Poker--->Free Pizza--->Poker

Eddie's game on Wednesday night started with 27 players, and everyone was vying up for the freeroll which takes place next week for over $1k. Players were fighting for position to crack the top 10 who have the chance at the freeroll. Already placed 5th, I didn't think I had much to worry about. Most other players higher ranked than me busted early for some reason, and I picked up a good stack in the early beginnings, up to around 5K from our 2300 chip start. My table was super tight, so I stole as often as I could. There was a real quiet guy to my right who raised in the cutoff +1 and I called with 6h9h, everyone else folded. The flop came 8h7d2s. He bet out half the pot, I raised it to double the bet and he called. Turn came a Jh. He bet into me this time, I thought, and had seen him check raise the nuts before so I figured he didn't have it now. I called. River was a 5c. He bet a nice chunk of his stack, about 1500, and I had a decision to make. Do I raise with my made hand? I looked at him and said, "I can't raise you, I only have the 2nd nuts", and called. He flipped over 4c8c for a busted straight draw and a busted 2 pair draw (like that Tieds?). After than hand, my table got broken up and I went downstairs to a new table. I was 2nd or 3rd in chips at this table, but I picked up 0 hands and got anted to death. 2 action players love a raise before every flop, so seeing some cheap hands is not an option here. I picked up KcQc in the BB. I had enough of these raises and needed to take control of the game back. I got one caller, and the flop came As9c4c. I pushed it all in on a semi-bluff, and got called by A10, which held up. This happened to be my last hand and I finished somewhere on the bubble of not making the final table, somehwere around 11th or 10th.

Whenever I get knocked out before 11pm, I take the 10 minute drive to Phil's pizzeria to pick up some free food before the 2nd game. We talk about stuff and I eat as much as I can before they close. When I got there, they were playing some kind of baseball game in the back with some large spatulas. Phil, his friend Danny, and I went back for the 2nd game.

13 people in this one and I ran really really well all the way. The same guy with the 4c8c and I got tangled again. I called his raise in position with Jc9s. Flop came 10 7 6 which gave me a straight draw and he bet and I called, putting him on overs and making a move on the turn if I thought he missed again. Turn was a 4 which he bet again, and i raised him this time, and I could tell he reluctanly called. He checked the river when a 4 paired the board. I bet 1000, my only way to win the hand, and he mucked KdJd face up in disgust and said, "you have me" to which I showed him the bluff, and stole a line from E-dog, "you folded, but you should have called." I like to advertise in this game as people will later look you up for big pots when you have a hand.

Well, onto the VERY next hand. I raise in middle position with KK. 4c8c calls in the SB. Flop comes 10 4 2 rainbow. 4c8c goes all in! I quickly call and he flips over Ac4s. No improvements and I'm glad that I showed him the previous hand and put him on tilt. We then combine to one table and in the 3rd hand, Tommy and I get into a big big hand.

First off, let me tell you a little about Tommy. He just seems to have a bad attitude about everything. He's really irritable and the smallest things piss him off, plus he thinks he's Jesus of the felt. Oh, and he thinks I'm gay. That or he likes to call me "fag" as a friend. I don't know, I could be reading it wrong. Well, this sounds like bragging, but I've had Tommy's number for about a year now, and he could never really beat me at Phil's house. Until last week, he beat me 2x in a tournament in one week, and I've never seen him happier. So he's seated directly to the left of me and the following hand comes up.

75/150, I have the button and it folds to me, and I raise to 475 with A6 offsuit. Tommy looks and quickly calls in the SB and the BB folds. Flop comes J 6 6. Tommy bets 500, and I think how I can possibly get more out of him. I figure calling is best here, maybe he'll hit 2 pair on the next card. Turn comes a 4, and he bets out 1000. I have 5200 left and wonder if he'll call it all. I make a minimum raise to 2000 and he quickly goes all in, which I call. He flips over QJ and has an expression like "I gotcha", but I show him my hand and he's disgusted. I double up leaving him with 1K to my 12000 or so.

This sounds terrible, but sometimes I play personal poker against him because I know he dislikes me so much. I honestly didnt' play another hand for 2 levels because i didnt' want to risk my tournament, and take the chance, let other people gamble. Eventually I took Eddie out in 3rd when I decided to coin flip him with my deuce deuce against his AdJd, and won. I then went heads up and the girl who I was playing and I had a 1K chip lead. We should have chopped, but she had done the "I'm so tired right now, I just want to go to sleep" routine for 90 minutes that I figured I could out play her. When she raised it to 3K with blinds of 500/1000, I found A5 and decided I had the best hand. I moved all in for 17K. She called with A7.....wow how wrong you were Gregg. Board came AKK, I prayed for the board to pair. It didn't and I was left with 1K in chips. I went all in blind the next hand and doubled up when I flipped over QQ! I went all in again with K high, she called with 10 high to try and end it, flopped a 10, and I turned a K to double up again! Next hand I had KJ and went all in again, and she had A 7 and called again, and this time, Greggers got knocked out and came in 2nd for $80 and a guaranteed spot in the $1K+ freeroll next week. I need to get my game on for this one, as this would be good Xmas spending money. Right Karen???

Next up when I get the chance, my 5/10 game last night. Later