19 November 2008 (The Jaysons') "Charlie wastes Scott's gift but JJ has his sights set on the top"
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12 November 2008 (The Youngs') "JJ makes it 3 out of 4"
Game 1 – 7 players - (1st Shaz, 2nd JJ, 3rd Baz)
We were down to a mere 7 players for this weeks game due to the Jaysons finally moving into their new house. IJ didn't waste anytime losing chips, raising big when he was dealt pocket Ks in the first hand. Turned out he didn't bet big enough to scare off Baz, who had top pair (Qs) and ended up hitting 2 pair to take down a very juicy pot.
The first controversy of the evening strangely coincided with Dan's late arrival. He noticed a card on the floor and implied that it was IJ's doing. However, since Dan had been for a few drinks and was being more lively than usual, his claims weren't taken very seriously (are they ever?)
This incident however did provoke discussion about why Dan is always late? Is it a poker strategy to ensure that he has some chips left or a laziness strategy to ensure he never has to lift a finger to help set up? He defended himself saying he was in the pub, consuming aforementioned drinks, and then popped round to see how the Jaysons were getting on. This all begged the question: "Don't we play poker on Wednesday nights?" and if we do "why is Dan making all sorts of social calls instead?" I should also mention that there were some present who were convinced that he was waiting around outside for the last hour, as he does every week...
Mark got paid nicely with Aces, betting just the right amount (£6) to get a call out of JJ, who was feeling generous after his double win last week.
Sharon went all in (£10.75) with 5s, which IJ excitedly called with Aces. Baz called but then folded after IJ raised post flop. The same flop soon wiped the smile of IJ's face once the cards were shown: jammy Shaz had hit 1 of only two remaining 5s to make trips and double up. Sharon was rather pleased with herself and all players consoled IJ with the knowledge that had he gone all in pre-flop, Barry would have folded, saving £10.75. Every cloud...
If Barry was upset, he wasn't showing it. He hummed & whistled the new Girls Aloud tune all evening, at one point playing the original on his gay-phone.
A few hands after losing with Aces to Sharon, IJ received Aces again. JJ had gone all in and IJ again gleefully called. JJ turned over pocket 10s, once again needing to hit 1 of 2 cards, which he did, tripping up to knock IJ out (7th).
Losing twice with Aces to trips in one game may seem to be about as unlucky as it gets, but in our game, where nothing is taken as read without being extensively debated and argued, this fact was never going to be universally accepted.
The dispute came shortly after when Lee went all in with £7.25, which Dan & Mark called. They both professionally checked it down until the river, when Mark made a bet, which Dan folded. Lee had deuces, but the two pairs on the board gave Mark the pot and knocked him out (6th). What followed was a protracted argument between Lee (pissed off after being knocked out allegedly unluckily) and Dan (pissed after a couple of shandies in the pub). The gist of it was that Lee claimed he was unlucky to lose with 2s, while Dan said "He fucking wasn't." Dan was clearly inciting a sore Lee, under the influence, but even sober JJ agreed. Eventually, they agreed on "It was unlucky the way you lost" NOT "It was unlucky that you lost."
Spot the difference? No one else could but we were universally delighted that they'd shut up. Besides, does anyone think that Lee's defeat, unlucky or otherwise, was anywhere near as painful as IJ losing twice with pocket Aces??
JJ finally sent Dan, worn out from arguing, out of the game. JJ's 7s held up against Dan's K3, knocking Dan out (5th).
JJ then called Presty's bluff, re-raising all in after Mark raised a pile of each. Mark slouched off the pot.
All of a sudden J looked like a very strong contender for a third consecutive win, putting him in with a serious shot at retaining the title. Baz was looking wary, eager for a chance to knock his newest threat out of the race.
Sharon provided the opportunity, going all in, which both JJ & Baz called. After 6 8 J 2 7 came on the board, no one bet and Sharon won the pot with A5, tripling up at the Borehamwood cashpoint.
JJ edged ahead, knocking Mark out (4th), after he went all in with J5. JJ's AQ held up and turned him into a chip monster, sending shivers down Barry's spine.
Grabbing his last chance to recapture the initiative, Baz went all in with A10. Sharon called with KJ, as did JJ with A8. 10 2 K on the flop brought an all in from Shaz, who had top pair, which JJ sensibly folded. Sharon knocked Barry out (3rd) leaving him with no points, and only the hope that Shaz would be strong enough to extinguish JJ's newly discovered form.
Heads up started at 22:50 and was over in 17 minutes.
The last hand saw Shaz's Q10 turn into a glorious heart flush, to beat JJ's J6, which had hit a J.
Well done Sharon - your win has left JJ grasping a point but no third victory. But it also gave Barry breathing space for now...
Game 2 – 5 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Lee, 3rd Barry)
Barry demonstrated his skillful reading of Dan & JJ in the first hand of the second game, which started at 23:15. Dan had K9 "ever so slightly better than" JJ's K8, taking the hand, but Baz read them as if they were his favourite Dan Brown.
The 2 of them went at it again, this time Dan with A9 and J with 5s. JJ hit a full house to beat Dan's trips and double up, but Baz would have hit a straight and been mullered. If only we were playing hindsight poker.
There then followed a tea spillage incident, which placed a stain on the cloth, the blog notes and the chair, as well as on IJ's reputation. For all the inconvenience caused: a heartfelt apology.
Q J 3 5 A on the board brought an instant all in from Barry, perhaps pre-meditated. JJ was convinced that Baz had nothing but just couldn't call. Baz told us later that he had trip 3s. JJ claimed he was ahead pre-flop, so he probably had his usual shitty pocket pair.
Dan went all in with QK, which Lee called with 5s. Dan had given up on the hand and the game, but hit a K on the river to double up and battle on.
IJ put an end to his optimism, knocking Dan out (5th), 910 holding up against 5 7.
Lee doubled up at Barry's expense, a rare occurrence of AK holding up.
AK soon returned to its old form, enticing an all in from IJ. JJ called with 2 3 & hit 2 pair. IJ out (4th) Fucking AK.
The top 3 spots in the table battled it out for a while, Lee & JJ eager to gain some ground on Baz, who was desperate to hold on to his lead. JJ was fat with chips, while Baz was just fat, but he did manage to swiftly beat Lee down to an irrelevant pile.
Lee dug deep into his legendary reserves, doubling up with 8s against JJ's K6, but it was JJ who made the decisive move. He knocked Barry out (3rd) with A9 against A7, securing a heads up between 2nd & 3rd in the table.
It began at 23:40, with J's 2nd in the first game putting them on equal points (99), meaning a narrowing of Baz's lead to 8 points was the only guaranteed outcome.
They went for it in the first hand, JJ with K6 and Lee with 5 2. JJ won at 23:41, giving him his
third win in 4 games. JJ observed that it would have been 4 out of 4 if Sharon hadn't have hit that lucky heart to give her a flush in the first game.
Well done JJ - an awesome result, which puts you within 8 points of our revered table leader, who gets no burger and no points from his 2 thirds.
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
Barry's once mighty lead at the top of our table has been reduced to an imminently catchable 8 points, after 2 weeks of enviable results from last year's champion.
JJ has stormed ahead of Lee, who makes it into 3 figures, and has his Borehamwood buddy firmly in his sights.
December promises to be a nervous month for Barry.
Meanwhile, Sharon's first game success sees her gaining ground on Dave, who may need to put in some appearances before the end of the year if he is to remain ahead of her.
Conversation topics of the week:
Discussion topics covered Laura White's exit from the X Factor and the contestants in this year's I'm a Celebrity.
Think everything else of note has been covered...
ij
We were down to a mere 7 players for this weeks game due to the Jaysons finally moving into their new house. IJ didn't waste anytime losing chips, raising big when he was dealt pocket Ks in the first hand. Turned out he didn't bet big enough to scare off Baz, who had top pair (Qs) and ended up hitting 2 pair to take down a very juicy pot.
The first controversy of the evening strangely coincided with Dan's late arrival. He noticed a card on the floor and implied that it was IJ's doing. However, since Dan had been for a few drinks and was being more lively than usual, his claims weren't taken very seriously (are they ever?)
This incident however did provoke discussion about why Dan is always late? Is it a poker strategy to ensure that he has some chips left or a laziness strategy to ensure he never has to lift a finger to help set up? He defended himself saying he was in the pub, consuming aforementioned drinks, and then popped round to see how the Jaysons were getting on. This all begged the question: "Don't we play poker on Wednesday nights?" and if we do "why is Dan making all sorts of social calls instead?" I should also mention that there were some present who were convinced that he was waiting around outside for the last hour, as he does every week...
Mark got paid nicely with Aces, betting just the right amount (£6) to get a call out of JJ, who was feeling generous after his double win last week.
Sharon went all in (£10.75) with 5s, which IJ excitedly called with Aces. Baz called but then folded after IJ raised post flop. The same flop soon wiped the smile of IJ's face once the cards were shown: jammy Shaz had hit 1 of only two remaining 5s to make trips and double up. Sharon was rather pleased with herself and all players consoled IJ with the knowledge that had he gone all in pre-flop, Barry would have folded, saving £10.75. Every cloud...
If Barry was upset, he wasn't showing it. He hummed & whistled the new Girls Aloud tune all evening, at one point playing the original on his gay-phone.
A few hands after losing with Aces to Sharon, IJ received Aces again. JJ had gone all in and IJ again gleefully called. JJ turned over pocket 10s, once again needing to hit 1 of 2 cards, which he did, tripping up to knock IJ out (7th).
Losing twice with Aces to trips in one game may seem to be about as unlucky as it gets, but in our game, where nothing is taken as read without being extensively debated and argued, this fact was never going to be universally accepted.
The dispute came shortly after when Lee went all in with £7.25, which Dan & Mark called. They both professionally checked it down until the river, when Mark made a bet, which Dan folded. Lee had deuces, but the two pairs on the board gave Mark the pot and knocked him out (6th). What followed was a protracted argument between Lee (pissed off after being knocked out allegedly unluckily) and Dan (pissed after a couple of shandies in the pub). The gist of it was that Lee claimed he was unlucky to lose with 2s, while Dan said "He fucking wasn't." Dan was clearly inciting a sore Lee, under the influence, but even sober JJ agreed. Eventually, they agreed on "It was unlucky the way you lost" NOT "It was unlucky that you lost."
Spot the difference? No one else could but we were universally delighted that they'd shut up. Besides, does anyone think that Lee's defeat, unlucky or otherwise, was anywhere near as painful as IJ losing twice with pocket Aces??
JJ finally sent Dan, worn out from arguing, out of the game. JJ's 7s held up against Dan's K3, knocking Dan out (5th).
JJ then called Presty's bluff, re-raising all in after Mark raised a pile of each. Mark slouched off the pot.
All of a sudden J looked like a very strong contender for a third consecutive win, putting him in with a serious shot at retaining the title. Baz was looking wary, eager for a chance to knock his newest threat out of the race.
Sharon provided the opportunity, going all in, which both JJ & Baz called. After 6 8 J 2 7 came on the board, no one bet and Sharon won the pot with A5, tripling up at the Borehamwood cashpoint.
JJ edged ahead, knocking Mark out (4th), after he went all in with J5. JJ's AQ held up and turned him into a chip monster, sending shivers down Barry's spine.
Grabbing his last chance to recapture the initiative, Baz went all in with A10. Sharon called with KJ, as did JJ with A8. 10 2 K on the flop brought an all in from Shaz, who had top pair, which JJ sensibly folded. Sharon knocked Barry out (3rd) leaving him with no points, and only the hope that Shaz would be strong enough to extinguish JJ's newly discovered form.
Heads up started at 22:50 and was over in 17 minutes.
The last hand saw Shaz's Q10 turn into a glorious heart flush, to beat JJ's J6, which had hit a J.
Well done Sharon - your win has left JJ grasping a point but no third victory. But it also gave Barry breathing space for now...
Game 2 – 5 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Lee, 3rd Barry)
Barry demonstrated his skillful reading of Dan & JJ in the first hand of the second game, which started at 23:15. Dan had K9 "ever so slightly better than" JJ's K8, taking the hand, but Baz read them as if they were his favourite Dan Brown.
The 2 of them went at it again, this time Dan with A9 and J with 5s. JJ hit a full house to beat Dan's trips and double up, but Baz would have hit a straight and been mullered. If only we were playing hindsight poker.
There then followed a tea spillage incident, which placed a stain on the cloth, the blog notes and the chair, as well as on IJ's reputation. For all the inconvenience caused: a heartfelt apology.
Q J 3 5 A on the board brought an instant all in from Barry, perhaps pre-meditated. JJ was convinced that Baz had nothing but just couldn't call. Baz told us later that he had trip 3s. JJ claimed he was ahead pre-flop, so he probably had his usual shitty pocket pair.
Dan went all in with QK, which Lee called with 5s. Dan had given up on the hand and the game, but hit a K on the river to double up and battle on.
IJ put an end to his optimism, knocking Dan out (5th), 910 holding up against 5 7.
Lee doubled up at Barry's expense, a rare occurrence of AK holding up.
AK soon returned to its old form, enticing an all in from IJ. JJ called with 2 3 & hit 2 pair. IJ out (4th) Fucking AK.
The top 3 spots in the table battled it out for a while, Lee & JJ eager to gain some ground on Baz, who was desperate to hold on to his lead. JJ was fat with chips, while Baz was just fat, but he did manage to swiftly beat Lee down to an irrelevant pile.
Lee dug deep into his legendary reserves, doubling up with 8s against JJ's K6, but it was JJ who made the decisive move. He knocked Barry out (3rd) with A9 against A7, securing a heads up between 2nd & 3rd in the table.
It began at 23:40, with J's 2nd in the first game putting them on equal points (99), meaning a narrowing of Baz's lead to 8 points was the only guaranteed outcome.
They went for it in the first hand, JJ with K6 and Lee with 5 2. JJ won at 23:41, giving him his
third win in 4 games. JJ observed that it would have been 4 out of 4 if Sharon hadn't have hit that lucky heart to give her a flush in the first game.
Well done JJ - an awesome result, which puts you within 8 points of our revered table leader, who gets no burger and no points from his 2 thirds.
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
Barry's once mighty lead at the top of our table has been reduced to an imminently catchable 8 points, after 2 weeks of enviable results from last year's champion.JJ has stormed ahead of Lee, who makes it into 3 figures, and has his Borehamwood buddy firmly in his sights.
December promises to be a nervous month for Barry.
Meanwhile, Sharon's first game success sees her gaining ground on Dave, who may need to put in some appearances before the end of the year if he is to remain ahead of her.
Conversation topics of the week:
Discussion topics covered Laura White's exit from the X Factor and the contestants in this year's I'm a Celebrity.
Think everything else of note has been covered...
ij
5 November 2008 (The Jaysons') "JJ buys the burgers for Barry Obama after historic double win"
Game 1 – 9 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Lee, 3rd IJ)
Bonfire night poker action started at 20:40 minus Dave & Bea, who was terrified of the fireworks and couldn't be trusted not to run around and disturb the game (Bea that is, not Dave).
The first casualty of the night came on the 4th hand after one very bad decision from Dan: where to sit. He had arrived a few moments after play began & so took the seat that had not been a blind, saving himself 1 whole chip.
Pre flop, IJ just called, despite holding pocket Qs figuring that Sharon would inevitably raise. This she did, holding pocket 2s and Dan called with pocket Js.
6 Q J on the flop brought a raise from IJ of £3, a fold from Sharon and a re-raise of £3 from Dan, thinking his trip Js were good. IJ re-raised £3 again, knowing his trip Qs were ahead & Dan took the bait, going all in. IJ duly called and when the turn & the river brought no relief, Dan exited (9th).
Dan blamed his early exit on a false sense of security due to the lack of a pre-flop raise from IJ, but everyone else knew it was his foolish decision to take the seat with 25p more chips that ultimately cost him his whole stack. After threatening to go home, due to having to catch a relaxed mid-morning train to Bolton the next day, Dan went upstairs and watched the football.
It turned out that the seat decision wasn't critical, as the alternative chair was taken by the other latecomer, Mark, who soon joined Dan in the lounge.
With AA74 on the board Baz raised and Mark re-raised all in. Barry eagerly called, turning over A2 to give him trip Aces, destroying Mark's K7. Mark out (8th).
IJ wasted some of Dan's chips, committing the cardinal sin of giving them to Barry. 2 Qs came on the flop after some monster raises, followed by a check from IJ. Baz capitalised on IJ's display of weakness & went all in, despite having nothing but AJ. IJ folded his AK, which would have split the pot, scarred by the memory of what AK had done to him in previous weeks.
A split pot came to our table leader's rescue against Charlie. A47 on the flop produced some serious raises until they both went all in, revealing that they had the same hand, A8.
Unluckily for Charlie, his pocket 6s in a following hand, came up against JJ's pocket rockets, knocking Charlie out (7th).
AK punished IJ yet again, after Jude's pocket 9s tripped up to double up and decimate IJ's stack.
IJ then went all in blind, praying for a couple of hearts when 439 of hearts came on the flop. Baz re-raised Lee, who was not scared of Baz's bravado and went all in. After considering it for a while, he folded saying "His heart says one thing but his head says another."
Turned out it was all about heart: Lee turned over J6 of them, but miraculously, IJ turned over his unseen hand to display Q5 hearts, producing a higher flush out of nowhere. Would you believe it?
Barry had folded an Ace of hearts, but since no 4th heart came, it turned out that his head had been right. (A shechianu was said by all to mark such an auspicious first.) By the way, JJ was holding K of hearts. Unbelievable.
The two top places in our table clashed heads again, when Baz went all in with A8 hearts. Lee, holding deuces, told us that he knew Barry was going to go all in and he had told himself if he did, then he would have to call. So he called and it proved to be the right move. Lee hit a full house, knocking Barry out (6th).
With no points to further his table lead, Barry was consoled by Dean, who took him on a tour of the new house. Barry, amateur boxer and fanatical gym goer, insisted on driving the 200m journey. He was roundly condemned for his disgusting carbon footprint & the fact that he is a total lazy bastard.
Lee consolidated his position as chip leader, winning a monster hand against Jude. 7K2J was on the board and they both hand had been chucking their chips in like there was no tomorrow. Lee took the hand with a J, beating Jude's A2, but if a club had come on the river it would have been a very different story.
Lee didn't have time for hindsight, knocking Jude out on the next hand, when his AK spades hit an Ace to beat her 67 spades. Jude out (5th).
Sharon went all in with J6 and A7Q on the flop. JJ called with 57 and his pair of 7s held up to beat Sharon. She went out (4th) complaining that she had been 4th for about 4 bloody weeks now.
With 3 players left, Lee was the clear chip leader, with JJ second and IJ hanging on for dear life. JJ raised a pile of each pre-flop, which Lee called. IJ saw a chance to sneak 2nd when JJ went all in after KJ4 came on the flop but Lee folded it saying that it was the way JJ had said 'just' when counting out his all in that made him suspicious.
Sharon revealed her desire to reveal rather more of herself asking if anyone else got the urge to shout out what the cards are, when looking at a player's hand, once knocked out. She said it was like when you know you shouldn't do something but you really want to. She gave the example of how she often felt the urge to raise her top and flash her tits when she is out in the street.... Players agreed that it would be better if she flashed at the poker table, rather than calling out people's cards.
IJ claimed his tenner and little else after going all in with 10s. JJ called with Qs which held up knocking IJ out (3rd).
Heads up between 2nd and 4th in the table got going at 23:25, with JJ admitting that he wasn't very confident. In every hand they'd been up against each other so far, Lee had got the better of him and taken him off the pot.
Confounding his own pessimism, JJ turned it around taking the lead and then victory at 23:36 after Lee went all in with J3. JJ called with A10. Lee hit a J on the turn but JJ hit an Ace on the river to win the game. Lee said he'd had enough and so called with his J3, which gave JJ his first first game win in a long while. Well done JJ!
Game 2 – 6 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Charlie, 3rd Barry)
Our second game started at 23:49, with players returning from the Jaysons' almost completed new house full of excitement about the prospect of playing future games there. Acording to Barry, it will be a pleasure to go out early in the 1st game Chez Jayson as there are so many distractions there. Frankly, it is always a pleasure for the rest of us when Barry goes out early in any game.
Shortly after kick off, Dan won his first hand of the entire night at midnight.
Charlie & JJ went up against each other, with JJ gently 'carressing' Charlie's balls, evaluating their size and strength. With 2 3 4 on the flop, JJ re-raised Charlie, who called. When an Ace came on the turn, Charlie bet again but JJ squeezed hard, going all in, producing a squeal & a fold from Charlie. JJ smiled with satisfaction, as Banko d'Charlie was declared open again for business.
Baz got annoyed with Lee, who he accused of talking IJ out of calling his £3.50 raise. Dan pointed out that Lee was merely reminding IJ of the memo.
Charlie & JJ resumed their fondling, with JJ making a Jackson special £7.25 raise. With steam coming out of his ears, Charlie raised all in. His move was widely commended as the only response to JJ, and Charlie sat back and watched JJ squirm.
With 2 6 6 3 7 on the board, JJ had trip 6s and had to call. Charlie flipped over pocket 3s, giving him a full house. Redemption for Charlie, who's style of play and nervous hands combined to fool JJ into calling, although Charlie claimed it was his skillful fake procrastination.
JJ lost more chips, this time to Barry, who was chasing 2 pair and hit them on the river. Idiotic play from Baz, but it paid off.
In a monster hand, Charlie, Dan and Lee all went all in. With the stakes high, Barry raised them still higher, offering Charlie a tenner if he took them both out, as long as Barry won the game. Generous offer though it was, Charlie didn't take it. But he did win the hand, after both he & Dan hit trip Jacks, Dan with a K kicker, Charlie with an Ace. Trip Js fucked Dan for the 2nd time that night, devastating his chip stack and giving Charlie a very healthy pile.
Dan won some chips back off JJ, with 8QQ on the flop, he went all in with 10s, beating JJ's 4s.
JJ then saw action against Lee, who re-raised all in his pre-flop bet. JJ's Qs held up against Lee's AK (the cursed hand) to double JJ up and leave Lee with 3 red chips.
Lee went all in next hand with Q8, as did IJ with AJ. Baz called with J10 but IJ's hand held up, winning the pot and knocking Lee out (6th).
IJ then followed soon after going all in with KQ, only to be called by JJ with AQ, which held up. IJ out (5th).
Baz continues:
JJ continues:
Not sure where you left, but three-way it was me, Barry and Charlie. Barry had most of the chips and Charlie and I were fighting it out for 2nd.
Barry got fleeced repeatedly by both of us and ended up finishing 3rd.
Heads up, I won a few early hands to give me a decent lead before disaster (aka Charlie) struck.
I held top pair of Queens and Charlie had hit 2nd pair (6's). I trap checked and Charlie due went all-in. I called and was delighted when it turned out that our other cards were both 7s. I think you know what's coming. Charlie hit one of 2 outs on the river to make trip 6's.
Steaming big time, I still had a few chips and put them to good work surprisingly clawing back the lead with a series of difficult to call all-in bets.
The final hand saw my top pair against Charlie's 2nd pair, but this time it held up, bringing my first double win since President Barry's great idea to pay for my burgers. So it's Borehamwood burgers on me next week!
--------------------------------------
So well played JJ - a fantastic double win & a burger size increase to Barry's waistline!
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
JJ's first double win in years rockets him up to 3rd place in the table, steaming past Dan. Only his 2nd place in Game 1 preserves Lee's hold on the second spot, but JJ is challenging hard.
Barry is still 12 points clear and at least a week away from a serious challenge, but with less than 2 months to go, his grip on title is getting increasingly sweatier.
Conversation topics of the week:
This being the last ever game to be played at the Jaysons' temporary residence, there was lots of chat about the new house, which has taken a long time & a great deal of stress to finish.
Poker players were disturbed to learn about the antics of Jude's Grandpa who, aged 95, drowns squirrels and then disposes of their bodies in the refuse. 'I love Grandpa, he's very cute' Jude reasssured us. However, she admitted that when they were kids, they never dressed up as any fury animals, just in case...
Sharon and Jude bored us all silly with an inane discussion about some swimming instructor. They defended their right to discuss the matter as they had asked Mark and Charlie (who were sitting in between them) if they minded and they had said they didn't. 25 minutes later they regretted their politeness. To cut a very dull conversation short: the swimming instructor is shit
but he's convenient andthe kids might not learn to swim, but that's a price the working Mums are prepared to pay for their convenience. Maybe you'll understand if your married, cos I certainly don't.
Last week's debate about whether Charlie gets any respect at work was briefly reprised in the second game with Dan challenging Charlie to produce a single email from a person who respected him at work. Charlie politely declined.
Finally there was brief consideration of whether Barry's son was more or less likely to play for England than Barry was to become England's manager?
that's all for this week folks!
ij
Bonfire night poker action started at 20:40 minus Dave & Bea, who was terrified of the fireworks and couldn't be trusted not to run around and disturb the game (Bea that is, not Dave).
The first casualty of the night came on the 4th hand after one very bad decision from Dan: where to sit. He had arrived a few moments after play began & so took the seat that had not been a blind, saving himself 1 whole chip.
Pre flop, IJ just called, despite holding pocket Qs figuring that Sharon would inevitably raise. This she did, holding pocket 2s and Dan called with pocket Js.
6 Q J on the flop brought a raise from IJ of £3, a fold from Sharon and a re-raise of £3 from Dan, thinking his trip Js were good. IJ re-raised £3 again, knowing his trip Qs were ahead & Dan took the bait, going all in. IJ duly called and when the turn & the river brought no relief, Dan exited (9th).
Dan blamed his early exit on a false sense of security due to the lack of a pre-flop raise from IJ, but everyone else knew it was his foolish decision to take the seat with 25p more chips that ultimately cost him his whole stack. After threatening to go home, due to having to catch a relaxed mid-morning train to Bolton the next day, Dan went upstairs and watched the football.
It turned out that the seat decision wasn't critical, as the alternative chair was taken by the other latecomer, Mark, who soon joined Dan in the lounge.
With AA74 on the board Baz raised and Mark re-raised all in. Barry eagerly called, turning over A2 to give him trip Aces, destroying Mark's K7. Mark out (8th).
IJ wasted some of Dan's chips, committing the cardinal sin of giving them to Barry. 2 Qs came on the flop after some monster raises, followed by a check from IJ. Baz capitalised on IJ's display of weakness & went all in, despite having nothing but AJ. IJ folded his AK, which would have split the pot, scarred by the memory of what AK had done to him in previous weeks.
A split pot came to our table leader's rescue against Charlie. A47 on the flop produced some serious raises until they both went all in, revealing that they had the same hand, A8.
Unluckily for Charlie, his pocket 6s in a following hand, came up against JJ's pocket rockets, knocking Charlie out (7th).
AK punished IJ yet again, after Jude's pocket 9s tripped up to double up and decimate IJ's stack.
IJ then went all in blind, praying for a couple of hearts when 439 of hearts came on the flop. Baz re-raised Lee, who was not scared of Baz's bravado and went all in. After considering it for a while, he folded saying "His heart says one thing but his head says another."
Turned out it was all about heart: Lee turned over J6 of them, but miraculously, IJ turned over his unseen hand to display Q5 hearts, producing a higher flush out of nowhere. Would you believe it?
Barry had folded an Ace of hearts, but since no 4th heart came, it turned out that his head had been right. (A shechianu was said by all to mark such an auspicious first.) By the way, JJ was holding K of hearts. Unbelievable.
The two top places in our table clashed heads again, when Baz went all in with A8 hearts. Lee, holding deuces, told us that he knew Barry was going to go all in and he had told himself if he did, then he would have to call. So he called and it proved to be the right move. Lee hit a full house, knocking Barry out (6th).
With no points to further his table lead, Barry was consoled by Dean, who took him on a tour of the new house. Barry, amateur boxer and fanatical gym goer, insisted on driving the 200m journey. He was roundly condemned for his disgusting carbon footprint & the fact that he is a total lazy bastard.
Lee consolidated his position as chip leader, winning a monster hand against Jude. 7K2J was on the board and they both hand had been chucking their chips in like there was no tomorrow. Lee took the hand with a J, beating Jude's A2, but if a club had come on the river it would have been a very different story.
Lee didn't have time for hindsight, knocking Jude out on the next hand, when his AK spades hit an Ace to beat her 67 spades. Jude out (5th).
Sharon went all in with J6 and A7Q on the flop. JJ called with 57 and his pair of 7s held up to beat Sharon. She went out (4th) complaining that she had been 4th for about 4 bloody weeks now.
With 3 players left, Lee was the clear chip leader, with JJ second and IJ hanging on for dear life. JJ raised a pile of each pre-flop, which Lee called. IJ saw a chance to sneak 2nd when JJ went all in after KJ4 came on the flop but Lee folded it saying that it was the way JJ had said 'just' when counting out his all in that made him suspicious.
Sharon revealed her desire to reveal rather more of herself asking if anyone else got the urge to shout out what the cards are, when looking at a player's hand, once knocked out. She said it was like when you know you shouldn't do something but you really want to. She gave the example of how she often felt the urge to raise her top and flash her tits when she is out in the street.... Players agreed that it would be better if she flashed at the poker table, rather than calling out people's cards.
IJ claimed his tenner and little else after going all in with 10s. JJ called with Qs which held up knocking IJ out (3rd).
Heads up between 2nd and 4th in the table got going at 23:25, with JJ admitting that he wasn't very confident. In every hand they'd been up against each other so far, Lee had got the better of him and taken him off the pot.
Confounding his own pessimism, JJ turned it around taking the lead and then victory at 23:36 after Lee went all in with J3. JJ called with A10. Lee hit a J on the turn but JJ hit an Ace on the river to win the game. Lee said he'd had enough and so called with his J3, which gave JJ his first first game win in a long while. Well done JJ!
Game 2 – 6 players - (1st JJ, 2nd Charlie, 3rd Barry)
Our second game started at 23:49, with players returning from the Jaysons' almost completed new house full of excitement about the prospect of playing future games there. Acording to Barry, it will be a pleasure to go out early in the 1st game Chez Jayson as there are so many distractions there. Frankly, it is always a pleasure for the rest of us when Barry goes out early in any game.
Shortly after kick off, Dan won his first hand of the entire night at midnight.
Charlie & JJ went up against each other, with JJ gently 'carressing' Charlie's balls, evaluating their size and strength. With 2 3 4 on the flop, JJ re-raised Charlie, who called. When an Ace came on the turn, Charlie bet again but JJ squeezed hard, going all in, producing a squeal & a fold from Charlie. JJ smiled with satisfaction, as Banko d'Charlie was declared open again for business.
Baz got annoyed with Lee, who he accused of talking IJ out of calling his £3.50 raise. Dan pointed out that Lee was merely reminding IJ of the memo.
Charlie & JJ resumed their fondling, with JJ making a Jackson special £7.25 raise. With steam coming out of his ears, Charlie raised all in. His move was widely commended as the only response to JJ, and Charlie sat back and watched JJ squirm.
With 2 6 6 3 7 on the board, JJ had trip 6s and had to call. Charlie flipped over pocket 3s, giving him a full house. Redemption for Charlie, who's style of play and nervous hands combined to fool JJ into calling, although Charlie claimed it was his skillful fake procrastination.
JJ lost more chips, this time to Barry, who was chasing 2 pair and hit them on the river. Idiotic play from Baz, but it paid off.
In a monster hand, Charlie, Dan and Lee all went all in. With the stakes high, Barry raised them still higher, offering Charlie a tenner if he took them both out, as long as Barry won the game. Generous offer though it was, Charlie didn't take it. But he did win the hand, after both he & Dan hit trip Jacks, Dan with a K kicker, Charlie with an Ace. Trip Js fucked Dan for the 2nd time that night, devastating his chip stack and giving Charlie a very healthy pile.
Dan won some chips back off JJ, with 8QQ on the flop, he went all in with 10s, beating JJ's 4s.
JJ then saw action against Lee, who re-raised all in his pre-flop bet. JJ's Qs held up against Lee's AK (the cursed hand) to double JJ up and leave Lee with 3 red chips.
Lee went all in next hand with Q8, as did IJ with AJ. Baz called with J10 but IJ's hand held up, winning the pot and knocking Lee out (6th).
IJ then followed soon after going all in with KQ, only to be called by JJ with AQ, which held up. IJ out (5th).
Baz continues:
dan was all in with AQ (1 big blind raise) - I called with J7 and hit 2 pair - Dan out in 4th
I was out in 3rd with J4 to Charlies J10 after a J on the flop gave us both a pair. Charlie went on to hit a straight. Baz out in 3rd
JJ continues:
Not sure where you left, but three-way it was me, Barry and Charlie. Barry had most of the chips and Charlie and I were fighting it out for 2nd.
Barry got fleeced repeatedly by both of us and ended up finishing 3rd.
Heads up, I won a few early hands to give me a decent lead before disaster (aka Charlie) struck.
I held top pair of Queens and Charlie had hit 2nd pair (6's). I trap checked and Charlie due went all-in. I called and was delighted when it turned out that our other cards were both 7s. I think you know what's coming. Charlie hit one of 2 outs on the river to make trip 6's.
Steaming big time, I still had a few chips and put them to good work surprisingly clawing back the lead with a series of difficult to call all-in bets.
The final hand saw my top pair against Charlie's 2nd pair, but this time it held up, bringing my first double win since President Barry's great idea to pay for my burgers. So it's Borehamwood burgers on me next week!
--------------------------------------
So well played JJ - a fantastic double win & a burger size increase to Barry's waistline!
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
JJ's first double win in years rockets him up to 3rd place in the table, steaming past Dan. Only his 2nd place in Game 1 preserves Lee's hold on the second spot, but JJ is challenging hard.Barry is still 12 points clear and at least a week away from a serious challenge, but with less than 2 months to go, his grip on title is getting increasingly sweatier.
Conversation topics of the week:
This being the last ever game to be played at the Jaysons' temporary residence, there was lots of chat about the new house, which has taken a long time & a great deal of stress to finish.
Poker players were disturbed to learn about the antics of Jude's Grandpa who, aged 95, drowns squirrels and then disposes of their bodies in the refuse. 'I love Grandpa, he's very cute' Jude reasssured us. However, she admitted that when they were kids, they never dressed up as any fury animals, just in case...
Sharon and Jude bored us all silly with an inane discussion about some swimming instructor. They defended their right to discuss the matter as they had asked Mark and Charlie (who were sitting in between them) if they minded and they had said they didn't. 25 minutes later they regretted their politeness. To cut a very dull conversation short: the swimming instructor is shit
but he's convenient andthe kids might not learn to swim, but that's a price the working Mums are prepared to pay for their convenience. Maybe you'll understand if your married, cos I certainly don't.
Last week's debate about whether Charlie gets any respect at work was briefly reprised in the second game with Dan challenging Charlie to produce a single email from a person who respected him at work. Charlie politely declined.
Finally there was brief consideration of whether Barry's son was more or less likely to play for England than Barry was to become England's manager?
that's all for this week folks!
ij
29 October 2008 (The Youngs') "Unlike the Gooners, Baz holds onto his lead"
Game 1 – 10 players - (1st Jude, 2nd Dan, 3rd JJ)
The evening was looking like it could prove an expensive one for Dave even before play started at 20:32. Frustrated by her protective neck funnel, Bea managed to steal a £20 note, escaping into the lounge to munch on it at her leisure. Luckily for us, Dave rescued it before it was no longer legal tender.
Shaz was in her usual aggressive form, getting her chips in the mix early on in a hand against Dave. His 2 3 had given him 2 pair on the flop, but Sharon's A7 hit a better 2 pair on the turn. Somehow the 2 of them avoided chucking all their chips in the middle, which was lucky for Shaz as Dave had hit a full house on the river.
Sharon won some chips back, doubling up at Charlie's expense, who went all in on the river representing a flush. It was poorly timed performance from Charles, as Sharon had hit the nut flush.
Charlie was comforted by Bea, who seemed to have taken a real liking to him. She jumped onto Dan's empty seat, next to Charlie, whenever she could & played with him until Dave shooed her off the table. She was very excitable all evening and kept on interrupting the game, leading Dave to speculate as to whether he could still come to poker in future. This could be a hasty conclusion, as she should be better behaved once her stitches are gone and she can get a bit more exercise. If not, she'll just have to learn how to deal...
Dave got a hand going with a £2 pre-flop raise, which Charlie re-raised all in, an extra £4.25. Sharon called and Dave folded. It looked close, with Chaz holding A10 and Shaz holding AJ, but Sharon hit another nut flush, to knock Charlie out (10th).
IJ swiftly followed, re-raising JJ's £6 raise all in with trip 6s. JJ called with top pair and a flush draw and the jammy bastard hit the flush, to knock IJ out (9th).
Dan got revenge for IJ, doubling up against JJ in an incredible lucky escape, his 2 10s hitting one of only 2 possible cards to beat JJ's pocket Aces.
Dave exited next (8th) when his 5s fell victim to Sharon's AQ, which hit an Ace.
Sharon took Mark out next, her AK holding up against his A9. Mark out (7th).
Barry didn't last much longer, his compulsory all in with 6 7, losing to K9. Unfortunately, he hasn't recorded who beat him, but he was out (6th).
Lee trap checked Dan, his 5 6 hitting 2 pair to Dan's A6, 1 pair. The move backfired for Lee though, as Dan remained in the hand and hit an Ace, knocking Lee out (5th) with a higher 2 pair.
Jude quietly became a monster chip leader, doubling up against Sharon when her A9 hearts hit a nut flush to beat Shaz's 5s.
In a monster hand, Dan propelled himself into a heads up race against Jude.
Sharon went all in (8s).
JJ went all in with A10 (£2.50 raise).
Dan considered it for a while until calling with J9 ("It's a value bet.")
J9K2K arrived on the board, giving Dan 2 pair and knocking both Shaz & JJ out. It was quickly established that Sharon was 4th and JJ 3rd, but this didn't stop Sharon protesting, as she had a better hand than JJ. it was pointed out to her that this was irrelevant, as she had less chips than J and could not have knocked him out. Sharon was still not happy about the fact that JJ's £2.50 of chips won him a tenner. JJ was philosophical: "I suppose I should be pleased with third."
Dan, who had the worst hand, went into heads up at 22:52 well behind Jude.
The action only lasted 8 mins, Jude winning the final hand with A6 against Dan's loose K4, all in. Jude hit trip Aces to take a well deserved victory at 23:00.
Well done Jude!
Game 2 – 7 players - (1st Charlie, 2nd Dan, 3rd Lee)
Barry got Charlie's second game off to a great start when the second game kicked off at 23:05. He couldn't lay down his trips, despite being sure Charlie had him beat. Charlie had hit a straight and collected a large chip stack, declaring that he no longer needed to play any more hands for a while and would sit back and wait for the other players to knock each other out.
He didn't keep his promise for long, betting big against JJ, to increase his chip lead.
An unstoppable whirlwind, Charlie put his first pair of Aces of the game to good use, going all in against JJ, who called with KQ. Chaz's Aces tripped up, knocking JJ out (7th).
There was some discussion about how Lee copes with his wife's constant moaning. She had spent most of the first game complaining about when was he going to take the succah down. "Welcome to my life" was all Lee could say to the other boys. Charlie sympathised saying that it was hard for him too coming home to get told what to do, after getting respect all day at work. Dan observed "I find it hard to believe that you get respect at work."
This led to some conversation about how great Barry's job would be if he was a Durex Analyst, instead of a lowly Murex Analyst. Baz shared his fantasy with us all, involving him testing out condoms on nubile young virgins (women not men, apparently). He could even provide reassurance that he would never take a sicky...
Having told us all that, Barry went all in with KJ (£3) which Mark called with A3. Mark hit an Ace to send Barry and his fantasies home (6th) without a single point from the evening, keeping the door ajar on the title race. Sitting behind an enormous chip mountain, Charlie cruelly thanked Barry for sparing him a big blind. Baz was gracious, saying Charlie was welcome, as long as he won, preventing Dan or Lee from closing the gap.
With both Borehamwood boys gone, the remaining players settled in to enjoy the game.
Charlie consolidated his chip lead, putting his second pair of Aces to good use. IJ went all in with 8s. Mark called with J8 suited but Charlie's Aces held up, knocking Mark out (5th) and IJ (4th).
Backup blogger Dan continues:
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
With no points for Barry or Lee this week, there is no movement in our top 2 spots. Dan's 2 second places drags him back into the race, only 4 points behind Lee, but Barry is still sitting pretty on a 14 point lead.
Elsewhere, Jude and Charlie's wins take them above Dean, but still some way from Mark and Sharon.
Conversation topics of the week:
Most of the attention for the early part of the evening was not on the conversation or the poker but on the spectacular North London derby which Spurs won, thrashing Arsenal 4 all.
There was some early chat about the week's surprise snowfall, which stopped Charlie from getting out of his drive, IJ getting into his car and Jude opening her dustbin.
Dave raised the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross controversy, stridently stating his disgust at how they cold upset a 78 year old grandfather. Everyone else felt that the whole thing was overblown, but the best remark came from Sharon who suspected that it was all a publicity stunt by the Satanic Sluts.
Jayson family update: Jude informed us that in a move worthy of the great Judas himself, Sol Campbell, Jonah has decided to dump Spurs and support Arsenal. Meanwhile, Asher dresses up as a girl....
Jokes & news of the week:
Thanks to Dave for this:
The RSPCA have acted swiftly after last night. If you see any Arsenal fans walking a dog please call the RSPCA hotline immediately on 4-2 4-3 4-4 as they are not very good at holding on to leads!
These are the 2 you tube videos I was going on about last week - well worth viewing, especially the Ben Afleck one:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j_pFTAY7MF8&feature=related
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YXI5IMcy2eE&feature=related
that's all folks!
ij
The evening was looking like it could prove an expensive one for Dave even before play started at 20:32. Frustrated by her protective neck funnel, Bea managed to steal a £20 note, escaping into the lounge to munch on it at her leisure. Luckily for us, Dave rescued it before it was no longer legal tender.
Shaz was in her usual aggressive form, getting her chips in the mix early on in a hand against Dave. His 2 3 had given him 2 pair on the flop, but Sharon's A7 hit a better 2 pair on the turn. Somehow the 2 of them avoided chucking all their chips in the middle, which was lucky for Shaz as Dave had hit a full house on the river.
Sharon won some chips back, doubling up at Charlie's expense, who went all in on the river representing a flush. It was poorly timed performance from Charles, as Sharon had hit the nut flush.
Charlie was comforted by Bea, who seemed to have taken a real liking to him. She jumped onto Dan's empty seat, next to Charlie, whenever she could & played with him until Dave shooed her off the table. She was very excitable all evening and kept on interrupting the game, leading Dave to speculate as to whether he could still come to poker in future. This could be a hasty conclusion, as she should be better behaved once her stitches are gone and she can get a bit more exercise. If not, she'll just have to learn how to deal...
Dave got a hand going with a £2 pre-flop raise, which Charlie re-raised all in, an extra £4.25. Sharon called and Dave folded. It looked close, with Chaz holding A10 and Shaz holding AJ, but Sharon hit another nut flush, to knock Charlie out (10th).
IJ swiftly followed, re-raising JJ's £6 raise all in with trip 6s. JJ called with top pair and a flush draw and the jammy bastard hit the flush, to knock IJ out (9th).
Dan got revenge for IJ, doubling up against JJ in an incredible lucky escape, his 2 10s hitting one of only 2 possible cards to beat JJ's pocket Aces.
Dave exited next (8th) when his 5s fell victim to Sharon's AQ, which hit an Ace.
Sharon took Mark out next, her AK holding up against his A9. Mark out (7th).
Barry didn't last much longer, his compulsory all in with 6 7, losing to K9. Unfortunately, he hasn't recorded who beat him, but he was out (6th).
Lee trap checked Dan, his 5 6 hitting 2 pair to Dan's A6, 1 pair. The move backfired for Lee though, as Dan remained in the hand and hit an Ace, knocking Lee out (5th) with a higher 2 pair.
Jude quietly became a monster chip leader, doubling up against Sharon when her A9 hearts hit a nut flush to beat Shaz's 5s.
In a monster hand, Dan propelled himself into a heads up race against Jude.
Sharon went all in (8s).
JJ went all in with A10 (£2.50 raise).
Dan considered it for a while until calling with J9 ("It's a value bet.")
J9K2K arrived on the board, giving Dan 2 pair and knocking both Shaz & JJ out. It was quickly established that Sharon was 4th and JJ 3rd, but this didn't stop Sharon protesting, as she had a better hand than JJ. it was pointed out to her that this was irrelevant, as she had less chips than J and could not have knocked him out. Sharon was still not happy about the fact that JJ's £2.50 of chips won him a tenner. JJ was philosophical: "I suppose I should be pleased with third."
Dan, who had the worst hand, went into heads up at 22:52 well behind Jude.
The action only lasted 8 mins, Jude winning the final hand with A6 against Dan's loose K4, all in. Jude hit trip Aces to take a well deserved victory at 23:00.
Well done Jude!
Game 2 – 7 players - (1st Charlie, 2nd Dan, 3rd Lee)
Barry got Charlie's second game off to a great start when the second game kicked off at 23:05. He couldn't lay down his trips, despite being sure Charlie had him beat. Charlie had hit a straight and collected a large chip stack, declaring that he no longer needed to play any more hands for a while and would sit back and wait for the other players to knock each other out.
He didn't keep his promise for long, betting big against JJ, to increase his chip lead.
An unstoppable whirlwind, Charlie put his first pair of Aces of the game to good use, going all in against JJ, who called with KQ. Chaz's Aces tripped up, knocking JJ out (7th).
There was some discussion about how Lee copes with his wife's constant moaning. She had spent most of the first game complaining about when was he going to take the succah down. "Welcome to my life" was all Lee could say to the other boys. Charlie sympathised saying that it was hard for him too coming home to get told what to do, after getting respect all day at work. Dan observed "I find it hard to believe that you get respect at work."
This led to some conversation about how great Barry's job would be if he was a Durex Analyst, instead of a lowly Murex Analyst. Baz shared his fantasy with us all, involving him testing out condoms on nubile young virgins (women not men, apparently). He could even provide reassurance that he would never take a sicky...
Having told us all that, Barry went all in with KJ (£3) which Mark called with A3. Mark hit an Ace to send Barry and his fantasies home (6th) without a single point from the evening, keeping the door ajar on the title race. Sitting behind an enormous chip mountain, Charlie cruelly thanked Barry for sparing him a big blind. Baz was gracious, saying Charlie was welcome, as long as he won, preventing Dan or Lee from closing the gap.
With both Borehamwood boys gone, the remaining players settled in to enjoy the game.
Charlie consolidated his chip lead, putting his second pair of Aces to good use. IJ went all in with 8s. Mark called with J8 suited but Charlie's Aces held up, knocking Mark out (5th) and IJ (4th).
Backup blogger Dan continues:
Lee 3rd when his low pair was beaten by the 4th club on the board to hit on the river flushing up Charlie’s lonely King.
Heads up lasted about 10 minutes
Charlie was a massive leader going in and although Dan clawed his way back to about 40% of the chips a couple of key hands almost saw him off before he was forced to go all in with 45 off suit which got what it deserved.
Well done Charlie – game over by 1am.
2008 Poker Rankings Table:
With no points for Barry or Lee this week, there is no movement in our top 2 spots. Dan's 2 second places drags him back into the race, only 4 points behind Lee, but Barry is still sitting pretty on a 14 point lead.
Elsewhere, Jude and Charlie's wins take them above Dean, but still some way from Mark and Sharon.
Conversation topics of the week:
Most of the attention for the early part of the evening was not on the conversation or the poker but on the spectacular North London derby which Spurs won, thrashing Arsenal 4 all.
There was some early chat about the week's surprise snowfall, which stopped Charlie from getting out of his drive, IJ getting into his car and Jude opening her dustbin.
Dave raised the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross controversy, stridently stating his disgust at how they cold upset a 78 year old grandfather. Everyone else felt that the whole thing was overblown, but the best remark came from Sharon who suspected that it was all a publicity stunt by the Satanic Sluts.
Jayson family update: Jude informed us that in a move worthy of the great Judas himself, Sol Campbell, Jonah has decided to dump Spurs and support Arsenal. Meanwhile, Asher dresses up as a girl....
Jokes & news of the week:
Thanks to Dave for this:
The RSPCA have acted swiftly after last night. If you see any Arsenal fans walking a dog please call the RSPCA hotline immediately on 4-2 4-3 4-4 as they are not very good at holding on to leads!
These are the 2 you tube videos I was going on about last week - well worth viewing, especially the Ben Afleck one:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j_pFTAY7MF8&feature=related
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YXI5IMcy2eE&feature=related
that's all folks!
ij
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