SurfDogII

As everyone has seen, Tavern Poker is getting to be a big thing in the US. Since live events are usually frowned upon because "gaming" is still illegal in most of the U.S., so Tavern Poker (Stars and Bars, etc) was born like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. One of the tavern poker companies found a legal loophole and can offer a cash payout because there is no money involved. Weird, huh? So, anyway, I decide to hit up this game in my area (Prince, call em and I can tell you where. We'll meet up for a game one night)

There are about 60 people entered in this tourney (I missed the 7:00 tourney due to mass transit issues) and I get seated across from my buddy Doug, who suffers from MS, and he introduces me to some of the regulars at the table. I know another person from a production I directed many years back, so the table knows everyone, so it's fairly cozy.

Top Prize is $50 cash, 2nd prize is a gift cert and free drinks at the restaurant.

I did nto play a hand in the 1st 2 rounds, and it was only in the 3rd round, where blinds were 100/200 when I made my 1st stab at a pot. I made some great plays, including slow playing three people into betting when I flop the nut straight and check raised on the turn. Until that point, no one had ever check raised in the tourney. They were aggressive, but not savvy. I ended up heads up with the aggressive guy, who i will call Dean, and I had a 3:1 chip advantage.

This is where poker gets very, VERY unfair. Dean raises short all in to try and buy the blinds (which equal half his stack, 10K/20K) and I call with my A9. He has 29 off and hits the bloody 2 on the river to get the pot and even up. Two more equally bad beats later (QQ v J8 and he rivers a 4 card backdoor flush, and my KQ suited against his QJ off where he hits the straight on the river) and he takes it. Bitter.

The only consolation is that Dean came up to me and said "I may have won, but you surely beat me tonight. I got so lucky, and should not have won." He wanted to give me the cash, and I told him no, that he had won it, fair and square. I ended up with the Gift certificate, and free drinks, so I am not complaining.

Needless to say, I will return.