Tampa Bay Poker Part I

First and foremost let's state how nice it is to have free wireless access in the airport. Philly take a hint, no one wants to pay 7.95 to use the internet for 30 minutes before their flight. Since I can use the internet I can blog and can try and win a 26 dollar token for tonight's MATH . Snuffy "says" he is going to play this tonight as well but we shall see. Six handed NLHE is not my best game, but if either of us actually cashes we will get the honor of being linked to on a poker blog that people actually read. So really it has nothing to do with the nice prize pool that this generates or the chance to be in the BBT tournament of champions with 6 or so WSOP prize packages, nothing.at.all about that.

Anyway onto the Tampa poker report which is what this post promised. Yes I'm milking two posts out of a 4 day trip in which I only played poker twice but you'll just have to like it. Besides you're not really working at work anyway. Friday night was Gambit's home game as Snuffy posted about previously some of the Ante Up! brass actually made it out there to play. I played the cash portion and then MrsSnarf also played the tournament portion with us.

The cash game was pretty uneventful for me. I realized that I am a complete and uber donk at double flop hold'em. I lack the ability to lay down any piece of any flop in the mere hopes that I might win one of the boards. I was up a little in the beginning but really was chasing to many hands to make any real headway and pick up a nice win. One interesting hand was in OM8, where I saw a flop in the SB with AQcQ9 with only the button and the BB in the hand. Flop comes KQJ with two clubs. I bet, BB folds, Button raises, I 3 bet and he just calls. Turn is a blank, I bet anyway, button calls. River is a blank and I check call a bet from the button. He of course flopped Broadway, and I leave being glad this was OM8 and not PLO or all the money would have gone in on the flop. Ended up winning the last pot of the night, I think in limit hold'em to get me up 3 bucks, wooooooooooot.

Onto the tournament portion of the evening. I was put to the test in first 5 hands. With the blinds still at 25-25 and most of my starting stack of 1500, I limp in early position with QJs, late position raises to 125, button calls and I call and plan to proceed cautiously. Flop comes QJ4 two diamonds. I check with the intention of check raising and the PFR bets 600 and the button calls. Now for some assinine reason, I decide to just call. The turn is another blank, I think an offsuit 8, and I check to the PFR who goes all in and the button folds. I decided I can't lay this down and call. He has KK and I hold to win the pot but not the bounty as he had 50 more chips then me. MrsSnarf continues to chip up nicely and I get to play with a double stack for most of the tourny. Eventually I give some back in push time when I had my AK vs AQ vs KK but still hung on. The Mrs knocked out 2 when her AK turned broadway against Q6 and AJ aipf. In the end I took out Gambit in 3rd and since the Mrs was exhausted and wanted to sleep chopped 1st and 2nd with her (very +EV for marriage purposes).

Next post will be shorter I promise. Just a little recap of some low limit hold'em and OM8 at the Silks poker room in Tampa.