Table drama x 2

Last night was an impressive night of Wall Street Poker. Not for me though. I played like a complete donkey. But it marked the return of W to the table. She's been gone for a month now and it feels like she's been gone forever. Also, Darko made an appearance at both tourneys, trying desperately to make up for lost time and qualify for the loser's tourney, which is going to be October 7th (Sunday, 2PM). Also, Stephen P. was in attendance, so the top 3 rankings were all making appearances.

I doubled up W really really early in the first tourney when I raised to 200 PF in the first round with AK offsuit. Someone behind me and W completed her limp. Flop was K74 with two clubs. W checked to me and I bet 600 with top/top. The person behind me folded and W flat called. I put her on a AK, KQ or a flush draw. Turn was a brick and she fired out 750! This completely took me by surprise. My mind just couldn't grasp the obvious, of course, and I shoved. She actually hesitated, telling Stephen that she's "going running early", but she called showing 77 for the flopped set! I was drawing dead and I doubled her up. I outchipped her, fortunately, after she tried to get me off 88 on two streets a few hands earlier and I held up, but I was crippled in the first round. I doubled myself up by winning a few small pots here and there, but I busted out in 7th place with blinds at 200/400. I had 1350 in my stack and it folded to me in the cutoff. I had K9o and only three people behind me. Time to gamble...I'm all in! KJ, to my left, hesitated, but finally called. The blinds folded. I showed K9 and he turned over one Ace. Then another! Grrr.... He flopped an Ace too, so I was dead in the water though a flopped straight draw gave me a glimmer of hope, which the river crushed by turning up nothing. W went on to use my chip stack to crush her opponents and take first place. Stephen busted out 5th. So much for my dark horse hopes of taking down the season, I guess.

Or?

In the second tourney, a miracle occurred. Raymond, who is new to our table but seems to be a fine player, busted out W in last place in miraculous fashion. I raised UTG to 200 with AJo. W called and Raymond called. Flop was AQ2 with two hearts. I had a Jack of hearts, but the two flat callers behind me had me worried that my Ace wasn't the best. I checked in early position. W put out a bet of 350. Raymond raised to 850! I flashed my cards to Lee and mucked. {Sigh}. W thought and thought and finally shoved. Raymond insta-called and turned over AQ. I had W on AK but she surprised me by showing 22 for another flopped set!!!! Luckbox. Or? The case Ace came on the turn, sending ooohs and aaahs throughout the gallery. Raymond had made his three outer and sent W to the rail to bitch and complain (rightly so this time). So W averaged 5th place for the two tourneys. Stephen, meanwhile, busted out in 5th in both tourneys so HE averaged 5th as well. That means that Stephen and W, both in front of the pack in the rankings, have not moved relative to each other! This would have been a perfect opportunity for me to make up some ground on them but I busted in 7th in both tourneys!

The second tourney was a heartbreaker for me as I got played like a fiddle. I had AQo UTG and raised to 1000 with blinds at 150/300. I had a relatively healthy stack at that point with 3100 behind me. Darko surprises me by moving all in on the button! It gets back to me and I have a decision to make. I would be left with nearly nothing if I made the call and lost, but Darko is a tricky player. I was wondering if he was gambling with TT or JJ. As I pondered, he went into full blown Jedi mind trick mode. "You either have 77 or AQ". (How does he do that?). I tried to get a read off of him. "I have AQ," I said.

"What if I showed you an undercard, would that get you to call?"

God-damn him. In hindsight it was obvious what he was doing, but I've seen him give the same exact speech with nothing in his hand. The scene flashed in my head. I fold, he shows 25o and laughs maniacally while I sulk about what might have been.

I called. He showed AK. The flop had a King but a gutshot straight draw for me, which never came. Again, I double up a dangerous player, get busted out soon afterwards, and the player I doubled up goes on to win the game. I hate my life!!!

Plus, I was on super tilt earlier in the day about my new table. It was supposed to arrive yesterday between 1 and 5, but it never came. I took off from work at 3:30p to wait for it, but at 6:30p I got nervous. I called the dispatching company.

"Oh, he was there, but he had to leave"

"What? Why?"

"He said there was no place to park."

Holy shit! Are you kidding me dude! You're a DELIVERY COMPANY! I yelled at the guy that I wanted my damned delivery and he said he'd get it to me at 9AM this morning first thing.

I woke up today and got a call at 9:10 that the guy was downstairs. Sure enough, he was parked on Wall Street, but the service delivery entrance is in the back on Exchange place. The guy said there was no parking available on Exchange and it was true. I went around back and another moving van had taken the spot. Also, I found out this was curbside delivery; he wasn't helping me to my aparment with this thing. AND, the box with the table wasn't wrapped tightly, so the contents might spill out if we tipped it over. I managed to convince him to use his dolly to help me bring the box at least to the front entrance of the building and then I bribed my wonderful doorman to help me take it upstairs. We had to unpack it out in front first, but it was well worth it. The table is now set up and ready to go for tonight! I'm so excited, like a got a new kid in the mail.

Here's a pic of my new baby: