Living and Dying with Big Slick

Star Trek: The Next Generation
8:00 Ch. 25 FOX

60 min.

Crusher is crippled by Lt. Rico in a freak accident during the crew's weekly poker game.
Cameo by WILLIAM FUCKING SHATNER!

***

This Friday's WWdN: Donegal Invitational came that close to being named the Speedy Tomato Memorial Classic after I found myself heads up against Wil Wheaton who had gone all-in pre-flop while in mid position. I had a pair of 5s, nicknamed"presto" in poker parlance, and after everyone else at the table folded, had a decision to make.

From that position I guessed that at the very least Wil had an Ace in his hand, but with only around T1200 in chips after a long. long series of indifferent hands I needed to make a move before the blinds ate up much more. Pre-flop one hand is about as good as another, is Mr. Rico's ignoring the odds philosophy, so after much agony, I called Wil. He had AJ off-suit, and my presto held from flop through river. Both Wil and I thought I had knocked him out, and there was much "gl" and "gg" and "ty's" going on, plus mucho groaning from the railbirds that always flock around Wil's table until someone piped up that he still had around 400 chips.

But I had stripped him fairly thoroughly, and though he played his short stack aggessively, building it back up to around T1400, Donegal finally took out Wil's A 10 with Big Slick (AK) a few hands later and got bragging/naming rights for this Friday's episode.

Winning that hand was pretty much the highlight of my night. I don't think I've ever held as many low pocket pairs - nothing ever higher than a pair of sevens - in one game in my short poker career. But I was able to do zip, nada, nothing with any of them. If I played them aggressively pre-/post-flop I'd always get at least one caller who always had at least pair one card higher and would ride me either to fold or river, no matter how I played the board, and with nothing ever showing to improve my hand. If I limped I'd usually be staring at three overcards at the flop, and heavy betting by every caller.

Midway through the first hour, finally catching a suited Big Slick in hand, I went over the top at a re-raise to my raise, and had an all-in thrown back at me. I called, and My AK were facing a QJ. Flop was K something 9 with another blank at the turn, and I thought my pair would hold. But my luck, she was dreaming about Cuba and the river showed a 10 - giving my opponent a straight and cutting my stack exactly in half. There I stayed until being moved to Wil's table and doubling up on the hand I describe above.

My accumulated 2400T stack dwindled, and down to under T1000 shortly before the end of Hour 2 I either played foolishly or aggressively, going all-in with a suited A3 while in the SB with a couple of limps ahead of me. The limpers I pushed out, but the BB called and flipped my bête noire for the evening, another pocket pair, this time two 10s. They held, and I was gone in 29th place of 115 players, 10 away from any money.

Wil says he may have a t-shirt made up with the slogan, "It's the biggest home game in the world." I'd buy one. Nice people, fun play, and usually a blogger table running if you get knocked out early. Who could ask for more? See you on Friday night, gang.