BT & Renzo's Banquet Home Game

The home game this week was hotly anticipated as BT & Renzo's Mama kindly prepared a banquet made-up of her trademark meatballs, lasagna and lemon shots!

We had six players - BT, Renzo, Pokerbrat, Lenny, Bobby (new to the home game) and myself. Shame the others were otherwise engaged, I hope Kermit and The Fish haven't forgotten how to play poker!

Anyway, in game one, it was business as usual, 30,000 chips with 20 minute blinds starting at 100/200 and re-buys in the first hour.

I had an insane run of hands during the re-buy period and soon found myself trebbled-up.

Against Lenny, I get Jack, 6 in the big blind and two Jacks come out on the flop. Lenny bets into me and I eventually call. The turn gives me my full house with a 6. Lenny bets again and I push all-in. Unfortunately for Lenny he has a pocket pair of Kings or Queens (can't remember) and he calls. Double-up.

Soon after I'm dealt pocket Aces. I flop a set against Renzo and again, they don't believe I have a hand so he calls my all-in, probably because we're in the re-buy period. I end up with Aces over Kings fullhouse and the table curses my 'good luck'.

I get trip Kings soon after but no callers.

The re-buys end and I'm dealt pocket Queens. Someone raises it up, I think it was Renzo and two players call before me. I push all-in. Only Renzo calls and he flips over pocket 8s, so I am in good shape. The first card to come out is another 8, the second is a Queen! Wow, my luck is insane in this game. Renzo's quad doesn't come so my trips are good against his.

I think Lenny is taken out next and then Bobby falls.

Bobby is mostly an Internet player but of all the Internet players we have had in the game (bar Mountain), he is very solid. He took down a few pots and made some good laydowns.

Anyway, Pokerbrat, BT and myself are the last men standing and Pokerbrat is just ahead as chip leader.

I'm very happy to see pocket Kings again, especially three-handed. Pokerbrat calls, BT folds his small blind to me and I check. I flop trip Kings... AGAIN! The Brat bets 5000 and I push all-in. He has a tough decision and I see why when he calls and flips over a King with a pretty good kicker. He's delighted to see my trips and hands over most of his chips (77,500), leaving him just short of a big blind.

He goes all-in blind but gets no callers.

In the next hand he's all-in again for just over the blind and BT takes him out by sucking out a nice pair.

Heads-up.

It goes back and forth for a while and BT manages to get even and then take the chip lead by some way when I lose a big pot. The blinds are now 5000/10,000 so the chips pass between us for about 40 minutes. I just take the lead when I'm dealt a pocket pair and they hold, just missing BT's flush on the river card.

One game to me.

Only 5 players in game two as Lenny continues his love affair with poker and refuses to play.

I'm the only one busted in the re-buy period when Renzo's Queens hold against my Ace, rag.

Bobby attempts to double-up, or go bust and re-buy in the final re-buy hand but gets no callers and turns over pocket rockets! That sucks!

I take him out shortly after with a nice trap. I pair a King on the flop and check it to him. The turn is a rag and he pushes all-in. I insta-call and he flips over pocket 5s.

I'm a little bit behind in chips but soon flop four to a Jack-high flush. The turn completes my flush and BT bets 5000 into me. I push all-in and he reluctantly calls with his own flush, alas only 8-high.

Renzo tightens up and before long Pokerbrat takes the chip lead. Renzo is clearly getting tired as he mucks a flush by accident and then calls an all-in move by the Brat only to turn over his cards and find he didn't have the cards he thought he had so the brat wins with an Ace high bluff!

I'm miles behind in chips heads-up but get pocket 9s. This would double me up nicely and make me dangerous. The Brat calls with King, 7 connected and the flop gives him two more diamonds. The turn misses so I am still ahead but the river kills me with a King.

Game two to the Brat.

We both leave £40 up on the night.