The Song Remains The Same

We had 31 runners for our Saturday night Home game. My first table was full of action players, so I couldn't make any moves because they would have called. I got to the first break with 7200 chips, 800 below the starting stack.

After my table broke, my next table draw was better. I was able to raise and steal some blinds, but I never got a double up. I just maintained my stack around 8-12 Big Blinds for a couple of levels.

But in the 800/1600 level, things went sour. I raised with A5, and the Button (Linda) called All-In with 98o because she only had 4500. She won the race by flopping a 8, and ended up finishing in 2nd place. This left me short stacked. A few hands later, I raised All-In with JTo. Another short stack (Special K) woke up with QQ, and that left me with 1100 chips. When I got to the UTG, I moved in blind for less then the BB. It folded around to the BB. I had J8h, and he had an A. We both missed the Board, and I finished in 14th place.

After I finish up with my TD duties, I sat down in the Cash game, and bought in for $100. I played fairly tight, since the home game tables can get a little crazy at 2:30am. After about 30 minutes, I got into my first big pot.

I limp on the Button with KsQc. About five players see the Flop of Kc 5h 3c. An Early Position player (Meat) bets $3. One or two players call. With both Flush and Straight draws out there, I raise to $15. Both Meat and the Hyjack (TK) call. Turn is [Kc 5h 3c] 6d. They both check. I don't like that card, but I can't give a free card. I bet $25. Meat thinks for a bit, mumbles some stuff, and folds. TK says that he was hoping that Meat would call. That comment seems like he's on a draw. TK asks me how much I have left. I tell him $60 exactly, and he calls.

River is [Kc 5h 3c 6d] 6s. TK instantly bets $60 to put me All-In. To me, this is one of those Monster or Miss bets. He's either been slowplaying something like a Flopped Set or a Turned Straight, or he completely missed his Flush and is trying to get me to go away. He is very capable of either one of those. I thought for a while, and decided to call. TK turns over 64o for Trip 6. I have to admit that I didn't think of that possibility, or even a hand like A6c. I usually don't guess well on those Hero River calls.

So I rebought for my last $100. About an orbit later, I double up with QQ on a J high Flop. After that, I started to slowly build my stack. Over the next hour, I build it up to over $300. And that brings us to our next big hand.

I limped on the Button with 44. Five players see a Flop of Ks 9c 4h. It checks around to me, and I bet $5 with my Set. The Blinds fold. UTG (Meat) raises to $10. The next player (DP) thinks for a moment, and raises to $20. It folds back to me. I look over at each of their stacks. Meat only has around $30 left. DP has well over $400, and has me covered.

Obviously, I'm not folding. But do I raise or just call? Regardless of which I do, I'm assuming that Meat is moving his few chips into the middle. The question is what will DP do? Since this is a Home game, we have play a lot of hands over the last few years. I know that he's got a real hand. This is a rather dry Flop, as the only draw would be a Gutshot like QJ or JT. My guess is either Two Pair or a Set. If I just call, then DP could raise big to isolate against Meat, and I won't know where I'm at. Having over 300 Big Blinds, I don't want to commit my stack with just Bottom Set. So I raise to $70 to get some more information.

As expected, Meat ships his small stack in the middle, but it's less than my $70 bet. DP gets that "Are you kidding me?" look on his face. He thinks for a long time, and says a few times, "I don't think I can fold this?" He asks how much my total stack is, and I tell him $325 including my $70 bet. He counts out 13 Green chips, and keeps thinking. During this time, I figure out that he's got K9 for Top Two Pair. He wouldn't do this with just AK, hands like 94 or K4 just aren't in his range, and his money would already be in the pot if he had a larger Set. Finally, he ships it in, and I snap call. I show my 44, and he shows K9.

The Turn is [Ks 9c 4h] 9d. DP celebrates as his 4-outer hits the board. Since this is a Home game, the Button is also the Dealer, which is me this hand. Ya gotta love dealing your own Death card. The River card is not the last 4 in the deck, and I lose my last buy-in. I ship the large stack over to DP, gather up my stuff, and head out to my car with empty pockets for the second week in a row.