WOW...What a week

This is one blog I am not sure how to start. Wow what a week. I started out the weekend kind of checking out the storm, and I didn't think it was that big of a deal as we have been thru storms before, after all, we live in South Louisiana. We deal with storms all the time. I have never evacuated for a storm in my life and neither have my parents. I was not planning on evacuating for this one either until all the "Mass Hysteria". I have never in my life seen more commercial companies and money sway public opinion. I mean Lowes/Home Depot/Generator Companies/Plywood Companies/Ice Companies/Tarp Companies...they must have been feeding money to the media outlets to preach to the masses about the "Mother of All Storms" is approaching. I heard, "We will have 4-6 feet of water in downtown Houma". I laughed then...and I laugh now. What a crook of crap. This storm hysteria was fueled by companies looking to profit off the storm. Everybody is out to make a dollar. I was in line at HomeDepot several days ago, Though i might add I waited in line for 45 minutes just to get thru the door, and overheard scumbags talking about, "Yea man...FEMA is going to re-imburse me for this generator and window unit...Hell...I am going to sell them as soon as power comes back on. I am going to Pay $1000.00 and FEMA will re-imburse me for this and then I am going to sell both of them for $600.00". That's right folks. This is the type of scumbags you have out there.

So GeneD gets coerced into "Evacuating". The worst thing I ever did...and I will never do it again. On a side note...there was a guy in line with me that told me that if he and his wife would have evacuated that he would have lost his house and all his belongings. He lost 4 sheets of plywood on his roof in the middle of the storm, and him and his wife chased them down, and nailed them back up. He told me, "It would have rained for hours on all of our belongings". Thats what I want all of the people that got hyped by the media to know. I want to be there to protect what is mine. I want to be able to re-act...even if there is some danger...hell its dangerous driving a car these days.

So GeneD heads for Tunica...good move. I would wind up booking 3 winning session and 1 losing. I got 3rd place in the $80.00 nightly buy-in at the Goldstrike, and left with a nice addition to the bankroll. So lets talk some poker...

First tournament I played in was at Sams Town the first night we got there. I get there 45 minutes before the tournament starts and sit in a cash game and deck slaps me in the face. I am in the game for $175.00 and 14 hands later I cash out with $420...schweeet. First hand flopped a set of 10's...2nd hand also flopped a set and turned a fullhouse while donk turns a straight...Flush over flush...I could do no wrong. I play in the tournament and get seated at the table with the most obnoxious guy I have played with in along time. Shooting crown and it was only 4pm. Now I have been known to enjoy a cold beer/shot while I play, but if I ever act like this guy...I will quit playin poker. It has been s long time since I was not upset to bust out of a tourney. Go back to the GS and get in a cash game and booked a small winner.

Day 2 started off like crap and then got better once the tournament kicked off. Side note: I want to thank Beth Blevins for helping us out with the poker rate while we were there. She really did us a solid. So I decided to go play in the cash game at 4:30 to wait for the tournament to start. I sit down with $200.00 in a 1-3nl game and get to business. I play tight most of the hour and I am in the SB and look down at Qh-6h. There are 6 limpers to me and I complete. BB pops it to $15.00. everybody calls....interesting. Flop snaps out 10h4h2h. Original raiser in the BB bets out $45.00 and UTG player announce raise before he even twitched in his seat. He ships another hundo in the pot making it $145.00 to me. WOW...I have right at $185.00 in front of me. Oh well...if the guy has a King high or Ace high flush I will just have to get stacked off. I announce, "Only 2 things to do here...ship or fold...I can't call"..."Yea...I am going to ship" and I Jam with all my chips. BB gets out of the way, and UTG is trapped. he can't fold either...or can he? he has $145.00 in the pot and it only cost him $40.00 more to call. He mumbles something about "Can't beat a flush"..."I have too much money in there"...etc...and calls. He ask me, "You got a flush?"...I node affirmative and he then announces, "Damn...I can't win". AT THAT MOMENT I HAD A SINKING FEELING IN MY STOMACH. Turn comes comes the 10c and the river is the 4c and the banana stands up and yells, "I hit my fullhouse" and tables A-10. The old runner-runner game was in full force.

I play in the tournament and I swap percentages with another player. After what happened to Monkey, I guess I need to be a little careful. I hope swapping percentages is OK. There were numerous hands I wanted to blog about to after this storm week...I don't remember any of them. The crucial hand of the tournament I do remember though...The turning point. Side Note: I cost myself 3 hundos by not negotiating a chop. I was the chip leader and felt I was the best player left. I had SPR (Southpawrounder) and JackS sweating me, and they both said they would not have chopped either. We are down to 3 handed and I have about 50% of the chips and the other 2 guys have 25% each. I have A-8 on an ace high flop. I bet out a nice chunk and villain pops me...I jam and he goes in the tank. He eventually calls and tables A-10...I go card dead after this and they work me down. I jam with 7 BB's and brick out. I pick up $500.00. I really felt that I played the hand bad. I did not have to push so hard with that hand. I could have been more cautious with the chip lead and my 2 opponents spooked. I should have check the flop and went from there and reacted to what he did. Several people have told me that A-8 vs A-10 on an Ace high flop...three handed... is just "Cold Decked"...its hard to know how to play it.

Other notes:
--Congrats to Jason Lipscomb as he chopped an $80.00 tourney at the GS.
--Congrats to SPR who chopped a tournament at the Shoe 2 night after my third place
--Congrats to Cub for taking down the GCPC last event...Someone said they paid out by chip counts??? Was he the chip leader and racked in the cheese because he ended Day 1 on top?

I Went to Shorty's last night in my drive in to Lafayette...Booked a small winner, but I have hands I want to blog about. JackS/Cody/Fred/Mustang Mike/Mrs. Lorna/Doc were all there. I will try to blog about that tomorrow.

"In a severe lightning storm, you wanna grab your ankles and stick your butt in the air" Alan Ruck as Rabbit in "Twister"