Turkey Day Shootout at Bay 101

Mid-way through the second round of a 100-person, $100 buy-in no-limit tournament, a "regular" taunted me yelling, "His hands are shaking. Look at his shaking hands. Ohhhhh...." It was true. My hands were cold and shaky, revealing equally shaky nerves. I was playing in my first live tournament on Thanksgiving morning at famed Bay 101 in San Jose. My brother, who brought me here, was playing at another table. Beforehand, he'd warned me that this particular card room is home to very aggressive and solid players. Until now, I'd played almost exclusively online, where it is easy to remain anonymous and hide insecurities. Pulsating veins, yells of pain and joy, grimaces and grins, and shaky hands were not liabilities when playing in front of a computer screen. But at a real table with real humans, all these things and more tell your story.

So here I was, hands shaking, looking at pocket ladies on the button. My stack was better than average. I'd been playing air-lock tight, waiting for top hands. And they'd been coming to me about once every half hour. The guy next to me had been moved to our table just a few hands earlier. He was in about 7th place at our table of nine, but he still held a decent number of chips. He raised nearly all of his chips, and I put him on a strong ace. For protection, I raised all in. Small blind folded, big blind stared me up and down and called for time. I put my hands in my lap and waited. He folded AJ (or so he told me later), and the guy who's bet I had raised called, making it heads up.

He turned over A 10 s and never connected. That shaky bet padded my mattress and I continued to play tight over the next two rounds. I made it to the final table and finished 9th, but the highlight from the experience was sitting at the 2nd-to-last table with my brother. Thanksgiving after all is a family affair. The whip cream on the pumpkin pie: the obnoxious taunter wasn't sitting in any of the final 18 seats.

So my online playing proved to me that I've developed at least some modicum of skill. But lots more to learn, including steeling my nerves.

Bad Beat at the Motor City Casino

Game: 5-10 No Limit Location: Motor City Casino in Detroit.

It was a live game with some decent players but also some democrats, I mean donkeys. The hand goes down like this---I am in the small blind with 2-2. The button makes it 45 bucks to go after everyone else folds. I’d like to see a flop so I choose to call. The big blind also calls. With almost $150 in the pot, we all stare at a 9-3-9 flop. I don’t like it but consider betting for an instant before checking. The big blind checks. The button then goes fires deep with a $600 bet. I fold my cards like they are radioactive. With barely a blink, the big blind calls with the rest of his chips. Before they flip up their cards, I think they must both have sets. Is it possible they both have 9s with one having a better kicker? The big blind flips up 10-9 for a decent set. The button guy turns over 3-3 for a full house. The pot is about $1200 because the BB didn’t have all of the $600. The turn is a five. Then the bloody river is a five of hearts. The double paired board gives the BB a better full house and he sucks the marrow out of the button for a very nasty beat. BB smirks. The button yells out: “nice catch….asshole (under his breath)”.

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Pac Club Tourney

My table broke up and about half of the participants were out. I had been playing super tight so when I looked down at K9 of clubs in late position with a couple of limpers, I joined the pot. The flop came out 9-7-3 with one club. There were four of us in the pot. The small blind quickly goes all in. The big blind and other guy fold over to me. What to do? I made several mistakes on this hand. I did try to read him and honestly put him on A-K or A-Q. He had me covered. I hadn't played any hands with him. It was the middle of the tourney and I had about an average stack. I called for time. If he flopped trips wouldn't he try to trap me or at least put out a feeler bet? Was he the bully at the table? I truly thought he was trying to steal the pot and even asked him if he wanted me to call. He didn't answer. When I finally put all my chips in the middle, he quietly said, "you aren't going to like it" as he flipped over two nines. I had one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel. Of course, I lost but realized that you shouldn't play top pair for a big pot and should always wait a while when you get to a new table. You simply have no information on your opponents.

Better Lucky than Good at Lucky Chances

I played at Lucky Chances just south of SF for the first time yesterday. LC has seasoned aggressive players and a wild 2-3-5 $200 spread limit game. In that game, I was above my level of play but tried to "hang around". After losing for the better part of two hours, I woke up with KK in the big blind. Five people had called before it got back around to me. I made it fifty to go. This was a game with a lot of chasers and I wanted to be heads up if possible. Two of the five limpers called me. The flop comes out 10-5-7 with two hearts. It is a semi rainbow for me. Again, I don't want any flush drawers, so I push with $200. One guy raises me all in for my last $150. The other guy folds. I violate all my owe rules and immediately call him. Neither of us flips up our cards. I put him on A-10 or perhaps a straight draw. The turn comes up another five and the river a two. I flip up my KK and he groans as he turns over 10-7. He had me beat until the five came up on the turn. I should have read him better after the flop but I had to act first. Also, how does he call a fifty dollar raise with only 10-7 offsuit preflop? Perhaps I should have put him on a set when he raised me after the flop. Clearly, I need to get better at reading players because in this had I was lucky not good. The over $800 pot still put a smile on my face as I walked out to my car fifteen minutes later. :)

Creative Use of a Beer Can

In case you ever run out of long tees, you can always use a beer can.

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Golf at TPC Scottsdale

These are two Surgical Poker corespondents doing some "research" at the TPC at Scottsdale. We'd like to know what they learned especially about Jenna J.!!!

Phil Hellmuth beats me at Pasatiempo

Phil's winning continued on the golf course last Friday. In a best ball scramble match at Pasatiempo (an excellent golf course in Santa Cruz, CA), he and his partner took my money. This is a picture just off the 18th green. We were down six matches going into the tough 11th hole when a miracle shot gave us the momentum to win the next 4 holes.

The wind was 20-30 miles per hour and gusting. After I airmailed 18th green, it was over and Phil gladly took my cash. I may never beat him at poker but I want another chance on the felt of the golf course.

AM

For more pix go to Surgical Poker.com

Poker in a Bikini in Aruba?

I did play in the Ultimatebet.com Aruba freeroll that was on the Arubadecoder postcards in our Camp Hellmuth gift bags. When it got down to 5players I took the chip lead and thought "I really could win this!" Ipromised myself that I would wear a bikini for the entire Aruba Classictourney if I did win the 1st place prize (a trip for 2 and entry in theAruba Classic). Alas, I lost my chip lead and went out in 3rd place. It wasupsetting to lose - I can't imagine what the pros go through when they'vespent multiple grueling days at the table only to lose right outside themoney! But I do think I played my best poker in that tourney and I know ifI put my mind to it, I could win more often.

Thanks for the post from NYC's Mary. We look forward to more of her poker stories and comments. For more poker pix and vegas info, go to: Surgical Poker.com

Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson at Hard Rock

David Williams, Phil Hellmuth, Bijou Phillips and Danny Masterson play at the Hard Rock Charity Tourney in Vegas. A VERY GOOD time!! :)

For more pix and posts, check out SURGICAL POKER.com

David Williams at Stuff Magazine Party

This is one of the coolest guys on the planet--David Williams. He is the 2004 WSOP runner up in the Main Event. Very nice to EVERYONE he meets and a great poker player.

East Bay Poker Camping

It was supposed to be a friendly night out camping with the guys and our kids. After putting the kids to bed, we broke the cards and chips. Fortunately, we kept the buy in reasonable because the game had sharks that can swim on the land. Nick, Perry and Bob were all smart aggressive players and they knew my tricks well. There would be no limping in and trapping with these guys. Very nice play by them eliminated me from claiming the title of best Poker Dad for that night. Perry and Nick split the spoils (our MONEY!!) with their excellent play. Bob and I want another chance to prove ourselves and an opportunity to restock our poker stashes. You name the place and we'll be there.

AM

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