As it should be

Fuck Phil has hemorrhoids.  Not: fuck, Phil has hemorrhoids. Apparently, he mentioned his condition as soon as he arrived at R’s home game this evening. And it was the first bit of news I received when I showed up much later. I mean, come on, when Mike had his cardiac episode and showed up to that week’s game anyway, and even though it was Fuck Phil that drove him to the hospital, Phil joined the others with heart attack jokes at the table that Friday night. The same with my episode. So, Phil didn’t think he wouldn’t hear every butt joke, all at his expense? BTW, as hard as it might be to believe, flamingass.com is still an available domain name. I don’t believe I have laughed as hard at this game as I did tonight, and that is saying something.

The game itself was good. We played six-handed most of the night, and although I came home $10 down, I may have played one of my best games ever. And that’s with even with the handicap of winning a fairly good-sized pot with the first hand I was dealt. When Steve led out on the flop, I knew he had the K, but the bet was small enough for me to call with second pair (Qs) and backdoor FD. Fuck Phil called too, and when the 7 paired on the turn, I knew that FP had trip 7s. It was an easy fold. I also knew just the right sized bet to bring R, the nittiest of nits, to the river, twice. And when I turned the wheel against Mike who had flopped the wheel, I knew that when the board paired on the river I might be able to blow him off of the chop. It didn’t work, but it took him five minutes to work through the rum haze to call. I lost $10 solely because my late position draws didn’t come while those of others did.

This was the last live game I’ll play before going to Las Vegas in a little over two weeks. I went tonight with the sole purpose of practicing reads, tells, and bet sizing. Granted, I know their game inside and out, yet I do hope that some of what I have learned playing them will help. I know that Las Vegas will be different. I’ve been there before and know that the pool of players is bigger and more diverse. Yet, I’m going with another group of friends, some with whom I have been playing poker longer than my pals at R’s. I have reads on many of them as well, but you know what? Just like with R’s game, I’m looking forward more to the laughs and good time than their money. But that doesn’t mean I’m not bringing my A game.