Poker famlies

Gonna be a busy week, as have a major poker tourny on (potentially), Sat/Sun ..

Its a 10k buy-in, but won a seat thru a satellite, and field is capped at 80 players, most of whom I regularly play with.

There is a One-day cricket match in Durban (1 hr flight), on the Sunday, which I would normally watch live - plus the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City (Thrs-Sun), so, will try and sell my seat for the Poker - for 12-15k - I wouldn't take less ..

The Saturday start time is 11am, and we play for 12 hrs - v nice starting stack of 30k, with decent levels .. so, figure will play normal aggressive game, during second part of the day, and try to get a big stack for Day 2 - or go to the cricket.

Playing are really hating being to my immediate left .. as I almost always attack their blinds, either by raising or shoving, and thou they all talk a good game .. That next time etc, they will re-shove .. they never re-shove light .. they almost have to have Q's+, to do anything, and, they aint so easy to pick up.

Played in a really fun tourny on Sunday, (41) players, for a buy-in of $150.

15 mins in, I get 8♦ 3♣ in the big blind, and check.

Flop is 8♣, 5♥, 3♣, and Leggan Zackey (Warrens son - 2008 WSOP 22nd), get it all-in, when he has 5♣, 3♠.

I manage to dodge a 5 .. and double-up, which was nice .. as I have ammo to bully for later.

20 mins later, got involved in some mad hands, where the same guy flopped quad 3's, and kings, in the space of 20 mins, and then this hand came up :

I had : 3♦ 3♠

I raised, and he called ..

Flop : 3♣ Q♥ 10♦

He bet, I raised, he shoved, and I called.

He turns over Q♦ 9♦ .. so, hes a 20/1 chance to win the hand .. Turn Q♠, River 9♣ ..


Anyway, it happens, the odd thing was, people kept saying I was lucky .. and running really well !!

I must have got some chips somehow .. and with 20 players left, got moved to a really tough table, with Warren Zackey, Leggan Zackey, Peter Nasser and a tough reg to my immediate left.

We are all good talkers, and the verbals were fantastic, when we attacked each others blinds.

Its in fun, and done the right way, its both great for the table, and your image. Everyone thinks I am v loose/too aggressive .. and its true, I am involved in a lot of pots .. but, its always when I have good position. I have cut-out, speculate raises from early position with 8/9 suited etc .. now, its a solid pair or better.

Having raised a tight nits blind, something like 8 times in a row, players start asking if I even bother looking at my cards .. and they are right .. If u know the guy wont 4 bet with air .. its an easy steal.

Anyway, Warren stole some chips from me, with 6♣, 4♥, when I had A♥ J♠ but we all got to the final table.

1st prize was $2500, down to 5th $250. So, its all about winning or coming second.

I immediately start raising etc, but, run into some good hands, and am knocked down to 12k chips .. chip leader has 70k, with blinds at 600-1200.

I pick up A♠, J♠ in the big blind, and Leggan shoves on me, with K♥, 10♣ .. and I manage to double up.

V next hand, I get A♣, A♠ .. Hello !! .. Ist time all night, and chip leader, has opened under the gun, for 6500.

I shove .. and my image gets me the call, as she has A♦, K♦  .. and I double up, to almost chip leader.

I lost 22k chips, calling an all-in with J♠, J♣, against his A♥, 5♥ .. with another player folding A♦, J♥ .. so, I'm 4/1 fav .. but he finds an Ace and a flush !!

Down to last 7 .. we are meandering about, and we do a deal .. the 4 of us, from the second last table, all get money .. which was v likely, as we all can play, and it was a lovely nights poker.

(( Odd thing about the deal, was .. money on screens etc, was $125 over, what we got to share .. they said numbers were over-stated .. but, customer service non-existent, and no-one tells us, till we get the loot ))