Christmas Tree

For everyone who missed it, below are some photos of the amazing tree Catherine created while I was away in Utah earl December. It included pictures of nearly everyone we know and love.

Pats win 37-16. There was quite a bit of trouble in the stands as the Jets fans get heckled with their own chant. J-E-T-S --- SUCKS! SUCKS! SUCKS! At least two fights in the crowd that I saw, one guy had a nice cut on his eye. Two jets fan get escorted out by State Troopers. A huge Pats fan had claimed that one of them sucker punched a Pats fan. The Jets fans pleaded their case, but to no avail - EJECTION!!.

Catherine and Capote, my sister's new French Bulldog

She said Yes!

Sorry for the lack of updates. There has been little to no poker going on and I'm now officially engaged though I don't have the ring to prove it...

She keeps that on her finger 24/7 and I'm only allowed to look. No touching....

Wedding date July 2007

Biggest pot I've ever won.

Live 1/2 NL in the city. I am 3 from the button holding 4-4 with about $375 behind (this after coming back from down to my last $100 after a rough $300 payoff to Kid Dynamite on the very first hand I sat down with 77 losing to a set of 5's on a 6 5 3 board).

The table is playing pretty crazy. I plan to limp in for $2 or call a small raise to see a flop and catch a set. UTG raises to $15, fold, Kenny calls, I call, all 3 players behind me call. The small blind folds and the big blind raises to $100. The big blind is a solid fairly tight player. I'm putting him on Jacks at worst.

So this is where it gets crazy. I'm ready to muck my 4's and lose the $15, but there are two smooth calls before me! I push in my $100, the player behind me folds and the other two including the button call!

The pot is now $616 pre-flop with 6 players. Flops comes 2 4 9 with two spades. (cha-ching). I've got $275 left now. The big blind comes out firing $350. UTG calls all-in for $250 (an on-tilt Asian player who was sitting to KD's left at the first table). Kenny folds. I call for my last $275 and the two players behind me fold.

So now - I'm putting the big blind on AA or KK at the very least.

The big blind now asks me if I have a hand, and I say "as long as a spade doesn't come." He then asks "Do you need help?" And I reply, "Unless your drawing dead I always want help." The turn comes Ace of diamonds and I'm praying he doesn't have pocket rockets. The river comes a 7 of diamonds.

He turns over AQ thinking he might be good. I table my set of 4's - the on-tilt Asian throws his cards into the muck and I spend the next few minutes raking in the $1416 pot.

I get a little crap after the hand for acting so weak after calling. Serves him right for pushing so hard with AQ. My new favorite hand to muck preflop to any raise. On a re-raise it couldn't hit the muck fast enough.

-h0nus

p.s. Kid Dynamite: Don't leave so early next time. I made a lot more chips to donate to you. ;-)

The Best Hand I've Ever Played
(or maybe I just got lucky)

1/2 NL live - J.D. to my right crazy action. JD is the same player that liquidated me with AK after I flopped top two pair with Ace-Jack and he rivered a King.

Now I've got AJ offsuit again this time with the ace of hearts one to the right of the button. Folded to J.D. who limps. I make it $17 to go. SB folds, BB calls, JD calls. I've got both players covered. After the pre-flop action BB has about $350, JD has about $250.

Flop comes Queen spades, 10 4 hearts. BB checks, JD bet $50, I call, BB calls. Normally I would just fold here, but I've decided that I can steal this pot, and I fully intend to do so. JD actually came up in the elevator with me when I got there. He was telling me the game was crazy all 3 tables were full and had clearly just been out to hit the ATM for more cash.

Turn comes 7 spades. BB checks, JD checks. I bet $100. It's difficult to bluff more than one person, so my goal here is to isolate. I'm about 80% sure the BB is on a heart draw. I want to make him fold. I figure $100 is just the right amount. The pot contains exactly $202 if he is looking for a river on the heart he's not getting the right odds to call especailly since he is first to act. JD could fold behind him. He thinks for about 15 seconds and mucks.

The other important part of this bet is that I want to leave JD with enough cash left to fold in case he calls. JD started with $250 and he would probably fold a river bet to save 40% of his stack, but call anything less than that. JD thinks for a minute and just calls.

The river is a 5 hearts. J.D. checks to me and I bet $100 putting him all-in. I know that JD is down to his last $100 and he doesn't want to go home yet. He's clearly been on tilt and is looking to get out of the huge hole he is in. He looks at me all pissed off that I just caught the card to beat him. I don't even glance at him. He slowly slides his cards into the muck.

If this were any other player, I wouldn't have even attempted the river bet given the 5 to 1 odds he's getting (the pot is now ~$500).

I turn over the Ace of hearts with a $3 tip on top and slide it into the muck. I convince JD that I had him the whole way (representing AQ). JD claims he had a 10 of spades and picked up a spade flush draw on the turn.

He's a bit of a bigger guy and as much as I wanted to table the AJ after he mucked as a sort of revenge for his suckout last week, I decided it was for the best.

Total for the night +800. No 10's, Jacks, Queen, or aces - the best hand I got was KK and I only made $20 on it after re-raising to $60 in early position after UTG opened for $15.

-h0nus

+1200

So, I could write about how I had my biggest night at the 1/2 NL live game in the city, but since Kid Dynamite was there and already blogged the sordid details. I'll just post the link here.

I bought in for $300 and on this night the huge pairs brought the huge beats. I missed all my sets on my small medium pairs, but with most of the money in pre-flop. It didn't much matter.

This game in the city is really unlike any other. On-line, Vegas, never seen anything like it...

Meanwhile the Pats are finally getting some respect again. People think they are the only team with a shot to take out Indy (well San Diego too, but they won't make the playoffs, anyway). It will be interesting to see how much time Brady plays in the final two games. They really can't get higher than the 4 seed anyway.

Early picks for this weekend. Washington -3 @ home vs NY Giants, and San Diego straight up at K.C. - even if they win, they still won't get in due to the cake schedule of Jax and Pitt.

-h0nus