Hank On a Roll, and On His High H.O.R.S.E.

Thirteen entered HORSE on a weekday including two faces we hadn't seen in a while and one new guy. The field was weakened with the absence of Baklava, Travis, and Young Dan. Still, Table 1 featured three players with three titles and five runner-up finishes between them, and obviously was the tough table.

Because your humble reporter was out so soon I have no idea how the final table played out or how Hank got Keith all-in with his jack-seven. Maybe SILF will enlighten me later.

With Baklava missing the tourney Hank is now the only one with perfect attendance (Number 10 on Greenstein's list - play a lot of tournaments). The top three changed not a wit, but Hank padded his lead with 144 points to Baklava's 105.

Hank Takes Third Title in Stud8OB

We fielded 11 for a weekday game of Stud eight or better - not bad. Jim, who took the Stud high title, almost made a Baklavian comeback, rallying from 350 chips with 10 left to make the final table. Four places cashed, and three spots were OGs. Phil McGroin continued his tradition of serving as the bring-in 42% of the time, and that really hurt him when it got four-way. Still, he managed to outlast Keith who went out in a three-way hand when Bearded Mike and Hank checked the hand down with him all-in on the door card, and ace-high won.

Bearded Mike took a chip lead into HU play and Hank was a luck-bag. Just kidding. Of course Hank played his usual fundamentally solid game, and got his chips in several times with scoop draws. Bearded Mike's luck ran out after an hour when he missed a double-bellybuster straight draw with a four on seventh street and no low. The pictures below show what Bearded Mike looks like after six hours of poker and not a drop to drink, and what Hank thinks about doing when Bearded Mike is at the poker table.

Hank extended his lead over Baklava and his three titles, second, and third place finishes have given him 123 points. Baklava is second at 105 points after two titles and a third-place finish. Bearded Mike is third with 81 points from one title and one finish each second, third, and fourth. A3 has the next three spots with Jim fourth with 76 points after one title and two first place finishes. Phil McGroin has 71 point, just ahead of Chris' 70, and both have two second-place finishes and a third-place finish. Sean and Kelvin round out the Top 8 with 57 and 51 points respectively, and Gracie (Robin) is on the bubble and a title away from the top 5.

Baklava Wins A-5 TD, OGs Represent

The cashed players were all OGs in ace-to-five triple draw, although fourth didn't cover Bearded Mike's buy-ins. Hank survived being short-stacked four-way to capture third. Even though that was enough to maintain first for the season, the picture below shows what he thinks of third. Travis used his patented all-in-before-the-draw move heads-up against Baklava, which worked every time but once - as usual with that move. Travis had a date and couldn't be bothered with a long match. His picture shows just what he had a "date" with. Hank and Baklava have eached won two tournaments, and are neck-and-neck for the season.

Shocka! Hank Takes Down 5-Card Draw

Young Dan's downward spiral continued and he was the second out. Shelley took a huge chip lead into the final four but busted out on the bubbled after losing a couple of big hands. Bearded Mike went out on the picture bubble (but cashed, bitches), which is fine because instead we had the cute Brokeback Duo again. Hank and Chris battled HU for quite a while, leading to the picture below, and Hank saying "heads-up five-card draw sucks!"
























"Do I have a set of 6s?"


"Heads-up five-card draw sucks!"


Carrot-Top


The current Top 8 are Hank, Baklava, Jim, Chris, Phil McGroin, Bearded Mike, Sean, and Kelvin. Chris, Sean, and Kelvin all have only four tourneys, so that's pretty damned good. Hank, Baklava, and Young Dan get gold stars for perfect attendance.

Brandon Returns to Take O8

Not that Brandon. In what some call "the stupidest game ever," some league leaders were early exits. Since I was at Mark's eating a steak the size of my head at the time, I can't offer much more color than that.