Who: Ellner, MJ, Neal, Holt, Marlin, EA, Blasucci
Where: Mr. & Mrs. Ellner’s
Special Guests: Murphy, Yong and some delicious chili!Ok, so a couple of days delayed on this. But I promised Neil the recap would return. So who am I to not deliver???
Anyway, here’s what I can remember…
On most nights, if you’re sitting at the table with trips, a straight, flush or even a full house, you’re not thinking CAN I WIN, it’s HOW MUCH CAN I WIN.
Then there’s Wednesday night at the Ellner estate where if you weren’t sporting a boat or some Quads, you best be careful.
The tone was set early.
One hand removed from Ellner taking most of my money on a hand I can’t even remember, I get 33.
Ellner sitting on a Jack, something.
Board comes J, J, 3, blank, blank.
He hits his trips. I flop the boat.
He goes ALL IN to try and take the chips he didn’t get from me on the first hand.
Obviously I call.
Big win for me. But would there be more to come?
A few hands go by... about 20 minutes later, Holty has 800 in front of him. Decides to go all in for 700. Clearly, he has got some big plans for those 2 little red chips still sitting in front of him.
Fold all around… I’ve got Ace, Six. I certainly can’t let him just buy the pot.
I make him put his last 2 chips in there.
He flips 10, 5 offsuit. Obviously, he hits a five on the river.
Nice lil’ double up to keep him in the game.
Play continues… bunch of small wins here and there… a couple big ones… then Marlin finally decides to play a hand (dude has more patience than a priest in a strip club).
Marlin goes all in for his last 1175. I’ve got J, 10 suited… I make the call on the sheer fact I’ve been running pretty hot for the last hour. Neal also calls behind me and suggests we check it down.
I don’t commit to it, but the fact that he said it makes me feel pretty good about my chances.
J hits the flop as the high card. Remains the high card. I know I’ve got Neil beat…it’s just a question of what Marlin is sitting on.
We check it down.
Marlin has 55. Neal has nothing.
I add about 4 grand to my stack. Marlin rebuys.
But just as all good things must come to an end… so does my streak of hitting big hands and getting paid off.
A heads up hand between me and MJ.
Flop comes three SIXES.
I’m sitting on K5.
I check. He bets. No way he’s got a pair or he checks to so he can draw me in. I call.
Turn is K… I hit my boat. Now I’m praying he’s holding a pair of anything except Aces.
It turns out I was right… he wasn’t holding a pair.
He was however holding the fourth six.
MJ doubles up for about six grand…huge freakin hand.
Well played kid.
And it was the third time quads showed up at the table. A lotta big cards flowing around that night… and a lotta heartache as a result.
Fast forward to final 3… Me, Ellner and Marlin.
I’m dominating chip leader coming out of the break. It held up for awhile. I pulled pockets Aces twice in four hands to knock Marlin out.
Then it’s down to me and Ellner, and this is where my stack begins to diminish.
We play a few meaningless hands.
Blinds are 500/1000. I’ve got about 30K. Ellner’s got about 15K.
I get A6. I go all in pre flop. He calls and flips A5.
For the second time that night, a 5 hits the river to beat me. All of a sudden, Ellner is dominating chip leader.
We play a few more hands and then the biggie.
I’ve got J5 off suit.
Board comes 44Q with 2 spades.
I check. He checks.
Turn is another Q.
I check, he checks.
River is 7 of clubs.
So we’re looking at 44QQ7 with three clubs that I’m not even paying attention to.
The fact that he checked it the whole way without taking a stab at it to me means he definitely doesn’t have a higher pair than the 4s. Definitely doesn’t have a 4 or a Q for a boat. I’m actually thinking the two pair on the board with my Jack kicker could be good… and if not, I don’t think he’s got a decent enough hand to risk doubling me up and giving me back the chip lead.
I go ALL IN!
As Marlin and Yong can attest, he sits for awhile thinking about it and says he’s positive I have a Q or a 4 in my hand.
He flips his cards over as he's thinking to show me his hand… he’s sitting on a flush.
My heart starts racing. I’m toast.
But he keeps saying he knows I have the boat. Yong says she thinks I do too and tells him to fold.
FOR GOD’S SAKES, LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE!!!!
He then asks everyone’s favorite question…
WILL YOU SHOW ME IF I FOLD?
Now 99.9% of the time, if you want someone to fold, you say YES.
I don’t say anything at first. And then say, BECAUSE YOUR WIFE COOKED US DINNER, I’LL SHOW YOU IF YOU FOLD.
For whatever fuking reason, he says that tells him I’m bluffing.
He calls. I lose. I want to cry knowing I had him that close to laying down a flush on a stone cold bluff. But moments like that is why we all play the game, right?
I’m down to about 600 but manage to double up a few times and soon I’m back to about 3 or 4 grand. Of course, Ellner has about 30 grand so I’ve got a LONG way to go.
I jokingly offer a chop after yet another double up to bring me to about 7 or 8 grand.
He says no.
I say what about a skewed chop…there’s 520 in the pot, I offer a 300/220 split.
He says only if he gets the official title as WINNER and when everyone asks, I say he got first.
Seems fair to me. I ponder it over a fresh baked brownie and some milk to wash down the delicious bowl of chili Yong made.
I finish my brownie. Finish my milk.
Collect 220 and call it a night.
1st – Ellner
2nd - EA
