An interesting Wednesday

One month ago, I hacked it up (again) in Georgia on the annual golf trip.  The last three years have been the same...chop in the spring, bandaid up a solution by mid-summer, play well in late summer and fall, and put the clubs on the rack for five months.  But consistent throughout the last three years, probably the last 25 years to be honest, is weak/thin striking of the ball.  This year I set out to change it. 

And after a one hour lesson yesterday, I'm as encouraged as I've been in a long time.  My teacher, who I worked with for the very first time yesterday, made no changes to my setup and made no changes to any of my action away from the ball - in fact, he said it was very good.  The problem was that I was breaking down at impact, hitting quick little scoop hooks and the like.  The *only* thing we worked on was extension through the ball.  It was a very easy change to understand and implement.  Within minutes, I was making crisp contact with penetrating ball flight - with a 7-iron at first, then with wedges and ultimately with the driver.  My 7-iron target was a 200 yard marker.  We were probably some 30-40 yards up on the tees from where the measurements were made, but I was consistently flying the ball to that marker - probably finding the 10 yards I've been missing, if not even a bit more.  Better yet, the pull hook was completely eliminated from my swing.  The only thing that held me back were a few swings where I never got fully behind the ball on the way back.  Overall:Wow.  I can't wait for Sunday, weather be damned, to try this out on the home course. 

Last night was a hastily scheduled mini-home game.  Three other folks attended, and I talked them into NLHE Double Flop!  There was a lot of limping going on early, and I joined right in despite rarely holding anything better than trash.  The blinds went up quickly as nobody wanted to stay late.  But the values of my hands stayed right in the dumpster.  The biggest ace I had all night was A6o.  The biggest pocket pair I had - in fact the only one - was 66.  More on these hands later.  I never had two paint cards, and had suited connectors twice: 78 and 89.  Neither flopped anything at all.  What's more amazing is that rarely did my trash hands connect with either flop - whether I was in the hand or out of it. 

The 66 hand hurt me.  I'd been very quiet and tight from the 3rd level on.  With 66 and the blinds at 300/600, I made it 1200 to go.  Despite all the oooohhs and aaaahs from the assembled masses, there were three callers.  One board flopped 789 while the other board had two overs and offered me nothing.  I check/called from EP.  Both turn cards were garbage and I check/folded to a pretty big bet.  The river brought the 10 on the straight draw, no jacks were out there and I'd have chopped it if I stuck around.  Alternatively, if I didn't catch, I'd have essentially been broke.  Thought I'd save it for another hand. 

I went all-in blind with 47d, and a paired 7 held up for 1/2 the pot.  Soon thereafter I had A6o - my biggest A of the night.  Woo Hoo!!  I shoved.  Everyone called because I only had 25 chips more than the BB at this point.  Ha!  One board came out K7xK7.  The other board had a 6 on it but a bunch of overs.  Well it checked around on every street, and I'm thinking maybe I'll get half of this or possibly even scoop with that 6.  Two guys flip over their cards and show...nothing!  Finally the third guy turns over a card for an overpair on the '6' board, plus a 7 for a boat on the other board.  Goodnight, Irene.  Absolutely dismal. 

Then I dealt and proceeded to give this guy two fabulous runner runner suckouts to keep him alive and give him the lead which he eventually took home. 

It was astounding how many flops were missed in this game - not just by me but by everyone.  There were very few "big hands" - mostly chopped pots along the lines of someone having two pair on one board and air on another vs. top pair on that second board...stuff like that.  And it still amazes me how poor I run in this game.  In a game chock full o' calling stations like this one, all you need is one or two big hands to make some hay.  I just can't seem to find it.  Maybe in the full edition of the home game next week.  (Fingers crossed)