I attended another tournament with Jennefer last night and came home with $515 (second place) and a large zit on my forehead from the stress of getting to that point. I don’t usually play in pricey tournaments (this one had a $50 buy-in), but I hadn’t played all week and I was itchin’ for a live game. After winning $100 (third place) in the previous tournament I played, which Jennefer also brought me to, she seems to think I’m really good at this. She’s been playing a lot longer than I have and knows half of the poker-playing population. I think she appreciates having another woman play in tournaments with her, since they’re all male-dominated.
The game we played last night was in Hutto, just a right-turn from the middle of nowhere. The giant house had a large gravel driveway filled with pick-up trucks and a large pavilion in the back with a stage and a dancefloor. I was told later that the owner of the house is married to a singer and that is where she practices. The inside of the house looked like someone had converted a traditional lodge into a home. Giant deer and buffalo heads stared down at the 40 or so participants from their high-placed plaques. Everything was made out of wood and appeared hand-crafted. The rest of the decor was southwestern: large, rustic, and comfortable.
My opponents were mostly good ol’ boys in their 50s, donning cowboy hats and plaid shirts. Some drank whiskey out of mason jars. Some revved Harleys during the hourly breaks. There was also a spattering of young men, one of which remembered me from busting him out during the GCue poker league. I ended up busting him out again last night when he went all in with two pair against my set.
I’d like to break here and say that I am glad I didn’t sign up for the GCue poker league a second time. Although Phil, Nate, Gus, and I were on one of the more high-profile teams, playing in the league means a weekly commitment without a reconcilable payout. In the last league, 2000 Flushes (our jocular team name, brought to you by me) had the second highest point total overall, but we received no prizes. The top finishers received plastic trophies and bar tabs. Unfortunately, GCue bar tabs don’t buy plane tickets or nice dinners. I’m much happier following Jennefer to real tournaments, since the competition is about the same and thus, my chances of winning are the same.
Anyway, after I put a few people all-in and won early in the game, I was doing consistently well throughout the night. Only a few people seemed bitter at all, but I’m used to dealing with that, regardless of the stakes or situation. For a house full of good ol’ boys, they took losing to a woman quite well. Except for the father of the house’s owner, who didn’t have to.