Thursday, November 26, 2009

Gregg's Return from China game

Well, Greg made it back from China and hosted his first game in a long while. With his obligations
to run his computer while playing, and his head cold and general exhaustion, I'd say the Poker Master was not up to his usual prowess. But, as always, he offered no complaints.

Blowers was my nemesis. They should not have even let that man out of his novel. He either had me beat or arranged a river card to beat me. I was up to a hundred dollars twice and left down thirty five. The hardest hit was when I held a jack X of clubs and it went runner-runner flush. John bet, I raised, and then he went into a long fictitious mumble in which he asked for information from the table and compared earlier actions, and finally said he put me on "two pair" and went all in. I should have seen the Oreo cookie next to his ear, but I called. Only one card could beat me and it needed a club with it. He had both.

I stormed and swore and threw cards across the table and called him names and ...... Oh, wait, that was just in my head.

Peter managed a couple hours of loss, loss, loss and went home.

Bill got just steadily drained. It was his first game in a long while. Nice to see him there. Before the game Bill, Phil, Bruce and I went to the Dragon Buffet. Perhaps we can get that tradition going.

Bill didn't mind losing all his money because he was so happy to see all of us again, especially his old childhood buddy Jerry who calls him Dad. Bill appreciates that Jerry keeps the game going at a steady pace so no one feels rushed, and that he adds such entertaining narration and banter. That way Bill could lose more slowly. We did have to wake Bill up a couple times and tell him it was his turn.

Jerry played his usual good, solid game, but this week he got drained as well and when he went broke, he just watched the second session.

Thanks Greg for letting us cash out and rebuy for another session. That gave both Peter and I an even battle.

Gregg lost.
He'd play a bit, then go off to blow his nose and load things into the computer (hoepfully there is no connection between those activities) and then come back a bit disoriented.

"What is it we're playing here again?" he'd ask. "Bridge? I bid two spades."

Gregg had played a bit of poker on the plane coming back with his grandson and lost $40, which does not sound too bad until you understand that they were playing with Chinese yuan so Gregg lost not a mere 40 but a whopping 273.
He did not say whether he was loading pictures in his computer as he played.
Perhaps he was out on the wing for a while walking the dog and the kid stacked the deck.


I thought Phil went off with a lot of money, but they all said he won just a dollar. I know he had a lot of chips in front of him at one point. (not as many as Blowers insisted on gathering, however. These Hollywood guys with the flashy hats and the svelt bodied starlet companions always have to show off.)

Bruce seemed to "have no luck at all" as he often sings. he went home early.

I wish I could remember more hands. There was one where all the final players had pocket diamonds with two diamonds coming on the flop and we were all-in. I had the Ace and on the river came a lovely little four of diamonds. Amazing good luck.

I flopped a full house holding pocket threes with 2-2-3. I overbet and Jerry folded a high pair so I lost some there assuming the FH would hold up.

I held trip 5's when Blowers held trip 6's. See. That is the kind of guy he is.

Blowers also beat me on the river, but I can't remember that hand.

I had quad Jacks that made just good money, but not on the river.

It was a good game, I thought, full of action and jokes and a good way to start the holiday. Sorry more did not come. I kind of expected Slink, Robin, Charlie, Ed. It was good to see Bill after such a long time. He is so busy in retirement he doesn't have time to play poker. he is off playing with his "new friends." Many of them are very underage girls. Heh, talk about risk taking.

Jerry heads out next week for a job interview in South Carolina. Hope it is a good one and he finds a place he likes. Tough to move that far away, however, after all these years here in the Capital District. Good luck on that one.

Gregg hosts again next week so those of you who caught his cold this week can bring it back and lose it to him next week. I'm planning on bringing bubonic plague, but I'll lose that to Blowers.

I don't know if Blowers is coming. He is always busy working on the movie. But why does he need to worry about funding when we are all here to help him every week?
If he does come, I'm not going to be nice to him. I'm going to get back my money if it takes a thousand rivers and then.... I'm just gonna laugh.

AhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahhaAhhahahahahhahhahhahha

Oh, excuse me, I just got carried away in the fantasy of it.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. You know we will have the best one here, having seen little one year old grandchild Casey pulled back from the precipice death this week and doing very well indeed.

If you need a bit of opera for the holidays, Charlie sends along this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5x2FQuQfTg

Friday, November 20, 2009

Turning Stone

I took a ride up to Turning Stone to lose my restlessness. It was a fine time although I lost $100. One hand determined that score. A fellow had pocket aces and I held pocket deuces. The flop came 8-8-2 and we were all in. Given my push he should have tossed the aces and put me on an 8. The river gave him the other 8 for a fine pot of $250. He was a bad played, chasing and lose, but made money the way Gregg does by betting more than the table wanted to risk. I got some money back from him just letting him bet into me when he had cards. I played well and the table was a nice mix. Lots of young phys ed teachers there on a conference. Many of them did not play well at all and even the good players meant that there were few faces I recognized.

I had a free buffet and did not go to Rome for the Savoy supper. I got home about midnight and felt satisfied. I had thought about staying overnight, but ended up going with no breathing machine and had had enough poker anyway although this morning I am restless once again.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Second game at Bruce's

Our second game at Bruce's was a great success. Attending was Phil, Jerry, Ed, Bruce, Peter and I. Peter and Bruce lost money. The rest gained some profit over the afternoon.

I did not sleep last night. I had coffee in the afternoon and I guess it put me off sleep. So by the end of the poker game I could barely keep my eyes open. It did not affect my play. I was dealt nothing to play. The few cards of value I did manage to get gave me some good pots with only one, pocket aces, being beat by Ed's club flush. I bought in for $60 and lost $27.

Jerry had a fine set of quad Queens, but there did not seem to be too much drama otherwise or too many wins with nut hands. Bruce had a nice nut heart flush. Straights and queens seemed to be very strong in taking pots. With fewer players the games are less dramatic.

We think next week the game is at Gregg's again. Gregg should confirm this whenever he gets home from roaming the world.

Obama has taken to following him to countries. Perhaps he'll show up for the next game as well.

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I have ordered two American Casino Guides at Amazon but I probably only really need one. If anyone wants one for $14, I can hand it to you for that price. Amazon ships two for free, but there is tax added for NY State.