| Holiday | | | | people show. |
| I have just returned home from a two week vacation | | | | This hand started perfectly when I hit trips with the |
| to the Caribbean island Saint Martin with my family. It | | | | flop, what a shame that it was just me versus "the |
| was a whole lot of fun, especially seeing my almost 2 | | | | Writer". I raised about half the pot size, and hoped he |
| year old son enjoying the ocean and the pool at our | | | | held the other K in his hands, having top pair or |
| hotel. Besides that, my girlfriend and I went out eating | | | | perhaps even 2 pair. He called, and I decided to bet a |
| and drinking almost every night, together with a couple | | | | bit more after the turn card. Unfortunately he folded |
| of friends from the States (who came over to join us | | | | without showing his hands. |
| for a week), while my mother was babysitting our son. | | | | Because of my conservative way of playing, people |
| It's been years since we went out this frequently, and | | | | respected my stealing attempt while sitting in late |
| this holiday was very enjoyable, even though my | | | | position. With this move I managed to raise my stack |
| mother came along. ;) | | | | up to 4000, just before the break. |
| On a couple of occasions I went playing poker in two | | | | Pizza Time |
| of the 12 casino's the island counts. St. Martin is | | | | Pizza's came in for all players when the break began. |
| partitioned between two different nations (Dutch and | | | | Most players left their seats for a slice or two, including |
| French), and the casino's are only allowed on the | | | | me. Players were given the opportunity to addon for |
| Dutch side. Some of the Saint Martin casino's are small, | | | | $75 right after the break. At first I didn't want to, but |
| have lot's of slots and no poker rooms. Very few | | | | when I noticed that everybody got 5000 extra chips to |
| players (except for some huge Americans and locals) | | | | their stacks, I decided to put in the money so at least I |
| could be found playing, mainly because it's currently | | | | could still compete. I gave the tournament director 80 |
| low season, but some others were larger (not massive | | | | bucks, got my chips, but never received the change... |
| like Las Vegas, but respectable) and offered also a | | | | Oh well, I couldn't really care since I was having a great |
| couple of poker tables. | | | | time! |
| The Atlantis Casino | | | | For a while I was back to folding pre flop, since I |
| I was recommended by my brother who's a resident | | | | received only trashy hands not matching my tight way |
| of St. Martin to go to the Atlantis Casino, very close to | | | | of playing. As time ticked by, I was finally dealt a |
| the French border (not that there is an actually | | | | reasonable starting hand. I was in late position and |
| crossing line). They host 3 multi table tournaments per | | | | decided to call a bet of three times the big blind with |
| week. A $75 Rebuy and Addon on Saturdays and | | | | AT suited of Diamonds. I was the only caller, so I |
| Sundays, and on Wednesday a $150 freezout. | | | | needed to hit on the flop to make this hand work out. |
| Because I had only one night off, I had to make a | | | | There were two Queens on the flop, and I don't |
| choice between one of these three poker tourneys. I | | | | remember the third card. What I do remember is that |
| decided to pick the $75 R&A on Saturday since I | | | | the third card, and one of the Queens were Diamonds |
| was very eager to play in real life. | | | | giving me a nut flush draw. Chasing the flush |
| When I arrived at the Atlantis Casino I felt really | | | | unfortunately cost me more than half my of stack, |
| excited. This was my first time to play in a live tourney, | | | | dropping to less than 4000. My opponent was a smart |
| besides the games I play with friends. I made sure to | | | | player, a bit scary since it was a guy wearing eye |
| come in time, so I would not miss registration. After I | | | | brow make-up, but he made sure to get as much as |
| registered I sat down at the bar for an espresso | | | | he could giving me the proper calling odds after the |
| seeing more and more poker players arrive. At 9 PM | | | | river. He showed AQ, and took the pot. |
| everybody was called to their table. I was sitting at | | | | Another Table |
| table 4, seat 10, just right to the dealer who was quite | | | | Not much later they moved me to another table |
| cute, but not very friendly. | | | | together with a guy sitting on the small blind. This was |
| The Atlantis Casino has 8 tables, and about 64 players | | | | actually a frustrating move, since I had plenty of tells on |
| were registered (8 per table). Many of the players | | | | some of the men at my table. When I was moved, the |
| were French. It kind felt like some of the men sitting at | | | | manager switched me from big blind to small blind, and |
| my table were celebrities, looking at their clothes, | | | | the other guy got "my seat". Of course I had to lay my |
| watches, polished nails, and age differences between | | | | first hand down, and he showed the nuts making him |
| them and their accompanying women. The Atlantis | | | | win a nice pot. Don't let me bother you telling how that |
| Casino is also very close to the Low Lands area on | | | | feels! |
| Saint Martin, which is where the very rich have their | | | | The second play was actually quite good for me. I |
| mansions, so it could definitely be the case. In any | | | | was sitting on small blind, and the button moved all in to |
| case, they held a whole lot more of cash in their | | | | steal my chips. I needed to make a move sooner or |
| wallets than I did. ;) | | | | later, so I decided to call with pocket 3's. My read was |
| Everybody received 2000 starting chips, and | | | | good, he showed K8 off-suit and my three's held up. |
| immediate rebuys were allowed. Because of this | | | | The man acknowledged my play, and complimented |
| some who could afford it started with double the | | | | me for the call. I doubled up to 6000 and was ready to |
| amount I had. As I didn't want to spend too much | | | | sit and fold for another while. |
| money, I just decided to wait for the good hands, not | | | | That "other while" didn't last very long because only |
| risking a quick rebuy. The main reason I decided to | | | | three hands later I was dealt pocket Queens. This was |
| play anyway was to have a good time! | | | | my best hand, besides the Kings in the early stage of |
| 5 Hours, 6 Hands | | | | this tournament. To play this hand I had to face a few |
| For a while I kept folding... but when nobody bet while I | | | | arguments. My stack (low compared to most |
| was sitting on the big blind, I was able to see my first | | | | opponents at the the table) made it do or die time, I |
| flop. This is one of the few hands I didn't remember | | | | was in early/middle position, and didn't have a lot of |
| very well when analyzing afterwards, but one of the | | | | information about the other poker players. The man |
| two cards in my hand was a 9. With another 9 on the | | | | just in front of me raised twice the big blind. I didn't think |
| flop I decided to call a small bet, even though I had | | | | he had a better hand than I did after thinking for a few |
| middle pair with also at least one over card (K) on the | | | | seconds. Isolating him seemed to be the best play, thus |
| table. The fourth street didn't help me. When | | | | moving all in was the right play IMO. The two players |
| everybody checked up to me I decided to make a | | | | right after me folded, but the third one also moved all |
| small informational bet. I got called by just "the French | | | | his chips in. Oops, I didn't see this one coming! The man |
| Goth-father", an older man dressed up in all white | | | | who made the initial bet called and we all opened up. |
| clothes. The river came, and again it didn't help me. I do | | | | He showed AK off-suit, the man after me showed a |
| remember there were a few over cards, so I was | | | | pair of sevens (Hearts and Diamonds), and I was |
| ready to lay my hand down. Don Corleone instead just | | | | happy to hold the strongest hand. Unfortunately luck |
| checked, so I could see the showdown for free. I | | | | wasn't on my side. The flop had a King, the turn an |
| checked and took away the pot with only a pair of 9's. | | | | Ace, and the river was a Hearts completing the lucky |
| Cowboys | | | | flush of Hearts for the guy holding sevens, and ending |
| Just a couple of hands later I got dealt pocket K's. I | | | | my tournament. |
| really felt uncomfortable (nervous) and wanted to hide | | | | The End |
| all my tells, but I did raise about three times the big blind. | | | | After being eliminated I actually felt a bit miserable. I |
| The only caller this time was "the Writer". I gave this | | | | over thought my play, and thought about alternative |
| name to the man sitting on seat 7. This was the type | | | | plays I could have made. Until this very moment I'm still |
| of guy that you couldn't miss when walking into the | | | | confident that moving all in was the best decision. |
| Atlantis Casino. He had long curly brown hair, and I put | | | | It was past 2 AM, the total pot was over $16,000 and I |
| him on fifty-some years. The girls around him seemed | | | | stayed observing the tables for a short while. Not |
| at least 30 years younger. He had such typical | | | | much later I decided to leave the Atlantis Casino on |
| expressions that it was very amusing to observe him, | | | | Saint Martin, leaving me with a wonderful memory of |
| and by the looks of it he also didn't mind to drink a few | | | | my first life poker tournament. This experience cost |
| now and then. Anyway, as you can understand... this | | | | quite some money, but was well worth all of it. I loved |
| was one of those men that beat me straight away if | | | | sitting at the table with "the French Goth-father" and |
| we would have count the money in our wallets. | | | | "the Writer", I loved staying alive for 5 hours just |
| Though, "the Writer" was definitely not a good poker | | | | playing a total of 6 hands, I just wish that I held one |
| player, sometimes you just don't believe the hands | | | | Hearts in my hand on that last play. |