As play kicked off at 20:35, there was a quick check around the table to be certain that everyone had got the memo: no one was to give any chips to Barry. His memo read slightly differently: 'lose'.
Barry claimed to have suffered a bout of temporary amnesia, supposedly not remembering his victory last week, asking innocently who won last week's first game? Nobody fell for it & it only served to ensure efforts were re-doubled to prevent him winning yet more points.
IJ highlighted the fact that he had learnt nothing from the hiding that he had received with AK last week. He bet big against Mark (his adversary from the last game) but came a cropper when Mark's A10 hit 2 pair, handing over a healthy pile of chips and starting him on the swift road to destruction.
JJ was back to his old tricks, re-raising with 4 5. The shocker was that he was actually ahead, winning chips from Lew.
Sharon showed us all her rebellious streak, defying the rule banning the singing (or humming) of 'You raise me up." Despite the rule being a longstanding one, Sharon insisted that since there was never a vote on any such rule, it must be invalid. She didn't even care that should someone put the rule to a vote, it would inevitably get passed. Baz helpfully pointed out that even if it was voted on, it would still be broken.
At this point, Shaz had had enough & was starting to feel picked on by IJ. He was being really mean about her rule breaking, despite her showing how nice she is by not making the tea round until he arrived. She declared that she would not forget his meanness, but she might be able to forgive him, should she get a good write up in the blog. So, the challenge is on...
Shaz & Marky then ensured that IJ's rudeness did not go unpunished. With few chips left, he went all in blind (3 9) and was knocked out (8th) by both of them hitting 2 pair, Marky with the better one.
The two of them were at it again shortly afterwards, fighting over a monster pot, raising & re-raising like their lives depended on it. Sharon's pocket Ks had trippled up, which Lee said he knew immediately from the glint in her eye. Mark wasn't so wise, reluctantly calling with AK, pair of Ks. Everyone agreed that it would have been impossible to get away from the hand but once again Big Slick cost a lot of chips. Marky's chip stack was decimated, while Sharon was sitting pretty on a well deserved massive pile, every one of which was earned by her superior playing skills.
Lee knocked Lew out, calling his all in with QK, which held up against Lew's K5. Lew out (7th).
Discussion briefly turned towards consideration of whether Dan is the nearest thing we have to Dave. The evidence presented included his storming out last week, only to have to come back sheepishly as he had forgotten something. What about JJ? He has responded to bad beats in a violent and unpredictable manner in the past, whereas Dan is more of a walker outer.
Mark, unable to shake off the red mist of tiltdom, went all in with J7, which was dominated by Barry's AJ. The better hand held up, knocking Mark out (6th) and handing Barry more chips, in flagrant disregard of the memo's specific instructions.
Lee, who as current runner up in the table, should have known better, also ignored the memo. He went all in with AK, despite the bad luck dripping from that evil hand. Barry's pocket Js tripled up to claim yet more chips.
As ever, Lee was not to be written off and somehow magicked up his usual pocket Ks on demand. Dan called with pocket 3s, doubling Lee up.
Lee then continued his regular weekly routine of clawing his way back into the game, knocking Dan out (5th), A7 against 2 3.
Despite the demands of his day job & a High Court action, it turned out that Lee had read the memo: he went all in with Qs, and took a dent out of Barry who called with A10.
Addicted to action, Lee went all in again, falling for the curse of AK. JJ called with 2s (a good hand for J) and consistent as ever, AK cost Lee almost all his chips.
Down to 6 chips, our relentless fighter went all in with AJ. His delightful wife called with 3s, which held up, knocking Lee out (4th).
Keen to capitalise on the antipathy against him, Barry raised a pile of each with Qs. Our very own Wonder Woman displayed her assured poker style, re-raising all in, with AJ. Barry called and to universal disappointment, his hand held up.
The wise and ever resourceful Sharon went all in with J9. JJ foolishly called with the deceitful AK. Sadly for Sharon, AK won a hand the first time that evening, knocking her out (3rd). Third place doesn't do justice to her performance, a classic demonstration of the guts and glory, that have become her trademark. Perhaps we should propose paying third place in an 8 player game, when Sharon comes third?
The first Borehamwood Heads Up in as long as anyone cared to remember started at 23:29. JJ looked like he might save the table from an Isaacson landslide, going all in with Q7, well ahead of Barry's Q6. The board rescued Barry, splitting the pot to loud protests from all.
The narrow escape was the spur he needed and despite a tremendous fight from JJ, Baz was not to be beaten. JJ tried his luck with deuces, but Barry did a Lee and pulled out pocket Ks, to double up and take the lead.
A split pot then came to JJ's rescue, his A6 totally dominated by Bruiser Baz's A10, but it was only delaying the inevitable.
In the final hand, JJ went all in with 8J, which Barry called with 9s. J's hit a J, to give us all hope, but Barry hit a sneaky flush, to take victory at 23:45.
Well played Baz - your 2nd win in 2 weeks has cemented your grip on the top spot and set a very high bar for the chasing players.
Stupid fucking memo.
Game 2 – 7 players - (1st Lee, 2nd JJ, 3rd Mark)
Second game kicked off at 23:52 with Dan proposing the question: "Is there any point in Dan playing a 2nd game?" Opinion was divided between those who thought there was no point in Dan playing a second game & those who thought there was no point in Dan playing either game.
Determined to go out first in both games & prove his own poker worthlessness, IJ told Lee he intended to give him loads of chips. When his AJ hit top pair he duly did give Lee a healthy stack, because Lee's AQ had hit 2 pair.
Last week's chat about how gay Barry's iphone continued during the second game. With its vanity mirror function & girly ring tune, many players were of the view that it is indeed the gayest item ever purchased.
Lee's ipod added to the homosexual tone of the evening, belting out gay hit after gay hit. Lee seemed to take perverse pleasure in pointing them out to us. He even suggested that he could just imagine two blokes rogering each other to one track. None of the other players had such a fertile imagination though...
IJ got royally fucked by Lew, who hit a flush on the river, beating IJ's straight.
IJ then completed his 2nd early exit of the night, re-raising all in (£2.25) with 10s, after JJ raised £6 with Qs and Lew called. JJ's Qs held up knocking IJ out (7th).
"It's been a good night" he said.
"Don't lie" Lee replied.
Thanks to alternative blogger Dan for this update:
In a slightly controversial hand the blinds had been put in incorrectly and there was some argument about whether the hand could continue or we should re-start it.
I had raised two piles of big. JJ thought he had folded having not cost any money and Barry folded what he thought was small blind and Lewis was about to fold what he thought was his big blind.
Actually it was JJ who was small and Barry who was big and Lewis who was first to act.
Confused? Well most people (except me) were so I agreed to lay down my AK and re-deal. In hindsight folding my AK was probably a good thing given the luck it has had this week. I re-dealt and looked down at AJ. I repeated the two piles of red raise and this time Barry went all in (a small re-raise). I called and he showed A6. The other two aces came on the flop/turn but no 6 to spare Barry. Barry out 6th.
Before I could even leave Lew was out when his middle pair on the board ran in to Mark’s pocket rockets. Lew out 4th
Mark was 3rd
JJ 2nd
Lee 1st won it with trips when both fairly even
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
So Barry's 2nd victory in 2 weeks ensures he continues to dominate the table. Only Lee's 2nd game win keeps Baz to an impressive 14 point lead. With less than 10 weeks left of the season, Lee, Dan & JJ have some serious work to do to prevent Barry from getting his grubby hands on the title, that he has wanted for 3 years now.Conversation topics of the week:
Match Attack has made an unwelcome return to our poker game. The new footie season is well under way and the boys have started collecting cards, on behalf of their sons. Wary of what is to come over the next few months, Shaz bans all conversation about Match Attack & any bringing of the evil cards to poker. "Save it for your children" she advised.
There was some debate as to whether the South African smarties that Sharon bought in Yarden could really be kosher. Dan was not convinced.
That's all for this week folks.
ij
