Bye Bye Arizona -- Do I Really Want To Go Back Home?
I am currently on an evening flight from Phoenix to Chicago. Mrs. lightning and I get in after 1:00 a.m. and then have a 2 1/2 drive home. Getting almost a whole extra day sounded much better when I changed our reservations rather than right now.
On Thursday morning Mrs. lightning and I took a nice stroll through the neighborhood. The yards in the greater Phoenix area are certainly much more interesting then back home!
I then went to play another poker session at Talking Stick. It was one of those kind of sessions that we all hate. I got cards, but had the second best hand several times. Then I was card dead for ... like forever! It was just a dull session and, unfortunately, was my last planned poker session of the trip. I ended up losing part of a buy-in.
The evening was time for a dinner with some family who live in Arizona. My oldest brother and his wife were down from Kingman, and we joined their children and the children's kids for dinner. Just one, big happy lightning family!
After dinner, we went back to our home base and basically crashed.
Earlier this morning, I was preparing to face the day when Mrs. lightning asked if it would be possible to waiting several hours before returning our rental car. I originally was to return it at 11:00 a.m. due to our old return flight time. I happily did, for now we would not have to return the car until 5:00 p.m., which meant ... time for one more poker session! I threw on some clothes, made sure my bags were mostly packed, and headed down to Talking Stick.
My first table had some very weak players. I flopped a set of Jacks on the button and felted one relatively short stack. I then was in late position with pocket fours (red) with several players calling an initial $16 bet. I called. The flop was a rainbow 5-3-8/9. Someone donk raised $10, so naturally I called hoping that I could hit a two or six and have the open ended straight draw. The flop was a beautiful black four! Someone raised to $25, there was a caller, and I raised $100. Much to my surprise and delight, two of the weak players tanked and called. There were now two spades on the board, and I was thinking that at least one was on a flush draw. I really wasn't expecting any calls. I was hoping I didn't get rivered. The river was a King of hearts, and I pushed all in. Both players folded and I scooped a nice pot of about $400.
Action slowed and players changed, so I moved to another table. It looked like a nitfest was going on, so I asked for one last change.
The one hand I wish I had back happened there. I was in the big blind and the player under the gun raised to $10. I had 3c2c and decided to call. The flop was King high with two clubs. I checked and he raised -- don't remember how much. I decided to call. The flop was a club! I had the flush, albeit the lowest one. I put the villain on K-something I checked and he made a big raise -- to keep me from possibly chasing a flush draw, I thought. I was in fact afraid that he had a bigger club than me and decided to push all in so he couldn't outflush me on the river. I had about $550 total and he had about $170. I was surprised that he called. The river was a random red card. I turned over my baby flush and announced it. He turned over Jc-9c for the bigger flush. Day-um! That cost me!
I continued to play and cashed out with a decent profit. All sessions on the trip save one were profitable. I was happy to call it a day and end my session. I headed out to return my rental car and head to the airport.
My wife got to visit her best friend. I got to see family and play extended sessions of poker. Needless to say, it was a great vacation and a great trip. Now if we can only handle leaving the 90+ degree day in Phoenix and returning to 27 degree weather in Chicago.
On Thursday morning Mrs. lightning and I took a nice stroll through the neighborhood. The yards in the greater Phoenix area are certainly much more interesting then back home!
I then went to play another poker session at Talking Stick. It was one of those kind of sessions that we all hate. I got cards, but had the second best hand several times. Then I was card dead for ... like forever! It was just a dull session and, unfortunately, was my last planned poker session of the trip. I ended up losing part of a buy-in.
The evening was time for a dinner with some family who live in Arizona. My oldest brother and his wife were down from Kingman, and we joined their children and the children's kids for dinner. Just one, big happy lightning family!
After dinner, we went back to our home base and basically crashed.
Earlier this morning, I was preparing to face the day when Mrs. lightning asked if it would be possible to waiting several hours before returning our rental car. I originally was to return it at 11:00 a.m. due to our old return flight time. I happily did, for now we would not have to return the car until 5:00 p.m., which meant ... time for one more poker session! I threw on some clothes, made sure my bags were mostly packed, and headed down to Talking Stick.
My first table had some very weak players. I flopped a set of Jacks on the button and felted one relatively short stack. I then was in late position with pocket fours (red) with several players calling an initial $16 bet. I called. The flop was a rainbow 5-3-8/9. Someone donk raised $10, so naturally I called hoping that I could hit a two or six and have the open ended straight draw. The flop was a beautiful black four! Someone raised to $25, there was a caller, and I raised $100. Much to my surprise and delight, two of the weak players tanked and called. There were now two spades on the board, and I was thinking that at least one was on a flush draw. I really wasn't expecting any calls. I was hoping I didn't get rivered. The river was a King of hearts, and I pushed all in. Both players folded and I scooped a nice pot of about $400.
Action slowed and players changed, so I moved to another table. It looked like a nitfest was going on, so I asked for one last change.
The one hand I wish I had back happened there. I was in the big blind and the player under the gun raised to $10. I had 3c2c and decided to call. The flop was King high with two clubs. I checked and he raised -- don't remember how much. I decided to call. The flop was a club! I had the flush, albeit the lowest one. I put the villain on K-something I checked and he made a big raise -- to keep me from possibly chasing a flush draw, I thought. I was in fact afraid that he had a bigger club than me and decided to push all in so he couldn't outflush me on the river. I had about $550 total and he had about $170. I was surprised that he called. The river was a random red card. I turned over my baby flush and announced it. He turned over Jc-9c for the bigger flush. Day-um! That cost me!
I continued to play and cashed out with a decent profit. All sessions on the trip save one were profitable. I was happy to call it a day and end my session. I headed out to return my rental car and head to the airport.
My wife got to visit her best friend. I got to see family and play extended sessions of poker. Needless to say, it was a great vacation and a great trip. Now if we can only handle leaving the 90+ degree day in Phoenix and returning to 27 degree weather in Chicago.
posted by lightning36 at 11:38 PM
2 Comments:
Something happened with your "action slowed" paragraph there. You don't have to post this comment... :)
Sounds like an awesome trip! Say "hi" to Mrs. Lightning for me.
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