Damn Blogger anyway… I had a nice little four-paragraph blog written and it promptly disappeared into cyber-limbo. Now I’ll have to re-think and re-pontificate when the whole reason I started this blog was to purge my poker thoughts and random opinions onto cyberpaper, so I wouldn’t have to think about them again. Bastards.

Anyway, played one $20+2, came in second for +$38 for about 40 minutes of work. The transient nature of SnGs seems to fit well with my life…. I only have an hour or two a night to play at the most. Most of the poker bloggers seem to have significant free time to go to Vegas, Foxwoods, Commerce, Atlantic City, or any other B&M within a two-hour drive. I’m lucky to carve out two hours in the evening after the kids are bathed, put to bed, and the wife is satisfied with the “Honey-do” list. Once school starts, I should have more time since the kids will be swamped with homework (6th and 4th grades, if you’re keeping score), but I still doubt I’ll make time in the foreseeable future for a trip to any of the Bay Area card parlors.

True to Empire/Party form, the ten-seater was whittled (hacked?) down to five within twenty minutes. I got one of the scalps by checking in BB (three callers) with the powerhouse 64o. The flop was J32 with two spades and was checked around (!). The turn was the pretty little 5 and my 2BB bet was called by one guy. I had no clue what he might have had, but was pretty sure he didn’t have two pair or a set, based on his checking the flop. When the river came up J, I made a moderate bet, hoping he had tripped. He pushed all-in and showed Cowboys! Boy, talk about over-slowplaying… Any bet before the turn would’ve folded me instantly and he made no effort to cut off the knees of the flush/straight draws. Oh well…

After that manna, I was visited by the Crap Fairy for a full orbit, not seeing a single flop. In SB, I pick up 74s. Now, on Sunday, I folded 74 preflop twice and saw flops come up of 744 and 865, so I had already made up my mind that I was playing the next 74 I saw. So I complete with BB and bring along one limper. Flop was, no shit, 774. I checked and was horrified to see it checked around. I was saying “Ace, ace, ace, please give me an ace.”, but the turn was the disappointing 2, so I bet 50 hoping someone with overcards would make a play. All I got was one caller and one folder. When the river blanked with a 3, I figured WTF and bet 125, hoping he was holding 65 or something equally improbable. Amazingly, he called (T2 for two pair) but I still only got 3BB for my flopped boat. Sheesh.

More unplayable crappy cards and some questionable play by the rest of the table led to me making it to the final pair with a 4-1 chip disadvantage. The other guy had rivered FOUR straights, three times were gutshots or buttshots (my friends call A234 or AKQJ “buttshots” since they can only hit on the end), two times he was all-in and down to his last card, and two times he busted out other players. With blinds at 150/300, I had to double up pretty quick, so I ended up all-in with, guess what, Ace-fricking-rag! Some day I’ll learn… So, naturally, he calls with 98o and rivers a straight to beat me. I swear, I could be head-to-head for the WSOP with Varkonyi, and he could show me his hole cards are the Hammer, and if I have Ace-rag, I’m mucking the frickin’ cards!