My husband Tufa, Bless his Soul, taught me how to play poker after we were married, and we used to play in a friendly game over at Millie's house which was down around the corner. We didn't have Texas Hold-Em in those days, but I remember playing similar games with "flops" like Criss Cross, and Bundles. So It's interesting that Hold-Em Poker seems to have taken the world by storm lately. While it's always been a game of skill, some people still think it's "gambling", but we had so much fun, we called it entertainment. I used to win a few coins way back then and became curious to see if I could still play. With nothing to do this past Saturday night, I called up a few friends and ended up with 6 players all putting in $1 each for prize money.
One interesting twist was that we decided to double the bilnds after every hand for a maximum of five hands, once only two players were left. While somewhat disadvantageous for the small stack in that postion, it made sure that the game would end pretty quickly. Since the two top players were in the money anyways (we paid out $4 for first and $2 for second) it seemed to be a good idea allowing the other players to get back into the game quickly.
In the seventh hand of the game, I had As 5s and raised the big blind. Everyone folded except Roger and the flop came 7c 9c Jd. We both checked and Fourth Street came 2c. He checked and I bet 50 chips. He called and the river came 4s. He made a real small bet, which to me showed extreme weakness given the size of the pot. Right then, I decided to try and get him to fold. I went all in, and he quickly called with Kc 8c which frankly, shocked the heck out of me!. My Ace high ended up beating his King high and I virtually wiped him out. He said he guessed I was bluffing (which I was), but he didn't expect me to have an Ace. Sometimes bluffing works for different reasons, I guess.
Roger: Kc 8s
Sopha: As 5s
Flop : 7c 9c Jd - 4s - Qd
This gave me a commanding chip lead, which I then partially squandered raising it up with weak starting cards (while generally in position) and then tossing it away if I didn't improve, or if there was a raise. A few hands later, I was in the kitchen getting some refreshments, and when it came around to me I just told the dealer to call the big blind in the dark for me. When I got back to my seat I found 9s 10c in the hole, and the flop came Jc 7s 3c. I was thinking that the only thing I had was a gut-shot straight draw and should probably fold, but after 4 people called in front of me for only the minimum bet, I decided to call. I was thinking that the implied pot odds over the course of the hand probably made it worthwhile. Voila! The 8d comes out, and I made my straight. The guy to the left of me, Monty, made a fairly strong bet and everyone else folded. I figured he probably had a jack in the hole (pairing up his jacks) and so decided to bet all-in. He thought about it for a while and decided to call, probably figuring I had a 7 or something and was trying to push him around. The way the cards flopped, plus my two running cards, made my straight very hard to see and put his tournament life at stake. The river offered no improvement to either of us and his pair of Js wilted.
Monty - Kc Jc
Sopha -- 9s 10c
Flop -- Js 7c 3c - 8d 3d
Monty's wife Jennifer was still in the game, and I found myself tangled up with her in a few hands. On the first one, I made a strong raise with garbage after the flop and she wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't sure what to do either so I started fondling my chips in an effort to look like I was getting ready to re-raise her should she raise me. Somehow she must have picked up on what I trying to do, and she quickly folded (probably with a better hand). I found myself in the same situation with her several hands later, did the same thing, and she folded again. T'was a pretty basic move but it worked which was Sopha King Cool.
I was now in a serious commanding chip position, and proceeded to push the rest of players around for a while, and ended up winning the tournament. We played two other tournaments that night, and I eneded up winning the third one as well. Wih my coin purse stuffed to almost overflowing we called it a night, as everyone was bushed. Poker can be Sopha King Fun. Tufa would have said it was Tufa King Cool. Boy I miss him.
