The Gauze Mitten

So Friday night was our regular home game. We've been playing for about 2 years, and there's a core group of 5 guys, and assorted other floaters for a usual crowd of 7-8. We play monthly, and usually play $.25/$.50 limit 'til midnight, then switch over to a NL tourney for $20 each w/ one add'l buyin possible in the first hour. Game usually wraps up around 2:30/3:00am. For a long time it was a rotating game, but then Jamie starting playing, and he has the ultimate shop/Man room in his back yard. He's a very handy guy, and has built a casino-class poker table for 10, there's darts, a/c & heat, poker lights, a crappy Jensen sound system, exposed beams, christmas lights, pissing off the front ramp, and smoking's allowed (this was a big problem with the rotating game). In short, the perfect setup for a poker game. So now the 'host' brings all the food, beer, and snacks over to the Poker Barn. The biggest winner from the last round brings the bourbon. This works well, b/c when you host, you have to outlay a good bit of cash for provisions, but for another 6-8 months you drink & eat for free.

Friday was our latest game. Out of the 7, 5 are pretty good players. Of the 5- Jamie used to be a wild player, and would bluff with just anout anything. He got shelled often and early in our formative days. Giersch is a rock, but often will hold his own and be up for the majority of the night, but once the Knob Creek starts gurgling, he's been known to drop it all in just a few slobbering plays. Scott Belan is one of the best players there, and has taken to playing online, where he currently has a better bankroll than I do. Brad is a new guy, still learning the game, but doesn't much mind losing while he does, which is nice. He slipped down on the icewhile walking his dog a month or so back (we don't get much around here, so walking is quite a challenge, much less driving). The wrappings encasing his pinned hand would've made Tutenkamen proud, earning him the 'Gauze Mitten' moniker. Jim's the newest addition, and he's actually the best player there now. That sucks. For whatever reason he can read me like a book, and has clipped my wings several times on my best semi-bluffs. He called a J-Q-A flop w/ a pair of tens when I went all-in post flop 1-off the button to take me out. He was definitely playing me. I keep telling myself I'm setting him up for the big kill. I'd like to think I'm the best player there, but that's not necesarily true. I think I understand the game better, but am not always the better player.

We played $.25/$.50 limit from 8-12, and a $20 buy-in NL tourney from 12 - 4. I won $40 early on, and lost $10 up 'til the end of regulation, and then was the 2nd one out in the tourney. In my opinion, if we want to play tourneys, we've got to figure out how to pick up the pace. Blinds escalated every 20 minutes, and we were probably playing 5 hands in 20 minutes. It was ridiculous - much worse than a turbo tourney online. We were up to $100/$200 by then end of the first hour, and hadn't played bumpkus for hands. I love the tourneys, but maybe our drunk asses shouldn't attempt it, or maybe play it first instead of last when there's still some semblance of sobriety. Any suggestions as to how to speed things up from personal experience would be great. Anyway, I broke even, to the penny, which is ok for this game. Giersch won the tourney, winning from an early lead, which netted him $140. He better bring Blanton's next time, not that Maker's Mark crap.