The Rocket's Red Glare

Why is there a picture of the "Tin Man" on a poker blog? Well, you'll have to read to the end of this post to get that answer!

I played in my usual Friday game last night at "Pocket Pair" Pat's house. There were only 10 players in the $5 buy-in NLHE tournament, so at least I final tabled it!

Because of my mad poker skills, by the third level of blinds, I had turned my $100T starting stack into $40T. Don't hate, I'm just THAT GOOD!

With blinds at $3-6T, I was the BB and had five of the six other players limp before the action got to me. There was a lot of dead money in the pot and I thought it would be a great time to push my $40T stack. If everyone folds, I double my stack without a showdown. If I get called and win, I'm back in contention! I look down at 3,4 off.

Yuck.

However, I'm not playing my cards here, but the situation. I stick with my plan and push all-in with my awesome hand and get two customers.

Flop is 3-4-7. WHEEEEEEEE!

Turn and river are harmless and both my opponents check it down. "Little Annie Okie" tables her A,Q and "Double R" shows down his K,Q. The look on their faces when I turn over my two pair was priceless. "What the hell are you doing playing that crap Duck?" Pocket Pair cackles. "Leave me alone while I'm stacking your chips Pockets!" I retort.

"Pocket Pair" got the last laugh however. We were down to three players, and the blinds were up to $50-100T, leaving all of us with around three BB, when "Pockets" gets pocket rockets. He limped from the SB, trying to trap me, as I had pushed the last three times he had limped. I looked down at 7,2 off and checked. The flop was K-Q-7, all spades. "Pockets" pushes. I have bottom pair and my deuce is a spade. I go in the tank and eventually fold. "Pockets" flashes his AA.

The very next hand, "Pockets" pushes again and this time I call with A,T suited. Damned if he doesn't have pocket aces AGAIN. I don't improve and am out in third for a $10 cash.

In the $2 cash game (10-20 cent blinds), I started fast, calling a $2 all-in bet on the river with A,9, which was top pair, bad kicker. This would normally be an easy fold in this game against an aggressive bettor, as it is generally a pretty tight game. The reason I called here is because I was heads-up with "Big Daddy." I don't know why he calls himself "Big Daddy," as he is neither big or a daddy. "BD" is new to the game and greatly overvalues his hands, but he's still learning. I went into the tank before calling, and wasn't surprised when he turned over has baby ace (A,4) and I scooped a nice pot.

In another pot with "Big Daddy," I bluffed with only K high for a pot sized bet when the river completed a possible flush and he checked it to me. When he called, I flipped my K high and said "Nice call." Then "Big Daddy" tables Q high. The table has a good laugh and I say "I take it back, bad call!" and start stacking chips.

I was also involved in the biggest pot of the night. "Big Daddy" raised to .50 from UTG, which isn't unusual, as he raises to .50 in just about every hand, so I wasn't too concerned with him. However "Pocket Pair" Pat re-raises to $1 from the SB. "Pockets" is a tight aggressive player, so when he re-raises, I figure he's got a monster hand. I look down at pocket rockets and 4-bet to $2.50.

"Big Daddy" pushes for his last $1.50 and "Pockets" smooth-calls. I'm putting his range at QQ+. Knowing him like I do, I just don't see him calling a 4-bet with anything less.

The flop is T-T-2 and "Pockets" checks. With almost $7 already in the pot, I have $7 behind and figure that if I push, he will call with his over pair. I have QQ and KK crushed, and if he also has AA, we'll chop it.

I push, he laughs and says, "You're so screwed!" and tables pocket tens for flopped quads. CRAP! Now I know how Coop feels.

So my $10 stack is gone in one hand. I'm in the red for the night, done in by the rockets, and left glaring at "Pocket Pair" Pat, whom I renamed "Tin Man" in honor of his quad tens.

So that's why the Tin Man is pictured at the top of the post. As Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know, the rest of the story."