The Nuclear Option

I try to keep my content focused on poker, so my loyal reader or two does not have to wade through to much fluff to get to the good stuff, but It's time to switch things up a bit for better or worse.

Last night was the pokersavvy 1k blogger freeroll on Poker.com. The email said it started at 5:30pm pacific, but it was actually scheduled for 6:30pm. 5:30 would have worked much better for me, and the nuclear option could have been adverted. Lets me explain.

The wifey don't like the poker you see.

It's not like I'm some sort of degenerate gambler or something. Well I have been gambling since my 21st pretty consistently. I would head up to Vegas 8-10 weekends a year with the buddies. I even lived in Vegas for 4 years going to UNLV. Blackjack, Craps, and Sports betting were serious hobbies. Blackjack and craps were played mainly for fun, and without the expectation of winning. I could count cards at blackjack, so I could play break even+ when I chose to concentrate. Sport's betting was serious, and I made some good money back then betting basketball, football, and some baseball. I had not discovered poker yet.

After Vegas, I moved back to Orange County and settled down. I resisted the urge to get an online sportsbook account, but eventually did, mainly for the superbowl. Then poker arrived. Finally a game that is mentally challenging, fun, and can be potentially-ridiculously-profitable. Plus it's popularity is going through the roof. I have found the game for me.

The wifey don't like the poker you see.

So some compromises are made so that I can enjoy my hobby, and not get into too much trouble. Mainly, I am not supposed to play between when I get home from work and when the kids go to bed.

But the blogger tourneys run at that time!

No blogger tourneys for me I guess.

Well. I really wanted to play in the savvy freeroll, but the wifey gets home at 7pm. I will just take my chances. If I go out in the first 1/2 hour, no one is the wiser. If I go deep, at least there will be some money involved. Only 36 entries. Can't go more than 2 hours.

On a very early hand, I take a flop from the SB with Q9. Flop drops JT8, and I slow play at first, then push and take down a nice pot getting me to 1680 (started 1000) and in second place out of the gate.

I raise it up with Ad Kd and get several callers. I flop a gutshot royal to the Qd. I make a small reraise on the flop, and turn a Q for the straight. More money goes in, and I take it down on a blank river. I am at 3365 and way in the early lead.

SB pushes for 305, and I call from the BB with A5. SB has K5 and is eliminated

I raise it up with QQ, and get a couple callers. Flop is low rainbow. I bet, get reraised all-in and call. I am against 88 (no 8 yet). Turn is an 8, and I get knocked back to about 2200 and 2nd place.

I get 44, call a min raise and flop a set. I min raise flop, bet out on the turn, and check behind a flush board losing to a made flush on the river. Down to 4th place.

Things heading south, but I saved some chips there.

Raise it up 5x from the cutoff with KK, one caller. Reraise on the flop and take it down.

See a flop with 95 from BB. Flop comes 766, and I lead out on a semibluff and take it down.

I'm back to 2nd place.

Wifey just came home, and appears to be pissed i'm playing poker.

I limp from Button with KTs. 3 way pot. Flop comes T82 with 2 spades. Check, check, I bet 300, SB goes all-in for 695, deep stack calls. I push all-in for 1900 total. Deep stack calls and has K9s for the flush draw. I dodge bullets, and win a 4865 pot and am back to way out in the lead.

From here I just cruised to the final table, and 6 handed bubble play. This went on for about 15 minutes.

The wifey was not happy, and had some chores she would rather me be doing.

I am in 3rd place out of 6 with about 5100 in chips. Top 5 paid. Been here for 15 minutes. And then the Nuclear option. The wifey comes over and just kills to power to the PC. OMG!, WTF! She has pulled this crap a few times before, but never at a critical stage in a tourney. I try to reboot, but she turns it off again. Then she goes outside, and kills the power to the house. Then she stand's by the door challenging me to get past her and get to the electric box.

Tournament over for me!

I took third place for a $150 cash. The site of a guy sitting out on the bubble must have been like blood in the water for the blogger sharks. In attacking my dead blinds, they attached each other, and I somehow managed to hold on to my third place position sitting out.

I'm pissed because I wanted the chance to play for the win, and can use the experience of a tourney like this for the WSOP. Anyway congrats to boobielover who rallied hard at the final table and got the win. He was going all-in on the bubble at a ridiculous clip, but no one would call him.

Wifey gets home at 9pm tonight, so the DADI is on. Can you keep a secret?