On Monday and Tuesday, the Rogers City Poker Series (or that’s what I’m calling it at least) was held at my house. My brother Isaac and his buddies came up with a plan for 4 tournaments. Each player, of which we had 9, bought in for a total of $50. The top three places in each tournament would pay out money. We were to play hold’em twice, ohama once, and stud once.

I felt confident in my chances of winning a tournament or two. The outcome would be another story though. The first event was hold’em. I stuck to my guns and played super tight. Too tight actually. I continually watched people call someone’s all-in with hands like AdTs or KhJh. All I needed was a hand and I figured I could easily double up. I wasn’t using my tight image how I should have, but I couldn’t really get any cards to make a bluff with either. I finally caught 66 in early position and pushed. I was called by 88 and the board brough no help. Out in 5th place.

The next event was stud, which I had really never played before. Neither had anyone else though. Hell, we didn’t even have the rules right for the game. I think our ante was too high, the bring-in bet was definitely too high, and our betting structure was way off. I ended up playing my best in this tournament though. I stayed away from drawing dead for the most part and snuck my way into 4th place (no money again). When it was down to the last 4 or 5 people, I was the short stack almost the whole way. I’d pick my spot and just push the whole way until I was out of chips. Each time I did this, I won. Winning a pot with all of my chips would end up tripling me up or more because of our super high antes. I seriously could not get knocked out of the tournament. I had to have won at least 10 hands where I was all-in. It was nuts. On a few, I simply put in the rest of my chips because I was getting such good pot odds on my call. I won a 1 outter, a 3 outter, and a 4 outter. The final hand that put me out I ended up with 1 out at the end and couldn’t hit it. After thinking about it, I should have kept my chips, because when I went in, I had absolutely nothing, but liked the idea that everyone was in the pot. If I won, I would be a threat. If I didn’t call, I barely had enough for two hands of antes. Oh well, out in 4th place.

On Tuesday we started off with omaha. I don’t play omaha and I have no idea what a good starting hand looks like. I had a few good hands (I think), but couldn’t get a flop. Once I flopped an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw, which of course didn’t come though. One other time I stupidly drew to the nut straight with the board showing a pair. Of course someone had the full house. On my final hand I pushed in with AhKh7c7d. Of course the board brough no help and I was out in a disappointing 7th.

The final tournament had a payout structure that was almost double the other events, but still paid the top 3. Over the first three tournaments I had established an extemely tight table image and planned to finally use it to my advantage. I felt very confident in my chances of taking home first place money. I started out with some nice hands, but couldn’t get a caller. I’d raise and everyone would run. Perfect! “This is going to work out great,” I thought to myself. Early on, I made a nice call with big slick against pocket 4s and knocked someone out of the tournament when the flop brought a king. Because of my tight image I was able to put a few moves on people and just kept moving on.

When we were down to 6 people I got to see a free flop with A4 off-suit. The flop was 5h4h4c. I checked, one person bet, and I called. Turn was 3c. Check, check. River was the 7h. I checked and he bet. It looked like a buy to me or possibly he had a 6 for the straight. I pushed all in with my trip 4s. He thought and thought and even said, “I knew I should haved checked.” Here was my thinking…I knew he didn’t have a full house and I was pretty sure he didn’t have the ace high flush. If he had the straight or a low flush, he couldn’t call and if he had just two pair, he couldn’t really call either, but I would have liked him to there. So I figured I could get him to lay down some pretty nice hands because I had shown down almost all winners. He had to think I had a better hand. He did end up folding and I took the pot. On the very next pot he bluffed the flush when someone else had it and he was out.

This part of the story needs a little back history. During the tournaments, I was getting extremely ticked at the table manners of these kids. They’d talk about a hand when others were in the heat of battle. They’d act out of turn all the time. I don’t know how many times I heard coaching. “Call his all-in.” “He doesn’t have it.” “You can’t fold.” No respect for the game at all. I’d love to be there when these kids hit a casino and pull this shit. Either they’ll get knocked out with a right hook or kicked out by the dealers.

Now back to the story…we are down to 5 players and two in this particular pot. There is betting and calling all the way down to the river. One player pushes on the river. The other player is the biggest mouth of anyone playing and the biggest rule breaker. He thinks about, says “I call”, and then changes his mind and mucks his cards saying, “No, I fold.”

“WHAT?” I don’t think so. “That’s a verbal commitment,” I say. Now Mr. Talkative isn’t so talkative and starts whining. “You’re going to give up your chips no matter what you say,” I tell him. Finally after a few minutes he gives in. He kept trying to give an excuse that he never saw the other players cards (which were the nuts) before changing his mind. I kept telling him it didn’t matter. I was HOT and not taking anymore of their shit.

On the very next hand I’m in the big blind and he pushes all-in. I look down to see KdQd. Easy call. Sure enough he flips over a garbage 8c4c and I take him out when a king and a queen both come on the board, even though I didn’t need them. I didn’t appreciate him throwing his chips across the table at me either. Punk! On a side note, these kids love the 84 for some reason. One player in particular (who won 3 of the 4 tournaments) has to play the hand whenever he gets it. I guess it’s like the poker blogger’s HAMMER.

So now we are down to 4 players and I’m playing at the top of my game. I’m using my tight image to it’s fullest potential. Stealing pots and making moves left and right. And then this hand…I have KJ off-suit in the small blind. The button raises up. I go into the tank because he’s wild and I’m sure he has been stealing a lot of my pots. I end up calling and go all-in when the flop brings a K. The big blind calls and so does the button. Uh-oh! The big blind flopped two pair and the button had big slick. I have three outs, but a jack doesn’t come and I’m eliminated. I don’t regret my flop move because I played the hand for a king or jack to come and it did. I do regret the pre-flop call though. I was doing so well at waiting for my chances. From the amount of time I took to make the call it should have been an easy fold. Oh well, out in 4th and no money again.

I had fun in the tournaments, but it was pretty obvious that these kids have a lot more tournament experience than I do. I played well in two of the events and made one big mistake in that last one. I’ll get ’em next time.