The first game of February got off to a reasonably efficient start at 8.25, but without Dave, Lee, Sharon or Dean.
The first excitement of the night was a big hand between Scott and Sharon, during which Sharon was so unimpressed by her hand that she tried to take her £5 bet back out of the pot. She eventually laid down the hand to Scott, but was decidely unimpressed when she overheard Scott whisper rather loudly to Dan that he had absolutely nothing.
Her night didn't get any better and she exited (10th) to IJ with AK beating AQ.
Lee proved himself worthy of the title 'The Most Predictable Player on the Jewish Poker Tour' taking an enormous bet off Scott, with his nut flush on the river. Scott just couldn't get away from his 2 pair.
Dean arrived and started an enormous row with Barry, accusing him of folding his hand on the Big Blind. The fact that Dean had said 'fold', & that it was JJ that actually took the cards, did not stop Dean.
After Lee raised IJ £3.50 on the turn, IJ raised him £4.50 on the river, declaring the raise 'Like £3.50 but with a twist'. The twist was he'd hit four 3s. Unfortunately for IJ, Lee smelt a rat and folded.
Jude went out (9th) AQ, against Baz's A6, which hit 2 pair.
Dean doubled up against JJ, (Q9 beat Q7) despite eating, reading, speaking and checking his BlackBerry.
Dave went out (8th) to Dan - Q10 turning into 2 pair, destroyed Dave's 8 9.
JJ was out (7th) to Dean, JK beaten by A8 which hit trip Aces on the flop.
IJ tried out his acting skills, having been dealt AA and devastating Lee with AK.
Scott was knocked out (6th) by Dean. Lee hung on when his 3 4 turned into a straight on the river & beat IJ's 10 4 but he was not happy about it.
Barry finally put Lee out (5th) of his misery with a full house. IJ then knocked Baz out (4th).
Dan's QQ doubled up against Dean's AJ & left Dean in a mess. Team Dean (basically Dave dealing, Dean playing) started to make a come back.
3 way the action took its toll on the dealers. Scott retired after a long stretch and sought a replacement. JJ refused because of his bad back.
At 10.55 Dean went all in with pocket 4s, but Dan's AQ hit an Ace and knocked him out (3rd).
Heads up, Dan v IJ, and the new rules (see below) beckoned in 5 minutes.
Dan was a massive chip leader but IJ clawed his way back to go all in with 2 pair at 11.15, only to run into Dan's straight. IJ out (2nd), Dan takes his first win of 2008, and there was more to come...
Game 2 – 8 players - (1st Dan, 2nd Lee, 3rd Baz)
Second game did not start until 11.41, after much discussion and deliberation over the contractual obligations of JJ, who had agreed to buy Euro Millions Lottery Tickets using cash from the Royal Flush Pot. Friendships, family ties and 4 years of poker playing were all put to one side with £95 million at stake. Lee drew up a formal contract, which everyone signed, apart from Scott, who was most peeved at being excluded. Sorry Scott, but don't take it too hard: I'm guessing that by now (12.48 on Saturday night) we haven't won, or I would have heard. Unless...
Back to the poker. It started as it finished: all about Dan. In a legendary early hand, Dan knocked out Scott (8th) and Dave (7th) who both had 2 pair, useless against his nut flush. But in a decision to prove critical later on, Lee laid down pocket Aces - despite being delighted when 4 players called his pre-flop raise.
Dan hit hand after hand and swiftly amassed an unassaible lead. He hit trips and convinced JJ to go all in with A10, top pair, despite declaring that he knew Dan had a better hand. JJ out (6th).
At 12.15, after just over half an hour's play, Dan had more than double the chips of the remaining 4 other players combined.
A small selection of his hands up to that point: AQ, KK, AQ, KQ, 66 (hit 6!!!)
It got to the point where Dan just had too many good hands to blog.
In a short interlude from the Dan show, Lee knocked Dean out (5th), and then normal play resumed & Dan knocked IJ out (4th): Dan didn't blink at IJ's trip 6s, showing a full house.
He then called Barry's all in, despite having only 67 and Baz having pocket Qs, saying 'I don't have anything but I'm sure I'll hit something.' And he did. Full house knocked Barry out (3rd)
Lee bravely faced the daunting task of taking on Demon Dan (who had 97% of the chips) heads up, admitting that he was only there by fluke.
Inevitably there was no stopping Dan who won with KQ, swotting aside Lee's 45. Lee's inspired lay down of AA earned him 2 points for 2nd place.
The game was over at 12.29 & Dan, having destroyed everyone in 48 minutes, bagged his 2nd victory of the night, completing the speediest demolition job in our poker history.
Dan - 'well done' doesn't quite do it. You rule (for this week).
2008 Poker Rankings table:
Dan's double win (the first this year) propelled him up the table and into second place, ahead of Dave.Lee's outstanding AA lay down delivered him 2nd place and a crucial 2 points, enabling him to cling on to the top spot.
IJ's 2nd helped him crawl on top of Charlie & Vic (how unpleasant is that???) & still languishing at the bottom of the regular players is JJ: last year's champ still trying to find his form.
Conversation topics:
Most conversational energy was focused on the Euro Lottery draw - not what we'd all do with the winnings, but how would we legally prevent JJ from shafting us all by buying additional tickets.
IJ promised to give the excluded Scott £3 million, should he win at least £10 million, which prompted Dan to remind Scott of his lifelong debt to him. It seems that way back in the mid 90s, Scott foolishly bet Dan £1 million that a casino in Israel would accept his credit card. They didn't. Not being deterred by the fact that Scott wasn't worth a million at that point in time, Dan added a clause into the bet that should Scott ever in his life reach a net worth of £4 million, he would then have to pay Dan the £1 million that he owes him. Ever the patient man, Dan estimates that property prices in Mill Hill should rise to millionaire levels by the time Scott is ready to retire, and he will then seek to collect on the debt and make the Habers homeless.
Best wishes of the week:
refuah shlemah Dean's Dad, who is recovering from a heart op.
& to Dan's car which needs a triple engine bypass.
Special Feature: Guess the weight
Rather than descend into its usual crudeness, the second game this week saw a guess the weight competition. Obviously, this couldn't be considered in isolation from height, which led to a discusion as to who is the fattest ? Ever at your service, your blogger has provided a handy table:
The handy guide to BMI categories seems to say that we are pretty much all overweight, with IJ just clinging onto Normal Weight & Baz nearing obesity:
BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
normal weight = 18.5-24.9
overweight = 25-29.9
obesity = > 30
Rule Change
The democratiuc process, professionally moderated as ever by Lee, took its course this week and the group agreed the following rule changes:
All blinds will start at 50p & £1 for all games.
Once heads up, blinds will go up £2 & £1 every 10 mins until a result.
Other maverick suggestions were voted down, and the new rules were implemented without fuss, demonstrating the strength of our democracy and our adherence to the rule of law.
Photo of the week
The one youv'e all been waiting for:
Joke of the week
Thanks to JJ for:
The year is 2016 and the United States has elected the first woman as well as the first Jewish president, Susan Goldfarb.
She calls up her mother a few weeks after election day and says, "So, Mom, I assume you will be coming to my inauguration?"
"I don't think so. It's a ten hour drive, your father isn't as young as he used to be, and my arthritis is acting up again."
"Don't worry about it Mom, I'll send Air Force One to pick you up and take you home. And a limousine will pick you up at your door."
"I don't know. Everybody will be so fancy-schmantzy, what on earth would I wear?"
"Oh Mom" replies Susan, "I'll make sure you have a wonderful gown custom-made by the best designer in New York."
"Honey," Mom complains, "you know I can 't eat those rich foods you and your friends like to eat."
The President-to-be responds, "Don't worry Mom. The entire affair is going to be handled by the best caterer in New York, kosher all the way. Mom, I really want you to come."
So Mom reluctantly agrees and on January 20, 2017, Susan Goldfarb is being sworn in as President of the United States. In the front row sits the new president's mother, who leans over to a senator sitting next to her.
"You see that woman over there with her hand on the Torah, becoming President of the United States?"
The Senator whispers back, "Yes I do."
Says Mom proudly, "Her brother is a doctor."
& that's all for this week folks!
ij
