The New Home Game

We have a regular home game NL tournament the second Wednesday of the month that attracts a loyal following of 10-16 players each time. There is also the occasional special event tournament on weekends at various locations and usually for higher stakes. The other night I was playing online as usual. The monitor faces towards the street and can be seen through the window. I get a knock on the door, and its my neighbor's son from over the back wall inviting me to a home game. I guess he sees me playing online through the window as he comes home late at night. So I agreed, and played a dealers choice game with $50 buy-in. The dealer could choose NL holdem, PL 7-Card Stud, or PL Draw. Lets just say that I don't have a clue about draw, and have never really played 7-Card Stud seriously. I was pretty card dead, and sucked as expected in Draw and Stud, and played for about 3 hours before losing my $50 and calling it a night.

Well last night, I got another knock on the door. The game was on again, and I was invited. This time it was a $100 buy-in. I said I would be over in about an hour. Time to study up on Stud and Draw so I won't make a fool out of myself. I grabbed Super System 2. They covered 7-Stud high/low, not high only, and did not cover draw. I grabbed Phil Helmouths book. OK, stud is covered here, cool. I read the chapter. Wow some strict starting hand requirements. It will probably be like last time where I just give up and fold away my ante, and wait for the next hand of holdem. I ran to the ATM machine and over to the neighbors house.

Only six players were there, with me making 7 (last time it was 9). But cool! They are only playing NL holdem this time. So much for studying, but I will be in my element tonight. I got seated to the right of the neighbors Son. He is a maniac pushing hard preflop with hands like 53o, calling down any gunshot he gets, and betting third pair on the board with an A and Q up like it is gold. His Dad was there this time. He is a contractor, but has spent the last two years on the tournament circuit playing in nearly every event on the WPT and WSOP. I asked what his best result was, and he replied cashed 118k by making the final table in a 10k buy-in. His son who was 21, has played in at least 8 tournaments with 1k+ buy-ins and cashed once for 80k!

Dad had a great story about a hand he had with Marcell Luske in a 15k buy-in event. Marcell popped it preflop 5x with pocket Ks and dad called with JTs. Dad flops the outside straight flush draw. Marcell bets, dad calls. Turn brings a K for the straight, and a set for Marcell, and all the money goes in. River hit Marcell for the boat, but gives dad a Royal, and Marcell is eliminated. I want a story like that one.

Anyway the game starts and I am cold decked at first. Someone is inevitably poping it 3-5x preflop, and the whole table calls, except me of course. This goes on for about 3-4 orbits. There is some crazy stuff going on. Big bets coming out on the river with third pair, crap kicker beating forth pair crap kicker. I am licking my chops but can't seem to get a hand worth playing. I hate that the son (maniac) is on my left. Finally, I pick up JJ in the BB. Son pops it to $7 total (blinds 1/2), and gets 4 callers. I push all-in. Whole table folds. Can you blame them? This is like the first hand I played. I wake up to AA a few hands later, and a player before me raises to $6. I instinctively want to reraise here, but I feel they will all fold based on my image, and I might be able to trap one of these third pair playing mofos. I call, and so do three others. Flop comes 345 rainbow. Initial better checks, and I bet $15. The Son calls. Turn brings a 6, and now I feel like I am screwed. This guy could be playing anything here. I check, he bets $20, and I am in the tank. I make the crying call. Turn brings a K, I check, and the Son checks behind flipping up 23o for the straight. I show my AA, to prove I am as retarded as the rest of the table. I pick up 99, pop it 4x get two callers. Qxx flop, and I bet $20, only the son calls. Turn is a Q, I bet $20 again, son calls. River is a K, I check, Son checks behind with Q4o and takes down a nice pot. I ask him why he didn't bet the river. He says "thought you might have KK for the boat". I am down to $12 so I rebuy another $100.

I Start catching a few flops. Call a 4x bet with the rest of the table with A2s. Flop comes A82 with two suited. They check to me, and I bet $20 and take the pot down. I show my A2 to prove I am loosening up a bit. A call another 4x preflop with most of the table with ATs, and catch a TT3 flop with 2 clubs (I don't have one). I bet $10 and the Son calls. Turn brings the third club, and I tell the Son "I am putting you all-in". He thinks for a while and folds. I don't show this time. The game is about to break up so they say last hand. I get Q9s. Dad pops it 5x. I guess to make for a good last pot. I want to muck, but it is the last hand so I call. The Son pushes all-in for $95 total. Dad calls. I am honestly thinking of calling here. The Son could have anything, and Dad knows this. My Q9s don't look to bad three way. I tell the Son, I am thinking about calling, and he tells me he has me beat right now. I fold, he flips up KK, Dad has K9. Good fold! I end up slightly down for the night.

The quote of the night was the Dad saying "the neighbor don't like to play cards". He is pretty observant!