Overvalued Hand...Again
Once again last night I overvalued my hand while playing in a Texas Hold'em Tournament at the local bar. I have a friend that plays almost everyday for money in places like Treasure Island Casino and he is considered an expert by many people. He told me once while I was playing with him that I "overvalue my hands" and I think I realized last night what he meant. I was dealt Ace King suited in clubs and I had excellent position so I bet the color chip that was worth the most (it was my first time at that bar and I wasn't sure the chip color denomination). Every one else folded but one player on my left called. The flop came with two clubs so I when all in. He called me. I missed my club on the turn and river and hurt my chip stack so much that I was out the next hand. He won with a pair of sixes! I guess it's better to play safe in these tournaments because someone always seems to call with junk anyway.
Drawing Dead
I was playing last night, February 4, 2009, in a fun American Legion in North St. Paul and about an hour and a half into the game, I was short stack at my table. My first two cards in my last hand of the night were Ace - Ten off suit so I called the $400. Big Blind with three other players in the hand. The flop came Ten - 6 - 2. I had bad position, being first to act. I thought I could get everyone out so I went All-In with about $3000. An elderly woman called. The other player folded. Elderly woman turned over a pair of deuces! I said "Oh no! She's got trips." Someone at the table said that I was "drawing dead" and I said, "No, I could catch at Ten." I was wrong, as they pointed out. If another ten came on the Turn or the River, sure it would give me three tens. But it would also give her a Full House and I would still loose. It was a fun night though. I really liked the place. The tap beers were really good and $2. each. Free hot popcorn. Very friendly group of poker players and staff. I'll be going back there next week. Good prize structure too! First Place is $50. cash. Second is $35. cash. Third Place is $15 gift certificate. There is also a Consolation table of first eight people out of the game with prize of $15. cash. Found out from talking with the players at the table where two other good Texas Hold'em Tournaments are held in town too. One is at Sidewinders and the other is at the VFW. Looking forward to checking both of those out soon. This was the third game I played in with a friend of mine that I'm teaching how to play the Texas Hold'em Tournaments in Bars & Restaurants. She's a really good 500 player and taught me that game so I'm teaching her Hold'em. So far she's played in three games and did better in all three than me. She made the final table tonight but was first knocked out there. She does really well but has a tendency to throw her hand into the muck by mistake when it's checked to her. She did that about two or three times tonight. And still did better than me. Oh, well...see you at the next game!
North St. Paul...Tournament Paradise!
I've recently discovered that the city of North St. Paul has one of the liveliest Texas Hold'em poker communities that I know of. The game of poker in Bars is plenty alive and well in North St. Paul. Even in the immediate surrounding communities, the game is very popular in bars and restaurants. This past week starting on Wednesday, February 4, and going on all during the weekend until Sunday, February 8, 2009, I played in free Hold'em poker games in the North St. Paul and Maplewood. These were places that I had been to for the first time and it was the poker games that brought me in the door. My experience of playing in these new games this week reinforced my belief that playing in these bar poker games is a really great way to meet new people and start new friendships. There's always something to talk about with another person in a poker game...the hands! And the players in these games this week also reinforces my belief that the North St. Paul community has some of the friendliest and nicest people around. Also very good poker players. I started the week at the American Legion, then played at Sidewinders, then the VFW in Maplewood, then the VFW in North St. Paul. I want to do it again and so I've created a calendar to keep track of where the games are on any given night.
Update; March 21, 2009: I talked with one of the owners of Sidewinders in North St. Paul this morning and he said that they are thinking of adding another night of Poker at their place. They are thinking of adding Friday night as another one of the times that the bar will have Texas Hold'em Poker Tournaments. Poker player enthusiasts who would like to have another place to play on Friday nights might want to call Sidewinders and tell them you support the idea of adding another game to Friday night at their place. The telephone number at Sidewinders is 651-773-8867. Better yet, stop in and have a drink and tell 'em in person.