Texas Hold 'Em Fun

I was delighted to get an email from LP Central Committee District Rep Chris Ward, asking me if I would join him at a Texas Hold 'Em tournament. You bet I would! Best part of all- no buy-in cost.

Barley Island brewery in Noblesville is hosting the event every Thursday in the hopes of drumming up some business. About 40 people played. The atmosphere was very friendly. After all, there was no buy-in, so nobody was losing the rent.

This was my first tournament play of any size greater than one table, so I was pleased enough just to not be the first thrown off the island. I made it past the first third of eliminated players, but not much further. Again, I was pleased.

I only had about five hands to really play, and fortunately, two of them were very good hands. The first was the opening hand of the night, so I was set up to play for a long time as long as I didn't get reckless. After the blinds were raised the first time, I was in with my table's chip leader for a big pot. I had the big hand, with a full house, Aces over 8's. That hand stood up as the best hand of the night. Where I did lose big was on a hand where I had a flush, but another player had a better flush. After that, the blinds ate me up.

Chris did very well, surviving into the final third of players. His girlfriend Beth did even better, finishing 4th. I think she knocked him out of the game, which should have made for some entertaining banter on the drive home.

I'll be looking forward to playing again at Barley Island next Thursday, but also to using Hold 'Em tourneys as fun team-builders in the campaign.