Ho-Ho-Ho Hold 'Em

An enjoyable evening of cards and friendship. A field of 19 players in attendance, which made for a nice full 2 table game. Starting stacks of 3000 with a nice slow structure meant plenty of play for everyone. I went out with 10 players left when my AQ in late position ran into an early position raise with AA (oops). No outdraws there, but suffered a monstrous bad beat as we were nearing our "final table."

In late position with KK, I raise it to 1200 (blinds 200-400, 50 ante). button, and SB fold, BB goes all-in for 1400 (or so) more. I call. BB has 10-10.

Flop: 4-7-9
Turn: 6
River: 8

Ack.

Nothing I can do there-cards just spit on me, but I was able to play off that, and remain relavtively solid until the last hand (my AQ mishap).

A good group of folks in attendance, mostly league players, but some co-workers of mine too. In all, a nice night, and a perfect way to get together for some cards, and fellowship.

After I got knocked out of the tournament, I sat in on a cash game, playing .25/.50 no-limit. Hit a monster hand to win a monster pot (I'll leave the details out of it), and ended up ahead a little on the cash game (I say a little because I bought in for 40).

Highlight of the night, however, happened at the end. Our buddy Randy, a man who has taken as many bad beats as I have in league games, became so unhappy when his 2 pair got outrun in the cash game (very late, practically the last hand we played), that he picked up his cards and flung them into the muck, with one of them leaving the table. Problem was, the cards he flipped weren't his--they were the mucked cards of our other buddy Ballpark, who had folded to a river bet. There were 5 people at the table, and 4 of us were laughing. Randy wasn't one of them, but suffice to say, when you get so mad that you THINK you are flinging your hand, and you fling someone else's hand, that's just damn funny. Randy's cards were sitting underneath his card cover (a Magic 8-ball). I still chuckle thinking about it.

Randy, we weren't laughing AT you....we were laughing FOR you. Big difference.

Happy Holidays to all!

~M