Final Table

Monday I went to the local Milwaukee Tavern Tourny and made the final table. True I arrived at the final table with a stack equal to the small blind but still I was there and finished 8th, going all-in with Q, 3 suited, the best cards I had seen for quite a while. The final table at my first Milwaukee Tourny, a good omen in my quest for poker glory.

I spent the $5 for the bonus chips and just played smart. Then a bit of theatrics. With a 6, 9 suited I placed a stack of chips on my hold cards and with a K on the table I tried my best to look like I really wanted to bet. Hit a nine on the river and bet 500 to take the pot with a losing hand, as my opponent had a 9, 8. If you have a running back that makes the defense think he is running left when he runs right, do you say he is lying?

That was at Victor's with about 38 people at the tables. A bit disheartening to play well and see those going bust buying back in, buying a round of drinks for bonus chips, and ending up with a stack bigger than yours. But at this level of Tavern Tourny's it is about enjoying yourself and supporting the local establishment. I had no extra cash to be taking advantage of the bonus chip gimmick's. But playing consecutive days gets you 2000 in free chips each day and soon they will be having a tournament on Sunday.

Then Tuesday we were at G-Daddy's BBC on the east-side. Only 18 at the tables. A few college guys were playing. Some not knowing how to deal, but there is always someone, if not everyone, happy to help others learn the game.

I chased a bluff and/or a full house with two A's on the table at the turn. Lucky I didn't make the 8 on the river to go with my pocket pair cause I was facing quads, eagerly shown as I folded. My call of his large raises hopefully made his night. I live to serve. My pocket 7's lost to pocket K's and I was out before the break.

After the first break everyone gets 2000 more in free chips and I was moved to a table of small stacks. There was a guy who had been to the world series of poker. I won an all-in with pocket 8's against the large stack at the table.

Then I decided to play a J, 8 suited; clubs. The flop came J, 10, 7 giving me high pair and a straight draw with one club on the table. I decided to go all-in. The WSOP participant, he was showing us his pictures on his laptop, called with a stack equal to my own. He had a Q, K making my gut shot straight draw a losing prospect. A 3 of clubs came on the turn and he was left with 11 outs as a club would give me the flush. He made the K, red, and I was out. It was a great way to go out. If you can't enjoy the game for the game you don't love poker. We shook hands and that was it for me for the night.

I almost didn't go Tuesday because I felt I wouldn't do well. Part of it was I was a bit enamored with myself from the night before and chased some hands I shouldn't have. And I did finish early but I was happy I went. Really hit a comfort level at the tables and picking up more of the lingo.

Wednesday a seat at the six month Tournament was on the line with an expectation of forty people in attendance but I had something previously planned. I hope to hit a string of games at least once a month. The promoter is hoping to double the numbers at each establishment. Plenty of seats and free chips for anyone interested.

Some at the table were talking about Badger Poker. I added their links in the side bar.

Ughhh!

The good news is that Tavern Tourneys now has Milwaukee tournaments Monday through Wednesday. I haven't been to the site in a while so I'm not sure when they started, to my regret. It is the live games I really need experience in. And more good news was that last month I found that rather than owing taxes we were in line to get both a State and Federal refund. Along with that news, a refund check on our mortgage came in the mail.

And on that second, ...or third, bit of good news I took a small part of the mortgage refund and invested a Saturday afternoon to sit at a Omaha Hi/lo table at the casino. A game I have been studying on, and have had play money  success with on the Internet. And it was the kind of game everyone hopes for. 4-6 players in on each hand. A pleasant surprise was that in a 3-6 game the small blind was only $1.

Again coming in with a small stack was a disadvantage. A guy at the end of the table would keep raising me every time I came in. I'm not sure why, since it was obvious I was playing only good hands, doing a lot of pre-flop folding.

There were also several older gentleman who clearly knew the game. They were happy with the table and yelling to the floor manager every time a seat would open. Someone has to pay the dealer. In fact, to this point I could rationalize that I have broken even at the tables to date. My losses easily covered by the rake the house takes and tips I gave to the dealers. But no more.

The best starting hands will roughly pay off about a third of the time, and they weren't at first. Then I got a 2, 6, 7, 8 and felt really good about it. This is something I've been trying to hone with some success. Going with a hand just on a good initial feeling when I see it. I have had success with this on the Internet. I felt so good about the hand I looked a second time with a smile, but confident that I could win playing tight, though some play for the mid-range straight, I folded. The flop came 8, 8, 7. A 4-8 straight took the high.

My stack became quite small when I started winning a few hands. This limited my profits. Otherwise I would have gotten back to my starting stack, if not more. This lack of funds and a continuous push by the guy at the end of the table (he went bust and had to buy back in) I went bust myself hoping to make an open ended straight after the flop. So overall my ledger is in the red for nearly$100.

Then came the really bad news. Our dog was sick. Trying to save it, finally realizing it was poisoned, cost us big bucks we didn't have. Just when we were getting a handle on our debt. I have a good idea who did it. We buried her next to our last dog in the North Woods.

But I have a plan to put into practice to fund my pursuit of poker glory. No more going in with minor stacks. I'm sure I would have done fine if I had a larger stack and could have taken full advantage of the hands I did win. The plan I will write about next month, since without a lot of live play I don't have much of interest to write about. I have to keep a standard of one post a month though.

I may decide to hit the Tavern Tourneys the next three days spending $15, the $5 initial bonus chip buy in each night. I recently bought some bicycle lights on sale for street riding that I can put to good use, saving the cost of gas, which wouldn't be much. All three are very close and in fairly nice areas with large schools of college fish.