"Taylor Calls his Shot!"
I weep for this blog, as I have neglected it on so many levels. And it is not for lack of content to add, because the new happenings would cause an overflow of text that would humble Boulder Dam. Just been working hard and keeping in step. A lot of things in transition, a lot more on the rise. Dare I let you in on any of these events? Aye, I dare.
Of course, I would have to tell you about last Friday's blogger home game, the most nefarious game of its sort in the nation. I challenge someone to find a scarier lineup of blogs in a regular weekly game. Henry, Bill, Ryan, and Franklin? I have to play against *them* every week? And Kent, Phil, and Mike show up too?
Suffice it to say, the results have not added up well. Besides the weekly cash game, we also throw in a SNG tourney beforehand, and I have *never* cashed. Whatever the odds are of that after months of playing every week, even with Murderer's Row sitting across from me, it hurts.
So I walked into Henry's office that afternoon and called my shot. I'm winning this week, guaranteed, you can put it on the board. I earned my usual reponse from Henry whenever I do something Geek-ish: A laugh and reply that indicates that I'm being silly with a hint of appreciation of my cajones. The stage is set. Let's play cards.
That evening presents a fun lineup. Lance the LAG is sitting down with us, as well as Bill's buddy Mike. Henry's wife Sofia (noted suckout artist that regularly kills the cash game) is in, and our co-worker Jon.
"Is the buy-in 25 or 50 tonight?" Henry asks as he collects money.
"Since I'm winning tonight, I say 50," I shoot back. Henry laughs and tells everyone of my guarantee. Red laserscope dots from 8 different directions appear on my chest area. Weeeee. :) The buyin is set at 20+5 for bounties, and cards are in the air.
The cards proceed to hit me in the face. I knock out Bill first on a coin-flip with 77 vs. his AQ. I flop two pair on Sofia, and for the first time ever, I remove her from the tourney.
I'm concentrating tonight on mixing up my game, and trying to give the table (especially Henry) some looks they haven't seen before. So, when I get Aces, I limp UTG, which I usually flat out refuse to do.
After Jon calls me on my left, Lance moves all in. It's folded around to me, and I just call, hoping Jon will come along, but he doesn't.
Lance sighs. "I think you're ahead," he says, starting to flip over his cards.
"Yeah, I think I do," tossing my aces face up before he can get his out there. He shows King-Ten, and only gets a single ten before going down for the count.
Henry knocks out Mike, and I proceed to take out everyone else on the way to heads up play. Henry even tosses me the bounty chip he earned as a reward for calling my shot and owning up to it this far.
Finally, Jon and I are heads up, and i have a 3-1 chip lead. No need to be an aggressive maniac. Wait for a good spot, force him to play out of his comfort zone.
But it never materializes. The blinds are too big to sit back and wait. Jon is playing agressive as hell, and I begin to wilt. He doubles up when AK fails to pair up against his Queens. And soon, I'm the shortstack.
After getting pushed around the entire session, I finally come over the top of him with JT, and he calls, showing KT.
Lance deals out the flop and I'm about to lose the tourney when AK7 is on the flop. I don't shout for the queen. I sit quietly as shouts of "He's got outs!" ring around the table.
Queen, dammit. Queen.
The turn is a blank.
I know you're in there, dammit, let's see it.
Lance starts to turn over the river, seeing it before everyone else. As he does, he hesitates and a smile crosses his face. I don't need to see it, I already know.
Queen on the river. Back in business.
Finally, Jon raises for the 8th time and I push with A4, and he calls with QJ. I nab an ace, and my called shot is answered with my first win. Nay, my first Cash in this tournament.
I lose most of my winnings when Jon gets revenge with a turned 2-outer, but that's a different story and I know to quit when i'm ahead.
-Chris
Of course, I would have to tell you about last Friday's blogger home game, the most nefarious game of its sort in the nation. I challenge someone to find a scarier lineup of blogs in a regular weekly game. Henry, Bill, Ryan, and Franklin? I have to play against *them* every week? And Kent, Phil, and Mike show up too?
Suffice it to say, the results have not added up well. Besides the weekly cash game, we also throw in a SNG tourney beforehand, and I have *never* cashed. Whatever the odds are of that after months of playing every week, even with Murderer's Row sitting across from me, it hurts.
So I walked into Henry's office that afternoon and called my shot. I'm winning this week, guaranteed, you can put it on the board. I earned my usual reponse from Henry whenever I do something Geek-ish: A laugh and reply that indicates that I'm being silly with a hint of appreciation of my cajones. The stage is set. Let's play cards.
That evening presents a fun lineup. Lance the LAG is sitting down with us, as well as Bill's buddy Mike. Henry's wife Sofia (noted suckout artist that regularly kills the cash game) is in, and our co-worker Jon.
"Is the buy-in 25 or 50 tonight?" Henry asks as he collects money.
"Since I'm winning tonight, I say 50," I shoot back. Henry laughs and tells everyone of my guarantee. Red laserscope dots from 8 different directions appear on my chest area. Weeeee. :) The buyin is set at 20+5 for bounties, and cards are in the air.
The cards proceed to hit me in the face. I knock out Bill first on a coin-flip with 77 vs. his AQ. I flop two pair on Sofia, and for the first time ever, I remove her from the tourney.
I'm concentrating tonight on mixing up my game, and trying to give the table (especially Henry) some looks they haven't seen before. So, when I get Aces, I limp UTG, which I usually flat out refuse to do.
After Jon calls me on my left, Lance moves all in. It's folded around to me, and I just call, hoping Jon will come along, but he doesn't.
Lance sighs. "I think you're ahead," he says, starting to flip over his cards.
"Yeah, I think I do," tossing my aces face up before he can get his out there. He shows King-Ten, and only gets a single ten before going down for the count.
Henry knocks out Mike, and I proceed to take out everyone else on the way to heads up play. Henry even tosses me the bounty chip he earned as a reward for calling my shot and owning up to it this far.
Finally, Jon and I are heads up, and i have a 3-1 chip lead. No need to be an aggressive maniac. Wait for a good spot, force him to play out of his comfort zone.
But it never materializes. The blinds are too big to sit back and wait. Jon is playing agressive as hell, and I begin to wilt. He doubles up when AK fails to pair up against his Queens. And soon, I'm the shortstack.
After getting pushed around the entire session, I finally come over the top of him with JT, and he calls, showing KT.
Lance deals out the flop and I'm about to lose the tourney when AK7 is on the flop. I don't shout for the queen. I sit quietly as shouts of "He's got outs!" ring around the table.
Queen, dammit. Queen.
The turn is a blank.
I know you're in there, dammit, let's see it.
Lance starts to turn over the river, seeing it before everyone else. As he does, he hesitates and a smile crosses his face. I don't need to see it, I already know.
Queen on the river. Back in business.
Finally, Jon raises for the 8th time and I push with A4, and he calls with QJ. I nab an ace, and my called shot is answered with my first win. Nay, my first Cash in this tournament.
I lose most of my winnings when Jon gets revenge with a turned 2-outer, but that's a different story and I know to quit when i'm ahead.
-Chris
posted by Chris Hanel at
3:03 PM
