Where feminine hygiene is no laughing matter ...Rick's Cafe Americain

When Rick and I arrived, the first tournament of the day was still in progress - and taking much too long.  There were seven players, the blinds were fairly high, and still nobody was busting.  Finally, at almost 10, the tournament ended and they were ready to start another one.

We had two tables for 12 players.  $40 entry, start with 2000 chips and blinds at 10/20.  On the first hand I was dealt KQs in the cutoff.  There was a single limper and I raised the pot to 50 (which in retrospect seems to small).  The flop was K-x-x with no draw in my suit.  Toni made a small bet (100?) at me and I called.  I was certain that with AK, AA or KK she wouldn’t have limped in.  The turn was another brick.  Toni checked and I foolishly checked as well.  I was pretty sure that I had the best hand, and I had the opportunity to bet and let Toni define her hand.  Instead, a J fell on the river, Toni bet 100 and I felt that I had to call.  She turned over KJ and I threw my cards into the muck, very disappointed in myself.

I blew a fair amount through the blinds and some ill-advised limping until I found myself looking at A♦7♦.  I raised to 3x BB and again, Toni called.  The flop was T-9-8 rainbow and Toni went all-in.  I was concerned that I was outkicked, but I was certain that Toni didn’t have a pair.  Compared to the table I had made myself a short stack and I decided that my A and straight draw were enough incentive to call.  So I called and was briefly happy when Toni showed KQ.  It didn’t last.  Once again, the river was a J - finishing my straight, but giving Toni a better straight. Busted, 9th out of 12.

I stayed to watch the rest of the tournament, but I didn’t really pay a lot of attention.  I know this: Rick sucked out on AA when he was all-in with QQ.  (Hey Pauly, does he get a prize?) He took that stack and parlayed it into a victory in the tournament.  His take was $240.  (Yes, Rick deserves a better writeup than this but I really don’t know anything about the hands he played.)

Not bad for a tournament he didn’t know about until 10 minutes before sitting down.

The second tournament was a $20 buy-in with only six players.  Toni covered my buy-in because (1) she still has a job; and (2) she felt really bad about rivering me twice in the first tournament.  Ordinarily I wouldn’t really take this sort of charity but (can you spot the parallels?) (1) I don’t have a job; and (2) I wasn’t pleased that she rivered me twice in the first tournament.

This tournament was uneventful.  Rick busted out first, I busted out shortly thereafter.  I played two hands that mattered, and both times I was dominated.  I didn’t catch my card either time.  First, the player to my right, with blinds at 40/80 raised to 200.  I had A♠Q♠ and reraised to 400.  He called and we saw a flop of T-9-x, all diamonds.  He went all-in on the flop, which I read as weakness. Specifically, I figured that his small preflop raise represented a small ace.  I didn’t think he wanted me to call, so I called.  He flipped over A♦K, putting me in a very weak position.  An 8 on the turn gave me an inside straight draw.  I asked for a J, and he asked for a diamond.  We both got what we wanted.  It worked out better for him as the J♦ filled his flush at the same time it filled my straight. 

I had him barely outchipped.  I survived an all-in with AK but was still substantially short stacked when I went all in with KQ a few hands later.  Toni called and flipped over AK.  Busted, 5th out of 6.

The most notable thing about the tournament was how little regard people had for the need to team up to knock out the small stacks.  Nixma taught me the importance of not betting into an empty side pot when a player is all-in.  The table also pushes far too much.  It is part aggression, but a lot of pure gambling.  I never had the cards to challenge a push, but there were certainly opportunities to be had.

I am itching to get back to that game.