Hazel Karma? I'll Let You Decide

Hey Peeps and anyone else checking in. A special "Hey" goes out to Hazel Mae.

As some of you know, last night was the finals of the 8+ week poker tournament I had been playing in - the winner getting a trip for two to Las Vegas. To recap things, I had never really played poker before this tournament but it was only $20 bucks to enter - so what the... I had gotten into last Sunday's semi-final on a wild card and survived to make the final 16 last night. What happened last night got me thinking...after all this talk of Hazel Karma, and asking for some last night - what if I had some Hazel Karma last night? I'll let you decide.

The first hour started off bad - I played six or seven hands, managing to win only one. The tables merged when we got down to 8 players, and I was one of the short stacks - about 150,000 in chips (there was about 2.9 million in total). I lost a couple of hands early on and sat tight, only playing when I was kicking in the blinds. I was down to 50,000 chips when I was the small blind - 25,000 to start. I had a Q and 3 and decided to go head to head with the only other player in the pot (the big blind) - I hit a Q and 3 on the turn and river to double up. Ok, I'm still way short stacked, but I can hang in for another few hands (watching Jays/Red Sox).

It was down to five players - my friend was sitting at the table with me while I was mulling over betting on a Jack/10, he makes a smart remark "Hey "pogue" look the switched it to NESN, Hazel is on tv." I turn around to see the other TV and see that it's still the Rogers feed - I call all in. He calls me and turns over two Queens - the flop comes up, 10, 8, 4 - the turn - k and the river??? another 10 - I double up again. A few of the guys watching start kidding around after a while, saying "Hey look 'Pogue" its Hazel" - again I call all in, another guy at the table calls me - 400,000 in the pot and I'm holding K/K. After that, when it was my turn to bet I had 20 guys chanting "Hazel, Hazel, Hazel" - it was actually kind of funny - but within 25 mins I'm up to 2 million in chips and kicking everyone's can. I knocked my friend out so we were down to three.

Then...the crapper. We bet a hand with 300,000 in the pot - 8, 6, J one guy bets 100,000, the second guy puts in his last 60,000 - I'm holding A/A - not knowing poker etiquette, I move 60,000 to cover the guy all in and when I reach back to match the other 40,000 and add 200,000 more - the jerk at the end of the table starts screaming "No String Betting!!!" - I'm was like..."what the????" His friend who decides to sit in at the table (what the hell? he has no job...not like he has to get up early the next day) also starts screaming at me "No String Betting". The guy who called it (Player 1) is actually my friend's buddy and knows I have never really played poker. A few of the people who got to know me through the tournament, and know that I'm a rookie, told the guy to settle down...that I wasn't string betting.

I have two idiots yelling at me - so I offer to take my raise back - the last thing I want is a fight. The next card comes up a 4 and he goes all in - I was still heated that he tried to accuse me of cheating...so I call him. The bugger had 5/7 in his hand, hitting the straight - going from 700,000 up to close to 2 million and he had me dead to rights after that. If my bet would have stayed - he folds and is left with 500,000 to my 2 million. We took a break and went outside - my friend was outside and asked what was going on, when I told him he went right up to his buddy and told him off. Most of the people watching agreed.

The game took another twenty minutes and he beat me with a hand of three queens over jacks and queens. But it was something, having 70 people rooting you on (he had about 10 people in his corners - the self-proclaimed sharks) against someone that most people thought acted like a jerk the whole night. He had this smug look on his face (he had been telling everyone before the tournament he would win) - I shook his hand and walked away...I had everyone congratulating me on making it that far (a bunch of people said I should have won).

Hey, my first tournament - 20 bucks to enter and I win $500. Not a bad tournament I'd say. Oh yeah, I'm going to get that guy...My friend has monthly poker nights - and I'm gonna get that guy, I know I can beat him - I had him scared, I had him shaky and I had him beat. He knows it - the look on his face as he left the bar last night...he knows it (he was pretty quiet today, no emails about winning...not a peep). I hope he loses his shirt in Vegas.

So if you have read through all of this, tell me; what would you think if you were me? I'm not saying that Hazel read the page yesterday and sent along Hazel Karma (but who knows?) - maybe it was those dudes chanting Hazel...is that enough to stir up Hazel Karma? A question that will likely never be answered...but still one that gives pause for thought. If it was Hazel Karma - then many thanks go out to Hazel herself.

I haven't had a chance to post my NHL picks for Round 2 - tomorrow night or Saturday morning. But I will go on record tonight and say that Buffalo is going to beat the SenaTards in 6 games. My reasoning behind that prediction tomorrow night.

I have to finish the Weird & Whacked Wednesday entry. Have a great one peeps.

Hazel, I hope things are groovy in your world - you shoulda been there last night, you would have had a riot - maybe caused one too! Thank you...whether it was you or not.

Song of the Night on Hazelspeeps - for "Franchise" the jerk...you may be going to Vegas, but you can go singing your new theme song

Loser - Beck

Peesth Out!