So as I get older the weeks do seem to fly by, and we therefore find ourself getting ready for our regular Tuesday night poker game, except this week it is a bit different for a few reasons.
Firstly it is the monthly Malvern Poker Club league game, where tradition dictates that I have to bomb out relatively early (this is definitely a tradition I think should be abandoned).
Secondly there is the small matter of the England world cup game, a brief discussion was held about postponing or delaying the poker game but a few people wanted to play so play we did.
The poker game was due to commence at 8pm but I was in the pub for 6.50 to start watching the football, now one regular had set up a projector and screen to watch the game outside, which was were most people were gathered, I started out there but unfortunately the pub TV was about 45 seconds ahead of the projector and therefore I decided I wanted to see the action as it happened and not hear about it 45 seconds before I saw it, so I moved inside. (Interestingly those who remained outside said they actually heard the cheer from the pub down the road, seconds before they heard us cheer inside, and 45 seconds before they saw the net billow for every penalty).
The game had commenced and we had already lost two players before the penalty shootout, unlike Columbia for some reason known only to the ref, and the noise in the pub was deafening, but it was a great atmosphere.
But what about the poker I hear you ask, well I am a man of tradition so I decided it would be wrong to do anything else but go out on the final table bubble, when I decided my pocket 7s were good enough with my short stack, unfortunately my opponent hit a Queen to knock me out.
So it was onto cash, I joined a new table of cash (there was already one going outside, although I believe the 45 second delay was not an issue now), and continued my run good!!!!. One of the players at the table even mentioned that a discussion had been had as to whether I was the unluckiest player there the previous week. Certainly if you need to hit runner runner to win then your best chance is go heads up against me!.
I was down quite a bit towards the end of the night when both cash tables combined, this brought a very loose aggressive player to the table (to join the one we already had) who was also very drunk (something to do with it “coming home” I believe). I got into a hand with the two players with J9s. The flop was 7K9 all clubs. The flop was checked around, and a 9d came on the turn. We get a bet from the new player, I call, and then the other player goes all for £90. The new player starts to talk out loud at this point (I don’t think he realised I was still in) I let him talk and he says I have a flush but its not very big, eventually he convinces himself that the other player has a better flush and folds.
Now do I put the other player on a flush, knowing that two clubs are gone, well two thoughts enter my mind, first I know this player and he is more than capable of making a move with any two cards, plus he is very drunk and therefore I am convinced he would have bet his flush on the flop as the new player always seems to keep calling when he plays. Secondly I realise that its cash and this would recover my night, and I know I have outs unless he has the Doctors Assistant (K9). So I call and flip over my trips, he says I have a 7 and no clubs oh happy days.
The game ends shortly after when Mr its Coming Home manages to drop yet another drink and the rest of us realise he really does need to go home. In reality the football match saved me a big loss as a more sober player does not talk himself out of call with a flush.
