Home Poker Games are Rigged, Too
I decided not to play in today's WSOP Circuit Event at the Hammond Horseshoe casino. Instead, I made a road trip last night to play in gadzooks64's home game. Since today appears to be a gorgeous day outside, it looks like it was a good decision. Maybe ...
My own home game actually showed some life recently. I hosted the last two, but we haven't played for a couple of weeks. Sometimes life gets in the way. Two guys are always on the road for work and one guy had the nerve to actually have a child. Well, his wife did, but you knew what I meant, right?
I had played at Zook's home game twice before. The first time I took a nasty beat and the second time I just never got anything going. I was determined to do much better.
My stack bounced around a bit as I won a few hands but lost some when getting outkicked at showdown. However, the first big hand at my table came after the rebuy period was over. I had taken most of the stack of the player to my right when my pocket Kings held up post flop to some junk he was playing. He went all in a couple of hands later and had three others in at the flop. The flop was J-10-9. Then the circus began. "All in." "All in. " "All in." Zooks tabled pocket Aces and both other players showed K-Q for flopped straights. Zooks couldn't improve on the turn or river, and bam -- two people were out on one hand. Wow -- just like at Full Tilt or PokerStars!
We were now down to ten players and the final table. I ended up the biggest aggro guy to my immediate left. This helped determine my strategy that I needed to play extra tight and trap. I knew that any sign of weakness would elicit a big raise.
My chance came when I was dealt pocket Aces on the button. I made a small raise, and the small blind called. The flop was a rainbow of junk and I checked. Aggro guy made a big raise and I went all in. He called with pocket 3's. I doubled up and had the chips to make a deep run.
I snatched my one and only bounty when I raised with A-10 sooted and a guy went all in with K-J os. He hit his Jack on the flop, but I made Broadway on the river. Just like in online poker, you could see that one coming a mile away.
We got down to four players (tourney paid top four) and I was second in chips to the aggro guy. I was dealt A-A on the button again. I again made a smallish raise and aggro guy went all in. The big blind folded and we were heads up. He showed pocket Kings, and I just had that bad feeling. The flop missed us both, but it had two clubs in it. Aggro guy had the King of clubs and I had none. You can guess what happened next. The turn was a club and sure enough, the Ace of clubs was the river, giving him a runner-runner four flush -- in my mind, the worst possible way to lose a hand. Just like on Full Tilt. And PokerStars. Bah!
It was time for a late long drive home. At least I cashed, but I hated to go out the way I did. Even the host took a bad beat on pocket rockets, so I guess the game wasn't REALLy rigged...
So ... a big thanks to gadzooks64 for the invite to her home game. Maybe next time we'll just fold those Aces pre-flop ...
My own home game actually showed some life recently. I hosted the last two, but we haven't played for a couple of weeks. Sometimes life gets in the way. Two guys are always on the road for work and one guy had the nerve to actually have a child. Well, his wife did, but you knew what I meant, right?
I had played at Zook's home game twice before. The first time I took a nasty beat and the second time I just never got anything going. I was determined to do much better.
My stack bounced around a bit as I won a few hands but lost some when getting outkicked at showdown. However, the first big hand at my table came after the rebuy period was over. I had taken most of the stack of the player to my right when my pocket Kings held up post flop to some junk he was playing. He went all in a couple of hands later and had three others in at the flop. The flop was J-10-9. Then the circus began. "All in." "All in. " "All in." Zooks tabled pocket Aces and both other players showed K-Q for flopped straights. Zooks couldn't improve on the turn or river, and bam -- two people were out on one hand. Wow -- just like at Full Tilt or PokerStars!
We were now down to ten players and the final table. I ended up the biggest aggro guy to my immediate left. This helped determine my strategy that I needed to play extra tight and trap. I knew that any sign of weakness would elicit a big raise.
My chance came when I was dealt pocket Aces on the button. I made a small raise, and the small blind called. The flop was a rainbow of junk and I checked. Aggro guy made a big raise and I went all in. He called with pocket 3's. I doubled up and had the chips to make a deep run.
I snatched my one and only bounty when I raised with A-10 sooted and a guy went all in with K-J os. He hit his Jack on the flop, but I made Broadway on the river. Just like in online poker, you could see that one coming a mile away.
We got down to four players (tourney paid top four) and I was second in chips to the aggro guy. I was dealt A-A on the button again. I again made a smallish raise and aggro guy went all in. The big blind folded and we were heads up. He showed pocket Kings, and I just had that bad feeling. The flop missed us both, but it had two clubs in it. Aggro guy had the King of clubs and I had none. You can guess what happened next. The turn was a club and sure enough, the Ace of clubs was the river, giving him a runner-runner four flush -- in my mind, the worst possible way to lose a hand. Just like on Full Tilt. And PokerStars. Bah!
It was time for a late long drive home. At least I cashed, but I hated to go out the way I did. Even the host took a bad beat on pocket rockets, so I guess the game wasn't REALLy rigged...
So ... a big thanks to gadzooks64 for the invite to her home game. Maybe next time we'll just fold those Aces pre-flop ...
posted by lightning36 at 11:03 AM
5 Comments:
Congrats on the ca$h, although I know you're disappointed in how you went out.
You can guess what happen next. The turn was a club and sure enough, the Ace of clubs was the river, giving him a runner-runner four flush
I can hear BWOP saying, "I told you so."
The crubs do always get there, but that was ridiculous.
So good to see you again!
I know I'm not "good enough" to fold AA preflop - or post flop as last night proved.
Congrats! You better play that way in Dec, Pardner!
When gaming laws were first written, they were intended to prevent people from hosting games in which they would profit from the play. Poker was never the focus of these laws and it they were never intended to prevent home games.
5 card stud
Post a Comment
<< Home