A chip and a chair at the Tuckfard

Monday is one of my favoritie days. It's the start of a new week, it's Monday night football and it's the Tuckford Open! What a fun group of players. If there's a grump there, I haven't seen him or her yet.

I started out ok, but then, through general donkeyhood, I dropped down to 1095. On the button I picked up ♠10 ♠9. The blinds were 50/100 and two players limped in. I limped as well and RedneckTuckfard moved all in from the small blind for 655. The BB folded as did both limpers. If my math is correct, there was 1105 in the pot and it cost me another 555 to call. I'm getting 2:1 and reluctantly called. RNTF showed ♥A ♦A and I was a big underdog. Her hand held up and my stack was 440. Start the morphine, please.

I folded two hands, then had two hands in a row with big aces. I moved in on both with no callers. There aren't too many options when you're shortstacked. That moved me to 740. Then a short stack moved all-in, and I called with ♣A ♣6. He turned over presto: ♦5 ♠5. I flopped an ace to double up to 1580. Please put a hold on that morphine.

When the blinds were 80/160, I picked up ♥5 ♦5. I limped on the button and SuzyQ500 raised to 720. I can make a case for folding, but I called. The flop wasn't bad for me: ♦3 ♥J ♣5. SQ moved all in with ♠K ♣K, as would anyone. Presto was gold, once again, and I moved up to 4551. Morphine? Whatcha talkin' about morphine?

When we were five-handed, I held: ♦9 ♥9. Shockerkitten moved all in for 1190 and I re-raised to isolate. He showed ♥Q ♠A. The flop contained the ♠9 and SK was gone. This moved me up to 8136, and the chip lead. The next player out was RedneckTuckfard who had AJ versus BamBamCan's KK -- the kings held up.

We were three-handed. NutzCarson was shortstacked, but I doubled him up. After that, he went card dead and dribbled down to 2846 with blinds at 200/400/50. He raised to 1200 and I moved all in with ♣J ♦J. NutzCarson called, showed ♦K ♠8 and needed help. It didn't come and he was out in third.

What do you think of his play? Even though it didn't work, I like it. Moving all in looks too desperate. Betting half his stack looks as if he has a big hand and wants action. Once I move in, he has to call and hope to get lucky. If he wins that hand, he's positioned himself to win the tournament. He made a move, it didn't work and he still had outs.

After this, I was heads-up with BamBam. Folks, he is a handful. He had been aggressive all night and he was fearless. Fortunately for me, I had a two to one chip lead to give me a cushion. Early on, he raised to 800. I had ♣A ♦8 and reraised to 2500 and BamBam reraised me to 4200. The flop was ♥A ♥5 ♦4. I moved all in and he folded, saying "damn!" in the chat box. I don't know what he had, but I obviously out-flopped him. A few hands later he had JJ and I had Q-8 and we were all in (he was short-stacked at 1121, so I was calling with just about anything). Once again I out-flopped him when a queen came on the board. Nice game, sir. I was fortunate not to be out a long time ago and admit my luckboxery.

As Phil Helmuth says: If it weren't for skill, I guess I'd win all of them (or something like that).