The rare Thursday night game saw us at the Jaysons' and Scott's late exit (for reasons unknown) meant 9 players kicked off at 20.40.
Given the dedication to a weekly late night that poker requires, there was early speculation as to why we don't play regularly on Thursdays. There was general acceptance that it was a more suitable night for poker, a feeling enhanced by Dean's declaration that he was often out with work on Thursdays evenings.
In an early reckless move Barry went all in with 22 and ran into Lee's JJ, only to be thrown a lifeline and a 2 on the river.
The river was feeling generous and doubled Jude up by turning her J10 into a full house to overtake JJ's straight on the turn.
Sharon solicited donations for Ruby's charity appeal at school, but then left the 'Y' out of the Jaysons' name on the sponsorship form.
The Jaysons' were quickly mystically granted vengeance when Lee Oung doubled up at Sharon Oung's expense, his AJ hitting 2 pair and overtaking her pocket 3s. The true curse was on Dan, whose KQ would have hit a straight and tripled him up.
Mrs Oung was decimated, but refused to die. Her A6 turned into trip Aces and then she doubled up again until Barry finally kicked her out (9th), his pocket 8s holding up against her A8. Let that be a lesson to anyone who dares spell the Jasons' name wrongly....
Baz quickly followed Sharon when his AQs couldn't overcome Dan's KK which turned into a full house. Baz out 8th.
JJ got a straight on the flop and doubled up, humiliating Dan's pocket rockets.
He then swiftly handed Dan's chips onto Dave, after his pair of Qs got f*cked by Dave's pair of Kings which turned into a straight on the turn.
Dan went out (7th) when his 78 suited was laughed at by Dean's AA.
The river's generosity was on display again, when IJ's all in with a piddly 510, hit a 5 to dismiss JJ (6th) who had a compulsory call which thought he was safe with J10.
IJ's 88 held up to decimate Jude's A3, and then Lee finished her off next hand when he hit a higher 2 pair then her. Jude out (5th)
IJ's AJ was rudely turned over when Dean's A9 hit a 9 on the turn.
With IJ out 4th, so began a mind numbing three's up that saw chips being passed round and round for hours. Teams of dealers had be employed, who egged each other on with promises of tea and corpses (Oliver Shalom,) to the first person to claim a scalp. Finally, in the first moments of Friday, Baz's fourth deal handed pocket Aces to Dean, which he couldn't lay down in the face of Lee's two pair. A fantastic call by Lee saw Dean out (3rd) at 0.09.
0.35 The heads up duo forgot to increase the pace and we are still moving backwards and forwards, the will to live being sapped out of the dealers.
0.36 Barry declares "if I'd gone to sit on the loo my skin would have grown around the seat by now" (see later news story)
0.37 IJ rude about Barry's blog (who wrote this?)
0:38 Barry, JJ and IJ agree they are going home at 1am if these 2 are still heads up.
0.39 IJ suggests we flick them with boiling water.
0.41 Lee hits a nut flush after going all in with A7, to beat chipleader Dave's AQ. There chips are now exactly back where they were back at the start of heads up.
0.42 We try and count (unsuccessfully) how many times we have had a change of dealer. Dean's plans are actually looking interesting.
0.48 Lee wins when his straight and flush draw hits a flush to destroy Dave's top pair.
Thank you Lee for saving us from Dean's plans.
Game 2 – 6 players - (Barry, 2nd Dean, 3rd Lee)
A miserable new record late second game started at 12.54, with none of our surviving exhausted players delighted. None more than Dave who went home before we started, without his second place cash.
At least JJ found something to celebrate: he is just behind Vic in the table, surely the only person who has ever enjoyed that experience?
Amid a cloud of conspiracy theories, alleging that Lee was tactically keeping us all up so late, our remaining players soldiered on.
IJ succumbed to exhaustion first, when in a delirium induced nirvana he went all in with trip jacks, only to be mullered by Baz's trip Qs. Barry finished him off (6th) in the next hand.
The river was back on next generous form, washing JJ up (5th) by giving Dan a straight. Unfortunately for JJ, he was going home with Baz so he faced further poker induced jet lag, waiting for Barry to get beaten.
I've no idea how long he waited for, or what happened in the remainder of the second game as I sensibly went home, although not before I read Dan's cards out loud. Luckily for me none if the assembled player-zombies heard. Unluckily for Dan they were 96.
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2nd Game Update from Dan:
I knocked JJ out hitting a straight on the flop (no lucky river for me)
Then I got mullered by Dean (again) with my Ace King hitting a further two kings on the flop. His pocket rockets catching runner runner to make the flush. I'd rather not have seen the kings - so cruel. I was out to Barry's low pair shortly after.
Lee was third, Dean (still reading his plans) was 2nd and Barry won.
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
It's all change at the top. Barry & Lee's victories have knocked Dan off the top spot and into third. Lee has narrowed the gap to a point between the three of them, but it is Barry who is our newest leader. Well done Baz!No change for the next 4, although Dave widens the gap with IJ, who has Jude only a point below him.
JJ can continue celebrating being stuck below Vic, although they are on even points. While Dean is below the pair of them, languishing at the bottom of the table, the lowest placed of the regulars.
Conversation topics:
Out of respect for the sad loss of our fictional classmate Oliver Shalom I will not report any conversation topics for this week. Normal service will resume on Wednesday.
Announcements for the week
Mazel tov to JJ and Yael who celebrate 10 years of marriage this week, and to Lee and Sharon who reached 12 years last week.
Welcome home to Mark and Michal. We were a bit disappointed Marky that you didn't make the 2nd game. You landed at 1am and we had just dealt...
Happy Birthday to Dan & Gaby for last week - an ageing 35 and an ever young 34....
News stories and sites of the week
Thanks to JJ for this story which provided much amusement:
http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=7792436
and this was also JJ's:
Cycle awareness campaign - a great advert
http://www.dothetest.co.uk/
Charlie supplied this story:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/03/next-step-for-1.html
This filth is from Barry (not suitable for the office but no corpses)
http://users.skynet.be/pdauwe/ursula_martinez.wmv
Another one from JJ, probably the longest ear hair in the world...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8pRW_QkZY4
and this one facebook:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZzP_69ZTFk
that's all for another week...
ij
