Tuck Off

Item! Carson's couch is comfortable enough to sleep on until you wake up and realize your neck is killing you and you aren't nearly as rested as you thought.

4 tables of action at the Carsino on Saturday night resulted in much fun and a huge kick to the nuts.

The game is a decent one. The buy-in is small enough that you don't care about losing it, but with a big turnout the money won is enough to pay for gas. In short, it's a worthwhile price for a bit of fun.

I skillboxed my way through the game... except for that huge suckout with a K-high flush caught on the river vs a 9-high flush draw after chasing out the A-high flush draw (only 2 diamonds on the board, we all had 2 in our hand). The 9-high caught his low card on the turn, but the 5-outer diamond hit on the river to double me up. From there, I didn't look back.

Except when I did. But then I went on another tear with some aggressive play (amazing how much those antes are worth). The final table started and we got to the bubble.

I look down at cowboys and am near the top in chips. One of the guys who has me outstacked raises. I debate on my raise... how much to commit him? I decide on doubling the bet, which takes care of 2/3 of my stack and about the same from his. It goes around, he thinks, and finally pushes all-in. I insta-call, and he flips over... A9o?

"I couldn't get away". Well, good, that's what my bet was designed to do. Carson says he folded AJo, and I believe him.

Flop comes 568. I slam my head down and groan. The whole table lets out sympathy groans. We ALL know the 7 is coming.

Q on the turn gives me a small iota of hope... and 7 on the river sends me home. It couldn't have been the ace? A couple 9's? Noooooo.... has to get the 4-straight. He feels bad, I feel worse, and out I go as bubbleboy.

But, I made a profit in bounties (4 of 'em), got a $20 gift card for bubbling, and Phil Helmuth's Texas Hold'em as another bounty earlier (a $9 value!). So I actually made something like 4th place money in bounties and prizes. I can't complain.

I played 2 or 3 hands in the cash game before that dissolved... and lost 65% of my buy-in for that. I wasn't too broked up over the $6.50.

Then the whole thing petered out, but some of us stuck around, "played" "poker" where the chips didn't count and the rules kept changing and everyone was all-in every hand, but could change their minds if they didn't like the flop, and winners were determined by volume. And then I crashed on the couch until morning, when the snow was 32 ft deep and the woman across the road was breaking her snowblower.

Home, relax... nap... relax some more. Good weekend.