Poker Night in Canada!

Including Gord, we had 11 people with us and crammed into the box of one of the owners who had food and drinks there for us all. I talked to the crowd a little bit about the party on December 6th and then signed a bunch of autographs for the fans in the crowd. The Marlies won, which was bitter sweet since I’m a Toronto boy sitting in the box with the Bulldogs owner! I was also wearing a Kostitsyn jersey, a player I drafted on my fantasy team years ago that just got called up to the Canadiens the night before. Also in our box was a group of guys from Fallsview casino in Niagara Falls. After the game, they invited all of us out the casino to check out the poker room, etc. I walked through the poker room for a bit and signed a few autographs before turning my attention to the craps table. My brother and his friend wanted to learn how to play so I bought in for $5000 and was betting $50 on the Pass Line. I started out throwing the dice and won about $300 on my roll. Then a lady at the other end of the table got a hold of the dice and started to get on a heater! I had the “bases loaded” with a six point and all of the numbers covered. She rolled for at least 20 minutes and I took a $4000 win. Once a seven hits, the game is no longer fun for me so I headed to the poker room, lol. I went to sit in the “big game,” a $10-$20 no limit hold’em game with a $3000 max buy in. I sat with a couple familiar faces, but for the most part I had no idea what I was in for! I bought in for $3000 and started out by playing in the dark, making it $100 to go. I ended up having tons of all-in confrontations: Hand #1: Three limped or $20 and the player next to the button made it $160 to go. From the small blind I made the standard play with the J2 of clubs… and went all in! The original raiser ends up making a terrible call with two kings and that started me off $3000 in the hole. I, of course, rebought for the full amount and got involved in my next big hand: Hand #2: I raised blind once again to $100 and a young Vietnamese girl re-raised me from the small blind to $400. It was heads up, and I had position, so I decided to go ahead and make the call blind. The flop came Kh 6h 5h. She bet out $500 and I sweated in my first card… paint. I then sweat my second card and it was a “two across diamond,” meaning that it was the 4 or 5 of diamonds. I looked back at the paint card, and it was a King! Unfortunately, my next card was a 4d, but nonetheless, I decided to go all in anyway hoping that my pair of kings were good. She thought long and hard which made me feel good about my hand. She then flashed me the Jack of spades, so I immediately said, “Jacks huh? Question is, do you have the heart to back it up?” She acknowledged that she did, and after a couple minutes she finally called with her pair of jacks, jack of hearts. The turn was a heart, and now I was down $6000. Hand #3: Once again, “the sucker” rebought and also decided to start looking at the cards before betting. A couple players limped for $20 and I made it $100 on the button with 7-8. We took the flop five ways: 9-10-J game me the dummy end of the straight. Everyone checked to me and I bet $200. The Vietnamese girl check-raised to $1000 and one of the limpers called. I wasn’t about to fold, so I went all in behind him. The girl folded, but the other player called with Q-J. The turn was a King and I was toast again! Oh brother. Hand #4: I went all in on a 8d 7d 4c flop with the Q 5 of diamonds. My opponent, called the bet with the 9-10 of diamonds. The last card was a 9, and it was rebuy time! Hand #5: Since I couldn’t buy a pot, I thought I’d try something new. Three players limped in and I went all in from the small blind with J-8 off suit for my last $1590. That’s literally, all the money I had with me. All folded to the last limper who says, “I’ll give you some action,” and calls me with Q-2 of hearts! I won that pot, and was off to the races. Hand #6: I made it $100 to go with J6 of clubs, and one more time, the Vietnamese