After working most of the weekend without sleeping I took a short nap and went to 'Fanatics' for a tavern tourney. (earlier in the week we dropped off a gift for my mother) No initial buy-in for bonus chips. I failed to win a single hand before the first break. It wasn't that I didn't go in with any hands. I went in quite a bit. I never saw so many Aces. I had more hands with an Ace than not in the first hour. Some like A, 6 or A, 2 I folded before the flop in the face of large raises. In the end I had to fold all of them at some point and they were all good folds. They would have produced nothing.
The betting was small with two 9's on the table and I went all the way to the river looking for a 6 to match my pocket pair but it didn't happen. I folded on a raise on the river. Trip 9's took the pot.
My stack was 800, a fraction of most stacks on the table, with the blinds at 100-200. From early position I made a raise pre-flop to 500, 'all day' as they say. I held a K, 10 of spades. I had two callers and there was an addition 1000 in the pot because someone had just gone busted and bought a round. He received more chips, I picked up 500 more for a $1 tip for the waitress (so I was actually down to 300) and the tournament manager threw 1000 into the pot for that hand. 2700 or so in the pot with the big blind folding.
Two spades came on the flop including the ace which gave me the nuts flush draw. There was also a 4 on the board. I went all-in with 300 more and the two others called. No spade on the turn or river and no raises as another Ace came on the turn. I couldn't raise. The man to my left took the pot with a pair of 4's. He had a 3, 4 suited and stayed in the hand because he wasn't challenged, and my 300 didn't scare him. If I had limped in and bet heavy after the flop he would have folded with an Ace on the table. If the other man in the pot had raised at all, he said he would have folded. The other gentleman had the Q, 9 of spades and I would have beat him with my K high.
So I was out before the first break and received my free chips and went for some bonus chips for the next session. I still didn't win any hands. I folded a 9, 3 off suit and would have hit trip 3's on the river. But that was a good fold. You only play that hand from the big blind (maybe small blind) or if Phil Hellmuth is at the table just to send him into a fit. Then when I was sitting in early position and before dealing the dealer called that I would win this hand and should raise pre-flop. I did, about half my stack, with pocket 4's. Hit a four on the flop and made a minimal bet and took the pot as an Ace was also on the table. I didn't think I would scare anyone with a minimum bet. The dealer dealt out the hand and I would have made quads.
Then I went all-in with 8's and was called by 10's. Hit an 8 on the flop and more than doubled up, collecting the blinds also which were quite high at the time.
Several people went bust and bought back in by buying rounds. You get a lot of chips for buying a round. And me still in the game having only won two hands. One such individual had just gone bust and bought back in with a round the previous hand. I was 'under the gun' and posted the 1600 to get in the hand. The guy to my left, Mr. Just bought a round, came over the top with 5000. Everyone folded and I had only 6400 in my stack. I went all-in with an A, Q suited; hearts. He called. He had an A, J off suit. At this point you would say I dominated.
Isn't that what you call dominating?
He got a J on the flop and another on the turn. An Ace came on the river. We went wild with excitement at our table, as we all did with the 8's against 10's hand. Lots of fun.
No, I can't afford to buy a round. That was it. The field would have been down to half if not for the buying a round buy back. Of course that is how you support the establishment which is essential to enjoy a night of poker in a tournament venue for little cost. Literally you could get away with just buying a drink, I drink soda, when you arrive if you really wanted to. And it is nice to have a few dollars in the pocket to catch some free chips for tipping the waitress when someone buys a round.
All my folds were good. In one hand with mid pair, 9's, I folded to a re-raise, and the winner showed me his high pair, Q's. I couldn't have played any better, yet I could only take two pots. Still I would have finished around the top half of the tournament had it not been for the buy a round buy back. So having played so well why am I so upset. I am working on a book of short stories and was planning to work on it today but couldn't clear my mind until I wrote about the events of last night.
It makes me consider tournament play at the casino rather than looking for a loose Omaha Hi/Lo game. That is if I can ever build up a poker fund for such play, which I have no money to invest in right now. The casino has dropped its buy-ins. They were Monday, Thursday, Sunday for $50, $100, $200 plus a 10% fee, but have gone down to $50, $70, $100. We get their monthly publication.
I don't drink and am not someone who would spend any length of time at bars, so I pay attention to the atmosphere of a place as I feel it can influence my life. 'Fanatics' was fairly bright and open with a large view of the outdoors. Also it is completely sports related which makes it more attractive to me and plays less to people's base natures. Lots of sports and poker on many screens. Smoking will be banned in July but, outside of your clothes smelling, it isn't a big issue as most bars have ventilation systems that suck up most smoke quickly. So it tops my list as to where I am most likely to play.
Still have not visited Tavern Tourney's Wednesday night venue.
So when I get the chance to play again the venue will be the largest determinant, as they have stopped the bonus free chip promotion for playing consecutive days. They are all great establishments. It is just my personal criteria I will be applying.
