Home Game, Calgary Poker Network, and my very own Theme Song

It is 3am on Sunday night/Monday morning, and I can't sleep. Way too wired from all the poker I played this weekend. In fact, I don't think I did anything BUT play poker.

First of all - I am going to say something that no self-respecting blogger would normally say. I have actually grown to like Noble. Maybe it is because they have dramatically improved their game interface since the blogger tourney there. Perhaps it is because the games are so very soft - literally candy from a baby. But the main reason is because I have discovered a secret little nightly tournament there that I have become somewhat addicted to.

I was bored a few weeks back and still had a bonus to clear at Noble, (yes - from way back when) so I was scouting out the tournaments there. I came across one that was hosted by the Calgary Poker Network. The tournaments are open to anyone from anywhere, but since membership is free (and I happen to live in that city), I joined up. The tournament is a $5+50 freezout at 8pm MST nightly, and as of right now the field averages about 20 players. Nice small tourney, little commitment for money and time - perfect for someone like me who averages several tournaments in a night. Top three places pay (at least for all the ones I have played so far) and the first time I played I came in second. Bob came along for the ride the second time I played, and he scooped first and I ended up second again. Yes - you heard me correctly, I had to take second place to Bobby Bracelet and his twice-confirmed huge junk. I've since placed second again, and took third another time - placing in the money four out of six games total. We all know that I am a sucker for anything with a leaderboard, and they just happen to have one. Currently I am tied for 4th place.

Anyways - these fine people who host the nightly tournament also play live every week or two at the various casinos here in Calgary, so I decided that I would go play in the $30+3 freezeout earlier tonight. There were 45 entrants on 5 tables, and starting chip count was T4000 - which is so nice after playing so many with only T1000 to start.

I don't think I played more than a dozen hands all night, but managed to make it to the final table after four hours of play. Unfortunately, I had exactly T4000, and the big blind was - you guessed it, T4000. My saving grace was I had a bit of time to choose where I was going to make my stand, as I started the final table in cut off position. Three hands later, I looked down to find JJ and went all in. I was called by 77, and fortunately the Jacks held up, giving me T14,000. I felt pretty confident that I could outlast a few more people at this point, even possibly bully a few people out of their blinds, so when I saw AdKd UTG, I raised all-in. A young guy in middle position thought about it for what seemed like hours, then finally called me. He flipped over 77, and I just about died when he completed a set on the flop. The turn was a diamond though - giving me four to the flush, but lady luck didn't bring another on the river and I was out in 9th place. (Incidentally, the guy who busted me out won the entire tournament with pocket sevens. He was, even more ironically, the same person who won the tournament at their previous live event.)

Unfortunately only the top 3 places paid - plus 4th received a free entry into the next live event - so I didn't cash. I'm already signed up for the next one this coming Saturday night, so I hope to have a better ending then.

Saturday night I played in a tournament with my brother and a bunch of his friends. This one was also live, but it was a home game with 23 players. I didn't do as well though, after receiving three horrible bad beats in a row I ended up 17th or 18th I think. Fortunately, I doubled up in the cash game we played on the side, so that helped ease my pain (and bankroll) a little.

If that wasn't quite enough poker content for you, I also played a freeroll on Noble this afternoon before the casino tournament, and placed 3rd out of about 85 players.

Just to top off my weekend, I received multiple dial-a-shots from Al, Pauly, and April (sorry April - I was out when you called - or at least when someone called from your cell phone lol) so that eased the pain of having missed yet another blogger event.

Personal quote from the Brad-O-Ween festivities via dial-a-shot:

"Some people get nicknames, but you get your own fucking theme song"

- Al Cant Hang, as he and the others sang their drunken rendition of "O Canada" while on speaker phone with me, except the words have now been changed to JO-anada. Nice guys, thanks ;)