Home Game Report

Last night was my bi-weekly home game that I've been playing in for the past few years. Has anyone ever played in a home game where they were the only winner? Well, I now have. Of the seven people who played, I was the only person to finish a winner. And it wasn't even a tournament format where winner takes all, it was 5 hours of ring games. Final tally: +$225. Off to the strippers.

Well before I do that, I'll recount a few hands of note where I thought I played pretty well.

During a 2/4 Hold 'Em game, I'm dealt 7,7 on the button. I bet out and get about 3 callers. The flop comes 2,3,8 rainbow, which to me isn't so scary. I open again (we play that the heavy, i.e. the last raiser/bettor, bets first each round) and get one caller. This one caller, Teddy Ballgame, is reknown for letting other people do his betting for him. So whenever he calls my bets, I know he's most likely not chasing a draw, but actually has a hand. Turn is a 6 and I continue to bet and he continues to call. River? How 'bout a 7. I have much more confidence in my hand now, and think about a check-raise. I decide to bet it out and Teddy calls. I show him my trip 7's and he says "Lucky catch" showing me his pocket 9's. I told him that had he bet that hand he may have won.

Someone calls 3/6 Hold 'Em and I'm dealt A,4 diamonds. I decide to raise an early position's bet to six and get a few folds. Three players see the flop which to me is garbage - 3,8,10 - no diamonds. Undeterred I bet out again and get heads up with the button. The button player is Easy E, a notorious tight-passive player. I swear, you look up tight-passive in the dictionary and you'll see his smiling face. I continue to bet out on the turn and on the river, having caught absolutely nothing to help my hand. Based on his body language, I know he has me beat, but I also know I can bluff him out of the pot as he plays only strong hands. I bet the 6 after the river and he pauses to think for a while, then mucks. I show my A,4 and he kicks himself for not calling. After that little display, it becomes time for me to tighten up so I can get people to chase my monsters.

During an Omaha 2/4 game, I'm dealt ??2,3 - can't remember the other two cards, and I decide to see a flop. Great flop it was with an Axx giving me the nut low. We play this game two ways, sometimes with 8 or better for low, sometimes without. This was without, so I just needed to avoid a 2 or 3 on the last two cards to grab half the pot. I decide not to raise anything this time, just to smooth call. But because there were still 6 people playing this pot and raising, I wasn't too concerned. I manage to avoid the remaining 2's and 3's and after the river hits begin my raising crusade. One other player exclaims "That is such a weak attempt at buying this pot. I know you don't have 2,3 because if you did you'd be raising earlier." Well sorry, I do have 2,3 and your 2,4 is second best. Take that.

It was another fun night in our series of home games. Here's a tally of my last 8 home games: +85, +46, +227, -8, +168, +267, +84, and +225. Thats +1094 if I can add things correctly. Slightly more or less if I can't.