Poker Club
I just recently joined a poker club, which is a both private and member’s only entrance. Because of that, I’ve been joking like it’s Fight Club: The first rule of Poker Club is: you DO NOT talk about Poker Club! :giggle: They actually assign security cards just to get you in the front door! They hold daily cash games and weekly tournaments. It’s also going to hold a big event where the first prize is a $10,000 seat at a World Poker Tour event — pretty cool eh? :raise: I’ll be giving that a shot, why not?
Well, I was just there a few days ago for the Wed night $50 buy-in tourney. There was a vast array of types of people, from all sizes, ages, and races…very cool to see. Just like you would see on tv, people with glasses, ipods, crazy shirts, etc. It was really neat to be a part of this montage. This was the first experience I had had with a tourney setting outside of a friend’s home, so it was a relatively new experience for me. I haven’t played poker in a casino yet, and this was as close to that as I would imagine.
There were only enough players this night to fill 2 tables full, and we were assigned our seats by drawing cards. I was seated right next to the only person I knew, my good friend Johnny (who also sponsored me into the club). This was good for me, because my comfort level shot up, and I was able to relax a great deal right away.
They were running the tourney as a rebuy for the first hour, with $20/500 and available doubles if you’re busted. I was able to last almost the entire first hour without losing much, maybe 200 of my initial 1000 to start. Most of that was in blinds, which were increased each 10min. I didn’t have to rebuy, but I did so as an option just before it ended, just to boost my stack a bit. That turned out to be a valuble decision.
Because the rebuy option, a lot of people were playing a lot looser than normal. Playing any face card, any connectors, and any suited cards. I didn’t really want any of that action, as it turns to pure luck in most cases. Not only that, but betting was ridiculously off-scale for the blinds at times. For instance, this one guy in seat 3 was betting 200-400 on hands in the 10/20 level. Give me a break… :sigh:
Anyway…the first hand I was involved in was relatively early in the first hour, and it was against the big-better i just mentioned. I had 77 in an early position, and I raised the blinds. Everyone folded to Rick (big-better’s name), he calls, and one other guy calls. The flop comes A J 4, I check to Rick. He puts out a bet worth twice the pot. Now I’m thinking there’s no way he has an A, maybe the J. That bet was just too big for this hand. The other guys folds, I call. The turn comes a 6 and I bet 200, about half the pot. He calls, so now I really think my instincts are correct. I think he’s got a Q7 or Q9…a Q at least.
The river comes, it’s a 2. I check to see what he wants to do, and he bets another 400. I reacted and called immediately, because I really felt he didn’t have the A or any pair at all. I turned over my 77 and he conceded the pot without showing his cards. Chasing a straight? Most likely. But what was baffling, was that with his aggressive betting, earlier he was stealing pots left and right. He got caught this time and lost a lot of chips to a real hand. Not only that, but that was the beginning of his slide to getting busted into a rebuy. That felt really good.
He and I locked horns later at the final table, down to 4 players, me being the small stack vs. him, the big stack. I’m on the BB with blinds now 1000/2000, and I only had about 7000 left. I get A4d, so I’m all in. I figured, well I’ve gotten this far and I’ve played as well as I could have hoped. If this is it for me, so be it…I made a good showing. Big stack calls, as he should , but wouldn’t you know it: He has AcKh . OF COURSE HE DOES! No other hand should be there, because that’s my sort of destiny. So the only card that can possibly help me is a 4, or a lot of diamonds. First card on the flop is 4! And I win the hand. Doubled up, woohoo! Now I have some life and a lot of confidence.
The very next hand I get A10. So, I’m all in again from the small blind. He calls me again! with K10. So i’m stoked about sharing the low card, just didn’t want to see any kings. We ended up sharing a pair of 10’s but I had the better kicker…all of a sudden, within 2 hands, I’m the big stack at the final table of 4 players. It wasn’t until then, that I actually thought I had a chance to win.
The best hand I played all night though, was just after the rebuys ended. I knocked out this businessman type dude– lots of money and no sense. (get it? cents/sense? :giggle:) Anyway, I have AJs, and I raise the blinds. This dude is the only one that calls. The flop comes A J 4. Perfect for me, especially if he has an A or a J. I check to him, and he bets right away 300. So I put on some acting skills and pretend like I’m thinking about whether I should call or not. And I simply reraise him 600, which was almost his entire stack. He reraises me all in, I quickly call. He flips over a KJ.
The turn comes, irrelevant. The river is another J, so I knocked him out with a full house, Jacks full of Aces. That felt so good as well…the only real move I put on all night. I didn’t have to bluff. As a matter of fact, I didn’t bluff at a pot or at all ALL NIGHT. I bet that rarely happens. The good thing is, I was only playing hands where I had something. So that may throw off my regular competitors into thinking I only play a certain way. I think this is a good thing, so I can change it up and keep them guessing. That’s the point, right?
Well…I won! Yes, you heard me right: I won the tournament. :pimp: They paid out the top 3, with first prize at $600. Besides the cash, it just feels good to know that I actually have some promise as a player. That was a great guage for my confidence and what I perceive of myself as a player.