It is raining on the Rose Parade!
This is going to be an unusual year. It “never” rains on the Rose Parade;
The Rose Bowl game is never three days after the beginning of the year!And I have never placed for money in the WSOP.
Maybe, this year I will!
The first day of the year and I played no poker!
My wife Caren and I stayed overnight New Year’s eve in our R.V. in Ocean Beach in front of our with my friends Gary, & Jane, & Terry & Gayle.
Didn’t even get drunk and fell asleep at 11:50 p.m. (Boring…….!!!!)
Back home today and just got blown out of a $30 buy-in tournament on Party Poker. Last night made it to within 10 seats of the money. I am about due.
I am also in another tournament as I write this. I didn’t notice it was a “limit” tournament. It was a $5 buy-in so I will probably be at this for 4 or 5 hours. Need to build up my on-line account a little bit.
It is a cold, raining, day in San Diego and I was planning on taking the R.V. up to L.A. to spend a couple days at the Bike and a couple of days at the Commerce Casino, but the rain and cold discouraged me from driving up there. I will probably play tournaments on-line for the rest of the day.
Last week was very exciting. My wife and son Jonathan went over to Vegas on Christmas day. We have two nephews who live there and we wanted to buy them Christmas dinner and just hang out with them for a couple of days.
They don’t play poker so I played Blackjack with them. (I usually don’t play blackjack because of the house edge and I think I am the “world’s un-luckiest blackjack player.) Sure, enough by the second day I was about $500 down just playing $10 single-deck. They decided to go see a movie and I decided to go to Binion’s where we were staying and play a little No Limit Hold-em. I was in a really good game and had made about $200 when the table broke because the 8 p.m. tournament was starting.
I decided to go ahead join the $60 buy-in tournament. There were 66 players and it was only 1 rebuy allowed so I jumped in. When they stopped back after the movie there were about 40 of us still playing after the re-buy period. Off, they went to play some more blackjack while I kept grinding away and only playing premium hands. When they came back later I had just made the final table and the ten of us were on a 5 minute break before the final table play began.
In case you haven’t been at Binion’s lately, they have 4 tournaments a day and the final table in up on a special lighted platform and there are always “railbirds” watching the final table. I felt proud to be at that table at the Binion’s the “Mecca” of Poker Tournament’s.
After a couple of lucky wins where I caught my flush on the river it was just me and a young man heads-up. I had about a 2-1 chip lead and I considered just splitting the pot with him. 2nd place was $1100 and 1st place was $2000, so we each could have walked with about $1550, but I did have the chip lead. I went over to talk to my wife, son and nephews. The nephews had never seen a poker tournament before, and never thought they would be standing in Vegas watching their Uncle possibly win one of them, so they all encouraged me to “go for it”.
I noticed my opponent being “coached” by a friend who was discussing strategy with him during the break and then it was time to play just one on one.
I had about 30,000 in front of me and he had about $15,000 The blinds were $800 & $1600. The first hand I was dealt A,2 of Spades. He goes all-in and I fold, thowing, the Ace & two of spades faceup on the table, attempting to send a message that when I call him I have him beat so don't try to many fancy plays. Next, hand I have A,J hearts on the small blind and raise him all-in. He folds. Next hand his small blind, he goes all in, I fold 10-7. Next hand, I want to change this pattern so my big blind with K,10 I raise on the small blind to 4,000 to get some flop play. He answers with “all-in” and I call and he shows 10,8 off-suit and catches an 8 on the turn. I don’t improve.
Chips are about even now and I get A 9 spades, He raises all-in on the small blind and turns over A 4 off-suit. The flop comes, A,6,8 rainbow and the turn is a 4, for a pair of 4’s for him and the river is a jack and it is all over. I take 2nd place.
I am still puzzling over what I could have done different in that situation with an opponent who seemed to go “all-in” pre-flop every hand. I would welcome your suggestions or criticisms. I want to learn from this.
Overall, I am proud to take 2nd at Binion’s, I got it “all in” with the best hands and got outdrawn which I think is the best you can do. I was proud to have my son, wife and nephews see my play and the professional way I handled myself and the loss.
I remember in the mid 1980’s coming to a computer show in Vegas and wandering in to watch the final table of a “big event” with a million dollars on the table. I had just started playing poker and I said to my brother, I am going to play here someday. Where the someday did occur and now I had saying I am going to play in the W.S.O.P. big even someday. It could be this year or the next, but I intend on doing it and winning.
Keep reading and see if I make it.......
1 comment:
Well, I obviously have not arrived at the end of the story; you probably have a better idea now if your play was good or not back then, but I think it was fine. A9 suited is a very decent hand heads-up. Considering your chip stack vs. his, however, you could more easily wait for a better premium hand than that. I don't fault your play, though.
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