The Usual Suspects

It's $1/$2 NL Hold 'Em, and we're not afraid to get our chips in the middle. In case you haven't heard, the Bad Beat Jackpot is up over $2,100 and it's growing. Nelly's one hell of a cook and tonight she's cooking up some of her specialty chicken.

If you need details on the game, hit me up on AIM (Edna Jones).

Word gets around and it looks like we've got an interesting crew for tonight for the starting lineup. Several others are expected to saunter in throughout the night, we'll just have to see.

1. Blue - Found this cat in Atlantic City. He plays alot of $5/$10 NL up there. He's from the area, and he enjoys "slumming it" from time to time and can't stay away from Nelly's cooking. Never saw a K5 he didn't like.


2. Gypsy Pete - please refer to the Grab The String post below.


3. Anne - Hard to get a read on whether she's playing J4o or AAo. Also referred to as the comeback kid in some circles. She once got set-over-setted in PLO High game, had $7 left, and fought back to $450 without a rebuy.


4. Jefferson - Once known to dominate the plains of the Serenghetti, when it came to the Fish Tank. Easily the most crafty player from The Scott's game, he's had his head spun a few times playing with Donkeys instead of Fish.


5. Bruce - Dude's got some muscles, and when he's got chips (as he usually does) he likes to use those as well to muscle you off your inferior underpair. Not a big fan of the turn or river.


6. Keenan - He's finally figured out how to play cards other yacks or better. Easiest way to get past him is point out something shiny in the middle of the hand. He'll get distracted and ignore the possibility that his middle pair, five kicker MIIIIIGHT not be ahead. Oh, he's also been known to call all-ins pre-flop when his opponent shows him pocket aces.


7. Jeff - Can not be bluffed off of top set when it's the nuts. Ask Alex, he's tried. Jeff played at Pops' game with us this past Saturday and made a killing in pretty much four hands. He's kinda new to the circuit buy he's running pretty good and can't wait to play a little more.


8. Pops - Ahhhh.... Pops. Last night at The Fish Tank Bruce asked "Where's that guy who's always complaining about people sucking out on him and calling his check-raises?" Pops made a New Year's resolution to work on his player beration, and he really is doing better.


9. E Honda - likes to bet $17. I think that Freud would have much to say about it, but I'm not sure how the poker players handle it.

Cards in the air at 1900! Hope you can make it!

Nelly's Chicken Stuffed with Cream Cheese

Nelly makes a bad-ass Chicken Stuffed with Cream Cheese and several other ingredients. It's on the menu for next Wednesday Night's Game. We're gonna kick it off at 1900, as usual.

If you need more details, hit me up on AOL Instant Messenger, or call my personal secretary at (301) 461-2163.

So far likely suspects are

• Pops
• Redpit
• Haga
• Big John
• Blue
• Bessman
• Keenan
• Gypsy Pete
• Nevin
• EHonda
• Rock
• Rocco the Elder
• Steve "The Scott" aka Keeper of The Fish Tank

Don't let the long list scare you. Many will be late arrivals or short stays.

Grab the String!

Week or so ago, Gypsy Pete got on The Maryland Poker Forums and talked about his not-so-tight playing style.

crazygypsy:

[T]hey love me when I'm paying their bills, but hit a few hands... and it's "Hang the Gypsy by the Balls!"

Everytime Pete dragged a pot, or seemed like he was about, I'd holler out "Grab the String!" Think I'ma do that forever now.

Pete's a big fan of the bonus, in this case the Bad Beat Jackpot. It's now up to $2,118. Back in the day, we used to run a $1/$2 PL Round of Each game with Hold 'Em and Omaha Hi. We did what we endearingly called "The Fucked Customer Bonus" back then. Anytime the pot got up to $100, dealer would say "Fucked Customer gets a dollar." After the fourth or fifth time, Pete would say "That Asshole." He does it everytime, even when I say "Bad Beat gets a dollar."

We'd award the FCB by tracking buy-ins throughout the night and whosoever wound up losing the most, they got the bonus.

Pete found it extra funny to find out he'd been calling himself an asshole all night the one time when he qualified for the bonus.

Good Fold!

We had a few new faces this past Wednesday. Robert, aka Haga, the guy that took down the tournament at The Fish Tank last Saturday was in attendance. Two other new faces were (just call him) Encore and Greg.

Blue thought it would be neat to re-raise the new guy pre-flop in a hand that I'm remembering. I think it was Greg that raised after a limper or two, one or two callers, and then Blue just about three-bet it.

Greg deliberates, then says something to the tune of "what the hell am I thinking?" Folds the monster that is 6d4d, face up.

Blue says, "Good Fold, you were dominated." Tosses up 7h4h and takes down the pot pre-flop.

So yeah, we got action on Wedsnesday Nights.

Seat Open, $1/$2 NL!

Next game is on Wednesday 24 May, 2006. We're doing it a different spot, so be sure to hit me up on AIM or call Keenan's Cell (301) 461-2163 for the location info.

I'm thinking I'ma start, cards in the air, at 1900. No FR this week, just straight in to the $1/$2 NL action. For this coming game only, if I've played with you before, but you've never been to our game (to include over the past year) - I'll give you a nice shiny green chip for rekindling our friendship next Wednesday, but you'll have to remind me.

I've already had Pops lock up a seat, as well as Keenan. Big John's on auto-lock, and there's a rumor that Bessman won't be able to stay away from this one.

Nelly loves to hear suggestions and requests when it comes to the menu. If we're lucky, I'll trick her into making that chicken that's breaded and stuffed with cream cheese and other good stuff. If y'all really want Taco Pie instead, let her know!

Guess who's back, back again...

Around 0200, after a solid six or seven hours of play, we still had a full table. And this is on a school night, too! Matt, Superdave, and Bert's guest, Jimmy, played three handed for a looooooong time late into the night. Around 0400 there were rumors that Dave was gonna quit so he could get to McDonald's "right when they open."

He was bluffing. I begged Nelly to deal around that time and I passed out on the couch. When I woke up at 0700, they were finally quitting.

It all started 12 hours prior with a $100 Free-roll. Each of the nine player seats at the table was given 40 tournament chips and I high-carded for the button. To start, Matt was on the button. The blinds were vacant seats, The Scott was about UTG + 1, raised to 10 with the blinds at 1/2. Keenan was on his left, and folded. $5/$10NL Blue went all-in. Matt folded the button.

But what about the other five seats? They claim they were stuck in traffic, or something. I was determined to give everyone a fighting chance at the free roll, so I didn't just take the stacks off the table... who wants to play a four-handed free roll?

The Scott had AdTd that first hand, Blue was holding pocket sevens. Flop was T96. Sure enough, Blue hit his six-outer for the straight.

Eventually, with the big stack, Blue knocked out Keenan AND Matt. But as I said... I was determined...

So I dealt two cards to every remaining stack. I mucked the vacant seats, and asked Blue what he would like to do. Who knows, he might've wanted to fold? He went all-in and took down the blinds against the empty seats for a good five or ten hands.

Then Dennis (from The Scott's game) showed up. After a brief explanation of the situation, he took his seat. Nevin walked through the door not too long after.

I tried to tell Nevin how we arrived at this point of the game. He sat down UTG + 1 with a few chips still in that stack. He flat-banged it. Blue called out of the blinds. Nevin was out of the free roll before he really got in.

Blinds were up to 5/10 (with only 360 in play) there were five remaining "players." Blue and Dennis each had stacks (Blue had doubled up Dennis several times) and the button had one big blind left. Rock and Kenny walked through the door. Rock chose the big blind, with half it's stack committed to the pot. Kendrick took the sb with five chips in the pot, and nine behind.

They fought valiantly. After ten or fifteen grueling minutes, and bumping the blinds up to 6/12 - the two late (well, latest) arrivals doubled up to a level of contention, and Dennis was knocked out. Blue, Rock and Kenny took a 40/30/30 chop, and we moved in to the $1/$2 NL action.

At one point in the middle of the free-roll Blue could smell and see the food that had been prepared by Nelly. He mentioned that he would rather have busted out of the FR so he could eat the scrumptious meal than continue to play it.

Nelly made her Mushroom Swiss Chicken, and it was damned good. She always makes a good meal. Any suggestions for next week - let us know.

For our first game back, it was no Fish Tank. Lineup is as follows.

Seat	Player	Signature Phrase
1	Kendrick	"Come on, duece!"
2	The Scott	"Are those all diamonds?"
3	Keenan	"All right, fuckstick"
3.5	Big John	"Checkinthe dark"
4	Rock	"Come on man, bet that shit!"
5	Blue	"LAG blah LAG blah blah"
6	Matt	"We got any beers (hiccup) left?"
7	Dennis	"I fold"
8	Nevin	"I think you're BOTH weak"
9	SuperDave	"Ring ring... I'm calling"

Big John had showed up a few minutes later so we squeezed him in as a tenth player. When Rocco showed up, Matt offered to sit out until a seat opened up. Keenan was a little upset by this after the beat Matt just put on him. Read Keenan's Blog to hear him tell the story incorrectly, in his own words.

Gypsy Pete showed up a little later to fill Big John's shoes.

Pretty late into the night, Bert and his buddy Jimmy showed up. Appearantly Jimmy and Kendrick have some history, and they exchanged a few jokes upon arrival.

After eleven or twelve hours of play, we managed to run the Bad Beat Jackpot up to $2078. If you do the math, that's roughly a $100 pot every ten minutes. I think?

So yeah, we got action.

Game On!

Nelly and I are bringing back the Wednesday Night action starting on May 17, 2006. Look for some of the same old faces with a few new ones mixed in. As always, Nelly will be providing a scrumptious home-cooked meal, and we'll provide plenty of beer and soda and snacks. Any special requests, we'll be happy to help.

I'm not about to put the physical address out here on the interweb for any and all to see, but leave a comment here, E-Mail me, send me an IM, or give a call if you got the number.

Game is $1/$2 NL. We allow a $4 UTG live straddle (and then $8/$16/$32 etc). This straddle is treated as an additional blind, player has the option to raise if no one else has exercised this option.

Going to bring back the Bad Beat Jackpot, too! Can't lie, we had to live off it a bit while the game was not running. To be fair, we're going to start it back at a clean $2,000. Any pot played with $100+ in it, you'll hear the dealer say "bad beat gets a dollar."

In order to qualify for the Jackpot, you must lose at showdown with AAAJJ (or better) when you and the better hand use both hole cards. 50% of the Jackpot goes to the person that is beat, 25% to the best hand, remaining 25% is spread among remaining players dealt into the hand.

For our first game back, we're going to do a $100 Free-roll NLHE single-table tournament starting at 6:45PM. Blinds will be pretty fast and furious so we can get into the $1/$2 NL action, but we're giving away $100!

Free-roll seats help start off the cash game, so if you can get there for the Free-roll, let us know!