Straight up....

Initially, that's how those little hairs on the back of my neck stood. Straight up!

All it took to get that to happen was, five little words out of Peb's mouth.

"Look! Free Bar Poker tonight."

As she read it off the sign at the side of the road, I could hear the genuine excitement in her voice. I could see the glee and giddiness in her smile and her eyes, well her eyes shone bright with the look of an 8 year old on Christmas morning.

These all factored into the one sure thing of the day. I was taking her out to play some live Poker at this Pub's free roll.

Did I ever mention that I despise free bar Poker?

OH! .......
That many times huh.
Sorry!

****From the desk of the Editor****
Having no access to a quality event such as those held by the good folks at Riverchasers, I'm stuck with the crap free bar Poker around here. In no way should Riverchasers EVER be confused with crappy free bar Poker.
There! I feel less uuuuhhhh "shitty!"

Well Peb's was pretty wound up about holding real cards and chips in her hands again and since it sounded like "so much fun," she mentioned it to DonKaaa in passing. It came as no great surprise that when DonKaaa was first spotted arriving in the Pub's parking lot, Carson was right at his side. Having not seen brudder Carson for so long, it was great to get together with him for a bit last night.

So the four of us wandered in to see what amazing and free Poker was about to enthral us.

The game was NLHE with 35 BB's as a starting stack. The chips were set appropriately for play and the tables were just fold open game tops, placed on pushed together tables. The organizer even had the good laptop and tournament structure program up and running, just to keep everyone on the same page. Only real issue was, seat yourself. But I thought, "it's all good" 'cause I remembered that it's free!

Problem #1 - Only two seats available, Peb's sits on my immediate left. ZOINKS!

I win the deal and we start play just about right on time. The winners of the first three or four hands prove typical for free bar Poker. Limp-ins all over with one raise and several calls. The betting is minimal and calling the norm, all the way to the river. Then this is where we see the original pre-flop raiser show middle pair with his Ace kicker, as the flop hit the 8 that went with his Ace. Pretty much everyone else shows an Ace rag or small pair except the calling station that continually acted last. With nothing scary on the boards like straightening or flushing possibilities, this guy twice called down bets all the way to the river, with pocket Kings and pocket Queens. No value bets on the rivers, no re-raises pre. Not even a check-raise with a set on the turn. Just "I call."

I get a chance to set a table image early into the game, when I make a fold to two others interested in the flop of 10-K-10. I had made the initial raise with slick and the two callers were the loose chick beside Peb's and DonKaaa. I felt pretty good about the flop to be honest, that is until I lead out for 200 and was called by loosey and then DonKaaa made it 500 to go. Loosey could have any two face cards for a draw, or possibly a 10. As I was considering my options, I could see Loosey holding enough chips to make the call on DonKaaa. "I'm out." I said, as I showed my cards to my end of the table. DonKaaa took the pot down with his trip 10's and as he scooped the pot the guy to my right announces, "watch this guy everyone! He just made a great fold."

I was dealt slick three more times in a row then, with it only being successful once. The one flop saw A-7-A with me check-calling a bet from a guy who'd played just about every hand so far. The 3 on the turn saw exactly the same action. When the 9 hit the river I lead out for 500 and waited. I figured for sure I was about to be re-raised. Instead the guy just sat back at first and asked, "are you bluffing me?" I told him, "I could be." and waited for the 1500 chips he had in his hand, to make it into the pot. Then the "free bar Poker thing," happened.

Problem #2 - Folks at free bar Poker, just can't keep their mouths shut!

Guy to my right looks at the LAG about to re-raise me and says, "NO. He's probably not bluffing."

The re-raise instantly turns into a call and I'm left wanting to drive the guy to my rights head, right through the wall behind him. "Nice hand." he says, as I rake in the smaller than I wanted pot. "Thanks" was not followed by 'shut the fuck up' although it was kinda' close there at first.

The last hand of any interest for me the rest of the night, was the next problem. In my BB of 600 with an ante of 50 in the middle, I was dealt the K-J of clubs. Two callers and the three of us see the flop of Ac-10c-6c. (YAY crubs!) As expected, the ultra-LAG leads out with a minimum bet that is called by both myself and the third party that is new to our table. A turn 2 of crubs makes me a bit giddy inside, knowing that one of them possibly has the Queen. Hopefully it's the new guy though, as the ultra-LAG isn't good enough to let go of his 8 of clubs if he's got it. I want both of those stacks.

Problem #3 - Refer to problem #2.

After new guy bets out the turn card and ultra-LAG is counting out a re-raise, right-side guy says, "Boys, have you not been watching this guy play? You know he's got the nuts!"

Just then a small aircraft crashed through the wall, driving that fucker straight down through the floor. Leaving nothing, not one sign! Of his earlier presence at the table.

Man that was a good vision!

Ultra-LAG actually flipped up the 5c as he tossed his cards into the muck, leaving me very little options left for the new guy. I decided on a call and we saw the river bring a harmless 3d. Naturally as the feel of the hand had been so dramatically changed by the idiot to my right, new guy checked the action over to me. Big surprise. I tossed out a bet and watched him consider a call for exactly 3 seconds. He then showed the Ah-Qc as he launched his hand into the muck with a, "You got it."

I did the only thing I could think of to change things around. I open mucked the Jack, as I raked in another too small pot on the night.

Problem #4 - Dickhead grabbed my King out of the muck as I stacked my chips, and then flipped it up to show the table.

I never saw another hand the rest of the way and when I did toss chips out, I was allowed to get the blinds and antes. Twice I flipped up the hammer(2-7) and the bammer(9-3) afterwards to try and get something going, but to no avail.

I was going to be blinded out by this table. The big-stack that was eventually moved to my right made three separate plays with hands like 4-8 sooted, 4-10 off and 3-6 sooted in a row. It was folded to his SB and naturally with my stack sitting at exactly 1 1/2 BB's to go, that's what he made it to me. I saw the one King and face up made the call. I ended up holding K-4 and was up against his A-Q. Nothing hit the board for either of us and his Ace high sends me packing.

Peb's wants to go back and honestly, I did enjoy holding actual chips and cards myself again. If I can look at it as 'fun' Poker just to get us out of the house for a bit, I think I can enjoy the experience. I mean, it is what it is right?

Free Bar Poker.

shudder

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....