Hot on the 4th of July

I headed to the Horseshoe Casino around 4 p.m. yesterday. I called ahead to get on the lists, but they had long lines because of the holiday. I waited around, and finally was called to the 4/8 limit table. After playing there about an hour, I got my seat in the Omaha-8 game. I haven't played it much lately, and had forgotten how much fun it is. With four hole cards and with it being a high-low game, you always think you can make a great hand. I tried to play tighter than most of them and came out okay.

At 7 the tournament started. They usually have 35 or 40 runners, but there were 59 this time. My stack dribbled down, but then I went on a heater and built it back up. One hand: I had A-A and made a standard raise to 1050 (so I guess the blinds must have been 400/200/50) and got one caller. The flop was K-K-8 and I again bet 1050, slightly less than half the pot. An older guy moved all in for 35,000. I thought and thought, figured I was beat, but why did he bet so much if he had a king? There were two spades out there, so he could have been on a flush draw. Finally I called and he showed 7-7! My hand held and I was just about a lock at this point for the final table.

When we did get to the final table, I had around 105,000 chips where average was around 85,000. A guy with 35,000 in chips moved all in and I peeked at my hole cards to see A-K, so moved in myself. He turned over A-8 offsuit, but the turn was an 8. The river was a brick, and now he had an above average stack and I was below average, boo.

I was involved in another big hand with this same guy. He moved all in and again I had ♣A ♣K, this time both clubs. I called, natch, and he turned over A-10. The flop contained a 10, here we go again, but there were two clubs out there. The flush didn't come, but fourth street was a king, and I eliminated him.

When we were down to three, the short stack asked how about if we gave her $800 (third actually paid $639) and chop the rest. The other guy had a bigger stack than mine, so that was fine with me.

Here's the shot clock when play ceased:

The dealer took a pic of me and a bunch of chips, but she jiggled the camera and the shot was fuzzy. No need to see a nitty old man, anyway.

Image taken with my P&S.