I cashed!

[ciaran]

Twice, even. After FTing 4 of the first 5 ITH convention events I played without a cash, I was starting to wonder about this whole live-poker is rigged thing. 5th place is pretty much kissing your sister time, but what'cha gonna do. Matthew was the only one to put a really bad beat on me in the tournaments (and he out-flopped me every hand we played, too).

Thanks to everyone who helped roll me for the tournaments on Thursday night. I think Torch and Mrs Torch were the primary victims, but I recall Tanya and nside as well (and not a lot else from that game). I know I left a $2/$4 game up like 35 BB in 2 hours, which might actually be enough to make me a net winner at $2/$4 life-time now, wootah! My favorite hand from that game, Tanya and nside are to my right, and nside blind raises from EP (I think) while hustling off from the table to do something. Tanya was to his right, and limps under the blind raise, and I 3-bet with ATo. One of the blinds (Torch?) also comes along. Flop is rags, and I think it goes bet-bet-bet to me, so I call getting all kinds of odds to a backdoor straight or runner-runner two pair. Turn and river are more garbage that misses me but somehow check through anyway, and MHIG at showdown. Looking at pokerstove now it seems that A-high is good against 3 random hands a pretty decent percentage of the time, but I know I was surprised at the table.

Friday night's cash game was a hoot as well. I was chiprunner for the table when we got started, and FWIW, the cage gives you funny looks when you ask for 9 racks of white (900 $1 chips). I had the best seat at the table with suitedpair on my immediate left, and niin, Ed Miller, and nside consectutively in the three seats to my right. I know this would intimidate many less experienced players, but the key is to catch the nuts at some point during the hand and then just bet the crap out of it. Favorite hand (that I played, that is) at this table. I call a 3-bet from the button with 86s (which I think suited ultimately caps from the SB) and flop is 7 4 2 rainbow. Someone leads from EP (Bugs?) and the whole table calls, so I'm getting like 30-1 to peel for the gutshot. Live poker being rigged, I of course catch the 5 on the turn. Checks to Bugs, who pulls out his glasses to examine the board and I ask what difference the 5 could make to his hand, and he, rightly, points out that it puts about a million draws out there. He checks, and it checks to Ed who bets, and I raise, and Bugs, knowing my nut-peddling ways, mucks. Unfortunately, Ed ends up check-folding the river after apparently missing the OESD he picked up on the turn.

As others have noted, this table was also marked by drunksuited's inability to miss hitting a hand by the river. This was undoubtedly due to the fact that she was throwing money at the dealers, on one hand tipping the dealer on every street. She was, after all, "drunk, not stupid". All this despite the fact that she had to keep her "security bucket" handy in the event that all the alcohol she'd consumed made a sudden re-appearance.

I'm already looking forward to next year, and multiple 4th place finishes in the ITH tourneys.

[taz115]

Ahhh the security bucket made a reappearance! I last saw that at the WSOP.

Glad you had a good time... too bad I wasn't there to bust you this year