White 544 - Levels 1 and 2

Here is my table, my home for the day (I hope).

There was a small delay in seating as the tournament director told the players in the White section not to take their seats until they could determine whether there were enough chairs.  Hmmm.

As the players filter in, I can see the guys at my end of the table.  I am sitting next to a man in a gray hoodie and blue jeans.  Across the table is a man in a Minnesota Vikings hat, resting his phone on his belly.  Next to him is a man in a Chucky T-shirt.

Late arrivals are a lady in a sensible hair cut and a guy in a T-shirt advertising Brother’s Burritos in Hermosa Beach, California.

First hand is Q4 off-suit.  Lady raises to 400 and I fold my  small blind.

Second hand is junk, but I make the amateur mistake of folding when I could check.  Table probably now thinks I am a newb.  Good.

I get a A9 of spades.  The lady, who I just noticed has a prominent tattoo on her wrist, raises from early position to 200 (blinds are 100/100).  When the board is a bunch of low cards, she makes the second 200 bet, and we all fold.  She is an aggressive player, not unusual for women in this game who still struggle to be seen as credible among the dinosaurs.  I will pick my spots with her.

First win for me today.  I have 8 10d in the small blind and call a minimum raise to 200.  Flop is Q 10 5.  Brothers Burritos raises to 300.  I call with my small piece of the flop.  Turn is a blank, and BB bets 600.  I don’t believe him, so I call.  The river is a 5, and I decide that my story is that I called with a 5 in my hand and just tripped up, so I bet 1200.  BB stews, but I think I caught him and he folds.  Woo hoo!

I’ve taken the blinds with AJ, and play 29 from the small blind audaciously against a newcomer next to me in Seat 3, a guy wearing one of those gunmetal rings.

The Vikings guy likes to talk.  He’s asked some very basic questions, which on face value indicates that he has not played a lot of tournament poker, but I smell a rat.  He’s playing a character, just like I am.  So far, I have said less than 10 words in 24 minutes of play.  But I am up 1300 already.

I have just noticed that the sensible haircut lady’s hair is actually a subtle shade of purple.  She contains multitudes.

On my big blind, she did not raise this time.  I think she’s a little more respectful of my game, since I have been playing tight-aggressive.

Big hand to my left - KK v QQ.  The two guys feint and bob, trying to project both strength and weakness (I know, it’s self-contradictory, but that’s poker), but then an ace hits the turn and then another hits the river and they slow WAY down.  The ring guy takes down a big pot, and BB from Hermosa Beach takes a big hickey.

Two hands later, I get QQ.  Raise to 300, two callers.  Flop is 227, I bet 600 and they fold.

First loss of the day.  AJ in the small blind, purple haired lady calls 100, I raise to 400.  Flop is KK7, two spades (my ace is a spade).  I bet 800, and she raises to 1600.  I scurry away.

Shortly afterwards, I play K 10 and catch a straight on the turn.  No action sadly.

Pocket 10s, and I make a set on the flop.  I check the flop, then a second spade hit.  I check again and Purple bets 200.  I raise to 400, which is a weirdly aggressive play because she CAN’T fold without exposing that she was bluffing.  So she called.  My raise the next hand and she got out of there.

JJ next, which catches a J on the flop.  I am in pocket pair-palooza.  New guy in Seat 1, who seems to be giggling a lot as he plays, bet 400 preflop and another 400 on the flop.  He then bets 500 on the turn, I Hollywood for a while and reluctantly call.  The river comes, he checks and I bet 1500, trying to look like I’m buying the pot.  He giggles again and folds.

The Giggler

I then get 77 - an amazing run of pocket pairs.  I have to run away, however, when the flop is all overcards.

At the end of Level One (one hour in), I am at 22500, 2500 above my starting stack!  Good first hour. 

J9 hearts and the flop is 678 rainbow.  Giggler bets 500 and three of us come along.  The next card is a Q, so a 10 gives me the nuts.  And the 10 hits.  So now I have to figure out how to get someone to call my next bet.  I bet 3000, and the metal ring guy next to me thinks long about it and calls.  Noice!

AQspades, and I raise to 600.  One caller and  I flop the nut flush.  After a preflop raise is called, I get no further action.

First departure from the table - Hermosa Beach gets knocked out on a 2500 all-in when the Vikings Guy flops a full house with his tens.  VG apologizes, but BB leaves with some grace.

New guy comes to that seat.  VG, as the Ambassador of Table 544, says, “Welcome!”  New guy is buying in as a new player, so I will have to pay attention to his play.  He is listening to Air Pods, as is the Giggler.

We lose another one - two pair loses to a flopped straight and Hoodie Guy to my right is gone.  Hardly knew ya, Hoodie Guy.  Less than two hours and the table is already sifting out the pretenders.

Glasses guy has a Spanish accent and seems very pleasant.  But when I limped from the button, he raised me from 200 to 900.  No bueno.

Another new guy, weirdly wearing a Grateful Dead hat.  I forget sometimes that the “seniors” at this table grew up in the Seventies.  We don’t listen to Rudy Vallee or Benny Goodman.  We’re just older versions of our teenage selves, gone to pot in our own unique ways. GD guy is carrying a couple of chins, a walrus mustache and those old guy thick hairy hands.  But he listens to the Grateful Dead, so go figure.  

(And who am I to judge?  I saw the Wu Tang Clan this weekend and posed for a selfie with Young Dirty Bastard.  We all contain multitudes.)

Giggler took a huge pot just now - AA v. KK v AK.  The AK got away from the all-in, but Vikings Guy could not.  He’s now on fumes.

At the end of Level 2: 29,400!  Good.