Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Atlantic City, Part Deux
I think I can best sum up how poker went on this trip with the following:
We were down to about 25 players remaining in the morning tournament at the Borgata. I had finally picked up some hands and had gotten my stack up around 15,000 or so chips and the level was at 800-1600 with 300 antes. The short stack to my right moves his 2300 in blind as he's about to pick up the big blind and I look down at AQ. So with 7100 already in the pot I move my stack in to try and isolate on the guy to my right. The first two players to act after me fold, and then a guy with a semi-short stack of about 5000 goes into the tank. He eventually talks himself into calling and everyone else at the table folds. After the pots get separated out, the blind hand turns up K4 and the other guy turns up A7. We get an Ace on the flop and now I'm pleading for no seven. My prayers were heard until the river card and A7 scooped a big pot. That dropped me down to 8700 in chips remaining.
That left me under the gun with blinds now up to 1000-2000 with a 500 ante. I look down and find AQ again. Great. I move it in and get called in one place... two places... and then the big blind with about 12,000 behind after paying the big blind moves his entire stack in as well. It wasn't enough to open more raising so both the other callers pay into his side pot and the dealer goes to work. KQxxx. I'm trying to gauge reactions from the other players, but not picking up anything. My buddy Don has come over from his table and we're thinking it's possible my Queen might be good here. I'm very skeptical but hopeful as the two players with chips left check it all the way down. I flip up my AQ, and the first caller turns over pocket tens. Yes! The second caller turns up AJ. YES! The big blind then turns over K7. *enter sound of record skipping and scratching to a halt here* Huh?
Facing an all-in from up front and two calls by people who can bust him, this guy, who will have plenty of chips and an entire round to wait for a better spot puts all his money in with K7 offsuit. It's been two days and I'm still shocked that that's the hand that he pushed with and that it's the hand that won. Oh well.
I'll cover more about the fabulous poker room at the Borgata after I get some rest. Good luck avoiding the donkeys.
We were down to about 25 players remaining in the morning tournament at the Borgata. I had finally picked up some hands and had gotten my stack up around 15,000 or so chips and the level was at 800-1600 with 300 antes. The short stack to my right moves his 2300 in blind as he's about to pick up the big blind and I look down at AQ. So with 7100 already in the pot I move my stack in to try and isolate on the guy to my right. The first two players to act after me fold, and then a guy with a semi-short stack of about 5000 goes into the tank. He eventually talks himself into calling and everyone else at the table folds. After the pots get separated out, the blind hand turns up K4 and the other guy turns up A7. We get an Ace on the flop and now I'm pleading for no seven. My prayers were heard until the river card and A7 scooped a big pot. That dropped me down to 8700 in chips remaining.
That left me under the gun with blinds now up to 1000-2000 with a 500 ante. I look down and find AQ again. Great. I move it in and get called in one place... two places... and then the big blind with about 12,000 behind after paying the big blind moves his entire stack in as well. It wasn't enough to open more raising so both the other callers pay into his side pot and the dealer goes to work. KQxxx. I'm trying to gauge reactions from the other players, but not picking up anything. My buddy Don has come over from his table and we're thinking it's possible my Queen might be good here. I'm very skeptical but hopeful as the two players with chips left check it all the way down. I flip up my AQ, and the first caller turns over pocket tens. Yes! The second caller turns up AJ. YES! The big blind then turns over K7. *enter sound of record skipping and scratching to a halt here* Huh?
Facing an all-in from up front and two calls by people who can bust him, this guy, who will have plenty of chips and an entire round to wait for a better spot puts all his money in with K7 offsuit. It's been two days and I'm still shocked that that's the hand that he pushed with and that it's the hand that won. Oh well.
I'll cover more about the fabulous poker room at the Borgata after I get some rest. Good luck avoiding the donkeys.
