Badger Poker...Fade to Black

They jammed us into Stenys on Thursday night. Supposedly there were 120 of us starting. Maybe I could go out on top for what might be my last Badger Poker event. I caught a table with a couple of familiar faces. Tigers hat on my right, just where I want him. To my left was Harley dude. Meek Packer fan was there. Also the weasely looking guy who liked to grab mucked cards was on the far side. A grumpy, man hating Jeanine Garafalo look-a-like was next to the weasel. Schlitz hat was in the middle. A greasy hair guy was two to my left. Some new guy who doesn't understand being pot committed was on the other side along with some other dude.

Seeing that this was my last event for the year (if I even make the finals, I don't think I can attend), I was really tempted to go all in on the first hand- BLIND. I thought it could make a good story as I push all in, and have someone ask if I even looked at my cards. There is a strong chance that everyone would fold anyways. But the flip side is I didn't want to be known as the dumbass who went all in and showed J 3 off. In hindsight, it was probably one of the strongest moves I could have. I caught shit for cards all night. I am not kidding. My 4 best starting hands were 6,6 (didn't play as someone moved all in in front of me), 5 5 (which I raised and had to fold to a re-raise after the flop came with overcards), K Q suited (which no one called the preflop raise) and K 10 off (which spiked me a straight on the river). That was it. Yeah, there was an A 9 or A 7 in there but they weren't playable.

Play was slow to start as well, plus was very strange. After about 15 minutes, the raises got more aggressive and people were calling. The new dude dumped a lot of chips out to the lesbianish Garafalo. He raised pre flop 3000. Blinds are only 100/200 and he jacked it up to 3200. Weirder still, he got 2 callers. Flop came with 2 spades. He bet out another 3000. Only Garafalo called. Turn was a spade. Garafalo bet out 2000. He thought about it and folded. He only had about 2400 left. There was over 14000 in that pot. How do you not call? You are pot committed, let alone you fucked up by not pushing on the flop. Garafalo then showed 10 4 of spades. She called a bet of 3000 with 10 4 suited????? WTF???

The blinds went by once and had played only them. I think I got 4 2 off a dozen times last night. My only good play of the first hour was catched A 2 in the big blind. There were 4 limpers in at 400. Flop came A 7 7. I bet out the pot to see who else had an ace. Only the new dude called. Turn was an A. Figuring he had the last A, I pushed all in. He mucked. So I tossed the 2 out on the board. His response was to laugh and call me a bastard. Nice.

I played one other hand just after the break. With about 12000 in chips, I tried to raise it with 5 5 but Schlitz called me. He checked on the flop so I bet it out. He re-raised me so I felt I had to fold. He could have been just on a flush draw, but with 3 overcards, it wasn't worth finding out.

They broke the table up and I was sent to a table where some rasta looking dude had a huge stack going. I was familiar with half the players here. With only 8000 or so chips left, I knew I had to double up soon. And with the prime selection of hands I was getting, and the blinds coming right into me, I knew I would get much time. In the big blind, I took the free flop with Q 6. Flop came J 10 6. I pushed just hoping the small blind hadn't caught any piece of it. He folded but showed K 6. Whew! I would push again about 10 hands later. With K 10 and in late position, the rasta dude limped as did I and the blinds. Flop came Q J 5. With the open end draw and an overcard, I decided now was as good a time as any to make a move. I pushed. Only rasta called. He showed Q 9. Turn was a rag, but the river a 9 for the straight. I doubled up to 12800.

But blinds were now 2000/4000 and I had little room to work. Blinds came around and bled me. Then I tried to limp in with K J and got no part of the flop. When blinds came around again, I had to push 7 8 off. Guy flopped a set of deuces and I was done. Finished somewhere in the 30s.

That is how I will go out. The fun that was there in the first season and beginning of the second seems to be gone. Too many new players that really have no clue what they are doing. They take too much time, sitting around talking too much. The rooms are too smokey. And there are some guys that take this way too seriously. It is a free tournament. People are getting pissed off about bad beats. They are acting like the little crying babies on TV. Get some class. I do give credit to Jason and Wes. They do a good job listening to the players, trying to make things better. Great job guys. Maybe I will be back some day. Maybe next year. Who knows.

Bagman's words of wisdom- There were a couple of good ones yesterday, including one by Bagman himself. He went out early (to AK Slowplay, I believe). He was mad because someone at his table went on a rush and won 4 hands in a row. The player was raising pre-flop every time and not necessarily with the best hand. Bagman was pissed that his A K got beat by 10 10 when the guy hit the set on the flop. HA!
Garafalo (man did I hate looking at that frumpy face for an hour) had a good one where she grabbed the wrong card that was dealt. She took the guy's card to her left instead of passing it along. I was the dealer and asked if she looked at it. She said yes. I told her it wasn't her card and she had to give it back because it was now a misdeal. She didn't want to give it back. It took two other people 30 seconds to explain to her she couldn't keep the card (K clubs). Not shocking for someone who was playing any two suited card no matter what the bet.
And finally there was the bitch of the night. At my last table, a lady was coming in on a table change. She was sitting down right in front of the blinds, thus making her big blind on the next hand. She commented that she will wait for the blinds to pass before she plays. She will go to the bathroom and be right back. I corrected her and told her she would be big blind next hand. She argued that no, she will wait. No, you can't wait. So she huffed and left the table, searching for a spot to sit where she wouldn't be hit by the blinds. What a bitch! I don't know why she bothered and she was short stacked to begin with and would probably finish somewhere in the 20s and not get anything. I probably should have let her sit down, go to the bathroom, and posted the blind for her. That would have been fun to see her come back, see that she posted and have a fit.

No wonder I may not play here again.