Greg's Game

Well, I don't think you can call Blowers grumpy, ever.
When he joins the game, it is like taking a 331/3 record and playing it on 78.
Hmmmm. That shows my age.
Anyway, he and Jerry were just full of fun banter most of the afternoon, throwing chips at each other and exchanging plenty of chatter. Finally, we got John to answer his phone to discuss the new movie, and the game was dead quiet.
Next game we are taking turns calling him from the other room.

Bruce announced that he had found a real deal on cards. BJ's with a coupon had nice Bicycle cards for $10 a dozen. Regular price is $14. He brought in a bunch.
We do have to watch the cards.

I brought a poker mix snack from Staples. It was a bit pricey but it said "poker mix" on it so how could I resist. I also added a few Saranac beers from the new Fall 12 pack selection and they were well received. Only John did not like the poker mix snack.


My own personal favorite hand was when I held the flush and correctly put Slink on the bare Ace and Blowers on no clubs, but maybe a full house draw. I made a healthy bet to push Slink off his Ace. Blowers folded his no clubs. Slink called and gambled on the Ace and lost. It felt good to think that every once in a while I do play good poker.

Ivan came and played just way too loose and stayed way too long.
Hey, Ivan, convince yourself to just play good cards and to lay down when you are beat. Bully tactics that work with four won't with nine. Peter too probably got caught in the bind a larger table presents. Too many hands out there to bully your way with second best.

Peter won a hand of over $50 when it was discovered that I dealt the cards and flopped, but John turner and rivered.
Greg wanted to let the whole thing go, but the guys could reconstruct it and deal it properly, so they did, and Greg's pair of eights beat Petew's pair of sevens so he ahd to surrender all his chips and rebuy.
Now those card backs were very different, but who knows when they are turned over? I should have known I was dealing; John should have knows he was not. Jerry should have known....well......everything, or so he represents.
Greg just let the luck of the day bring him his PokerMaster rewards. Two others were in the hand as well with good cards.

It was a good game, but long. I was very tired by the end of it.

The last hour Greg and I played heads up with Charlie dealing. What a treat! Thanks, Charlie. I think that is one of my greatest pleasures, to play heads up and not have to deal.

You are so enjoyed when you get a chance to come, Charlie. I can't wait until you are retired. And I don't just say that because you were willing to deal. Or because you brought food and homebrewed beer and wine. Or because after donating generoursly to the common good of our palates, you also left your money. I just like you. So does Greg. Slink probably lies you too, but after losing all his money, he did not really like anyone anymore.

Charlie had a good run near the end and it looked like Greg might have to rummage around in the corners of the house to get enough money to pay us off. Greg doesn't play with real money, he just grabs all the chips he wants. Why should the poker master have to buy in.
Then if he is behind, near the end of the day, he starts the grumble,
"Gee, I don't know if I will have enough to pay you guys off."
And I always have the same answer. ( I am usually the last man there)
"Gee, I am not sure I have the phone number of the fellas that will come and break both you legs."
But in the end, Charlie lost his lead, and Greg recovered, losing just $12 for the entire day. Probably a record.

Charlie and I went all-in, but not for too much money. I had aces in the pocket; he had kings.

Nice to see Ed too. He is a rare visitor. He is often building rather than playing. At Greg's he built many racks of chips.
I missed Bill. I keep missing him. We don't seem to connect. However, I don't want you to think that your rituals were ignored, Bill. As soon as Slink lost a few pots with Ace little, he started the "unbelievable" grumble for you.
Blowers started a new straddle trend, and there was great surprise when Bruce discovered his big blinds were being out blinded. It took all day, but John finally talked Silver into a double straddle. Nothing like nine guys playing a game with four blinds.
John kicked my butt with his nut club flush. Holding the no brainer nut, he took about nineteen minutes, mumbling all that mathematical mumbo jumbo, so that I'd call his 30 chip raise.
I can see why he choses to write fiction.
Greg decided that if you bet out of turn, ahead of a person, your money is committed even if the person throws in a big raise. This is a fair rule. I only print it because Greg will certainly decide the opposite when it is his money tossed in out of turn. Cost me a dollar.
Greg also decided that after a bet of $10 followed with an all in of $4, there can be another raise, even from the person who bet the $10 first. This was a flip flop on our previous practice that the "all in" must be at least half of the raise (which is the standard in most casinos I've visited)
Greg did not want to make the rule. Peter who had cards, called the old rule of no more raises, so the Rule Czar, who had no cards, needed clarification. I wondered why, and was very sorry I asked. It is hard to have the rule Czar in your face when he sits next to you.
"Pay attention!!" and yada,yada,yada.
.
And finally Greg begged for a $20 buy in when he was short chipped at the end of the day, but waffled on whether that then would be the new rule for me too on another day when I was short chipped like the last two games I played.

Which doesn't mean Greg gets in the rules much. He is easy and layed back and always in control of his temper, a great host and hates to make a decision. Mostly he wants the game to get going again and wonders why anyone cares about the details. Well, sometimes if he has a hand........

Generally, rules are determined by letting a few people all talk and move chips at the same time, and then after the symphonic collage of voices and chips, the one who argues the longest and the loudest, gets his way.
And we all know who that one is.
At these times Greg is walking the dog or installing air conditioning, or fixing a drink or discussing the day with Ann. I'm not certain he actually has a chair at the table; he just hovers about, bets from afar, and yells, "Deal Me In" a lot. Once in a while we deal him out just to p**ss him off.

Well, thanks boys. It is always a great deal of fun. I wish we could have more double headers. You sure buoyed my confidence which has been weak since my Nevada trip. Now I can go play at the Four Winds and lose all you left with me.





You are invited to visit any of these blogs:
1-DEWEY'S JOURNAL BLOG AT: http://pokerbluegill.blogspot.com/
2- LOCAL GAMES : http://foxwoodspokertr.blogspot.com/: Greg's Welcome Home Game
3-VEGAS:http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/ - Trip report on Vegas Losing Trip
4- VEGGIE RECIPES:http://weightlossveggie.blogspot.com/ radical eating recipes/thoughts


--- On Wed, 8/26/09, Gregg Millett wrote:

From: Gregg Millett
Subject: Wednesday Upadate
To: "Ed Forner" , "Scott Rice" , "Ron Gorr" , "Robin Smith" , "Phil Schweppenhauser" , "Peter C Hill" , "Michael Karp" , "John Blowers" , "Joe Scriver" , "Jim Morey" , "Jerry Silver" , "James Lovett" , "gerald guzik" , "Dewey Hill" , "Dave (Slink) Ballif" , "Charlie Town" , "Bill Neumann" , "Gregg Millett" , "Ivan"
Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 11:24 PM

Twas quite a poker day -- 9 grumpy guys at the table by 1:15pm. Bruce and Peter bit the dust about 3:30, Ivan at 3:40 and Phil at 3:50. (Pete got a bat beat, but he'll have to tell that one -- Gregg "stole" a big hand from him.

Then about 5 Charlie and Slink arrived.

At the end of game 1 John left with $135 and Ed $150.

After hot dogs, four played on. Slink bit the dust about 9pm and Charlie at 9:30 but Charlie stayed and dealt to Gregg and Dewey for a head to head til 10pm. Dewey got away with $150 to take to Michigan. Gregg was down $12 for 9 1/2 hours of play.

Next week's single header game begins at 1pm.

Gregg Millett
www.GreggMillett.com