Playing with TJ

[HerrHepcat]

Just a story on my most interesting Sunday Poker day.

I sit down in a cardroom in Manteca, CA to play in the $50.00 (plus 2 $25 re-buys) NL tourney, like I have done several times before, and about 5 minutes before the tourney starts, T.J. Cloutier walks in the back door.

No kidding. I'm stunned. What in the world was TJ doing here?!?!?!

The cardroom manager announces there will be a bounty of $200.00 on him, and the tourney starts. In the eight times I've played this tourney before, I've made the final table 6 times. But this time, [A][K] didn't catch against pocket eights, and I was out, never getting to play at the same table with TJ.

So I stand up, mosey over to the table where he is playing, and watch him play. Standing behind him, he shows me a number of hands before he folds them (just like in the WSOP tourney of champs, he just wasn't catching cards).

After getting knocked out by "Lucky Linda", TJ says he's going over to the NL table. (minimum $100 buy-in, blinds 2/5) I ask the manager if there is room at the same table as TJ, there is, so I sit down with my measly $150.00. (Lots are buying in for $500, I'm not sure if TJ bought in for $300 or $500, one of the two.)

I realize raising to $35.00 was too much when I did that with black aces in the hole and just won the limpers and the blinds, so when I got [A][K], I raised to $20.00, and only TJ called. Flop was [2c][Kh][4c]. I check and TJ bets $180.00, Putting me all in!!! I call, and get doubled up by TJ.

I hang tight until what I declared was my last hand was delt. I get pocket eights, make it $20.00 to go, and again, the only caller was TJ. Flop comes out with just one overcard to my pair, I bet $20 to see where I am, TJ calls. Turn is a second overcard to my pair, I bet $20.00, TJ calls. River is a third eight, but just as I move to make my last bet, TJ folds. I cash out for $391.00.

Thats my story. A sunday poker day I'll never forget.

(In case you're wondering why in the world TJ Cloutier came down to that level of poker, TJ's brother and father live in Manteca, and his Dad is sick, otherwise, he'd be at the Bellagio tourney.)

Lets all wish TJ's Dad well.