With Barry distracted for the entire evening trying to work out where the ‘da da da’ tune comes from (Google, top 100 classics, 118 118, Mr Isaacson Snr all researched) it would prove to be a perfect opportunity for the chasing pack to gain yet more ground on the fat one.
Game started at 8.40 and with IJ away Dan picked up a pen and paper and assumed the blogger’s position. How hard can it be right? Wrong! It’s a sodding pain in the arse.
On with the game. 1st hand was Sharon’s who gladly took the bonus chips. It was then that Dean turned up (though not playing). Not only was he unwilling to deal for us but he also refused to make a cup of tea for his guests (well Dan anyway). He wondered round the kitchen/diner area for a little while and presumably disappeared to do something more interesting. We didn’t see him again.
Charlie developed a £5 raise fetish, first with 3Qs on the board versus Sharon who looked like she was giving it all the ‘Hollywood’ but fooling us all when she disappointedly laid down. Charlie got rewarded soon after when his £5 raise was, this time, called by Sharon. Sadly for her the AQ she was holding didn’t improve and Charlie’s’ JJ held firm.
Lee was last to arrive at about 9.10pm and immediately left his mark winning two biggish hands against Dave and Dan. But the biggest impression he made was probably to Bea who had to endure watching him eat Shwarma and rice in front of her for 10 minutes - Bea’s tail wagging away and making several unsuccessful attempt to leap up and grab a tasty morsel. Dave eventually put her out of her misery with some doggy snacks (and a clout round the head for one too many leaps). Lee rewarded Bea by letting her lick the grease off his hands. How selfless.
Jude was out first when short-stacked her all-in wasn’t enough to scare off Dan (holding Q10 in the big blind). Jude was ahead with A8 until a Q on the flop gave Dan a pair and consigned Jude to spend her evening with Dean. It could be worse Jude, the rest of us had to spend our evening with Barry and flatulent Charlie. Jude out 9th.
Sharon quadrupled up from short stack (£1.75) to give her a few more minutes of torture.
Vic proved (not for the last time that night) that Big Slick is called Big Slick for a reason. He re-raised all-in after a shit flop but ran into Charlie’s’ tripped up 88. Top tip for Vic: if someone raises big after a flop and all you’ve got is AK, you’re probably losing. Vic out 8th.
Dave followed Vic fairly quickly. His all-in was called by Charlie with pocket pair and J with AQ. The AQ hit and beat Dave’s AJ. Charlie laid his pair down before the river. Dave out 7th.
Dave promptly gathered Bea and her feces and departed for an early night. Sharon ran out of chips moments later and was forced to call Dan’s raise from big blind. That put Sharon all-in with only a suited J7 in her hand. It was no match for Dan’s cowboys. Sharon out 6th.
All sorts of confusion surrounded the next big hand as Dan realized he hadn’t written any notes since Vic was knocked out. Meanwhile Baz, J and Lee were involved in a monster with chips flying around all over the place. After some deciphering and help from Vic of all people it became apparent that following a 224 on the flop J raised £6.50 which Lee called. Baz then went all-in (a further £19.25). J called but Lee then went all-in over the top. JJ thought about it for a while but then rightly decided he was behind and possibly drawing very thin indeed and so made a very expensive lay down. Baz showed J2 but Lee showed a magical 24. The turn and river didn’t help Baz who lost despite having trips. Baz out 5th.
Charlie was next to depart when his flush draw didn’t hit. Lee’s did, and gave him the nuts. Charlie out 4th.
With the blinds now at the max and Dan grateful for the point having not had many notable hands he went all-in with 910 after a JQ2 came on the flop. J called with Q10 which held up. Dan out 3rd.
Heads up started at 10.50pm with a fair distribution between Lee and J. It was a long winded affair with the chip stacks swinging one way then the other. The first big hand saw lee’s AQ vs JJs K10 which hit an Ace. The final hand saw Lee’s K6 defeat J’s K2 with a K on the flop. J was all-in after the turn. But with the board pairing J declared ‘Higher than a 5’ – thinking the pot would be split. He got what he wanted but what he wanted was not what he needed. The river was a 6 which gave Lee two pair. Game over at 11.40pm.
Game 2 – 6 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Lee, 3rd Dan)
The second game started somewhat later than hoped given that we were heads up at 10.50. It burst into life though in only the second hand when some raises and re-raises between J and Baz culminated in a £19.25 raise from J (in your face Baz). With QJ2Q4 on the board Barry though for a moment and then called showing AQ (trips). J shows JJ (full house) and Baz is very short stacked.
Dan then took a fair few chips off Vic who showed two pair. “Take your pick. Straight or Flush” was Dan’s response. The straight came on the turn and flush on the river.
Baz for the second time in the night hit trip 2s on the flop but went out to Vic who hit the nut flush on the turn. Baz’s third losing set of the night – what comes around goes around Bazza. Baz out 6th.
Charlie went all-in with KQ spades against J’s 33 which tripped up. Charlie out 5th.
J was very large chip leader but he frittered most of it away in two hands. The first to Dan who raised pre-flop with the ladies. JJ called and then went all-in after the flop (which was all low) holding 6s. Dan called and the Qs held up.
Then in almost the next hand J raised £7.50 which was called by Lee and Dan with JQ9 (all spades) on the board. The turn brought a red 4 which was checked round. The river brought a red 2 which induced J to raise £12 holding a Q. Dan called with a Q and a 9 and Lee folded. J becomes the short stack.
In the next act of charity (this time Dan and Vic to Lee). Lee went all-in after the turn which Vic called despite only having another £5 in chips left. Dan, convinced that Lee had probably hit trips, decided that the chance of knocking out two people was too much of an opportunity to miss and called with QK (top pair Qs). Indeed Lee had hit trips (a set of 4s) on the flop and had slow played his way to being tripled up. Nice hand.
In the next hand J went all-in after the flop. Dan possibly reeling from his poor judgment in the previous hand called with second pair of 10s but lost to J’s top pair of Aces.
Vic still in despite having fewer chips than the big blind went blindly all-in in the next hand which J called. Vic showed 93 but was in bad shape when J revealed A9. Vic out 4th.
So here we were again. Lee, J and Dan battling it out for the points. It was far quicker than the first game. Dan was out 3rd when he re-raised Js 2 pile of red with A9 diamonds. J’s AQ was better going in and more so after the Q came on the flop.
Heads-up lasted about 10 minutes until Lee threw caution to the wind going all-in with 10 3. J called with K10 which improved to a pair of kings. All over by about 1.30am.
Well done Lee and J who shared the spoils (less a tenner anyway). There was some debate about how Lee and JJ could both walk away with £70 each despite Lee having won a 9 player game and JJ only a 6 player game but thems are the rules.
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
The net result on the night is that it looks like Lee has jumped back into 2nd spot with the gap closed to 5 points behind Baz. Dan is 2 points further adrift with JJ now only 10 points off 3rd place.
Squeaky bum time Mr Isaacson!
Conversation topics of the week:
With Lehman Brothers going bust, AIG falling into the hands of the US government and HBoS being sold to LTSB this week there was surprisingly no discussion about the state of the economy or job security.
Instead we were all perplexed by the ‘Da da da da’ question. What was the name of that damned classical piece and who wrote it? It took until almost 11.30 before Barry found the answer – it’s Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Spring) which Vic had guessed initially by the way. If only we’d listened to the full 40 minutes on the iphone we’d have been spared hours of torment. But no, Barry and Charlie decided based on the first few bars of the track that it couldn’t be. Wankers!
Jokes of the week:
Some pre Yom Tovim humour supplied by Dave:
During the last holiday season, many individuals expressed concern over the seating arrangements in the synagogue. In order for us to place you in a seat which will best suit you, we ask you to complete the following questionnaire and return it to the synagogue office as soon as possible.
1. I would prefer to sit in the ... (Check one)
______Talking section
______No talking section
2. If talking, which category do you prefer? (indicate order of interest)
_____Stock market
_____Sports
_____Medicine
_____Congregate's secret medical tragedies
_____General gossip
_____Specific gossip (choose)
_____ The Rabbi
_____ The cantor
_____ The cantor's voice
_____ The cantor's wife
_____ The rabbi's wife
_____ The cantor's wife's voice
_____ The rabbi's "secretary"
_____ Fashion news
_____ What others are wearing
_____ Why they look awful
_____ Your neighbors
_____ Your neighbor's relatives
_____ President Bush
_____ Sex (Preference:______)
_____ Who's cheating on/having an affair with whom
_____ Other: ___________________________________
3. Which of the following would you like to be near for free professional advice?
_____ Doctor
_____ Dentist
_____ Nutritionist
_____ Psychiatrist
_____ Child psychiatrist
_____ Mother in law
_____ Podiatrist
_____ Chiropractor
_____ Stockbroker
_____ Accountant
_____ Lawyer _____ Criminal _____ Civil
_____ Real estate agent
_____ Architect
_____ Plumber
_____ Buyer (Specify store:_____________)
_____ Sexologist
_____ Golf pro (tentative: we're still trying to find a Jewish one)
_____ Other:_____________________________
4. I want to be seated (Indicate order of priority)
_____ On the aisle
_____ Near the exit
_____ Near the window
_____ In Aruba
_____ Near the bathroom
_____ Near my in-laws
_____ As far away from my in-laws as possible
_____ As far away from my ex in-laws as possible
_____ Near the pulpit
_____ Near the Kiddush table
_____ Near single men
_____ Near available women
_____ Near anyone who's available - I'm bisexual or just not particular
_____ Where no one on the bimah can see/hear me talking during services
_____ Where no one will notice me sleeping during services
_____ Where I can sleep during the rabbi's sermon (Additional Charge)
5. Orthodox only - I would like a seat where:
_____ I can see my spouse over the mechitza
_____ I cannot see my spouse over the mechitza
_____ I can see my friend's spouse over the mechitza
_____ My spouse cannot see me looking at my friend's spouse over the mechitza
6. Please do not place me anywhere near the following people:
(limit of 6: if you require more space, you may wish to consider joining another congregation)
Your name: ______________________
Building fund pledge: _______________________
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Thanks also to Dave for sharing this site:
Click on: World Clock
Finally, some pictures representing the world post financial crisis:
the New LLoyds logo....
New $ bills:
that's all for this week folks - & a tremendous thanks to Dan for stepping up to the plate & supplying a high quality blog in a very timely fashion.
ilan
