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More dribbling, & then I find the Aces AGAIN & the spot gets really awkward.

There's an open to, I think, 1,500, 2 callers, & I make it 5,000.

Fella playing about 11,000 flats/ (?)

Flop....


 


That's about as bad a flop as it gets for Aces.

He checks, I feel I have to try & take it down & bet, I think, 5,000.

He moves all-in for not much more.

Meh. What a mess. I have to call about 6,000 to win ~20,000, but what can I beat on this flop? Might be on a heart flush draw?

J-10 maybe?

It's really awkward to see what I can beat, but I just can't find the fold.

A-10 is possible but highly unlikely with my 2 blockers.

I really can't figure it out at all, & eventually decide I have to call.

He has....


 


Yikes, I'm virtually dead

A heart on the Turn seals the deal.

......promptly followed by an Ace.

Sadly, just a small pot. No way he ever gets off that flop no matter how big his stack might be, although he might get away after Turn & River.

Anyway, a small pot to break a trend of losing spots.

This spot was not awkward though, sadly it was against a shorty.

I have the Aces, he has Jacks, & as you do, I'm thinking NO JACK, NO JACK.

But there IS a Jack.

Variance always levels the score though & after that I just kept getting into awkward spots.

A button raise with J-Q (perfectly reasonable) gets called, & the Board runs out J-8-3-J-9, so I'm pretty sure I'm good & I bet every street, he check calls. On the river he min-raises, & fortunately I only flat - he had K-J. Think that dumped off about 11,000. Not sure if that's a Cooler or just a bad read by me, but no matter.

So yes, I got there on the River.

I'm embarrassed beyond words. Poker is not a fair game, is it?

Anyway, I wander off to the Restrooms to temporarily hide my embarrassment. Then return to peruse my much better looking stack.

..

Dribble down to 15,000 or so, then it all kicks off.

I'm in the SB, there's an Open to 800, & a shorty playing about 4,000 jams. And I have A-K.

Seems a terrific spot to iso & take a decent pot, so I jam too.

And to my horror, so does the BB!

On their backs, & yes, he has K-K.

Oops.

1st break after 2 levels, 19,000 (20,000 starting). Blinds now go 200-300/300.

Can't recall too much of note in Levels 1 & 2 (there's a break after every 2 x 1 hour levels), but it was a little like the previous day, I picked up a lot of hands early doors when the blinds were just 100-100-100.

Notably, there's a raise to 300, I call with 7-7, Button calls, so do both blinds.

And we saw this flop....


 

Quads! Now it's a Seniors event, so at least one of them must have an Ace? And if a high card comes on turn or river, all the better, as they'l definitely not fold any Ace then.

Checked all round on the flop. I tickle bet the turn, 1 caller. Check the River to give him some rope but he taps the table. So quads & I get about 1,500.

PS - Only a poker player could complain after flopping quads.....

Talking of Mateos, he had his Bracelet Ceremony yesterday, there have been 3 or 4 whilst I've been playing, they usually hold them during the first break. Jack Effel always used to do them but I've neither seen nor heard him this year? Anyone know if he's still the TD Top Cheese?

After the usual waffle & presentation, they play the National Anthem of the winner, & the weird thing is almost everyone stands to attention, removes their hat where applicable, & of course the Yanks put their arm across their chest/heart.

I think that's rather nice. Tradition is being eroded in some many ways, & it's real tough to get 2,000+ poker players all to conform to anything.

Apart from that one time when John Kabbaj won...

Ha, you have a great memory Ralph. He was proper upset, too.