A home game win!

For the first time in a long time, I was able to get a group together for a Sunday night home game.  Hopefully, this will be the start of a new era - regular Sunday night home games.  I set up a few new rules, mainly buy ins ranging from $15 - $50 @ .25/.50 blinds... I'm tired of these short stack buy ins.  Although a few holdovers bought in for $20, the average was around $35.  It felt good to play with a full stack (I bought in for $50).

We started the night with 8 players, but as time went on, we had 12 players show up, so we split into 2 shorthanded tables, which was terrible (actually terrible for me).  I was stuck behind the most aggressive player at the game; he was positionally aware, though a pure crazian / gambler.  He would auto-3bet every raise I made, in which case I was forced to fit or fold.  I certainly held my own against him, but he was simply dominating the table which allowed him to become a big stack - a major threat to my stack. 

The first hand of the night, I was able to 4bet KK and take it down on the flop for a decent $36 pot (I raised to $2, got 3bet to $4 (LOL min raise) and I 3x to $12 with the 3bettor (He had $8 behind for a $20 stack - LOL not shoving there) calling and the other full stack flatting OOP.  Flop came pretty harmless and I lead for $15; all folds; turns out 3bettor had QQ & flatter had 99.  I was happy to start the night off well with a nice $24 profit.

The theme of the night would be much of the same; I would get KK 3 more times, and JJ once.  I would either hit hard or not at all.  The only other notable hand would be when called a min raise along with a host of others, holding QTo / Queen of diamonds.  I think we saw a 7 way flop of 9 J K (two diamonds).  Checks around to me, where I'm well aware of the flush draw, and I lead for $5 into a $7 pot.  Folds around to the SB who raises to $12... folds around to me.  I have the nuts, obviously, but I am concerned about sets...  doubtful because of the PF action, but 99 is possible.  Regardless, I raise while I got it, right?  I bump it to $21 straight, and my aggro SB friend flats (he has $13 behind).  Turn brings a K, pairing the board, and he checks to me.  I think I have to push, regardless, and take my lumps if he turned a boat, right?  I'm calling any river bet, so why not just get it in here in case he's drawing to the diamonds...  So I push and get insta-called; I immediately assume he had it based on the instantaneous speed he had by calling, but no - flush draw for him.  9 outs to dodge and the river comes a harmless blank.  Second nice pot of the night for me :-).

All told, I ended the session to the positive - $75.  I avoided large pots without having big hands, I didn't have many decisions to make, and it was a relatively straight-forward ABC poker night.  I'm not entirely happy with the way I played; mostly passive hit or miss poker, but when I got paid when I wanted to and got folds when I wanted to.