Atlantic Seafood Festival

Another 50K SnG, another finish out of the "money". To be fair, it's not like a big streak or anything (I placed 2nd in one yesterday) but the manner in which I went out in this one was frankly stupid.

9-seat tournament. When I get to the table, I notice I have notes on one of the players already - a loose aggressive type. True to form, he goes all in on the flop on the fourth hand. A hand which saw the first preflop raise of the tournament by someone other than himself. 1550 to win 120. In first position with two guys to follow. With a flush draw. A Jack high flush draw. The unfortunate preflop raiser looks him up with a set of jacks. Fish rivers his flush. Stupid fish.

At this point, I'm licking my chops and looking for an opportunity to pick up some chips off this guy. Opportunity comes a-knocking, and as I happen to know that opportunity only knocks once, I open the door. There are seven of us left. I pick up KK in middle position and limp in. Fishboy has been stealing with big preflop raises off and on and he raises to 6.5xBB from the small blind. It folds to me and I reraise to 13xBB. One other guy gets out of the way and Fishboy calls.

2-4-5 rainbow flop. Fishboy immediately puts me all in. I think for a second, figure he's just representing a straight, or better yet, betting a draw (which I've seen him do in the past, according to my notes). One second. That's really all it takes. I call, he turns over AQ, and doesn't improve.

Damn, the adrenaline starts pumping watching those last two cards come up when you're all in and the other guy has outs. :)

My double-up puts me in the chip lead by a sizeable margin. Unfortunately for me, I will win just one more pot on this night. I don't know this yet.

I've got about 4K when Fishboy and I have another flop to ourselves, A-4-5 rainbow. He puts his last 675 in. I should just let him have it - I've only put 100 in the pot at this point - but I forget Rose's Poker Law #1: Sometimes the fish have cards. I call him with pocket tens and he turns over A3. Oops.

I sit out several hands in a row, then double up another short stack who hangs around a pot on a straight draw and makes a pair of Kings on the river to beat my Jacks.

I sit out several more hands in a row, then pick up AQ in the small blind. Best hand I've seen all night besides the cowboys. The back-to-back double-ups have me on reverse tilt - I'm playing too tight and I've come back to the middle of the pack, still seven strong. I have a little over 2K, the blinds are 50/100. Two guys limp in, including my buddy Fishboy. I raise to 500, hoping to a) take the pot right there, or b) see a flop with one more player. Everyone, including the big blind acting after me, calls. Great, 4-way action. 2000 in the pot. Flop comes 5-2-4 with two diamonds. I check. BB checks. Fishboy goes all in (1372). The next guy calls all in (1075). My turn. I'm not thinking about my neighbour. I'm thinking about Fishboy and his loose fishiness. I'm thinking he's on another idiot draw. I'm thinking my Ace high is good. I'm not thinking about the guy to my immediate right, who has not shown signs of fishiness, who has just called all in. I'm also tilting like a son-of-a-bitch, having watched my stack dwindle down to half its former might. I not only call, I raise all in (1624), giving the BB the opportunity to bust me completely. With Ace high and an inside straight draw.

BB folds.

Fishboy has 67d. Predictable.

Neighbour has pocket Jacks. Shit.

Fishboy makes his straight on the turn. Words fail me. Actually, I somewhat bitterly type "500 pf with 67d?" Fishboy ignores me.

With 252 left, I actually outlast one other player and pick up AK before I can be blinded off. The other short stack (705) goes all in and Fishboy, by now the chip lead, calls. With no other choice, I call. Maybe I'll triple up. Fishboy also has AK and the short stack flops top pair (Queens). Oh good, I've got four outs just to chop. Bleah.

Fishboy wins the tourney. Tonight, I am the fish.

And it seems I've started pulling poker laws out of my ass.

Glub glub.