It has been a while since I updated. Work has been crazy - deadlines. I’ve been working on a new web-based reporting tool for our financial department. Built on Tomcat using JSP, which I haven’t really used heavily in years. A nice change of pace, technology-wise. Unfortunately, a hard deadline combined with soft requirements has made thing a little sticky. Getting to the end now, so a few minutes for an update…
Wednesday was the latest home game at the house of lkim. This regular game seems to be maturing, as the turnout grows from the few of us who work together to a two table tourney with new faces, friends of friends, showing up. This night we started with 17 players across two tables. 4 or 5 first timers to our game. A couple of others who were making only their second or third showing, and the rest of the usual cast.
I went in to the game feeling confident. I’d won the last two lkim home games, and placed 2nd in the 2 before the wins. Additionally, I’ve been reading, studying, playing online quite a bit. The bankroll is ok. We’ve even been playing some play money live games at home with Facty and the in-laws.
We started with t2500. First level blinds were 5/10. No need to get crazy early. Plenty of time to play. Don’t do anything rash. These are the things I usually tell myself at the start of these games. must have been the Newcastle I drank while we waited for everyone to arrive that caused me to forget those regular admonitions.
Third hand of the game: couple of limpers, I am button + 2 and see a pair of queens. I raise to 30. wy, one of the regulars and a guy who sees a lot of flops, calls from the small blind, along with a couple others. Flop is 3J3. wy leads out for 100. Three callers (I think), including me. Turn is a lovely lady, giving me the best full house. wy leads for 300. I raise to 800. He reraises (this is where the bells and whistles should have gone off in my head) and I call. We are now both pot committed before the river card and I probably should have re-raised all-in. At this point I finally start to think about what hand he could have. I figured he had a 3, perhaps with a queen or an ace. then I thought about pocket jacks. Either way, I was gold. The river was a 7. No flush or straight possible. wy looked at his chips, then at me and sheepishly said, “I don’t want to put you all-in this early.” It was at this point that I thought about the hand that could not be. The only hand in the entire deck that could beat me. He said, “all-in” and I could not say anything other than “call”.
He turned over his pocket crabs. Third hand of the game.
I actually had him covered by 30. I proceeded to fold until I was all in with my small blind with KJ. wy flopped a straight and proceeded to (nearly) clean out another player while sending me home.
I’ve thought about the hand quite a bit since. I don’t really see a way I could have gotten away from it after making my full house on the turn. If he had made a huge bet on the flop, I might have been able to get away. Did I make a mistake on this hand? If anything, I think not pushing in on the turn might have been a mistake. Of course, the result would have been the same.
Meanwhile, lkim and I are talking about going and playing in the Sunday $100/$25 tournament at the Bicycle. aside from cash, there are entries to a WPT event in Vegas in December. I feel like I need to try a couple of these to see if all the internet play translates to real b&m tourneys. Will report back Sunday…
