Poker and Booze

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, and I imagine a lot of folks don't know enough or don't care enough about poker to want to read stories about hands. There are only three hands described below, so please read on.

I have not played near as much in the past two weeks as I used to. Part of it was being sick or fatigued, and part was having a work schedule again! So, Friday I worked a day shift and had Saturday off so I went down to Wonston's for the game starting at 8pm.

They had 80 people sign up this week, and I came in 2nd place! I won $20 in house cash for my efforts over a five and a half hour period. I won because I played well, AND because I got lucky, very lucky twice. When we were down to the final 2 tables (about 16 players left) these two hands happened.....

I had pocket 5's. The flop came out 2, 4, 7. So my pocket pair was second to a 7 if anyone had one. I made a moderate bet and everyone but one player folded. The turn was another 2, giving me 2 pair. The poy was a decent size so I went all-in to try to claim it. The remaining player called and we showed our hands (with one more card coming). He had two ACES, so I was pretty much toast. Only a 5 could help me, and by some miracle, it hit.

A few hands later I had an ace and a 7 of the same suit. The flop was ace, seven, four all of clubs, so I had two pair. I made a strong bet, and again, everyone folded except one player who raised to all-in. I called, and he revealed a queen of clubs and a lower off-suited card. I had him dominated unless a fourth club hit, which it did on the turn, giving him a flush. At this point, one card coming and only an ace or seven could help me. The seven came, and I won the hand.

Those were two ery lucky hands.

So we eventually consolidated tables and I played on to make the final two. I worked hard to gain the chip lead and got my opponent to go all in on a hand that would win the tournament for me. I had pocket 7's (any pocket pair is a strong starter in head's-up play) and he had an ace and a 9. He got his ace on the river, leaving me very short-stacked and he quickly whittled away my chips for the win. I was satisfied and proud of my performance.

As for alcohol. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about my experience and typical minimal consumption of alcohol. I have never been drunk.

Last night was my brother's birthday and after dinner we went to Winston's because that is where his friend is the head bartender. Peter had been drinking in the afternoon and had two glasses of wine at dinner before we got there. He handles his alcohol pretty well (I'll mention now he had a driver lined up for last night).

When we walked in, Matt poured Pete a beer and me a Malibu and pineapple juice (my common drink I learned from the Parrotheads of Central Florida). He then made us Stoplights, a presentation of three shots (green, yellow, red) a melon ball, a tequilla shot, and a hollywood.

Pete then was given two Jager-bombs (Jagermeister and Red Bull) and a shot of Jack Daniels (the Jack girls were there).

I watched and we continued to play trivia. I eentually finished my Malibu and Matt made me another (without my asking) and we did a round of Irish Car Bombs (1/2 pint of Guiness with a shot dropped into it (containing Bailey's Irish Creme and Jamerson's Irish Whiskey)) which you then chug the whole thing. I won as far as chugging the fastest.

Shortly thereafter Pete had a Loch Ness Monster (some other shot involving Bailey's, Jager, and Midori) and I excused myself to go to the restroom and vomit. Yes, at age 36, well outpaced by my brother, for the first and hopefully only time in my life, I vomitted from having too much alcohol in too short a time. I had a full meal before we got there, so I feel okay about absorbing what alcohol as I did.

I had a pair of diet cokes to try to balance my system and I excused myself, leaving Pete to continue his celebration, and I shall not be returning to repeat such a performance. One drunk puke in my lifetime is enough.