We didn't really plan it that way. But during a business trip to metro Atlanta, our 138th live poker tournament took place at a sports bar on Georgia Highway 138.
Benefield's is part of the Atlanta Poker Club circuit, and has free games every Tuesday and Thursday night. We walked in unannounced Thursday, and found an atmosphere similar to real poker rooms. One person is the regular dealer at every table, with the "button" being passed. And even nicer for us, smokers are instructed to puff away from the table.
But a starting stack of 1,900 chips and blinds beginning at 25/50 lend toward careful play. A soda gave us 1,500 more, but things didn't go well early. We won a small pot with 5-5 in the pocket when trips came on the flop, but we bet too much for anyone to call. Then some misses left us with 850 at the one-hour break -- yet that's when a one-dollar tip for the server changed everything.
That tip (and a signed receipt) gave us 1,500 more chips. We went all-in with 9-9 when a 9 came on the flop -- and this time two people called. A full house with 7's bumped us up to 6,000, leading to a moment of drama....
BLINDS: 100/200
IN THE POCKET: A-7 of diamonds
We call when our turn comes. But a man sitting to our left has been betting big to steal pots. He raises to about 2,000, and we join two others players in calling.
(To be honest, we're a bit uncaring about our outcome at this point. We're on the road, and have to get back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.)
ON THE FLOP: 6d-8d-9c (not sure about the suit of the 9)
We're first up to bet, and check with a flush draw. The man to our left bets 1,000. Everyone around the table calls, and so do we.
ON THE TURN: Q (not a diamond)
We check again. The man to our left plunks down 2,000 -- and in the process puts two other players behind him all-in. It's a "truth or dare" moment, and we call again. (Recall the note in parenthesis above.)
"Flip over your cards," the female dealer says.
"Hold it!" we say to stop her -- although the all-in players already had done it. "I still have chips left." Only 500 remain in reserve, but we have some.
ON THE RIVER: 5h
We miss the nut flush, but gain a very hopeful card. The man to our left bets to put us all-in for the last 500.
"I was hoping to hit a flush," we announce, "but on the river I hit a straight."
The man to our left stares at us -- then slightly nods his head. We've got him. He had K-J of diamonds, and missed the flush as well.
"And he had an Ace kicker!" another player says in amazement. We're not going back to the hotel now -- not with our stack up to about 30,000.
The momentum grew from there on the next hand. The big bettor to our left made a raise before the flop, and we were the only player to call holding J-J. When a Jack came on the flop, we knew what to do -- and checked.
"I'm all-in," the man said after a moment.
"Call," we answered without hesitating. "Jack-Jack-Jack!"
"Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!" Our opponent started shaking us -- and might as well have been a melting witch in The Wizard of Oz. He had pocket Aces, and we wound up cracking them and eliminating him when a third Ace failed to show. In two hands, we sent him reeling from bully to beaten.
The stack built from there, and our top at the final table was about 84,000. The night ended with the bar's Thursday night points leader across the table from us -- but needing to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight to the west coast. We settled on him receiving first-place in club points, while we received the first-place prize: a 50-dollar Benefield gift certificate! (The top three players win "bar cash.")
In the process, we picked up 249.8 points -- and jumped into the top 500 for the winter season and 16th in Benefield's Thursday night competition. All in simply one night.
MINISTRY MOMENT: A late night allowed us to show our "Jesus as your Savior" coin to several people at the table. All said they agreed with the message. "Morning, noon and night!" one man declared. Good for them.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 57 final tables in 138 nights (41.3%) - 11 cashes.
This was our first "cash" win since the northwest Florida trip in October. And we've made final tables in five of six February live tournaments -- gaining league points at eight in a row.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes - 3-7-3-1-0. Full tournaments - 10 final tables in 159 games (6.3%), no cashes.
We finished sixth out of 232 players in a Presidents' Day afternoon game. But online poker probably will stop for awhile, because of a busy spring-cleaning schedule.
POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: $15,573 - up $5,088.
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