Winner Tatter
2nd Chris
3rd Dave
4th Mike
5th Rob
6th Sids
Also played: John, Andy, Paul, Kev Mc, Briggs, Street, Steve, John T
Total: 14
Venue: Robs“Summer, summer, summer-time
Time to sit back and unwind”
Ok so it might not have been a scorcher weather wise but the June instalment of the TPS `08 saga reached it’s midway point with a trip to Robs swanky new maison.
Noticeable absentees where Kev R (who was otherwise engaged camping it up in this years Big Brother), Jordan and Mark. But the fourteen strong turn-out included the return of Sids from his jollies and for his second bite of the TPS lemon, Mike as well as such rarities as Briggs, John T and Street- another TPS sophomore player not seen since TPS 10 last year.
Whatever he’d been biting Mike began playing the same super aggressive style he’d shown at TPS 4 and his constant raises soon pushed him ahead of the rest of table 2.
Steve was the first unlucky punter to go out after staring at a flop of mostly heart’s for an eternity and deciding that his trip Jacks would definitely win out just as long as Mike didn’t have a Flush. Unfortunately for Steve, Mike did have the Flush and Steve’s night was almost over before it began, although, too be honest, that would have required a time machine.
Andy’s miserable season continued apace when his KQ All In was called by his bro’ Paul who turned over pocket Aces putting him out first on table 1 and making him an early nomination for this years Jimmy White award.
Back on table 2 Mike was subjecting everyone to a royal bully-ramming taking out Briggs (with Two Pair: Aces and Deuces), Street (with Jacks to Street’s Crabs) and John T in quick succession. This left Dave, John and Chris who, due to some judicious sitting-out had only managed to play about 3 hands. John thought he was about to double up and keep his chin above the shit when he flopped Two Pair, Aces and Sixes and Chris called the All In only to split the pot when Chris showed the same hand.
It soon got down to a battle between John and Dave to see who could limp into the final in 3rd spot. With both of them having about enough chips for one last Big Blind John made an audacious move with a pair of 5’s, hoping to blag Mike he’d matched the Ace on the deck. Although he’d guessed right about Mike not having an Ace he hadn’t guessed on him also having a 5 but with a Jack Kicker, which beat John’s 9 Kicker and ended his early season winning streak.
John’s position in joint second place looked a bit more secure when Kev Mc failed to make the final over on table 1, and he was soon followed into the inevitable side game by Paul, meaning we’d be definitely getting an extra face at this years so far short-handed Masters game in December. Kev Mc, ever gracious in defeat, had hoped to put some daylight between himself and John in second place but instead declared Texas Hold `Em to be a ‘shit game’ and suggested we all start playing ‘Crazy Pineapple’ instead.
Tatter took first blood in the final when his pair of 10’s took all but one of Sids chips, Sids going out the next hand.
A few hands later it was a ‘Duel’(geddit?) between ‘Golden Balls’ Chris’ Ace 9 and Rob ‘Da Bank’’s King Jack. This time it was Chris’ turn to take the prize, which in this case were just Robs chips.
So far Mike hadn’t had chance to dominate like he had in the first round but when he did eventually make a play he came face to face with one of Tatter’s genius moves. Mike went All In with Jack 10 only for Tatter to call with just 7 8, hitting a 7 on the flop to win the hand.
Dave was next up to face the resurgent Tatter’s own cruel brand of frontier poker justice when his seemingly unbeatable Two Pair: Queen Ten combo got bitch slapped out of the game by Tatski’s triple Kaisers.
This gave Chris his first Heads-Up and he must have been feeling confident when he went all in with Ace Queen and Tatter called with an Ace and a 4. When the flop came 7,9,3 he must have been ready to bang his missus senseless on a bed of filthy TPS cash. If the Deuce on Fourth Street didn’t dampen his ardour then the 5 on the River and Tatters Straight must definitely have withered his tumescence into lady-boy proportions. Tatter taking first place since TPS 11 last year.
Still, it was Chris best finish yet and a first place must surely be in the pipe-line soon. Dave too has steadily been crawling up the positions and if he can keep it together in a final table Mike’s blitzkrieg style might just garner him a top place finish. Paul, Kev Mc and John’s early exits meant there was no change a the top of the league but Tatters win puts him in 3rd position and only 6 points behind John and Kev Mc. It also meant he leapfrogged Kev R into second position on the All Time Leader Board and saw him become only the second player ever to get 4 TPS wins.
