We started the next “season”, which will run until around January 1st. We have updated our neighborhood’s game’s format. We are now using deeper stacks, slightly accelerating blind structure, and adding antes. We’ll also be experimenting with 7-2 bonus, cracked ace bonus, and bounties.
The night started poorly. On the third hand I had 9-10 of clubs. The flop was Q-9-6, with two clubs. I semi-bluffed a raise and was called. The turn was a low club, giving me my flush. Long story short – my ten-high flush lost to his jack-high flush and I lost half my stack.
40 minutes later I had pocket 9s. There had been one raiser. Playing short-stacked I needed to move all in. He decided to call. He had A-9, I was ahead 70%-30%. He got his Ace and I was knocked out. What are you going to do. I lost two big hands on unlucky cards. Not grossly unlucky though, just your everyday garden variety moderate bad luck. That’s poker.
I rebought. But one of our rule changes is that you can rebuy for only half the initial stack. I was short-stacked already. (There was never a question I would rebuy. I was the instigator behind bringing in antes, I was damn well going to last long enough to use them!)
Things looked a little better when I had A-A. I raised and got one caller. The flop was J-10-6. I checked, hoping he had a jack. He also checked. The flop was another 6. Now there was a pair on the board and two clubs, I couldn’t wait around. I went all-in. And I must say it was about the best acting I’ve ever done. I paused just the right amount, had my body language just right, I could not have communicated weakness better. He thought I was bluffing, I doubled up.
That was the spark I needed. I made it to the final four. Blinds were at 500-1000 with a 100 ante, the average stack was around 10K.
Under the gun, I had A-8. I should have raised, but I chose to limp. Small blind limped in. The flop was K-8-4. They both checked. I didn’t think anyone had a king, I pushed all-in. The small blind called with 6-4. The turn was a 6. I didn’t even notice he had gotten his second pair and had to be called out when I started raking the pot. Ugh.
The next hand I had K-10. The flop was A-K-x. I put in a raise. He went all-in. I had to call (it was 1600 more to a 8K pot). He did indeed have the Ace. But wait, the turn is another king, I have trips! And the river is… another ace!? His full house of Aces over Kings beat my full house of Kings over Aces. That was a fun way to go out. You couldn’t complain about that last ace since he had been ahead from the start.
Summary:
I had a lot of good starting hands, but mild bad luck in hitting hands with them.
You wouldn’t know it from this summary but I played aggressively the whole night. That was good. I stole blinds all over the place.
But I didn’t play aggressively in a few key hands at the end, and it cost me. Checking the A-8 was a big mistake.
Tonight: -$40