Poker Weekend, with More Poker for added Pokeriness

'BB's to go' count remains the same!

Here's everything poker that happened this weekend:

1. On Friday, went deep again in a Poker Stars budget MTT. Finished fourteenth out of a 1000+ field. Won six bucks! Okay, $5.94. As with all my good finishes, I built a big stack early. It took me some time, but when I finally realized my advantage I started wielding the big stick. Took down twenty pots without a showdown. Ah, the power of a big stack and winning some showy hands early.

I did something I'm not sure I should be proud of. Of course, I ran into the same issue I did in the last MTT I moneyed in. It started at ten and was still going around 1:30am. I had a full day of work getting ready for my poker night, including the Big Monkey's gymnastics, grocery shopping, etc.

So...I hit the "sit out this hand" button, logged out and went to bed. I was in the mid thirties, place wise at that time, with about two hundred players left. Either way, I was winning some money and I really didn't want to be up another few hours and not be ready for the event which I've been planning for months. I'm not sure where this is on the scale of ethics. Technically, I just used a different strategy, one that easily could harm my chances of doing better as it could enhance them. On the other hand, it always bothers me when someone builds a stack then goes away until he makes the final table. There just seems something...unsporting...about it.

2. The inaugural CLRusso poker night went off pretty much hitchless. Nine people out of the thirteen I was expecting showed. More than I thought, quite frankly. I have a pretty low opinion of myself in general, and I never believe people have a good time or even want to come to our parties.

It seemed like it went well. Except for the whole going out first thing. Yep, I was out after about twenty hands. I had big slick and everyone folded when I bet 3x's the BB, except an aggressive guy, who called. He'd played most of his hands and was easily the most aggressive player at the table. I was sure he was playing a lot of crap and, when he called, I thought I was in the lead. I barely looked at the flop, which was 8 2 blank, and raised about four times the BB. He thought and called.

The turn was an 8. I (do you see where this is going?) went all in and he called. Flipped over a pair of deuces. Thank you for playing sir. Can you get me a beer?

The three money finishers were the Mistress' co-workers and one of their friends. They all play together and were clearly better than I and the rest of the field. I had a brief thoughts of collusion, but I see that now as the sour grapes they are. They were very nice and I didn't notice anything hinky. I think they could tell the rest of us don't play much, however.

The worst part was that I didn't get to play on the one poker table top I had (the guy who had the other one backed out) and I didn't get to play with the Copags. Oh well. There's always next month. There were three or four people who are interested but had other commitments or had been invited at the last minute who said they'd come the next time.

Also, no one was interested in a cash game, so I think we're going to just up the buy-in on the tournament. People can play afterwards, if they want.

The funniest thing of the whole day was when, at around noon, the Mistress stands up and says "I think we need a new television for tonight."

I stop my mad cleaning to stammer "Wha?" True, the TV in our living room sucks and is on its last legs, but, My God woman, people were coming in a few hours, we hadn't showered yet, nothing was set up and the kids needed to eat lunch and take naps.

None of this I actually said, mind you. My wife's the Mistress for a reason, and not because she runs an English private school. I'm so whipped that I must have subconsciously realized I was going to lose, because I talked myself into it.

To make a boring story short, we got a new TV and still had time to be ready and relax before the guests arrived. It's schweet too! LCD flatscreen, stereo sound. Not HD ready, but 'enhanced digital' ready, whatever that is. Probably something cheesy the marketing team came up with so schleps who can't afford HD feel better about themselves.

Finally, the Big Monkey was exposed to poker. I can check that off my "Perfect Parenting" to-do list. She was all proud of her old man and stuff, playing poker and all. When I busted out, I went upstairs and kissed her good night. She asked "Did you win?" I told her no and she said "Yes you did!" and went to sleep.

3. I wanted to start this post by saying how I'd finally cleared those last few BB's and was about to move up to .05-.10 limit. It's, what, less than a dollar to go? Shit, I can clear that in a night. Except when you have a losing session, then make a whole .75 BB the next night.

I've been plagued lately by being tired, not paying attention to the board (I was sure I had broadway, but didn't. Of course I capped the betting before PS helpfully told eveyone I had ace high versus someone else's made straight. As usual, I was also guilty of everyone's favorite, playing hands too long.

Last night I was stung at least four or five times by stupid hands played by other people. Want to play 2,4 offsuit under the gun for two bets and crack my aces with trip fours? Go ahead! Say, why not cap the betting with 7,8 offsuit in middle position, then flop a straight!

And yet, I was still able to scratch and claw to a three cent win for the night. D'you think I signed off as soon as I was in the black? Damn right!