Monday at the Fitzpatrick

On Monday nights the Fitz hosts a nice €25 euro game with a 15 minute clock and a starting stack of 6,500. With that short stack and quick blind structure its not a game for game for sitting around and waiting for those big hands. It's loose and IMO you have to be to get deep. Now I said loose not reckless but if you are too tight you will quickly find yourself in all-in territory. I have played it a few times before but I've never even made the final table and this was my modest goal for the night. Maggie who had never played there before and Jim came along and our buddy Sean who lives in Limerick was also there. I didn't get much early on but held my stack by taking a few small pots with modest holdings. I did get away from a tricky had when a shaky hand tipped my off to a big hand and another players willingness to call with a draw allowed me to confirm my read on the guy. Jim had a bad start when his pocket nines turned into trips and despite his strong bets his opponent called and made a flush on the river--I said it was loose!!
I played tigher than normal get poor cards and finding few spots to make a move but by the break after 4 levels I was just ahead of average with 22 of the 29 starters still in. Four had been knocked out at our table and Jim had already survived two all-ins', one a very good read. Maggie had dropped to 4,500 and Sean was a bit better having been very low and all-in earlier.
Maggie 's night got cut short in the first after the break when she called an all-in from a big stack and found herself way ahead but the river connected for the big stack and maggie was out. We where soon down to two tabels with Sean joining Jim and myself but with a small stack and while he first doubled up he soon exited when a drawing bigger stack but him all in and he gladly called with two pair but again he drowned at the river!!! Jim lasted a few more rounds but was always struggling before he got caught with an all-in bluff and went out around fifteenth. I had biuld to over 17,000 with the average before hitting trouble. Firstly I raised from the button with pocket eights and the BB shoved. I called and his pocket KK held up. I was down to 4,700 but had it up to 9,600 without a double up when the button came back to me. Again it was folded to me and again I had pocket eights but this time I shoved. The BB called!!!! This time he had bullets and I can't dodge bullets baby!!!