Poker frenzy

My weekend started with a poker-bang. I played in Merry Xmas Maddness…a mostly for fun, crazy rebuy game. $5 buy-in, unlimited rebuys for the first 4 blind levels, and any hand played to the river with an As or 2h pulls a special chip from a bag. The special chips had various implications:

White - "Merry Christmas!" - The player pulling this chip may exchange it for one free re-buy or add-on.
Blue - "Secret Santa!" - The player pulling this chip is feeling especially generous and will be moving All-In blind on the very next hand
Red - "Gift Exchange!" - The player pulling this chip, exchanges all their chips with the all the chips of the player to thier left.
Light Blue - "Don't open your Presents Early!" - If this chip is pulled before the first break, you get a green 25 chip from the bank. If it's pulled after the first break, it counts as it's value (5,000)
Orange - "Christmas in Omaha" - At any point, trade in this chip for 2 more hole cards. Use any combination of the board cards and your four hole cards to make the best hand. If you still have this chip after the first break it becomes it's value (2,000)
Pink - "SUPER ULTRA-SECRET XMAS PRESENT!!!11OMG1!!" - Choose one of the 15 sealed envelopes, open it, and see what you get!!!
Grey - "Bah Humbug!" - Keep this chip until you win a pot or bust out. While you have this chip you only get dealt one hole card. If you still have this chip after the first break you can exchange it for a black "100" chip. Bah-Humbug.

Mr.Tart and I found out about this game on pokeforum.ca, where the host posts regularly. We’ve talked about going to one of his games for awhile now, and thought this would be a fun way to enter the fray. And it was.

I was seated at the table that was predicted to have the most rebuys, and we did not disappoint. I ended the rebuy period up well above average stack, but then my table broke and I moved to another table where I made a serious blunder. A player who I thought to be very good moved all in on the BB, after 4 people (plus me, in the SB) limped. I had A6s, and thought she was making a move to “punish the limpers”. I had her outchipped by at least double, so I called. Well, she wasn’t making a move, she had pocket QQ. Oooops. Now I was well below average chips, and after a few orbits went all in with A9o and was called by UTG who had limped with pocket QQ. So the ladies did me in that night. Funnily enough, I thought UTG had something big since he limped when he was normally aggressive. But I didn’t listen to my gut. After I busted out, I went over to Mr.Tart’s table to see that he was all-in, just as I stood behind him, he got called by AJo to his A4o, and he did not spike a lucky 4. So, our timing was pretty good. Heh.

Even though we both busted out (and I spent $30 on a $5 tourney) it was a blast. Everyone was there for a good time, and now that we’ve met the host in person, we’ll definitely go back for his more serious games.

On the way home, I suggested a day-trip to Rama was in order. So our Saturday afternoon was spent at the 2/5 Limit tables. Mr.Tart doubled his buy-in, and I lost $60. My biggest mistake was leaving the table when I did. My table had been pretty tight/passive for a couple hours, and I had trouble making any money on my made hands, and lost a few pots betting at my draws. Before we started playing, Mr.Tart and I had agreed to leave between 5:30-6:00 (having an end time helps me, because I’d play all night if I didn’t have a set time to leave). Well, at 5:30, Mr.Tart cashes out. I had just paid the BB, so I said I’d stay for this last orbit. Next thing I know, “Tony” sits down at my table. Tony, as I would learn, is an old, miserable man, who caps everything pre-flop. I learned this lesson when I folded my pocket jacks on a Q-high board to his insane bets….only to learn that he was betting with 9 4 and caught the 9 on the flop. Holy crap!

The pots on the table ballooned, and the table saw more action in 5 hands than it saw in the previous 40. I should have stayed…because I knew I’d be able to take down at least one monster pot….but I felt like I should leave when I said I would. Mr.Tart talked about it afterwards, and I told him that I didn’t want to leave, but didn’t want to keep him waiting….he said that in the future, I should just tell him the table is juicy….he can bide his time at the video poker machines. Ah well. Live and learn. Apparently Tony is a regular….so I hope to see him in the future (actually, I hope to see him this coming Saturday when we’re going again).