One more week

One more week of craziness, and then life will slow down a bit. May is always hectic, but so far, this May has been better than normal. Been able to get plenty accomplished, and manage to get in some poker at the same time. For those that don't know, the guy on the left is Irish Jim. He (at long last) was able to make my on-again, off-again Sunday night game, and he was rewarded for it. No, he didn't win the tourney, but he hit his first Royal Flush. As luck would have it, he would hit it against me.


Irish Jim was short stacked when he decided he would make his last stand with A-6 off suit from the small blind. I peek in on K-7 suited, and his all in is another 2K in chips. Calling there wouldn't hurt my stack (I was chip leader -I think- with the blinds at 300-600). I made the call hoping my cards (and suits) were live, which they were. Flop (which you can sorta see) was 9d-10h-Jh, so now I have the nice straight draw...any Q gets me there. Turn is the Kh, which gives me the lead, and Irish Jim a royal draw, a flush and straight draw (watching his outs grow was like watching a plant bloom in time lapse). I say "any heart or ace wins the hand for him," as Klownboxer (the dealer), peels off the river card. Queen of hearts. I then say, "or a Queen of hearts makes him a royal flush."


Jim was shocked. I laughed. Out came the camera. So now Jim and I are even on Royals. I hit mine at his game, he hits his at mine. Very cool. NH.


Now, I know making a call of an all-in with K-7 suited is a loose call. We were 4 handed at the time, one more bust out, and the bubble bursts, so I gambled. Have to do that sometimes, and I turned the lead, but got rivered. Meh. At least he got the hammer hand in the end. The reason I decided to call, was that calling wouldn't hurt my stack, and if I hit, great. I was fortunate enough to hit trip kings a few hands earlier, turn a full house, get all in after the turn, and more than double up, so I could afford to make that call later.


KK was the best hand I saw all night. Had QQ, JJ, 10-10, 99, 88....a good number of pocket pairs, but I connected on more than my share of flops, too. That doesn't hurt. I was able to pick up some pots when I flopped air, which was also nice.


In all, a good night, and with the win, that made it a great night. There were other hands that I was able to win that put me in position to take the top spot. A flopped wheel out of the big blind, for instance. It was actually quite funny.

I'm the BB, get 2 limpers to the button, SB completes, I check.

Flop:
A-4-2 rainbow
All check


Turn:
6c

Check to (then) chip leader, who bets 500. SB calls 500, I shove for 1375 more (I honestly forget the blind level at the time--I need to get better at that for this blog). The original bettor says--and I quote--"I think I have you beat. I think I have the best hand here. I call."

I say, "if you have 3-5 beat, you win," as I flip over the 3c-5s. he showed J-2 (suited?).


Drawing dead, he looks at me as confused as anything.


I love poker. Poker's nice.

~M