Friday Cash - 2023.17

 It has been a record breaking year at Pepper Street for number of cash games that have been played! This was the seventeenth time this year that we sat down and threw down in the 1:1 money for chips streets! Plus there’s also been a few tournaments that ended with unofficial cash games as well! That’s a heck of a lot of gambool!

The Evite said that we would have 14 players, but because of a date change (I think) a couple of players didn’t make it. Probably unaware that the game had been moved. Yeah, lets go with that.

The 12 players that did show up were Jeff G, Babs, MC, Lea Anne, Colin and yours truly at table 1. Stuver, Jason, Jeff S, Ian, Rich and Priya over at table 2.

As always, having 16 different games to choose from, plus several variations as well, meant it was a boisterous night. In other words, we were all very very chatty and very very loud working our way through all the different poker permutations.

Not always the easiest thing for every player, even the ones who have been playing these games for a few years now. As is typical, there were a handful of players who saw their chips vanish after a couple of hours or got tired and either way called it a night. We formed up into a single table of eight players at about 11 PM and played for another good 90 minutes.

When the dust finally settled and it was time for nighty night, Barbara and Stuver were the evenings big winners with decent three figure profits. Yours truly also did well, falling just shy of a $200 profit.

For those players whose heads were spinning over the different games and how they work, fear not, we will once again return to the Cadillac of poker in our next cash game session, Texas No-Limit Hold-Em only (but with occasional Bomb Pots and the Nit Game of course) very likely two weeks from now.

Also don’t forget, our last tournament of the year will be on Saturday, December 9. It’s NLHE but with a twist, bomb pots will be thrown in periodically to make things extra festive at the most festive time of the year.  

Also also, the following weekend after that will be our second annual Hall of Fame Legacy invitational tournament. A massive dealers choice event with almost all the same crazy games we play in cash games - in a tournament format! Should be another super talkative day. There will be a giant trophy for the winner as well as a chance to lock up a TOC seat. 

Not everyone is invited, the legacy event is for legacy players of course, plus this year we are also including anyone who is in contention for a top 10 POY spot, rewarding the players who have been regulars in 2023.

So that’s still a lot of poker to be played this year, very much looking forward to it! Until then, peace and we out!

2023.11 - H.O.R.S.E.

 It’s been awhile since our last non-NLHE event, so a balmy November evening in SoCal turned out to be the perfect choice for remedying this. Yes, it was our annual H.O.R.S.E. tournament, a fixed limit extravaganza of five games- Hold-Em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud and Stud 8.

More Chips are ALWAYS better!

For the first time in five years we had more than a dozen players - 17 degenerate gamblers duking it out meant that there would be a juicy prize pool and a long exciting night ahead. We had two new players, Mike Kn brought in by Ken and Richard H., brought in by yours truly.

Unfortunately the first to exit was the new guy, Mr. Richard. Next out was not the other new guy but rather the guy who brought him in Mr. Ken. Finishing in 15th place was Joe and busting in 14th was the dealer at table one Mr. Jason. And then there were two tables…

The good news was though, that all the early exit folks got a good solid two hours of play. Fix limit is like that.

Next to exit was Colin followed by Emanuel, Brian and Lea Anne. The other new guy Mike alas departed as our final table bubble. Which meant that Yours truly could squeak in as the eighth player at the final table. I had started off strong but had a very short stack at that point.

Barely made it!

Here is where I would like to tell you about my stunning come back as I spun up my short stack on my way to a cash and total domination. But I’m afraid it was not to be, I indeed was the first one to bust of the final eight.

Next out was Mr. Jerry, and then there were two or rather three short stacks. The two Allens and Rich. Alan S battled valiantly but in the end succumbed. And out next as the bubble was the always magnanimous Allen R.

And so we were in the money. Rich had somehow hung on with barely any chips and when he busted he was able to collect $120 in fourth place. And then there were three…

Tony had taken a roller coaster ride of big ups and downs with his chips all night long, and in the end finally bowed out in third place for $200. And then we were heads up.

The battle was brief but spectacular. As always in the fixed limit tournaments, you have way too many chips until you have none at all, and the structure finally reached the point where it was effectively a giant flip. In the end it was the great game of Razz that was the decider.

Ian had to settle for a second place and a $280. But such a high finish in a non-hold him event means that Ian has a hammer lock on the player of the year race. It’s not entirely over, there’s still a chance that he can be overtaken, but it’s looking pretty good for him. 

Jeff G took down his second tournament of the year, and rocketed into second place in the POY competition. He also gets an extra 5000 in chips for the TOC in January. Well done my man!

I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the true poker players who came out and played this fantastic version of the game. Also a big thank you to all three dealers, especially Jason who dealt the final table and stayed long after his obligation to finish out the night. This host appreciates it very very much!

There is only one more monthly event this year, our annual hold ‘em bomb pot spectacular, likely to be on Saturday, December 9 at 5:30 PM. Hope you can make it!

Until then, peace and we out!

Friday Cash- 2023.16

 Another Friday, another chance to gather around the biggest table in the garage around back for a 10 handed battle royale in the Cadillac of poker, the Mighty Texas no limit hold ‘em!

Jeff S, Allen R, Jeff G, Joe, MC, Priya, Lea Anne, Art and yours truly were the brave souls who exchanged greenbacks for Paulson clays and did battle in the no-limit streets.  There was action from the get-go, helped along by a new system for determining when there was a bomb pot. Every player got a single action chip, and when the button arrived in front of them they could throw the chip in and we could get it on! That meant 10 bomb pots total during the evening, plus an extra to finish off the night.

Speaking of bomb pots, one player forgot that we were playing in one, and was quick to shove and isolate the one player on his right who had shoved all in. Unfortunately he had not seen that there was a flop.  I woke up with a gut shot and the nut flush draw so I then also put all of my chips in the middle. Three of us were all in and the turn came and it was a heart that I needed, so it was a massive pot pushed my way early on. Action baby!  The two felted players reloaded, and the one that had failed to notice that there was a flop would make a nice recovery on the evening and climb his way back by recovering much of his loss.

Of course we also played the fabulous Nit game.  Mr. Jeff G was is the unfortunate “winner” but took it well and paid out the bounty with aplomb.

As is always the case, a handful of players found themselves chipless after a few hours and bid everyone good night. Play continued eight handed, and then six handed until just after midnight when all of us called a lid.

And what an ending it was. At 1130 MC was felted for his last $30 or so, and was bidding the remaining 4 of us farewell. Since we were all tired and did not want to play four handed we agreed to do one last bomb pot and call it a night. Ian, who had felted Mr. MC, threw his vanquished opponent a red bird  (a.k.a. a $5 chip) and invited him to join in the hand. Since it was the last hand of the night we had agreed it would be a five dollar bomb pot instead of the usual two dollar fee. So MC was all in and the rest of us paid and we went straight to the flop. I honestly don’t remember what the hand was, but MC ended up the winner and so he had $25 back and then we all decided to keep playing!  What a lovely magnanimous gesture from Ian! 

We went for another full half hour, and MC won a few more pots! He did not finish the night up in profit, but he was still a long ways from having empty pockets. Nice! That’s one good thing about cash games, there’s lots of folks who are up a little or down a little at the end of the evening, it’s not the all or nothing of tournaments.

I had a very good night, with over $200 in profit, but the big winner was Mr. Ian who found himself with over $400 in chips in front of him when it was time to cash out.

As usual, I want to say a huge thanks and shout out to the true poker players who come out for cash at Pepper Street. It really is always the most fun time, and when we stick to a single great game, there is a lot more time for socializing and enjoying each other’s company. I think that’s why I will always try to have no limit hold ‘em nights. It gives people a chance to play a game that everyone knows really well, and there’s equal time for gaming and competition and also for catching up with each other and what’s going on in our lives.   It also seems that these are the nights when people get the silliest, which is always appreciated by this host.

Yes, it truly is a great time!

Speaking of great time, our annual HORSE tournament is now only a week away! Five fantastic games all in one, always guaranteed to be a yearly highlight. Our numbers are down as per usual, but I am fine with two shorthanded tables, it’s going to be a blast. 

Hope you can make it and take a chance if you’re not familiar with all the games. We will have dedicated dealers and patient instruction. If you’re worried that you aren’t very good at these games, don’t worry you’re not good at no limit hold ‘em either. Insert winky emoji here.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly sure when we can have the next cash game, or rather I fear it may not be until December. I have big goings on at my work on the 17th and of course the following Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. I will have to ponder if there maybe is a different night than Friday that will work, or if not we will just have to wait until the last month of the year. Whenever we do it, it will be mix games. 

Until then, peace and we out!