Yesterday I played a home tournament with my brother and his friends for a full table of ten players. I’ve played with about half of the guys before, but the other half were new faces.

I don’t remember a tournament where my cards have been as cold as in this one. As a result, I wasn’t involved in very many hands. I picked up KK in late position, re-raised the pot, and everyone folded. I had QJo in the blinds and flopped two pair. I had 4 callers on the flop and also on the turn. On the river I hit my full house and no one hit their straight of flush, so they all folded to my bet. I knew they were all drawing or had one lousy pair. Maybe I should have checked since I was first to act, but I don’t think anyone would have bet out with such a scary board.

I had the Hilton sisters twice and re-raised with them both times taking down the pot pre-flop. My tight table image setup a couple of steals perfectly. I was able to raise with middle or bottom pair on low boards and get other players to fold their hands. I was also able to steal a few blinds with K6 and Q7 soooooted. As I played I kept realizing the lack of big hands I would get. In fact, I only had a pocket pair 4 times; kings once, queens twice, and sixes once. The nice thing was they all won a decent pot pre-flop.

It was kind of funny when I raised. I’m used to playing real poker where a typical raise is the size of the pot. When I grabbed for my chips everyone at the table ran, thinking I had the nuts each time. In reality I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, but it was out of the ordinary for them. They all liked to put in a min raise pre-flop allowing someone with two big cards to call and hit a flop. I wasn’t having any of that and as a result, all of my big hands won pots. If you wanted to play against me, you were going to pay.

As bad as my cards were, I was able to just sit back and fold because the blinds usually only increased by 20 each time. No doubling the blinds with longer levels here. Instead they were raised about every 20 minutes and barely even raised each time. We made it down to 4 players and went back and forth a few times. When I was in the big blind and my brother was the small, he had no choice but to push all-in. The blinds were at 100-200 and I only had to call 240. I looked down and saw 34o. Wow, what a great hand. When I called and flipped over my cards everyone started to laugh. I simply had to laugh back on the inside because they have no concept of odds. I was getting about 3-1 odds and had to make the call with any two cards, even 72o. Isaac could of had anything, but unfortunately he had AJo and doubled up.

The chips went back and forth for a few more orbits and then it was back to my brother and I. He limped in from the small blind, so when the flop came 8-high to go with my Q8o I bet 500 into a 600 pot. He thought about it for awhile and called. I figured he was on two overcards or possibly a pair, but he would have come out betting with an 8 and a good kicker. I had the best hand The turn brought a jack and when he checked, I had to push the rest of my chips. He quickly called and flipped over 9To for the nut straight. Again I laughed inside because I had just been sucked out on. Just like online poker. See…it really does happen in real life. Isaac called 500 into a 1100 pot on an open ended straight draw. If I’m generous and count his two overcards as 2 outs he has 10 outs. That’s 3.7-1 to make his hand on the turn and the pot was only giving him 2.2-1. I want someone to call me every time on that flop. It just so happens that this time it bit me and I was out of the tournament in 4th place.

I felt good about my play, especially since I was never dealt AA, AK, AQ, AT, KQ, KJ, KT, QT, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77, 55, 44, 33, or 22. Not once! I think I only saw one suited ace too. My reads were on and when I made re-raises, the other players folded every time. I was even right 2 or 3 other times I when I almost re-raised, but decided to fold instead with a vulnerable hand.

I keep feeling good about my play in these tournaments, but the bottom line is that I haven’t walked away with any money from this group of guys. Never!