Greg's games

I have had a number of local and family games lately. All have been fun. I sure like the structure of this no limit poker. At home one time we dropped the buy in to $5 and so the stakes were really low for the kids.

Greg's two games have been very different. Two weeks ago Jerry and John came and it was a good crowd. This week they were absent and so was Bill so it was a small group of five.

Two weeks ago "lucky" Greg piled up about 5 racks of chips in the course of the afternoon. He was unbeatable. But this week I started to hit as soon as I got there. Cards seemed to love me. I build almost three racks before that changed. Had I gone home with Phil and Bruce I'd have had a $100 profit, but I stayed to play with Peter and Greg. I was worried about being over tired, but that was not the cause of my defeat. Basically, it was these two hands.

I held pocket aces and two kings came on the flop. No one showed strength. The turn was a king, so I had the nut full house regardless of what came on the river.
I bet heavy.
Peter and Greg both called. On the river I bet heavy again and Peter went all in. Greg folded his queens and Peter showed the fourth king.
Now, this is not unusual in a game with ten players, but in a game of three, it is very rare. In fact, had an ace come on the river giving me the larger full house, and had we been playing at Turning Stone we would have hit the bad beat for 40 thousand.

The next hand was not a bad beat. It was simple Pokermaster lucky Greg at work. Greg was down a good bit when he went all in on a club flush draw. He held K-Q and A-J had flopped. I held A-J so I called his all in bet. On the turn came the 10 of clubs for a Royal Flush, so I was dead even hoping for a full house on the river. I think this is Greg's first royal at his own home game.

So there is it. That is my luck. I still ended the day $38 ahead, but I might have reduced my Turning Stone loss by half had the Pokermaster not decided to call in all his mantra strength.

And at my last game until March, too.

I just get no respect.