Massive Heater!

Since coming back from Minnesota I have been on a massive heater! I'm up 211 big bets in 77.6 hours of play. That includes one night where I dropped 5 racks in the 40/80 too! I had a nice run tonight as well. I cashed out 8 racks in the 40/80 game tonight, in 2, so up 6. We were playing short-handed the entire time. At most we had 6 players, but mostly 4 or 5, sometimes as little as 3. There was a major donator in the game who was keeping the game alive and well. He was the same donator, who on Friday night got in 4 racks, went on a massive heater and ended up cashing in like 7 or 8 racks, or so I heard. I left around midnight on Friday, after dusting off 5 racks. That game was amazing, but I couldn't catch anything, and when I rarely actually flopped a hand, I got outdrawn almost every time. But I knew when to call it quits and go home with my tail between my legs.

Home Game

Got invited to a home game/tourney tonight. The tournament was a 100$ buy-in with 78 players, with 1st place getting 50% of the prize pool. I was doing fine, had a little above the chip average when I busted out. My bust-out hand was the following: I limped in the small blind with 7h4h, 5 players took a flop of 74t. Checked around to middle position who bet 800 (minimum bet, blinds were 400 and 800). I checked raised all-in for 5600 total. She hemmed and hawed, and finally called with JsTs. She of course hits a ten on the river to knock me out. Fortunately, for me she knocked me out! I got into a 5-5 blind max $300 buy-in no-limit cash game that was running. I made $1500 playing this game in like 5 hours! The players were absolutely horrible. Other than a couple of people at the table other than myself, these people had no-clue had to play holdem, let alone no-limit holdem, where I was stacking people left and right playing literally any two cards if there was no raise preflop (which often there wasn't). It was like guys, just give me your money, it would be quicker and less painful for all involved that way. Hope I get an invite next year!

Quadzilla

Had an awesome session in the 40/80 game at Oceans-11 last night. After getting buried 2 racks in, I rebuy another 2 racks and proceed to run over the game, cashing out 7+ racks total.

I made quad 8's on the following hand.

Charlie open-raises in MP, Ron 3-bets next up, folded to me on the button, I flat call with pocket eights, blinds call, 5-ways to the flop for 15 small bets. Flop comes AA5, two spades. Checked to Ron who bets, I raise, folded to Charlie who calls, Ron calls. 21 small bets in the pot. My raise on the flop, is to charge the flush draws, and if Ron has something like pocket kings or pocket queens, I may get him to make an incorrect lay down. Likely, he has an ace, and is going to slow-play it once I raise. Ron loves to slow play his big hands, which I will never understand. I have like 10% equity in the pot, so if by raising I can get a free river I can get two shots to hit my full-house, and with 21 small bets, it's worth the high variance play. Plus if I hit, I am going to get max action, especially if the 8s comes off completing the flush on the turn. In any case, turn is the 8c. Checked to me, I bet, Charlie folds, Ron check-raises, I 3-town it, Ron calls. 16.5 big bets in the pot now. River is the last 8 in the deck, and now Ron leads into me with his aces full of eights, I raise of course, and he calls. I announce quadzilla, and Ron flashes his ace-king and mucks furiously. 20.5 big bets is the final pot size! Horribly played by Ron. And this was just after I cracked his pocket aces with my 74 suited! He played that hand bad too. I think Ron now hates me.

Sleeping is Overrated (NOT)

I played in an absolutely awesome 40/80 game last night at Oceans-11. I played until 6am this morning, went home, got like 3 hours sleep and then had to get ready to go the Minneapolis. The game had Evan Almighty, Tommy, and Pierre in it. Pierre just kept reloading $500 at a time from the ATM/Money Fairy machine. It was pretty ridiculous. I think he went to that damn machine at least 5 or 6 times. Every time he bought 500, and being short-stacked he still played like every hand. Talk about loose-passive, check-call, check-call, check-call, like every time. The few times he actually had hands, everybody else either mucked immediately as soon as he made an aggressive action, or outdrew him since he was short-stacked. I outdrew his pocket queens with pocket deuces by filling up on the river when I hit a deuce. I raised preflop 4-handed on the button with the deuces, he just called in the big blind with pocket queens with only 4 sbs total in his stack! Flop comes like 996 or something like that. He bets, I tell him to put it all in, he complies and I spike my 2 outer on the river.

Unfortunately, even though the game was awesome, I finished up only up 1 rack. Still it has been a while since I booked a win in the 40/80 game, so I'll take it.

Minnesota

Headed out to Minnesota again this week. Leaving on Tuesday night, back on Sunday. The rest of the family is staying out there until the 23rd. Lots of my wife's family is all going to be there. Should be one large family "picnic" of a time. Hopefully my wife will give me her blessing to make a repeat visit to Canterbury Park. One slight wrinkle, a new card club opened up in the Minneapolis area, called Running Aces. Apparently the 30/60 game is bouncing around these two clubs now. Not sure if it has found a permanent home yet.