How can you mend a broken heart

Saturday the Poker Queen and I decided to try our hand at the poker tables at Derby Lane.  At the end of the day, I wished I hadn't however the PQ persevered and brought home the cash for us both.

We started off the morning by taking our daughter and meeting some friends at Derby Lane to have brunch in the Derby Club.  We've eaten there a number of times though it had been a while since the last visit and it's always been good.  We were not disappointed this time.  Of course with my diet I had to pass on the crepes, waffles, and potatoes but there was plenty for me to choose from including a very taste pork loin with sausage stuffing.  A small omelet and a salad was enough to fuel me up for the day ahead.  While we were eating, the dogs started racing so we were able to place some bets and enjoy the show.  I did not win one bet.  If I had believed in omens I probably would have avoided any further gambling.  Fool that I was, I blithely pushed forward into the turbulent poker waters.

After brunch, the PQ and I decided to try our chances at the tables.  There was a big tourney that had started at 1pm but the $250 buy in was a bit more than we wanted to bite off considering how little we've played but there was a $60 buy in tourney at 6pm that we thought about playing.  Till then it was time for some 1-2 NL holdem.

We ended up next to each other at the table with me on her left.  First hand I pair the flop, turn 2 pair and lose to a bigger 2 pair.  Not a great start.  I kept bouncing from about down $50 to down $20 bucks but could never get back to even or better.  Never could hit a draw for a flush or a straight but I did manage to turn a couple of small pairs into sets and then boats.  Those kept me in the running.  At the same time the PQ mostly was holding her own, lost a little, got a little back.  Then we tangled.  I had moved one place further left to sit next to the dealer.  She was on the button and I had the big blind.  No one raised, she called and I checked my Q8.  Flop was KQ8 rainbow.  I led out, everyone folds and the PQ calls.  Turn was a 7, nice card for me.  So I bet out again.  I'm more than happy for her to fold there and take it down.  Instead she gives me a dirty look and calls.  The rest of the table is enjoying the back and forth as they knew we were together.  River is a very pretty 8.  I had already decided not to push the river on her so I checked.  And she bets into me!  It was my turn to give her a dirty look then.  At this point, I'm not going to just call her.  She wanted to lead there, fine.  So I raise her $8 bet to $20.  That got her attention.

She looks at her cards, looks at me and I can tell she's unhappy.  Finally she says to me, "you better have it" and folds.  I look at her and say, "I've had you the whole time.  I know you have a king.  I tried to bet you out on the turn but you wouldn't leave."  Then I turned over my full house.  The table got a kick out of that, one guy said I should have just mucked and let her wonder.  Yeah right, I still gotta sleep at night.  After that the PQ couldn't get anything going and busted out a little later.  I kept playing till it was almost tourney time then cashed out.  Unfortunately the last hand I played I let myself fold top pair, so/so kicker on the river into a draw heavy board against 2 other guys.  Maybe I call one guy but with 2 I figured one of them had a straight or flush.  Nope both had a smaller pair.  If I stay in I get back to positive numbers.  Instead I lost a bit for the day.

Once I cashed in, I met up with the PQ and she said she didn't really feel like playing the tourney.  I asked if she was sure because I really thought that was what she wanted to do.  She said she didn't have the cash for it after losing at the 1/2 table so I paid for her to play along with myself.  Good choice as she was killing it.  I was pretty card dead and only by picking spots and a few timely bluffs was I able to keep close to my starting stack.  PQ on the other hand was dominating.  She got some cards but she also used her image to push the others around some.   I got some decent starting hands, small pairs and suited connectors, but I never hit anything.  So I channeled my inner Memphis Mojo and just kept waiting.

Blinds got up to 300-600 and I was sitting with around 14k in chips, slightly below my starting stack.  I look down in my hand and see 2 red aces. Finally.  I raise to 2k and get one caller, the player immediately on my right.  He'd been pretty calm so I figured him for some kind of hand there.  Flop was King high, all hearts.  Not great but at least I'm sitting with the heart Ace so it's not so bad.  He checks and I lead out for 3k.  He immediately shoves in.  He had me covered by a little so I have to start thinking.  Flopped flush?  2 pair?  KQ maybe?  I thought he might have Q-10 suited for the flush but I thought it more likely he had something like KQ with the Queen of hearts in his hand.  Or a stone cold bluff.  So I called.  And he turned over 10-3 of hearts.  Really, you call a 3X plus raise in bad position with that hand??  Of course a heart did not hit the turn or river and I'm out.  That was a pisser.

After that my (bad) lucky streak continued.  I went back to the 1-2 tables and got my ass kicked all over the place.  I was being dealt a lot of decent hands but nothing great.  No AK or AQ or big pairs but nice cards like QJ, 10-9 suited, and like that.  So I ended up seeing some flops only to see nothing that helped.  If I had spades, it was diamonds and hearts on the flop.  If I had middle cards, it's all high.  Finally I get dealt 2 black aces.  I raise and get 4 callers.  Flop is a black king and 2 low hearts.  I put in a 3 quarter pot bet and get called by the guy on my left.  Turn is another heart.  I check and the guy to my left puts out a small bet which I call though I don't want to.  River is a blank and he bets again.  I figure he has it but call him anyway.  And he has Q-10 of hearts.  Of course he had hearts.  Hearts are killing me.  This guy then gives away a pile of my chips to someone else playing something stupid that doesn't hit.  Only seems like it hits against me.

I get a rebuy and table change but my luck follows along.  Really bad cards which at least I'm folding without committing anything to the hand.  I do get AK off suit on the button and raise to 6.  I get 4 callers.  Flop is Ace and 2 low cards with 2 hearts.  Hearts again.  I can see it coming but I put out a half pot bet and get 2 callers.  Turn is another heart.  Of course it is.  Guy to my left bets and the guy across from me calls.  I'm done.  I fold that one.  These 2 go to the river and bet into each other.  To find out they both had the flush.  So I've got 2 guys chasing the flush against me and they still hit.  After that I knew my night was fated to be lousy and I cashed out while I still had some money if not my pride.  And I went to rail the PQ

By then they are down to the final table and she's in the money.  Normally this tourney only draws 60-70 players but because of people busting out of the big tourney there were over 100 players.  When I get to the table they are down to 7 and the PQ is pretty short compared to a couple of guys.  While I'm watching, 2 of the bigger stacks get it all in and the woman - there were at least 3 women at the final table - had flopped a pair of kings with her AK.  Unfortunately she was up against KK and she went busto.  Another short stacked woman and a guy also went out.  The PQ pushed her stack in a couple of times at opportune moments to keep in the fight then she pushed K-10 suited into KK,  and rivered the flush to double up.  It was around 1am and everyone was getting tired so they decided to chop it up between the last 4 players.  PQ walked out almost $700 richer and quite happy.  She played really well.  Apparently we're playing again this Saturday.

Sunday I decided to indulge my other passion and play some golf.  Actually I went to the course to maybe hit some balls but the range there was full while the course was nearly empty.  What?  Ok so I guess I'm playing instead of practicing.  I teed it up on number one and it was like a replay of the previous day's poker.  I was all over the place.  Bogey, Double bogey, double bogey.  After the first 6 holes I'm 8 over par and that's only because I hit a really good wedge and then sunk the putt on number 6 to save bogey after dumping a shot in the water.  Then it all came together.  I parred the 7th, 8th, and 9th holes.   I was finally hitting the ball solidly with almost every shot.  Almost holed out a sand shot, drilled some really good 4 irons to a couple of greens and turned the whole day around.  Ended up shooting an 85 which is only one shot off my best round ever.  Those are the kind of days that make you come out and play again.  Kind of like cashing poker tourneys does.  So with any luck I'll be playing next Sunday again.

Well that's enough for now.  I keep going and someone's gonna think RobVegasPoker has taken over the blog.  I hope everyone's cards are running better than mine.  Hopefully I'll have a better report after this weekend.