Saturday's Poker Tourney

Well, Saturday's poker tourney went alright- it went well for my boyfriend (placed 4th/19), and great for 2 of my friends (placed 1st and 3rd - a nice accomplishment, especially since this is only their 2nd attendance at this game). For me - well, I played my hands the way I wanted to play them, and I don't think I could have done anything differently that would have affected the outcome. But, I placed somewhere around 11th or so (I didn't even look closely at the loser board to count my position... I was somewhere in the middle).

It was a night of big hands being beat by bigger hands. I myself had 2 occasions where my nut flush got beat by a full house on the river. Lost some chips in those hands. On 4 separate hands, I had a small pocket pair (twice they were 7's - odd) make a set on the flop. All 4 times, I bet the minimum bet when the board was checked to me, and all 4 times everybody folded. So I made no money on any of those hands - just picked up the blinds. That's a little frustrating, but I didn't want to slow-play them, because each time there were 2-to-a-suit onboard, and I didn't want to give anyone a chance to catch a flush. I've been burned way too many times with that move.

The hand of the night: I wasn't involved in this one, but it was a doozey. Nobody raises the pot, and the big blind calls with 4-2. Flop comes 4-4-2. Big blind flopped a boat. He bet out - not a huge bet (but I can see why, as what could anyone possibly have on that board worth sticking around for? Ya don't want to scare people out). One caller. Fourth street comes a 7. Boat man bets out big. Gets called. River comes a 7. Boat man bets big again. Caller goes all in (about double the current bet). Boat man is in a quandry. He agonizes over his decision, knowing that even one 7 would have him beat (7's over 4's would beat his 4's over 2's). He ended up laying down the boat. (I don't think I could have done it - it was a gutsy laydown). Caller flips over his quad 7's. He was holding pocket 7's. Curious that he didn't raise pre-flop, but... whatever. Great hand to watch at any rate.

A couple boats got beat by higher boats at other tables - things like that. Big hands all night.

The hand that took me out: it was down to 5 at my table, and my stack was about average for who was sitting around me (though short-stacked compared to the chip leaders at the other tables). I held J-10 offsuit, called the big blind. Board came J - rag - rag (or so I thought). I bet, had a couple callers, including Mr. BB. Turn came a 5, and the river came the completion of a gapped straight: so it looked like 7 - 3 - J - 5 - 9. I bet all the way down, got called all the way down till the river when I got re-raised for the remainder of my stack. Mr. BB is a bit of a bully, and I had a decent kicker with my top pair so I said, what the heck. Make it or break it. I called, he flipped over his straight with his 6-8 offsuit. 6-8?? You've got to be kidding me. Nope, no joke. I was out.

Moral of that story: I should have raised pre-flop. Just calling the big blind was a mistake, considering the person in the big blind ended up beating me, and I'm sure he'd have folded if I raised pre-flop. I have to get this through my thick skull: if a hand is good enough to play, it's good enough to raise. If I wouldn't raise with it, I shouldn't be playing it at all (unless it's a freebie in the big blind). These conservative moves end up kicking me in the butt sometimes - a lot of times actually.

Oh well - at least my friends placed well, and I had a good time, so all is well.