THE PERSISTENT IRRITATION

Whiskey River, take my mind

They drank liquor and spilled beer. They recalled fondly the threats and accusations of a woman they knew, and fiercely debated the other things she possibly might have said. In a holiday season marked by indulgence, they shared tiny crackers among themselves.

And throughout it all, they played poker.

Game Four was a giddy riot of strong bets, big bluffs, solid play and a come-from-behind heads up finish. Seven players including one new guy battled to determine who, if anyone, could knock Brent C. off his perch as league leader.

In the early going, chip stacks tilted heavily toward Ben M. and Brent C., two players known for heavy bluffing and early leads. Fans of the Ranckle Poker League know that these two often play heads up against each other when away from the tournament circuit, which may explain their similar styles of play.

On the other side of the spectrum, Jeff H. and Sean M. struggled through most of the early rounds, while Chris L., Pedro S. and Josh A. kept to the middle of the pack.

Sean M.’s stack was extricated from his control in the middle rounds and, by finishing seventh out of seven,  helped break the “first to worst” cycle that had Pete S. concerned. Sean M.’s exit allowed Pedro S. to comfortably ease into sixth place.

Chris L. developed a considerable lead through strong position bets and the occasional lucky fifth street. Sadly, his fortunes eroded as the game took a more serious tone after the dollar game. When Ben M. was knocked out in fifth, Chris L. short stacked to face three others for the money. Jeff H. and Josh A. had quietly built up competitive chip stacks in the middle rounds and, with Brent C. playing super tight, it wasn’t long before the blinds got the best of Chris L. All in on a Q-4 off-suit, he was unceremoniously knocked off the bubble to finish in fourth.

Glasses filled with the nectar of the hillbillies, the race was. In time, Brent C. was knocked out, leaving Jeff H. and Josh A., a familiar site from last year’s tournament. But unlike previous games, the finals were marked not by concentration but by shenanigans that only fermented beverages can create.

End game came down simply enough. With Josh A. holding Ad 4h and Jeff H. with As Kd, the flop comes Qh Ah 5h. Josh goes all in, Jeff H. calls.

Fourth street turns a nine but the river runs a four, giving Josh A. two pair and his first win of the 2007-2008 season. And just like that, the game was over.

Or was it?

Chipstacks emptied but glasses filled, a Threes mini-tournament was held, from which Ben M., the Praying Mantis of dice, took home victory.

Hats off to the winners, and thanks to Sean M. for joining us. We'll have another game in December... check your evite for details.

It's okay to be inspired

On Saturday, Barack Obama spoke at Iowa's Jefferson Jackson dinner. For a candidate known for extraordinary speeches, this one is being recognized as one of the best.

Go ahead. Be inspired. Then donate to his campaign via my personal campaign webpage.

Two-pair brings grin, win to Pedro S.

A flopped two-pair brought  Pedro S. a grin - and a win -  Friday night at Game Three of the Ranckle Poker League 2007-2008 season.

With Ts Ah 3d on the board, Pedro went all-in with As 3h and was called by Jeff H. with Ad 7s. Pedro held on through the streets to claim victory, his first win since March 23.

Pedro bested seven other players to take home $141, followed by Jeff H. ($71) and Chris L. ($24). Pedro and Jeff both placed in the money for the first time this season. To date, eight out of 16 players have claimed earnings this year.

Opening rounds were marked by steady, conservative play. Despite several side pots and a fair amount of rebuys in the middle, the game continued to clip along as if Mark Buehrle was dealing. Brent C. was the first to fall, with Matt K. and Ben M. following him out the door a few rounds later.

As the smell of bourbon eclipsed the furniture polish and bleach that permeated the air earlier, newcomer Rick R. began to show his skills, winning back to back to back hands. His chip stack dramatically larger, Rick bullied the table a little bit, betting large on bottom and middle pair, and causing much consternation for the regulars. Hopes were dashed, however, when Jeff H. took down an incredibly huge pot that included much of his stack. A few hands later, Rick was sent packing.

This left Pedro S., Jeff H., Chris L. and Mark B. on the bubble with Chris L. and Mark B. in the short stacks. Using Josh A.'s “play for third” strategy, Chris L. mucked hand after hand in the hopes that the blinds would bleed Mark B. dry first. Instead, Mark took an ill-fated chance on an all-in bet against Pedro. When the dust settled, Mark was out and Jeff H., Pedro S. and Chris L. were ushered into the money rounds.

Chris L.’s short stack lasted only two hands, however. After doubling up once, he went all-in again with K-J. Jeff called with a K-4, giving Chris a 73% chance of winning. Incredibly, the flop brought a 4, changing the odds to favor Jeff 4:1. Insult was added when Jeff built a full house with a K and a 4 on the turn and river. With Chris out, Jeff H. and Pedro were left to fight it out.

Although lacking the final round experience of Jeff H., Pedro entered the final rounds with confidence. If he was intimidated by Jeff’s five wins in 2006-2007, he didn’t show it. Instead, he led out strong, raising up pots pre-flop and making continuation bets that put Jeff J. in a defensive position.

“He seemed to be following me through all of the heads-up hands,” said Pedro in a subsequent interview. “He was not his usual aggressive self.”

Jeff conceded that he may have underestimated his opponent.

“Pete definitely played well, and it did take me by surprise.  Whether he also got good cards I don't know for sure. A couple of times I was fairly confident he had a hand after the flop, but he could have been bluffing very effectively,“ he said.

Jeff also had changed his strategy for this heads up round, relying more on position than cards to direct his betting.

“[The position strategy] obviously didn't work well for me. I would normally be more patient than I was in heads up,” said Jeff.

“Then again, it might have been the whiskey.”

And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. (Luke 13:30)

When it comes to poker, the apostles know what they're talking about. Previously, Pedro S. had been winless and wallowing at the bottom of the leader board with the unwashed masses. This weekend's winnings elevated him 4 positions into third place, behind Brent C. and Chris L.

Meanwhile, for the second game in a row, the winner of the previous game finished in dead last in his next attempt. Chris L. won the opening game on September 14 only to place 10th out of 10 on October 12. That game was won by Brent C., who ended up in last place this week.

Will Pedro S. continue this trend and end up at bottom next time around? Only time (or one of Jesus’ followers) will tell.