Last game at Gregg's before Alabama

Well, I am late to write up the last game at Gregg's. I can hardly remember the details, but I'll try.
I hope other players will write in additions and corrections. I'll post them here as well for reference.

Jerry was late and rule got into the conversation without him. Bruce suggested we post after missing a blind. Gregg decided that was a good idea and he was willing to do it in spite of the fact that he is the guy most likely to have to post. He did too. Even posted two chips when he missed both blinds. This solves the problem of coming back in time for the dealer button and finding it moved past. This also happened to Greg and may have sparked this trial of this new rule.

A second rule is happened when I had the best hand, bet, had one caller, and then Bruce called and raised 4 more chips. It was a small bet. "Could I reraise?" Greg says yes and lets make that the rule. Ed wondered why there was any restriction and I explained that casinos like to protect anyone from collusion. I explained how that might happen if two people were playing together.

Gregg reinforced the rule at his house that dealt cards are turned up so everyone sees them at the same time. The dealer does not get to look and then drop. That means they are turned from the edge facing the other players.

Finally, if you leave the game and are gone a substantial amount of time, you come back as a new player and buy in for 20 dollars. This happened when Peter wanted to cash out in order to give his wife some of his winnings as a bribe to let him come back for a second round later. He also wanted to check out because he was not certain he would be back. Gregg will keep this pattern as long as it does not seem to be abused. However, leaving with a hundred and coming back in for 20 puts Peter at some disadvantage in a later game when players have more chips on the table.

Bruce will host the next game at his house. Gregg is giving a China lecture and show in Alabama.

Ed left with a good bit of money. A nice haul for him. Jerry lost some and left rather than face that uphill trudge. Bruce and Phil I believe left down funds. I was down $60 at the same time that Peter was up over $100. Peter had gotten a string of great cards. I had gotten junk. Queen - 9 was there every other hand and then it won when I folded it.

After Peter left, I started to get cards and got up to even or above when the game broke except for the head to head that Gregg and I usually finish with. Three hands determined my loss. In one Gregg had the goods when I thought he was bluffing. In a second I had lots of outs but chickened out only to see a winning club flush hit on the rabbit river. In a third, I held pocket tens with ten-ten-king-king on the board. Greg bet a good bit on the turn and I pretended to reluctantly call. I put him on a king. He just had a straight draw. He did not make the draw or he would have bet something again. So my quads, cleverly disguised, took a nice pot but not all the dough and eventually Gregg just took me down.

Peter had quads earlier. He also had a 9-3 build into a full house.
My pocket 4's when I asked about the reraise brought me my playing chips for the remainder of the afternoon as 2-2-4 was on the board.

It was a fine easy game. I thought it was very cheerful.

Bruce's all guys game next week will be great fun too. If you have not signed up, you do that by contacting Phil who is keeping track of how many seats are available. The table caps at eight players with the chairs I am bringing.

Here are the details

Next week will be at Bruce's

52 Woodlake Road

Apartment #1

Albany 12203

Telephone #: 250-5439

Dewey's going to bring a couple chairs so there will be room for eight -- good idea to "respond to all" (or just Phil) if you're coming. Phil is the organizer/contact person.

So far Bruce, Phil and Dewey are confirmed and Peter a maybe.

See ya.

Greg's Game Makes me Know I'm Home Again

I don't know how Greg will tell this tale, but I'll add his spin in here when he does.
I thought I'd write it up the way I remember it. The regulars are starting to take notes, so they can accurately reflect the details of the play. I'll just spin it anyway I might imagine it, like John does in his novels, only without the seductive women and celebrities moving in and out of the action. This is after all, an all guy's game.

Greg decided this week that the poker was just too slow for him. Going to the kitchen, cooking food, pouring drinks, walking the dog, minding the canned goods in the basement (as he does each week between deals) did not keep him distracted enough between bluffs, so today he brought along his lap top computer, and when his vibrating leg got the least bit restless, he could load things up on the Internet during the game.

I don't think it was porno. Well, at least not in between every hand.

I also don't think he was looking up the mathematics of the poker.
Every chance draw is "fifty percent" in Greg's mathematical universe.
It is the only mathematics spouted at the table that I can understand.

Besides, Blowers was there, and he would gladly do the poker mathematics for us. In fact, by the time John left, his mumbling had Jerry talking to himself in mathematical equations and sounding just like John, reviewing each of the prior bets, studying the situation, mumbling. Saying "Really?" as if somehow this might actually be an imaginary game.

Now, you have to understand that Jerry has just reached a place where he has successfully limited his confusion between chips and idiophones, and now John has inspired Jerry to do this New Math mumble, while orally reviewing how each bet was made before acting. Here we just thought we might actually have some speed in the game and this new pattern means we might as well walk the dog and come back later whenever it is either John or Jerry's turn.

John is into idiophonic counting of chips also, but usually only when he intends to fold.
He loves to confuse us:
Click, clack, stack, double stack, push with the left hand; fold with the right.

Anyway, since Greg has set the precedent, next week I'll bring my own laptop,
and I'm bringing my harmonica to keep up with these rhythms.
So for those of you who have been avoiding the action, games will now include free wi fi as well as lounge music.
John also seems to be working on some lyrics for a new song to go with idiophonic noises. When Greg raised a bet by saying raise "to three." John loved the homonym "two three" and sang it at odd times, when it might confuse us.

We told John to bring an orangutan so we'd have a complete circus, but he thought if he came with an orangutan, we'd take professional poker player advice and give the beast his seat.
http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/christina-lindley-john-blowers-ousted-from-best-damn-poker-show-924/

Of course, we really would like to substitute the orangutan because John whipped us again at the poker. He beat me once with 7-2 that rivered into two pair. He lost for a while, and I thought we had him for one week, but he rebounded.

Bruce stayed out with his hoity toity friends for some Black tie affair at some plush venue.
Fine Bruce, but just see how singing "Gloom, despair and misery on me" goes over with the wealthy set.
Phil took Bruce's seat, and so he felt obligated to chase and call everything. He knew he was doing it, but he was obsessed, demonized, out of control.
While sometimes we laugh at being superstitious about things like seats, these perceived patterns do change the way we play. Phil had been the big chip winner last week. Now we could see him caught playing much looser than usual. Of course, it could have worked to his advantage had he managed some good river suck out plays.
And never once did he say, "God hates a coward." he just bet as if he was saying it quietly to himself each time.
And so he lost more than he won. But near the end he had a turn about and got some of it back.

Peter suffered two bad beat preflop all-in bets when the river allowed his Ace high card to lose to some Ace low card.
Then he seemed to go on tilt. Hey, who goes all in after the flop with K-7 off suit? Who even plays it?
Peter tightened up before he went home, but not enough to win back his losses.
He went all-in with pocket jacks.
I had pocket queens and called him.
John thought a while, and then made the luckiest fold of the afternoon.
The flop held another jack and the river gave out the case jack for Peter's quads.
It was a sweet hand!

Of course, we did manage to come up with some new patterns of play.
Although this game, unlike the last I played, we dealt the hands using one deck right through the river rather than mixing it up.
John straddled and double straddled every chance he could.
Gregg now wants to try the straddle strategy ( if you can call a blind bet a strategy) if he can remember when it is his turn.
At first he thought that when you did it, you never got to look at your cards.
We should have said, "Yeah Greg, that's the way you play that straddle bet, you play it blind well beyond the river."
It did tend to be a pot builder.
I benefited once.

Rule Czar Jerry decided that if you go to the bathroom, even if you only miss one hand, and you come back to what would have been your button, well......too bad buster, you gotta pass the button to the guy on your left ( which coincidentally for me just happened to be ....Jerry....).
Although this would not happen in any casino in America, and here at Gregg's no one ever cared when you left or came back, we did not get into any heated discussion because I just let it go, and no one else noticed it even happened.
It won't really be a rule ever again because no one will remember when someone else does it.
So............whatever...............
Well, maybe if Jerry goes to the bathroom.
But then he never goes to the bathroom.
Which really explains a lot.
Anyway.......
I was dealt a 7-2 on that hand.

I was so tired I was very easily confused most of the afternoon. I woke up at 3AM and never went back to sleep and then Peter, Jen and Casey had joined me for Indian lunch at the Royal India (where I am addicted to chicken tika marsala) so I was gigesting and almost asleep when I got to Gregg's.
But the coffee I brought revived me, and I even managed one Molson's Bock.
However, I could not stay focused; the least little thing distracted me.
And when is there only the least little thing at Gregg's?

Jerry left with a profit. John left with a profit. Greg and I ended the day heads up and I had him out chipped.
Earlier I had taken a huge all-in preflop from him when his pocket Aces got cracked by my K-Q off suit that caught one Queen on the flop, another on the river, and then added a sharp twist to the Ace-cracking knife by delivering a full-house-making King on the river.

Now, in later afternoon head to head, Greg figured he had his chance for revenge.

But no revenge was to come as the cards went my way, even the little cards. I beat him with my eights when he had sixes. I beat him with my Deuces when he had Ace high. And finally he played Ace- eight and the flop gave him a pair of eights.
It gave me a pair of jacks.
He limped along behind me hoping.......... and then his dream came true : the Ace showed on the river.
Greg was all in.

But guess what my kicker to my jack was?
Yep, an Ace as well.
I had the bigger two pair and so I had all the chips. I took home a profit of $97 and all on only one buy in.
I was pleased with my day and my play.

In fact, I had a fine time.

Well, there was that one bit of tension:

In one rather tense hand, when I was head to head with John, Gregg decided he had to know something right at that minute. I think it was whether the beer bottle opener needed to be grounded at a 45 degree angle against the blue stripe of my cooler.
Or was that what my Sgt. yelled when he inspected my my foot locket at Lackland Air Force base basic training?
The two tones seemed similar, and I get the actual questions confused because:
I was trying to play poker, dammit!
Well, anyway, I got a bit testy and Gregg got a bit testy and well...... he made one particular interesting offer that surprised me.

I declined.

Not that there is anything the matter with that...............

After this, I'll just stop the game, stop studying my opponent, let the poker wait, answer his question, explain my answer to Jerry (who is sure to have something to say about however I answer,) write down any jokes John makes (because who knows he might be famous someday) take plenty of time, go to the bathroom, use my chips as idiophonic percussion instruments, and then...........after a good long while.......... perhaps I'll condescend to act.

A similar thing happened when it was time for Gregg and I to play head to head at the end of the afternoon.
Peter decided he needed to talk to me on his way out about Friday's apple picking. I think he needed to plan the actual strategy for each apple.
Jerry decided on his way out to ......now get this one....count the bank's money and see that it matched the chips in play.
I suppose he was trying to figure out if Greg really deserved the thirty extra chips that got left an hour before when some winner left an unclaimed earlier pot and the chips stayed piled near Gregg for three more hands.
No one noticed until Greg, thinking they were his, tried to rack them, when it was pointed out that they could not be his, and then, after much questioning and dumb looks all around, John decided to splash the next pot with them.
But the rule Czar vetoed that decision and decided that the chips should be deposited
in the bank.
And who is the bank?
Gregg
He might as well have racked them up as he was going to.
At least then we all could have had an opportunity to play for them.

Generally Gregg does not find it necessary to buy in for the chips he uses (or the money he might lend anyone who suggests they have to go home). He just pays out at the end of the day for the chips that are cashed back to him and takes everyone's word for what they count that to be.
Gregg does not like counting money or chips or odds.
He'd have to stay in his seat too long.

So what are the odds that the bank money will match the chips to be redeemed?
Well, Greg says "fifty-fifty."
At any rate, there is no way counting bills in the bank is going to mean anything meaning.
So while I'm trying to figure out when I might want to go all-in on a head to head game, Jerry ( who is done playing, has cashed out, and should be out the door) is counting bills and raising Chief Financial Officer issues.

This time I was smarter.

"I am not ready to play just yet, Gregg."
"What?? " he puzzles, looking at the recent flop, and seeing that I have cards and he has cards and eyeing the nicely built up pot we had already made, and ready to say,
"Well, aren't we already playing? It damn sure looks that way to me."
"I am not ready to play just yet." I repeat, looking at him straight in the eye.

He got it this time.
He was not testy.
There was no offer as there had been earlier (and that was a very good thing as soon we would be soon alone in the kitchen and I hate to think................)

So I waited for those who were done playing to actually leave, and for that quiet that comes at the end of the afternoon when it is a head to head game,
"mano a mano" as the Spanish say,
which I suppose,
the way we mindlessly play poker waiting for the end of the day,
is much more accurate than
"cabeza a cabeza."


And then, at the end of the day, I beat the old guy.
*********************************************************************

Well, we missed regulars Belt-into-song Bruce and Wild Bill and Risky 7-2 Rice, and Rocking Robin and Fast Eddy and Ivan the Terrible and Krazy Karp who is now teaching again, and Chuckmonk, and Slithering Slink, and any other guys who ought to set priorities in their lives and get to these games.

Which reminds me that Greg mentioned that one upcoming Wednesday he will not be able to host. Here is his note and his take on today's game,
So as Jerry says, "Pay Attention!"

Gregg's game update:

First:

The game next week will begin at 1pm and also on October 7th, but I will not be here on September 30th (I'll be at the University of Montevallo in Alabama ???) doing some China lectures). So, would someone like to offer to host the game on Sept. 30th? Please e-mail and we'll decide at next Wednesdays game and I'll e-mail the decision and hopefully the location.

Second:

Should I really try a write-up after Dewey's wonderful update?

http://foxwoodspokertr.blogspot.com/

Why not? (but I hope he continues his novel with a write-up of every Wednesday game) -- I want to see how these characters develop and find out if I ever catch him in head to head or maybe straddle with Phil.

We welcomed Dewey back by giving him the first 5 hands, then Blowers showed up and took all the money -- but only for a while. I'd say the 'best/worst" hands were Peter's four Jacks over Dewey's pocket Queens and Gregg's pocket Aces beaten by Dewy's fucking full-house.

We also welcomed Dewey back by giving him the biggest bag of money to take home.

And, thanks Jerry for the bank bailout on those "lost" chips that I almost got into my rack -- having them go to the bank saved me $20.

Gregg Millett
www.GreggMillett.com

"There are no cards higher than 7/2 when Blowers is at the table;" there is no poker better than Dewey's retelling." Jin Fei Bao

Missed Game with Poker Master

Greg has only four players this past week. He reports taking the money from Silver in the final head to head session. Poker master strikes yet again.

I played no limit once here at the Four Winds and lost my money for the week. It was unnerving and confirms that I need to keep looking for a venue in which I have some advantage. I figured bad play cost me about $50 and bad cards cost me the rest.

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

Greg's Game

Man, I thought when I got home to the no rake game with the regulars I could play poker.

but no.

I think I need some solitaire time. There I can't lose so much.

It did feel fine to be back home and playing with the regulars. John Blowers came and took a few trays of our money. He is a hoot! He sure adds fun to the game and it is great to see the way he makes the Pokermaster squirm.

Always good too to be playing with my old college pal, Robin. I did get him on one hand, holding the Ace of diamonds to his queen and having him call my all in bet, made out of turn, and probably seen as a subtle trick when it was just dysfunctional play.

It is fun to have some father son time with Peter, but I wish it did not cost me so much. Peter killed me, beating me in almost every hand when we were head to head.

Jerry had his troubles. Many, many more "what a shame" hands. Finally, he tried to bluff me off my pocket jacks when a king showed with rags on the flop. He had pocket nines and had he had more money, I'd have believed his bet. I was down to almost nothing and so I needed some double up just to play and I took a chance on catching a jack only to find out it was a bluff.

Bruce played well. His game has improved. He lasted a good while and took down some good pots.

Phil gave me a lot of money in my first hand. I had one of those "lark raises" on the button so he did not see me coming to a flop that included 9-7 with those two pair in the pocket. He was on a draw and trying to call my one high pair bluff as well. I never saw his cards.

Greg did well inspite of Blowers. Blowers just bowled us over, showing us these terrible bluffs, not semi but trash bluffs and raking in the pots. His movie keeps rolling along. he made references to his book and I had forgotten so I better reread that novel. I wish I could remember something, anything that I read.

Missed ya Wild Bill.

I dropped $70 before I finally just gave up and went to eat japanese food and drown my sorrows in squirts of saki, saki, saki.

Here is Greg's take on the game:

Good game today -- eight at the table by 1:20pm

Dewey back from Vegas

Life on Tilt John

Jerry, Phil, Robin, Peter, Bruce and Gregg.

By 3pm John was filling his second tray and Gregg had filled a tray. Everyone else was suffering especially Jerry and Peter.

By 3:20pm John's quad 7's filled his third tray and by 3:30 Dewey's Ace high flush put him on the come-back trail.

By 5pm the table was heavy on the John/Gregg end and Phil and Bruce had had enough.

By 6pm the table was still heavy on the John/Gregg end including Peter, who in the last 20 minutes took all of his Dad's money.

Earlier in the day, John Blowers was interviewed on Ann's Schenectady Today show (he is at the end, i.e., the fourth segment):

You can see the interview at: http://greggmillett.blip.tv/#1710882

Here is Blowers:

Thanks for the game...I'm glad to be able to add two new moves to my poker
game: the "value check" and the "fold raise". I look forward to
incorporating these weapons into my arsenal.

Take time to Tilt!
John

John

Game next Wednesday begins at 1pm; good luck to everyone (except at the Wednesday Poker table). Gregg

****************************************************************************************************************

Week in Poker

Well, it wasn't all win win this week. At Greg's I did so poorly that I was $60 down and left two hours early as I did not feel able to come back against the flow of so many chips.
At Slink's I lost in the first session, but scored very high in the second, ending up $95.

Memorable hands at Slink's included some fine bluffs where I got Peter to fold the best hand. In one I held 3-6 and the gut shot straight did not come. I bet out and beat him. It was a good pot too. Perhaps this is why Scott lost to my flopped straight later. He has seen me do big bluffs so my all-in seemed a way he might recoup his losses. Only this time, I had the goods.

I hit the river with Slink all in once. He had me beat with a straight draw, a pair, and a higher flush draw. I had just two outs to make a small straight and I hit one of them for a good sized pot.

It was fun. Maybe a bit more of the rules chatter than I have seen lately, but generally an easy and pleasant evening.

Turning Stone

Well, it was a bit of a tough haul in late afternoon, but I came out ahead finally and easily ahead in my second session after supper.

The table during the day was a tough table of experienced players. However, they talked way too much. I stayed very, very quiet and just listened and picked up so much information that way. I started off winning two good pots with ace-king, one of them I did not have to show. The other was river luck, rare for my day. I had A-K of diamonds with two on the flop. My opponent bet $20 on the turn and I raised a full $50 and still he called me. The diamond did not come on the river, but a king did and it beat his pocket queens. He was miffed.

After that the cards went sour and I just tossed them in time and time. But I did not feel bored. I listened and watched and got a sense of who I was playing. Actually, I don't think it helped too much as I rarely played the people in the hands I saw. The one large bluff I made did not work. The fellow just ahead of me was very tight and rarely played. So I thought I might bluff him off whatever he held on the river. I'd stayed with Ace of spades and a royal draw, or any spade and had not hit anything on the river. I had called him each time, so to come out after his check with a $50 really should have had him fold his single pair of aces, but it did not.
At this time I also had pocket aces cracked.

My huge hand was also luck, really. The fellow to my right had folded a set of fours based on a mind game another player played on him and then went all in. The player claimed he folded 10-3 but I think he had the set of tens and the set of fours folded was a good read. However, once he convinced the fellow next to me that he had layed down a set for nothing, the guy could not get it out of his craw. He was the kind of idiot who could not get anything out of his craw. He had set the table off by commenting about other's play and been disliked, but everyone made up midway throught the game. I was tired of listening rehearse the same stories over and over. He seemed to forget he'd told us already.
So I had pocket jacks and he had pocket threes when the flop came three-jack-X. He bet $30, two called. I raised $60 and he went all in. I called. And he was very quiet. But I had suffered silently so long I could not resist,

"So, you fold the winning set of low cards and lose, then you bet the next set and lose again."

Quiet. For the first time in the game the old babbermouth has nothing to say.

"So, I guess it's damned if you do and damned if you don't?"

And he was quiet for a while then.

He would have been even quieter at Tampa Derby track. There the house would have doubled my pot because I won with pocket jacks.

He did mention seeing Red Foxx one time in Vegas and someone asked the dealer to tell about Red Foxx. He had dealt to him often. He said once with three spades on the board Red showed a 4 of spades and said, "Well, I've got the flush with two spades, the four and me."
The dealer noted that he could get away with that racist joke.
He also said that Red liked his cocaine. I wondered if that had helped along his heart attack, or been the actual cause of his death.
The dealer liked the old guy. And I liked hearing the story. For one thing it stole ol Blabbermouth's bragging rights as well as shutting him up for a while.

Well, I had gone in with about $250 so that brought me back over the top. A few more hands and I had profit, but I was now uncomfortable. I had been down $200 at one point and bought in again so I now had $687 in front of me and some of the players had me covered. Keith might love this part, but I am not comfortable setting myself up for an all-in bet of over $600. Look at that last hand. The guy might have pushed me off the hand as I would put him on aces.

So Gail, who had come with me was hungry, and it was 4:30 and time to head into Rome for supper at the Savoy. I actually found the place with no GPS and just one stop for quick directions a block or so before. I found my way back as well. The trick is to enter and exit Rome on South James Street.

It was a leisurely supper. They offered a $10 buffet out on the back patio, which is not the class atmosphere of the mail restaurant nor the fancier food choices, but it was very good and I liked being outside. They still played Frank Sinatra. One dish was all squash and zucchini and very good. The baked chicken was good too and the sausages and the meatballs, flavored in a unique way. Dessert was ice cream in a cookie which could be dipped in chocolate or cherry and let harden for a shell. Gail was proud to think of dipping in both and the concoction was very good.
The chianti seemed a bit skimpy and I won't bother with that next time. they used to give a good sized glass for $4.50. Now it is standard. Too much.

Turning Stone does not have alcohol, but I brought a bit of Myer's rum in my gambling flask and mixed rum and coke midday so that was nice. The rest of the day I just wanted coffee. The coffee was terrible. I won't get that from the waitress again. It was cold from being carried. However, the new drink holders will allow for the handle of a coffee cup. Perhaps I'll bring my own next time and order from the bar.

The second session was shorter as we took our time at the buffet. It was also very different and very easy. It was played almost like a limit game with most of the players calling stations and very few all in bets. Those I encountered were from short stacked guys. You can buy in for $200 but you can also just play with $50 and these were young fellows and playing with just a few chips. It makes playing hard.
Take this this hand.
A kid acting before me flops a middle card straight. He just bets $10. I have K-Q overcards so I put him on a middle pair and I call along with a few others. The turn gives me a Jack and makes me a very good straight to my king. It is the nut. The kid goes all in with about $50. I have after me one older fellow with lots of chips. I decided to go all in as well. This may have been a bad decision. He might have called the kid. There was no flush draw. He folded and I suspect that cost me money. On the other hand, if he had trips, he was going to pay for the full house or dump the trips. There were many straight possibilities.

At this table I was loose aggressive for a while. Aggressive here meant betting $15 so I did it whenever my calling stations were weak and I stole three pots, some with nothing except representation. One time I suspect I had a guy fold a pair of queens as I represented a pair of kings. I had a bare ace. The fourth time I got caught and had to fold, so I stopped playing that game and played a bit tighter. However, three hands before leaving time I had 5-6 of clubs on the button, which is playable. But I raised to $6. Calling stations all around saw my raise. The flop came 5-6-3. Well, I just wanted to take the money, so I bet $30. The good player to my right was the only one hesitating. He had pocket 4's. But the bet said that I already had the straight and some other players thought I did. They said so. Why they thought I would raise on 4-7 was beyond me, unless they thought it was just a button raise.
The fellow folded. Good for me. He had more outs than I did although at that moment I had him beat.
I would not show, but as I left the guy asked if I had his 4's beat and I told him what I had and why I bet what I bet.
So I left $259 ahead. I used some of the stuff in the book I am reading, especially checking his chart on paying hands, but I was not the Dominator. There was one at my first table and that made it hard for me to even try it. At the second table it was easy to decide who to be. I became Pokermaster Greg. It was clearly the table to play his aggressive style because it was so easy to get people to fold and steal small pots on very low bets. And that set me up for getting called perhaps when I had strong cards. I could tell I dominated that table, but I did it playing like Greg not like the book.
Well, today I see if my winning streak continues or I lose to the Pokermaster or the other usual suspects.
Nice to have a day at Turning Stone and some company and stories. I'll do that again.