Monthy Home Game -- Month 2

Yes, the home games are back. Missed month one as it took place while I was in DC. The Grand Prix has started up again and I came into month 2 with a whopping 2 points. 1 Point for each missed game. Time to get back in the hunt.

The first game was a big one with 14 players registered. This is nice since the more players, the more points and money to be had. We had two new guys with us this night which usually means they will win since the new guys traditionally do.

Started out on the main table and just played a new style. I usually play ridiculously tight in these games but I decided to open up my hand selection tonight. Play more suited connectors in later positions and make more aggressive post-flop plays. The biggest hand before we were down to 10 players and moved everyone on to the main table was when I entered a pot in the SB with 9h 6h. Mark was the player to my left to likes to bully me. He took his chance to play back at me and raised it another 80. I called hoping for a good flop. Board came 96J. I checked knowing full well that he will bet out. He did the expected and bet out 75. I re raised to 300 and he thought for a minute and called. The turn was a blank. I bet 150 and he called. River was a blank and I took some time and fired out a measly 200 bet hoping he would take it as a sign of weakness. I guess he did as he called and I flipped my two pair and he mucked.

Once it was down to 10 the game changes. You go from playing with 5 or 6 at your table and then you have 10 so I need to tighten up a bit, especially since the two new guys were now at the table and the one directly to my left was the chip leader making some huge calls and folds from what I was told.

Few hands in I had ATs in MP and raised. New guy on my left called and couple others and we went to the flop and it came AT3. Nice Aces up. It was checked to me and I bet half the pot and new guy called quickly and everyone else folded. Turn came a 6. I checked hoping he had something juicy like AQ or AK and would fire out but he checked. River came a blank and I fired out a big bet and he called. I showed my Aces up and he mucked and muttered a "good hand".

Two hands later I get dealt 77 and limp as I usually do with small to medium pocket pairs. I believe we had about 5 callers and the flop came 3 6 T. Checked around to the new guy who bet out a 100 into a 300+ pot. It folded back to me and I decided to pay the 100 to get lucky. I did, as a 7 hot the turn. I checked and he bet out a little bigger and I raised. He thought for awhile and called. river was a blank and I bet out a small amount to give him a chance to call and after going in the tank he did and I flipped my 77 and he mucked with a more annoyed "good hand".

I was now the chip leader and was feeling good. Later on I made a mistake in a hand. I had AsTs again and raised preflop. My only caller was my new friend to my left. Flop was looking good with Ac Td 4d. I bet out about half the pot and he called quickly. For some reason I put him on two diamonds right away. My experience, and it could be deal wrong, when someone bets quickly in a situation like that, they are on a drawing hand. Turn came the Qd. I became passive and checked and he fired out a nice size bet. About 2/3rds the pot I believe. I went into the tank. I was about to call but I talked myself out of it. Many times playing I will make calls knowing that I am beat and this time I decided not to do it. I folded my AT and they flipped over and he was about to muck his and decided to show me his Ad 9s. Bah! He still had 9 outs to the nut flush so that will be my reasoning. lol

From there nothing really happened. I was in an out of pots, maintaining a good stack in relation to the competition. It was now 4 handed. 3 get paid. Two regulars and the other new guy. This guy acted as if he was some pro player and he was far from it. Complete ass and a complete donkey. Plus he wouldn't shut up about the Tigers game that was on. He was the quintessential poker star/Hall of Famer Baseball Manager. He was new to this game and trying to run it. All night long he wanted to change the rules and act like a jerk if someone did something he thought was wrong. Frank, father of Kevin, who playes with us once in awhile doesn't stack his chips. This isn't a casino, it's a night with the guys. We never cared. The new guy just wouldn't shut up all night about it. He was being rude and confrontational with him and it just didn't sit well with me. What an ass. My favorite moment was when I was in a hand and he was in the BB he tried to get all bad ass on me and said how many chips you got left. I replied, "A lot more than you". He got angry and said there was no way, his stack was larger than mine, and I had to point out the 4 purple chips I had that equaled more than the 14 black chips he had in front of him and he just folded. What an ass.

Anyway, he was playing on a shortstack and he just wouldn't go away. I was in the SB with 55 and decided to push all in on him. He called excited and flipped over his Ax. I don't even remember, like a 6 or a 7 I believe. My 5's hung in there and knocked him out. He shook every one's hand except mine. I love people like that.

From there I got messed up in a hand with a weaker kicker and eventually busted out in 3rd. Made a nice little profit and got some good points to get myself back in the hunt.

Game 2 was 9 players as most left to go watch the rest of the Tigers game at home. Only the ass new guy was playing, the other guy left. Within 5 or 6 hands Kevin and the new guy got into a raising war preflop and ended up all in with Kevin holding AA and new guy holding KK. K spiked on the turn and Kevin was out. He was pissed but kindly congratulated the new guy and shook his hand and the new guy wouldn't shut up about how crazy that was and he knew he was up against AA but he had no choice and how crazy it was. I could tell Kevin was getting annoyed. Just shut up, you won, Kevin now is the dealer for the next 2 hours probably, and you won't shut up about the hand. He wasn't making too many friends.

I was playing pretty bad. I was busy watching the Tigers game and being annoyed by the new guy to even care. About 6 people left and I was down to 700 from the starting 1000. Blinds were 100/200 and I was in UTG+1. New guy was UTG and raised. I grabbed my chips and said, "All in, 700". Immediately he gets all uppity and swearing about what a dumb play it was. I just kept staring at the TV ignoring him. It folded to him and he was still grumbling and then said in a cocky way, "Well I gotta call" and I flipped over AK while not looking at him at all. He threw his AJ out with disdain and I held on to double up on him. Never said a word to him but he was trying to talk to me about my play.

I don't remember much but I ended up in 4th on the bubble and watched as Matt got heads-up with new guy and literally dominated him. It was just sick. I was positioned to see every hand Matt had and it was just like he said, "shooting fish in a barrel." Matt raised all but I think 2 hands the entire time heads up. Seeing a flop was rare, as new guy folded 90% of the time he was raised. It was hilarious. Good to see Matt win it.

So I got some points and should be up in the top 5 with 4 months (8 games) to go.