Final Table, Massage and Agua Caliente

First of all I'd like to thank everyone who sent me an email wishing me well and good luck at the final table. Unfortunately it didn't go how I had hoped. The hand that was my undoing came early, with eight players left. With the blinds 2 and 4k the button with about 40k in chips raised to 10,000. The small blind, who started the hand with 65k re-raised to 30,000. He had re-raised several time in the past few hands, and he didn't appear too strong. I looked down at QQ in the big blind and with about 105k in chips moved all in. The opening raiser folded and the small bland tanked for a couple of minutes and finally said, "The pot is too big I have to call." He flips over AJ off-suit, and the button says he had AQ, and someone else announces that they folded an ace. At that moment I knew I was doomed. The flop and turn came without incident, followed by; yes you guessed it, an ace on the river. A little while later I am all in with AQ v 99 and the board bricks out and out I go.
I still enjoy the experience at the Commerce. I forgot to mention that while playing the night before I had a 4-hour massage from one of the truly excellent massage therapists you will find at the commerce. Jim Killeen is the owner of the massage company, and was routing me on until my untimely demise. His staff is well trained and the most reasonably priced I know of in a poker room.

I left the Commerce for my home I Ranch Mirage to unpack, repack and head out to New York the following day. The one night I spent at home, after finishing my work, I decided to stop in at my local poker room at the Agua Caliente casino in the Palm Springs Valley. It is located less than 10 minutes from my house and has about 14 tables. They spread about half no limit and limit games. I played my first hand of poker there less than 5 years ago, and I remember vividly the experience. I had never played anything other than stud based home games like anaconda, baseball, or some such invention. I sat down and didn't know what a big blind, or Texas Holdem even was. A local called Big Nick, walked me through the terminology, and explained things to me. I remember being asked if I chop and didn't know what to say.

Anyway, it was very enjoyable seeing old friends and I did play a little 5-10 20 no limit, which was pretty good to me. The hand, which doubled me up, came just when I was getting ready to leave. I picked up pocket deuces in late position, and under the gun had raised to three big blinds. There were a couple of callers in front of me and the flop came J 10 2. UTG continued with a 3/4th pot bet and one player called before it came around to me. I raised a full pot back. In this game there are several calling stations s if anyone was on a straight draw I wanted them to pay for the privilege. UTG folded and the other guy called. The turn brought a K and I moved in. He called with QJ and luckily the river brought a 3. I will have to visit more often.

Currently I am again sitting on an airplane on the way to NY City for a couple of days, and then I'm spending a week in Belize to do some diving and will hopefully finish my book.

For more information on Roy Winston, you can visit his website: www.oraclepoker.net or send him an email. The contents presented herein on this blog are purely the opinions of Roy Winston, and are not intended to reflect or promote the opinions of any other person, group, or entity. If you like what I write than thanks for reading, and if not well, thanks anyway.