably 6 years, a 58. Only twice all day did I hit the green in regulation and both times left putts on the lip of the cup. It was horrific.
But it was also fun. Good time. And if I were smart and went back to teeing off with my 7 Wood I would easily be back in the 40s. We will see if I get smart. Don't count on it.
Thursday
Lake Oswego Golf Course
Since I have only played "best ball" this year, I wanted to get in at least one round that was just me seeing what I could do. So I header over to the Stafford Road course for a quick 9. It is a short par 3 course. Happily, I did not get paired with anyone. Of course, in some ways that is bad; I tend to play too fast. If I slowed down I would play better more often than not.
First hole is maybe 136 yards. Went with the 8 iron. Usually I don't tee up on par 3s, but some recent reading has led me to believe that is a mistake that makes the game more difficult so tee it I did. And promptly hit a worm burner. Pulled it left but pin high. My chip was almost awesome as it rattled the flag pretty good and left me about a 6' putt which I promptly missed. Oh, well, an opening 4 ain't bad. If I can bogey most holes and maybe par a couple I will be happy.
Second hole is a slightly elevated tee box and maybe 119. Tried my 9 iron. Hit it short. Decent ship, but a horrific 3 putt. gave me a 5.
Third hole is 175 yards, slight left bend to a slightly elevated green. 5 iron. Started good but tailed at the end. I was on the green, though. But it was probably a 25' putt, nothing I really had a chance at. I rolled the ball about 5' past the cup and made that for a par. Sweet!
About this time I caught up to a threesome who was behind a foursome of high school girls who were playing slow so it gave me time to kick back and relax. It was a 119 yard tee from the top of the hill. I wanted to air it out so the ball would sit. I figured a teed up Gap wedge would be perfect. I will never know because I skulled it badly. Line-drived that sucker. It flew right over the green about 40 yards the other side and rolled behind a tree so I could not even see the flag. Grr. I punched out and managed to land on the right side of the green, leaving maybe a 15' putt which I promptly botched. Another 2-putt.
Hole 5 goes slightly uphill and is maybe 135. I thought a pitching wedge was right; I hit it 135, the hill was slight, and since I fly it essentially the entire distance, that is a good selection, right? Eh. 20 yards short (!) and slightly right. Decided to try a flop shot since at this point the green was somewhat elevated. And hit it maybe 10'. Brutal. Chip, putt, putt, putt a SIX! ouch.
Next hole is 119, sharp downhill. 9 iron. First time all day I hit almost exactly the shot I attempted. Nice, high arch, landed just left of the pin, looked like it rolled real close to the hole, left me about a 5' putt. It is the first shot I have ever hit where I thought I had a chance at a hole in one, I was pretty excited when the ball was rolling. Missed the birdie putt but got my par.
That was about it for good golf. Closed out with a 5 and then hole 9 was brutal. 175 yards uphill. Yanked my 5 iron right, tree, landed behind it. Punched out into the fairway. Chunked my chip maybe 6 yards. Awful. My next one wasn't much better. So 4 to get on and then a 3 putt. A SEVEN to finish off. 12 over the last 2 holes. I finished with a 43...
Overall I guess for not having played my own game tee to green at all this year and only once last year, that is not terrible. Not good, certainly...but not unbelievably bad. I definitely need to get my putting back. A couple 3 putts, and an unbelievable 4 putt were the difference between an acceptable (by my standards) round and a bad one. And 22% of the time I still got par. So I can definitely get my game back if I get to playing regularly.
First hole is maybe 136 yards. Went with the 8 iron. Usually I don't tee up on par 3s, but some recent reading has led me to believe that is a mistake that makes the game more difficult so tee it I did. And promptly hit a worm burner. Pulled it left but pin high. My chip was almost awesome as it rattled the flag pretty good and left me about a 6' putt which I promptly missed. Oh, well, an opening 4 ain't bad. If I can bogey most holes and maybe par a couple I will be happy.
Second hole is a slightly elevated tee box and maybe 119. Tried my 9 iron. Hit it short. Decent ship, but a horrific 3 putt. gave me a 5.
Third hole is 175 yards, slight left bend to a slightly elevated green. 5 iron. Started good but tailed at the end. I was on the green, though. But it was probably a 25' putt, nothing I really had a chance at. I rolled the ball about 5' past the cup and made that for a par. Sweet!
About this time I caught up to a threesome who was behind a foursome of high school girls who were playing slow so it gave me time to kick back and relax. It was a 119 yard tee from the top of the hill. I wanted to air it out so the ball would sit. I figured a teed up Gap wedge would be perfect. I will never know because I skulled it badly. Line-drived that sucker. It flew right over the green about 40 yards the other side and rolled behind a tree so I could not even see the flag. Grr. I punched out and managed to land on the right side of the green, leaving maybe a 15' putt which I promptly botched. Another 2-putt.
Hole 5 goes slightly uphill and is maybe 135. I thought a pitching wedge was right; I hit it 135, the hill was slight, and since I fly it essentially the entire distance, that is a good selection, right? Eh. 20 yards short (!) and slightly right. Decided to try a flop shot since at this point the green was somewhat elevated. And hit it maybe 10'. Brutal. Chip, putt, putt, putt a SIX! ouch.
Next hole is 119, sharp downhill. 9 iron. First time all day I hit almost exactly the shot I attempted. Nice, high arch, landed just left of the pin, looked like it rolled real close to the hole, left me about a 5' putt. It is the first shot I have ever hit where I thought I had a chance at a hole in one, I was pretty excited when the ball was rolling. Missed the birdie putt but got my par.
That was about it for good golf. Closed out with a 5 and then hole 9 was brutal. 175 yards uphill. Yanked my 5 iron right, tree, landed behind it. Punched out into the fairway. Chunked my chip maybe 6 yards. Awful. My next one wasn't much better. So 4 to get on and then a 3 putt. A SEVEN to finish off. 12 over the last 2 holes. I finished with a 43...
Overall I guess for not having played my own game tee to green at all this year and only once last year, that is not terrible. Not good, certainly...but not unbelievably bad. I definitely need to get my putting back. A couple 3 putts, and an unbelievable 4 putt were the difference between an acceptable (by my standards) round and a bad one. And 22% of the time I still got par. So I can definitely get my game back if I get to playing regularly.
Saturday
Small game
People from work keep asking for a game to be put together and other people have asked for one as well so I put one together. Friday seemed to be the popular day requested so that is when I set it up...except I inadvertently put Saturday on the evite. So we ended up with just 5 people. Grr.
Emily was to my left, Roman to her left, Phil to his left, and Steve immediately to my right. I started out horribly. Every time I flopped top pair, someone else flopped something better. For example, I checked my option with A/8. Flop came 5/7/8. I raised, Phil re-raised. Turned out he had flopped a straight.
We started with 10K and I was down to maybe 7K when I pulled pocket kings. With blinds of 50/100 I picked up pocket Kings. I raised to 400, Emily called. Flop was A/Q/something small. I raised, she called very quickly. I put her on the Ace and checked when the turn brought a blank. Surprisingly, she checked as well. The river was a 9 and she bet out. Since I had put her on the Ace there was no way I could call but I really agonized over it. Finally I folded face up...and she flipped up pocket 9s. Right fold, wrong cards I thought she had. But it was several more chips, too...
Finally I got down to about 4200. Picked up a hand, doubled up through Steve. Slowly started to rebuild my stack. Slowly but surely I built a lead and soon I had over half the chips in play...but not on any memorable hands. Just kept picking up blinds and small pots.
Got down to 3 way between Roman, Emily & I. Roman was first to fall and then it was heads up. But Emily only had 3K, I had about 47K...it was just a matter of time. Finally we got all in pre-flop with my a/3 against her K/4. I hit a meaningless 3 and took it down.
Tuesday
THe Goose's inaugral round
So lately the Goose has expressed some interest in learning how to golf. A week or two ago a few of us...okay, 12...went to a kind of "joke" course where I showed her the basics of a golf swing.When I say joke course...the fairways are harder to hit out of than the deep rough on real golf courses. The rule is to "sweep the green when you are finished putting" because the "greens" are...well...sand.
Still, she learned the basics of the swing and how to hit the ball. So we went to a short Par 3. As in 1113 total yards for 18 holes. REAL short. The longest hole was 82 yards. But that is okay...she does not hit it real far yet.
I, on the other hand, do. I played the entire course never needing a club longer than a soft gap wedge and most of it was my sand wedge, a club I will hit anywhere from about 50 yards on in. I was mostly trying to put a new shot in my bag, a flop shot.
As you can see, even by the second hole her swing is still a bit stiff. We are working on that. The first hole was about what you would expect. 64 yards, straight, sand to the left. I was on in one, 2 putted for a par. She reached in 3 and 3 putted.
Her putting instruction was not extensive: "You have played mini-golf, right?"
I, on the other hand, do. I played the entire course never needing a club longer than a soft gap wedge and most of it was my sand wedge, a club I will hit anywhere from about 50 yards on in. I was mostly trying to put a new shot in my bag, a flop shot.
As you can see, even by the second hole her swing is still a bit stiff. We are working on that. The first hole was about what you would expect. 64 yards, straight, sand to the left. I was on in one, 2 putted for a par. She reached in 3 and 3 putted.Her putting instruction was not extensive: "You have played mini-golf, right?"
"Yeah."
"Just do the same thing here. Don't worry about reading greens or anything like that, just roll the ball to the hole." I have to admit, for her being a new golfer...that actually worked pretty well. For an executive course it had some interesting greens, including one that had better than a foot of left to right break on maybe a 10 foot putt. That I did not expect...
Anyhow, the second hole was more of the same. I reached in one, 2 putted for par, she reached in 3 and 3-putted.
On the third hole, I reached in 2 and 1-putted while she reached in 2 and 3 putted.
And so it went; she had 5 6s, 2 7s, an 8 and a 5 going out, I had 6 3s, a 4, 5, and 6. Yes, on hole 8 I really struggled.
I tried to flop a pitching wedge. It did not go well...and proving sometimes I don't learn from my errors, I tried a flop shot with my sand wedge. So it took me three to get on the green. And I was at the wrong end. I wimped on my first putt, leaving an 8 - 10 footer...and here is where the break came. So I 3 putted. Meanwhile, the Goose was on in 3, then 3 putted...so it took her all of 8 holes into her golfing career to match my score on a hole.
Anyhow, I shot a 33 going out to her 57.
On hole 10 she actually accomplished another first. She overdrove a 56 yard green. She discovered she did not need to be afraid of taking a full swing. She still ended up taking a 6, but now she knew she had more power than she had thought.
Hole 11 was a 54 yarder. Her drive landed on the green. She 2 putted for her first par! (and the second time her score equaled mine...)
I am still super proud of that, even though it was a short course; getting up and down in 3 on your first time on a course, even a short course, is something I find impressive.
As golfers will, she promptly regressed and took a 7, but still...
Hole 14 was my only birdie of the day as I was on in one and drained a nice little 10 footer that broke right to left. It was a pretty good read on that hole.
She also impressed on the 17th hole. She hit into a sand trap and, given the choice of hitting out of the sand or me tossing the ball out of the sand for her to hit, she hit out of the sand. And did pretty well, I might add.
She improved 7 shots on the back 9, touching up a 57 while I stayed the same at 33 coming in.
I am super excited she has taken up the game. I am also excited she is showing so much improvement so quickly.
How You Doin?
I am an "emergency" sub this year. Game 1 was rained out. Game 2, they needed me so off I went. Tried out my shoulder...actually able to put a good swing on it. Cool. He put me at short. Top of the first I came up with 2 outs and Nick on 1st. I cracked it right up the for a solid double but the next batter got out.
Bottom half of the inning I had one chance, a ball hit softly to my left which I gloved cleanly but it was hit too softly and my throw was late. It was a tough throw as by now I was left of second base and had to throw back across my body, but it was accurate.
A couple batters later I dove for a ball to my right but it was out of reach.
Next time at bat there were 2 on and again I went straight up the middle, this time for a triple. Made 2 more of those plays scrambling left and throwing back across my body. Made both plays.
Next at bat there were runners on first and third. I rained it off the fence in right center and had another triple. Came up a second time in the inning, this time I hit it well but slow runners on first and second held me to a single.
Bottom half of the inning, runners on first and second, I knew where the girl was going to hit it. She did. I went to pick up the ball, step on second and throw to first for the inning ending double -play...and just didn't pick up the ball. Next batter grounded the same place but faster, this time I stepped on the bag but the throw was a hair late. No problem, made the next play as well, another slow roller to my left, throw from behind second and made the out.
Came up with 2 on. Got my pitch, put it down the right field line and strolled around for the home run. I had my cycle!
We made the plays in the bottom half of the inning with Larianne making a nice catch in left to end the game. Sadly, we crushed them (the Jolly Rocks) something like 19-3 or some such score.
On the bright side, I made about 10 plays and only missed 1. My hitting was back. One of the reasons I was more or less planning to quit is I felt like I was just hurting the team every game with my inability to field, throw or hit. It was nice being a solid contributor again.
Bottom half of the inning I had one chance, a ball hit softly to my left which I gloved cleanly but it was hit too softly and my throw was late. It was a tough throw as by now I was left of second base and had to throw back across my body, but it was accurate.
A couple batters later I dove for a ball to my right but it was out of reach.
Next time at bat there were 2 on and again I went straight up the middle, this time for a triple. Made 2 more of those plays scrambling left and throwing back across my body. Made both plays.
Next at bat there were runners on first and third. I rained it off the fence in right center and had another triple. Came up a second time in the inning, this time I hit it well but slow runners on first and second held me to a single.
Bottom half of the inning, runners on first and second, I knew where the girl was going to hit it. She did. I went to pick up the ball, step on second and throw to first for the inning ending double -play...and just didn't pick up the ball. Next batter grounded the same place but faster, this time I stepped on the bag but the throw was a hair late. No problem, made the next play as well, another slow roller to my left, throw from behind second and made the out.
Came up with 2 on. Got my pitch, put it down the right field line and strolled around for the home run. I had my cycle!
We made the plays in the bottom half of the inning with Larianne making a nice catch in left to end the game. Sadly, we crushed them (the Jolly Rocks) something like 19-3 or some such score.
On the bright side, I made about 10 plays and only missed 1. My hitting was back. One of the reasons I was more or less planning to quit is I felt like I was just hurting the team every game with my inability to field, throw or hit. It was nice being a solid contributor again.
Starving Crazed Weasels, August
Nice turnout of 12 or 13 people. Tough night.
Flopped top pair, Kings, with Jack kicker. Bet it. People stuck to river, hit an Ace on the river.
Flopped top pair, 10s. Bet it. River was an Ace. He had A/K.
Flopped 2 pair. Bet them. Someone stuck to river, hit inside straight.
Bet pocket 10s, pocket 9s, and A/J, all of which people folded.
Emily was real low, I had K/J to her K/9, she was all in. Hit the 9 on the river.
Now I was low.
Had K/Q suited, she was all-in again, Kevin and Tim both called. So many chips in the pot I took my shot. Lost on the river.
Now I had 300. Pocket9s. All-in. Kevin called with J/3. I doubled up.
Blinds raised to 50/100. By now I had 450. I was UTG, 6 players. Picked up A/3. Next hand I would be in the blinds, people had folded to my raises...all-in. Emily called. Eric called. Tim called. I am screwed.
Flop was like K/4/3. I had a pair and backdoor straight. Never hit anything. Eric bet all the way, Tim and Emily called. But Eric and Tim had nothing. Emily had Pocket Queens.
Just never got it going. Could not bet people off when I had the better hand and the river crushed me. Played well, made no difference. Sigh.
Flopped top pair, Kings, with Jack kicker. Bet it. People stuck to river, hit an Ace on the river.
Flopped top pair, 10s. Bet it. River was an Ace. He had A/K.
Flopped 2 pair. Bet them. Someone stuck to river, hit inside straight.
Bet pocket 10s, pocket 9s, and A/J, all of which people folded.
Emily was real low, I had K/J to her K/9, she was all in. Hit the 9 on the river.
Now I was low.
Had K/Q suited, she was all-in again, Kevin and Tim both called. So many chips in the pot I took my shot. Lost on the river.
Now I had 300. Pocket9s. All-in. Kevin called with J/3. I doubled up.
Blinds raised to 50/100. By now I had 450. I was UTG, 6 players. Picked up A/3. Next hand I would be in the blinds, people had folded to my raises...all-in. Emily called. Eric called. Tim called. I am screwed.
Flop was like K/4/3. I had a pair and backdoor straight. Never hit anything. Eric bet all the way, Tim and Emily called. But Eric and Tim had nothing. Emily had Pocket Queens.
Just never got it going. Could not bet people off when I had the better hand and the river crushed me. Played well, made no difference. Sigh.
Thursday
Summerfield
Played some best ball. Dave and I against John and Jim.
Last time we played I teamed with John. He is not a particularly long hitter but he is accurate. He often struggles to chip when a hazard is in front of him such as a sand trap or water but otherwise he will get you on the green in 2 - 3 shots on par 4s.
Dave is similar to me. He will typically fade or slice his drive but plays for it and hits a lot of fairways. His chips are generally accurate and his putts are very solid. He is probably a bogey golfer or so, maybe 1 or 2 shots worse over 9 holes.
I am getting my game back, but for now I have very little control over my driver, my mid-irons are shaky, but my chipping is pretty good.
I have not played with Jim for years but he tends to have titanic drives but then breaks down in the short game.
So Jim would provide the drives, John the mid-range game and they would split putting duties. Dave and I would split it all, we are very similar golfers.
My first shot was just humiliating. I almost completely whiffed and dribbled the ball about 10 yards. They insisted I re hit and this time I put it about 200 yards down the fairway, though it did fade to the right. My iron shot went left and Dave floated to the green, we played one of his putts and one of mine to par the hole. Meanwhile, Jim had a titanic drive but pulled it left. John was short but in the fairway. They hit the green and 2 putted.
2nd hole is a par 3. John hit short but center of fairway, Dave pulled it into the trees though it was bending back into play. Jim over drove the green and almost into the street. All I had to do was drop in on the green and we would pick up a shot or 2. My shot started good but then sliced like a mother and we ended up playing Dave's shot. I hit a nice punch shot that gave us a make able putt. Somehow we both missed and bogeyed, as did the Double Js.
Third hole, my drive was long but further right. If we were not playing best ball I would have liked it but Dave was almost center of fairway though slightly behind a tree. Dave hit the fringe a bit short, so I decided to try a miracle shot and go over the tree. Unfortunately I way over drove the green. I made up for it by flopping a shot about 3 feet from the pin, Dave putted in for par.
At this point I was feeling a bit bad. We had played 5 of my shots...out of 12. I was only 1 off the pace but did not feel like I was holding up my end.
Starting on hole 4 that changed. I blasted my drive long and on the right side of the fairway. We were about 135 yards from the hole with an uphill hit over a sand trap. I pulled my shot into the OTHER sand trap and Dave skulled his shot. So we would play from the sand. And when we got there the ball was totally plugged....buried. And we had to go the long way across a big green. Dave suggested I move it but I wanted to try the shot. So I blasted the ball...and it was AWESOME. Just like you are supposed to, I kicked up sand onto the green, the ball exploded out onto the green to about 6 feet from the hole. My putt was terrible...but Dave hit it to save par and we picked up a stroke. It worked great...he had a poor drive, mid-iron and chip but saved us with a great putt. I had a poor middle iron and putt...but they worked.
Hole 5 goes over one water hole and then a wide fairway that has water in front of the hole, sand to the side and behind. I demolished the ball, long and to the right side of the fairway. John was medium distance and dead center in the fairway while Woody (Jim) just destroyed his ball. We later found it and had it been straight he might have driven the green. Well, from 115 yards out Dave launched his ball over the green. With water in front...what to do. I sort of did a modified pitching wedge...and it was GORGEOUS, landing about 8 feet from the cup. My birdie put missed by about 6" and Dave was about the same. We parred the hole
Hole 6 is a long par 4 with a slight dogleg right. Again I unleashed and for the first time in any one's memory, someone out drove Jim...I drove it maybe 250, landing inside 30 yards. A nice sand wedge shot gave us a make able birdie putt...and we THREE PUTTED. Awful putting display. Mine was so bad it was embarrassing. Drive, chip, good. Putt? I suck.
Hole 7 is a short par 3, I think 118 yards. For the first time all day I ripped out my 9 iron. Unfortunately., the sun was right in my eyes. I could not even see the green. I decided to "trust my club" but pulled it left. Dave then hit a great shot that gave us another 6 - 8' birdie put. Yeah, we missed it. That was all Dave's hole, though.
Hole 8 we ended up on the green in 2 thanks to another fine drive I had and good chip but a 4 putt...yes, I said 4...put us 3 over par.
The 9th hole is a par 3 over water to an uphill green. Dave and I both landed on the green. Again my putt was just embarrassing...way off line, way off distance. Dave had a nice putt to get us close and we parred again to finish 3 over, 3 or 4 shots ahead of Jim and John.
Overall I would say my drives were probably about a B for me, my mid irons maybe a C, my short chips a solid B or even an A, and my putting an F. Fortunately, Dave picked me up when I was struggling and vice versa. We meshed well, it was a fun day.
Last time we played I teamed with John. He is not a particularly long hitter but he is accurate. He often struggles to chip when a hazard is in front of him such as a sand trap or water but otherwise he will get you on the green in 2 - 3 shots on par 4s.
Dave is similar to me. He will typically fade or slice his drive but plays for it and hits a lot of fairways. His chips are generally accurate and his putts are very solid. He is probably a bogey golfer or so, maybe 1 or 2 shots worse over 9 holes.
I am getting my game back, but for now I have very little control over my driver, my mid-irons are shaky, but my chipping is pretty good.
I have not played with Jim for years but he tends to have titanic drives but then breaks down in the short game.
So Jim would provide the drives, John the mid-range game and they would split putting duties. Dave and I would split it all, we are very similar golfers.
My first shot was just humiliating. I almost completely whiffed and dribbled the ball about 10 yards. They insisted I re hit and this time I put it about 200 yards down the fairway, though it did fade to the right. My iron shot went left and Dave floated to the green, we played one of his putts and one of mine to par the hole. Meanwhile, Jim had a titanic drive but pulled it left. John was short but in the fairway. They hit the green and 2 putted.
2nd hole is a par 3. John hit short but center of fairway, Dave pulled it into the trees though it was bending back into play. Jim over drove the green and almost into the street. All I had to do was drop in on the green and we would pick up a shot or 2. My shot started good but then sliced like a mother and we ended up playing Dave's shot. I hit a nice punch shot that gave us a make able putt. Somehow we both missed and bogeyed, as did the Double Js.
Third hole, my drive was long but further right. If we were not playing best ball I would have liked it but Dave was almost center of fairway though slightly behind a tree. Dave hit the fringe a bit short, so I decided to try a miracle shot and go over the tree. Unfortunately I way over drove the green. I made up for it by flopping a shot about 3 feet from the pin, Dave putted in for par.
At this point I was feeling a bit bad. We had played 5 of my shots...out of 12. I was only 1 off the pace but did not feel like I was holding up my end.
Starting on hole 4 that changed. I blasted my drive long and on the right side of the fairway. We were about 135 yards from the hole with an uphill hit over a sand trap. I pulled my shot into the OTHER sand trap and Dave skulled his shot. So we would play from the sand. And when we got there the ball was totally plugged....buried. And we had to go the long way across a big green. Dave suggested I move it but I wanted to try the shot. So I blasted the ball...and it was AWESOME. Just like you are supposed to, I kicked up sand onto the green, the ball exploded out onto the green to about 6 feet from the hole. My putt was terrible...but Dave hit it to save par and we picked up a stroke. It worked great...he had a poor drive, mid-iron and chip but saved us with a great putt. I had a poor middle iron and putt...but they worked.
Hole 5 goes over one water hole and then a wide fairway that has water in front of the hole, sand to the side and behind. I demolished the ball, long and to the right side of the fairway. John was medium distance and dead center in the fairway while Woody (Jim) just destroyed his ball. We later found it and had it been straight he might have driven the green. Well, from 115 yards out Dave launched his ball over the green. With water in front...what to do. I sort of did a modified pitching wedge...and it was GORGEOUS, landing about 8 feet from the cup. My birdie put missed by about 6" and Dave was about the same. We parred the hole
Hole 6 is a long par 4 with a slight dogleg right. Again I unleashed and for the first time in any one's memory, someone out drove Jim...I drove it maybe 250, landing inside 30 yards. A nice sand wedge shot gave us a make able birdie putt...and we THREE PUTTED. Awful putting display. Mine was so bad it was embarrassing. Drive, chip, good. Putt? I suck.
Hole 7 is a short par 3, I think 118 yards. For the first time all day I ripped out my 9 iron. Unfortunately., the sun was right in my eyes. I could not even see the green. I decided to "trust my club" but pulled it left. Dave then hit a great shot that gave us another 6 - 8' birdie put. Yeah, we missed it. That was all Dave's hole, though.
Hole 8 we ended up on the green in 2 thanks to another fine drive I had and good chip but a 4 putt...yes, I said 4...put us 3 over par.
The 9th hole is a par 3 over water to an uphill green. Dave and I both landed on the green. Again my putt was just embarrassing...way off line, way off distance. Dave had a nice putt to get us close and we parred again to finish 3 over, 3 or 4 shots ahead of Jim and John.
Overall I would say my drives were probably about a B for me, my mid irons maybe a C, my short chips a solid B or even an A, and my putting an F. Fortunately, Dave picked me up when I was struggling and vice versa. We meshed well, it was a fun day.
Tuesday
Chenowith
Was asked to be a replacement in a charity golf tournament. Have only gone once this year and that was with a foursome where we had 2 teams each playing best ball. Fair enough, just don't expect much from me.
First hole we play has a sign, "217 yards to end of fairway". No problem, I rip out my beloved 7 Wood and promptly overdrive the end of it, which I could not see at the time because it was a drop away area. Anyhow, we played that one and my second shot as well, which I put a ways out there. In fact, on that hole we played 3 of my shots so I was feeling good.
We played par golf for the first 3 holes, then a bogey when none of us could hit the green on a par 5. That would prove to be a trend.
It was on our 8th hole it all went wrong. By then I was already starting to feel fatigue. We put together 4 pathetic drives. The BEST of the 4 was maybe a 150 yard "blast" that landed in a fairway bunker. Out of the bunker, 3 of us hit about 30 yards each and one guy somehow cranked it up to about pin high...but on a downhill lie looking over a sand trap to a green that fell away from us. We just shook our heads...this was a shot none of us was capable.
I laughed. "Don't worry, I got this. I am going to hit a sand wedge flop shot that will bring rain, land about 3 feet the other side of the cup and back up to it." We all laughed because....well...I can't do any of that.
First off, I can't hit the sand wedge at all. Horrible club for me. I have no clue what yardage I hit, when I do pull it out I typically skull shots, and I can't hit a flop or put back spin on it.
So I promptly hit a shot that went about 100 yards straight up in the air, floated over, landed a little beyond the stick and backed up to about 4 feet from the cup to give us an easy par save. It was AWESOME. And unbelievable. That is NOT a shot I have in my bag.
Well, Dave was collecting the other balls and rolled one towards Jason...and it dropped. But we putted from mine. Easy put. Straight line, no break, make able distance. Oh, not make able for us...we all 4 yipped and bogeyed the hole.
It was a melt-down after that. My 7 Wood, which I NEVER struggle with suddenly I could not swing. I hit 40 yard drives with it where the divot out-flew the ball, sliced my driver like nobodies business...and everyone else was struggling too. We mixed pars and bogeys about equally.
On one hole I again over drove the fairway because I did not realize there was a chasm beyond the fairway. Jim was at the end of the fairway. Jim, Jason and Dave promptly all hit into that chasm which meant my chip into the sand trap short of the green was the best shot. "No problem," I said, "I have a sand wedge." We all laughed because we had seen my sand shot earlier. Except this time I hit it perfect, had the flying sand like you are supposed to and rolled it about 3 feet from the cup.
The next hole we took our one mulligan. It was a 136 yard par 3 that my beloved 8 iron...far and away my 2nd best club and one that I used to hit about 165 yards...was a good 20 yards short. Jim re-hit his drive and it ended up on the fringe about pin high. I rolled a bump and run to about 6" from the cup, Jim was about 10", Jason missed by a couple feet...and Dave holed out for a (cheap) birdie.
Next hole I broke out my driver for no apparent reason and crushed it (for me these days) about 260 yards. Unfortunately, that put us about 135 yards from the hole on an uphill side hill lie to a blind green with a tree overhanging it.
"No problem," I said, "I am going to blast my pitching wedge over the tree about 8" from the cup." We all laughed since I had hit my 9 iron short on a 120 yard shot a few holes previously. Clearly a Pitching Wedge was not going to carry 135 yards uphill. So I blasted the pitching wedge, it flew over the tree, we all lost sight of it. After everyone else hit, we rolled up the hill, my ball was pin high about a foot off the green in the fringe. Great shot.
That was about it for the great shots for me for the day.
We ended with a 7 over 79 for the day, not bad for 3 duffers and a guy who had not played in 6 years. We hit 2 illegitimate shots all day: we brought my first drive somewhat back from the OB per the "official" rules which was kind of cheesy and we took the mulligan. Otherwise it was totally legit.
I played surprisingly well even without having good control over my 7 wood or 8 iron...which are typically the 2 clubs I hit 80% of my shots with. I definitely felt like I held up my end. We used at least a half dozen of my drives, 8 or 10 chips, 5 or 6 puts...so I would say overall about 20 - 25 of my shots were used so I was right there with Dave and Jim. Jason had not played in about 6 years and we ended up using maybe 5 of his shots.
And we had fun so that was good. Good experience, glad I went.
First hole we play has a sign, "217 yards to end of fairway". No problem, I rip out my beloved 7 Wood and promptly overdrive the end of it, which I could not see at the time because it was a drop away area. Anyhow, we played that one and my second shot as well, which I put a ways out there. In fact, on that hole we played 3 of my shots so I was feeling good.
We played par golf for the first 3 holes, then a bogey when none of us could hit the green on a par 5. That would prove to be a trend.
It was on our 8th hole it all went wrong. By then I was already starting to feel fatigue. We put together 4 pathetic drives. The BEST of the 4 was maybe a 150 yard "blast" that landed in a fairway bunker. Out of the bunker, 3 of us hit about 30 yards each and one guy somehow cranked it up to about pin high...but on a downhill lie looking over a sand trap to a green that fell away from us. We just shook our heads...this was a shot none of us was capable.
I laughed. "Don't worry, I got this. I am going to hit a sand wedge flop shot that will bring rain, land about 3 feet the other side of the cup and back up to it." We all laughed because....well...I can't do any of that.
First off, I can't hit the sand wedge at all. Horrible club for me. I have no clue what yardage I hit, when I do pull it out I typically skull shots, and I can't hit a flop or put back spin on it.
So I promptly hit a shot that went about 100 yards straight up in the air, floated over, landed a little beyond the stick and backed up to about 4 feet from the cup to give us an easy par save. It was AWESOME. And unbelievable. That is NOT a shot I have in my bag.
Well, Dave was collecting the other balls and rolled one towards Jason...and it dropped. But we putted from mine. Easy put. Straight line, no break, make able distance. Oh, not make able for us...we all 4 yipped and bogeyed the hole.
It was a melt-down after that. My 7 Wood, which I NEVER struggle with suddenly I could not swing. I hit 40 yard drives with it where the divot out-flew the ball, sliced my driver like nobodies business...and everyone else was struggling too. We mixed pars and bogeys about equally.
On one hole I again over drove the fairway because I did not realize there was a chasm beyond the fairway. Jim was at the end of the fairway. Jim, Jason and Dave promptly all hit into that chasm which meant my chip into the sand trap short of the green was the best shot. "No problem," I said, "I have a sand wedge." We all laughed because we had seen my sand shot earlier. Except this time I hit it perfect, had the flying sand like you are supposed to and rolled it about 3 feet from the cup.
The next hole we took our one mulligan. It was a 136 yard par 3 that my beloved 8 iron...far and away my 2nd best club and one that I used to hit about 165 yards...was a good 20 yards short. Jim re-hit his drive and it ended up on the fringe about pin high. I rolled a bump and run to about 6" from the cup, Jim was about 10", Jason missed by a couple feet...and Dave holed out for a (cheap) birdie.
Next hole I broke out my driver for no apparent reason and crushed it (for me these days) about 260 yards. Unfortunately, that put us about 135 yards from the hole on an uphill side hill lie to a blind green with a tree overhanging it.
"No problem," I said, "I am going to blast my pitching wedge over the tree about 8" from the cup." We all laughed since I had hit my 9 iron short on a 120 yard shot a few holes previously. Clearly a Pitching Wedge was not going to carry 135 yards uphill. So I blasted the pitching wedge, it flew over the tree, we all lost sight of it. After everyone else hit, we rolled up the hill, my ball was pin high about a foot off the green in the fringe. Great shot.
That was about it for the great shots for me for the day.
We ended with a 7 over 79 for the day, not bad for 3 duffers and a guy who had not played in 6 years. We hit 2 illegitimate shots all day: we brought my first drive somewhat back from the OB per the "official" rules which was kind of cheesy and we took the mulligan. Otherwise it was totally legit.
I played surprisingly well even without having good control over my 7 wood or 8 iron...which are typically the 2 clubs I hit 80% of my shots with. I definitely felt like I held up my end. We used at least a half dozen of my drives, 8 or 10 chips, 5 or 6 puts...so I would say overall about 20 - 25 of my shots were used so I was right there with Dave and Jim. Jason had not played in about 6 years and we ended up using maybe 5 of his shots.
And we had fun so that was good. Good experience, glad I went.
Once more, with feeling
So after thinking my playing career was through, I spent a fair amount of time toying with the team video. I really wanted to make it top notch. A couple times I thought I had it where I wanted but after another viewing I would go back and make more tweaks. Finally I had something at least passable so I took it to the playoff game along with a disc of pictures to give JJ. I was completely unprepared to play.
However...we did not have enough players. So I ran back to my car, grabbed my gear, and hustled back. The game was starting so I actually played the first inning in my work clothes and shoes...that is about as unprepared as you can get! No warmups or anything. Fortunately, I had no chances that first inning. Even more fortunately, by bringing me in at first, it moved Phil into the outfield and allowed Eric to shift over. This covered the gaps and turned a weak defensive alignment into a pretty good one. Phil made a couple catches that would have been hits and they either scored none or 1.
I was able to change into athletic pants, t-shirt and cleats while we were batting. We only had 1 bat at that point. My shoulder is still pretty messed up so I elected to bat left-handed since it hurts less. As it turns out...STUPID decision. See, the sun was directly in the eyes of anyone batting from the left side. I literally could not see the ball! So I made the third out of the inning leaving us a 2-0 lead. I guess they hadn't scored!
Defensively my first chance was not a great one. Steve made a terrific leaping catch and their runner was off first. I slipped behind him and Steve rifled his throw. Unfortunately, it was pretty far up the line. I hesitated, debating if I could make the spectacular play and lunged too late. Even if I started moving immediately I might not have gotten it but by hesitating I had no chance and it rocketed into the dugout.
Later I took a throw at first and their runner was advancing second to third. I tried to throw around JJ and it was my first throw of the day. Not a good combo. It was well off line and allowed them to score their first run.
It was still 2-1 when a bad inning rolled around. We missed maybe one or 2 opportunities but they would have been spectacular...one hit over Molly's head at second where she went back, Larianne came in, and it fell between them. If I were healthier, that is the type of ball I have always gone and snagged but it would have required a dive and no way was I doing that. Another couple dropped in front of Phil and Eric, nothing they SHOULD have caught, either would have been amazing to get to. Every ball found a hole. They built a 7-2 lead.
We came back a bit, picking up 4 to pull within 7-6. I led off the next inning. For whatever reason, this team was on my nerves. When they had a guy walk with 2 outs, they made the girl walk behind him. On one play at home Kasey was right on top of the plate to receive a throw and they started to chew her out for it so I yelled at them she was where she should have been and backed them down. I was really irritable for some reason.
Anyhow, they had me irritated enough I thought, screw it, I am batting right handed and I am going to CRUSH it. They overcompensated on every batter. When I went up there left handed they had someone about 3 feet from the right field line and left field almost empty. Now they had one guy on the third base line and the furthest right they got was about right center. Anything down the line...which is where I typically hit when right handed...was at least a triple. Sadly, his pitching was horrible. One bounced in the middle of the plate and was called a strike which kind of surprised me since he called 2 others like that balls. I would have had to golf it. With a full count, the ball bounced in front of the plate and I had walked which meant a double. Larianne hit one that got into short right on the fly...they mishandled it so I took off for third. I thought I had the throw beat easily when someone yelled, "Down!" so I slid.
Stupid.
A) I had the throw beat. Badly.
B) That field is brutal.
C) I was too close to slide.
So I doubled up my leg so bad they thought I broke it. Actually, that part did not even hurt. But I did rip a new hole in my knee that bled through the pants in about 30 seconds, ripped a gash in my "good" elbow about 7" long, got a huge strawberry on my back and jarred my already bad shoulder. Grr.
But it was totally worth it because Larianne made it to second on the throw. I scored on JJ's hit and Larianne made it to third. And then...I changed character.
All year I was the most conservative base coach. I would throw up the stop sign anytime I thought there was even a remote chance they might be thrown out. This time? I sent everyone. And it mattered.
Larianne is not particularly fast but I sent her anyway on a Texas Leaguer. She is slow enough I usually wouldn't send her. Still don't know why I did, but doing so was huge. It wasn't so much that she scored...it was that she drew a throw that had a chance of getting her and got our runner to second. She was safe, we were on second...which meant when I sent the next runner, he scored as well. By the time I sent Eric from second...because they kept throwing home, usually with no chance...I knew it was a bad send but did it anyway. They made a great throw...and he was safe by a half-step. He had one foot across the line, it was that close. And it demoralized them. They started barking at each other. They stopped even trying to get the runner at home and just tried to keep our runners from getting to second.
The damage was done, though. We were now up 10-7 and they were reeling. They did not score again, we scored 3 more. And that is when Kyle arrived. I was hurting so I gladly gave way to him and spent the rest of the game on the bench.
So now I am crippled up even worse but it was worth it. I made a couple defensive plays, scored in my last at-bat...no Fall Ball for me. We will check back in next year and see how we feel.
However...we did not have enough players. So I ran back to my car, grabbed my gear, and hustled back. The game was starting so I actually played the first inning in my work clothes and shoes...that is about as unprepared as you can get! No warmups or anything. Fortunately, I had no chances that first inning. Even more fortunately, by bringing me in at first, it moved Phil into the outfield and allowed Eric to shift over. This covered the gaps and turned a weak defensive alignment into a pretty good one. Phil made a couple catches that would have been hits and they either scored none or 1.
I was able to change into athletic pants, t-shirt and cleats while we were batting. We only had 1 bat at that point. My shoulder is still pretty messed up so I elected to bat left-handed since it hurts less. As it turns out...STUPID decision. See, the sun was directly in the eyes of anyone batting from the left side. I literally could not see the ball! So I made the third out of the inning leaving us a 2-0 lead. I guess they hadn't scored!
Defensively my first chance was not a great one. Steve made a terrific leaping catch and their runner was off first. I slipped behind him and Steve rifled his throw. Unfortunately, it was pretty far up the line. I hesitated, debating if I could make the spectacular play and lunged too late. Even if I started moving immediately I might not have gotten it but by hesitating I had no chance and it rocketed into the dugout.
Later I took a throw at first and their runner was advancing second to third. I tried to throw around JJ and it was my first throw of the day. Not a good combo. It was well off line and allowed them to score their first run.
It was still 2-1 when a bad inning rolled around. We missed maybe one or 2 opportunities but they would have been spectacular...one hit over Molly's head at second where she went back, Larianne came in, and it fell between them. If I were healthier, that is the type of ball I have always gone and snagged but it would have required a dive and no way was I doing that. Another couple dropped in front of Phil and Eric, nothing they SHOULD have caught, either would have been amazing to get to. Every ball found a hole. They built a 7-2 lead.
We came back a bit, picking up 4 to pull within 7-6. I led off the next inning. For whatever reason, this team was on my nerves. When they had a guy walk with 2 outs, they made the girl walk behind him. On one play at home Kasey was right on top of the plate to receive a throw and they started to chew her out for it so I yelled at them she was where she should have been and backed them down. I was really irritable for some reason.
Anyhow, they had me irritated enough I thought, screw it, I am batting right handed and I am going to CRUSH it. They overcompensated on every batter. When I went up there left handed they had someone about 3 feet from the right field line and left field almost empty. Now they had one guy on the third base line and the furthest right they got was about right center. Anything down the line...which is where I typically hit when right handed...was at least a triple. Sadly, his pitching was horrible. One bounced in the middle of the plate and was called a strike which kind of surprised me since he called 2 others like that balls. I would have had to golf it. With a full count, the ball bounced in front of the plate and I had walked which meant a double. Larianne hit one that got into short right on the fly...they mishandled it so I took off for third. I thought I had the throw beat easily when someone yelled, "Down!" so I slid.
Stupid.
A) I had the throw beat. Badly.
B) That field is brutal.
C) I was too close to slide.
So I doubled up my leg so bad they thought I broke it. Actually, that part did not even hurt. But I did rip a new hole in my knee that bled through the pants in about 30 seconds, ripped a gash in my "good" elbow about 7" long, got a huge strawberry on my back and jarred my already bad shoulder. Grr.
But it was totally worth it because Larianne made it to second on the throw. I scored on JJ's hit and Larianne made it to third. And then...I changed character.
All year I was the most conservative base coach. I would throw up the stop sign anytime I thought there was even a remote chance they might be thrown out. This time? I sent everyone. And it mattered.
Larianne is not particularly fast but I sent her anyway on a Texas Leaguer. She is slow enough I usually wouldn't send her. Still don't know why I did, but doing so was huge. It wasn't so much that she scored...it was that she drew a throw that had a chance of getting her and got our runner to second. She was safe, we were on second...which meant when I sent the next runner, he scored as well. By the time I sent Eric from second...because they kept throwing home, usually with no chance...I knew it was a bad send but did it anyway. They made a great throw...and he was safe by a half-step. He had one foot across the line, it was that close. And it demoralized them. They started barking at each other. They stopped even trying to get the runner at home and just tried to keep our runners from getting to second.
The damage was done, though. We were now up 10-7 and they were reeling. They did not score again, we scored 3 more. And that is when Kyle arrived. I was hurting so I gladly gave way to him and spent the rest of the game on the bench.
So now I am crippled up even worse but it was worth it. I made a couple defensive plays, scored in my last at-bat...no Fall Ball for me. We will check back in next year and see how we feel.
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