Saturday, March 05, 2005
I've just arrived home from some impromptu poker. That's always fun! What is it about drinking that makes weird food taste good? I just enjoyed some leftover pizza, cheetos and ranch dip. And it was mighty tasty. Anyway...
Got the call from Armando late this afternoon, saying that he and his lovely wife were looking to play some cards tonight. Was I interested? Oh hell yeah! Any time, any place. I am there. This would just be a cheapo game amongst friends - our friend Jen made it out as well. Randy had to work late and was unable to attend.
Four-handed NLHE, 800 in chips to start (I think?), 15 minute blinds. Five bucks a head, winner take all.
I have decided, based on tonight's game, and a few of our previous games at Armando and Kathie's, that the new name of those games is the "House of the Jack Hammer." Why? (It really should be the House of the Evil Jack Hammer, but evil is bad). At any given time, on any given board, it was more likely than not that we would see one of three things:
1. A jack or two on board.
2. A 7-2, or 7-7-2, or 7-2-2 on board.
3. Two or more sixes on board.
Seriously - the hammer hit the board so often that anyone seeing 7-2 in the pocket is GOLDEN over there. Too bad I didn't see it a single time tonight.
The first game came down to Armando and I heads-up. The game went fairly quickly until we were HU, but we went back and forth for quite a while at the heads-up mark. Eventually, I won the game when Mando put me all-in with his AK after a flop of J-x-x. I was holding J-6 and called. I had him barely covered, and Big Slick didn't improve.
Net win: $15 ($20 minus my $5 buy-in)
We started a second game, same plan. On the very first hand, I look down to see pocket Queens. I always need some time to re-acclimate myself to playing a new game, after making it to late stages of a previous game. Blinds go from being 150/300 back to 5/10 in an instant, and it throws me all out of whack. So, in a flustered moment of inability to figure out how much to raise, I limped in. I may have even been the big blind.
Flop comes J-J-x (I believe). I bet, Armando raises, I call. I don't remember if it was the turn or river that brought my glorious Queen (I'm thinking it was the turn, but then I think it was the river - I dunno. Damn Smirnoff Green Apple Twister thingys). Whatever it was, Armando pushed all in with his trip Jacks, and I called with my boat, Queens over Jacks. Just like that, Armando was done.
That man has suffered some of the most hideous beats I have ever born witness to.
Seriously. He's going to get paid back in good karma BIG TIME and probably crush us all on a mad rush of insane luck and monster cards. I have no doubt.
Then, it was just the girls. Jen, Kathie, and I played the rest of the game and chatted about worms in Baby Ruth candy bars and... well, about Suave shampoo. Armando dealt the rest of the game for us, and I eventually found myself heads-up against Jen. We went back and forth for a while, and as it got late, it became time to gamble. Our hosts had to work in the morning, and I was getting a bit yawny myself. So, I looked down to find Ac7s, and figured - Ace high heads up, let's do it! I pushed all in, and Jen called. She turned over A9 of spades - she may as well have shown me to the door! Can you say, "dom-in-ated"? She was about 70% to win from there - the turn brought her a 9, and that was it. Congrats to Jen for taking down game 2!
I've promised to play the number 4 for Kathie on the craps table in Vegas with tonight's winnings. Net profit: $10.
Good times, as always. Thanks to Armando and Kathie for having us!
