AceHighWine

Hand 5:

PokerStars Game #15693131861: Tournament #78436461, $200+$15 Hold’em No Limit - Level III (100/200) - 2008/03/02 - 17:13:27 (ET)
Table ‘78436461 734′ 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: vmnielsen (13312 in chips)
Seat 2: mrtunie (9000 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 3: s0stndrd (10213 in chips)
Seat 4: skyrotterdam (6725 in chips)
Seat 5: ForeverDean (6700 in chips)
Seat 6: davidroisme (10650 in chips)
Seat 7: ChromMan (12000 in chips)
Seat 8: dumba900 (11200 in chips)
Seat 9: Jalapenoz (19900 in chips)
ForeverDean: posts small blind 100
davidroisme: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to s0stndrd [Kd Kc]
ChromMan: folds
dumba900: folds
Jalapenoz: folds
vmnielsen: raises 400 to 600
mrtunie: folds
s0stndrd: raises 800 to 1400
skyrotterdam: folds
ForeverDean: folds
davidroisme: folds
vmnielsen: raises 2600 to 4000
s0stndrd: raises 6213 to 10213 and is all-in
vmnielsen: calls 6213
*** FLOP *** [Qh 8c 5h]
*** TURN *** [Qh 8c 5h] [3h]
*** RIVER *** [Qh 8c 5h 3h] [8d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
vmnielsen: shows [Ks As] (a pair of Eights)
s0stndrd: shows [Kd Kc] (two pair, Kings and Eights)
s0stndrd collected 20726 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 20726 | Rake 0
Board [Qh 8c 5h 3h 8d]
Seat 1: vmnielsen showed [Ks As] and lost with a pair of Eights
Seat 2: mrtunie folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 3: s0stndrd showed [Kd Kc] and won (20726) with two pair, Kings and Eights
Seat 4: skyrotterdam (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 5: ForeverDean (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: davidroisme (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: ChromMan folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 8: dumba900 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 9: Jalapenoz folded before Flop (didn’t bet)

Completely standard. Noone folds AKs and noone folds KK either. If this hand had taken place the day before when I was running like a fiery vindaloo the day after, I’m sure I lose, but it magically held up. Considering how brutal the table was, winning this flip was so, so vital.

Hand 4:

PokerStars Game #15693935678: Tournament #78436461, $200+$15 Hold’em No Limit - Level V (200/400) - 2008/03/02 - 17:45:46 (ET)
Table ‘78436461 76′ 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Le Marquis (10600 in chips)
Seat 2: puravida1234 (33900 in chips)
Seat 3: PIT123456 (18200 in chips)
Seat 4: s0stndrd (22476 in chips)
Seat 5: WGC1234 (15525 in chips)
Seat 6: doctorzico (14550 in chips)
Seat 7: ppthebandit (14475 in chips)
Seat 8: three ladys (12975 in chips)
Seat 9: Tobsen (21850 in chips)
Tobsen: posts small blind 200
Le Marquis: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to s0stndrd [As 8s]
puravida1234: folds
PIT123456: folds
s0stndrd: raises 800 to 1200
WGC1234: folds
doctorzico: folds
ppthebandit: calls 1200
three ladys: folds
Tobsen: folds
Le Marquis: folds
*** FLOP *** [9c 5c Ac]
s0stndrd: checks
ppthebandit: checks
*** TURN *** [9c 5c Ac] [Ad]
s0stndrd: bets 800
ppthebandit: raises 12475 to 13275 and is all-in
s0stndrd: calls 12475
*** RIVER *** [9c 5c Ac Ad] [Ah]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
s0stndrd: shows [As 8s] (four of a kind, Aces)
ppthebandit: shows [Jd Td] (three of a kind, Aces)
s0stndrd collected 29550 from pot
beth_poker7 is connected
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 29550 | Rake 0
Board [9c 5c Ac Ad Ah]
Seat 1: Le Marquis (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: puravida1234 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 3: PIT123456 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 4: s0stndrd showed [As 8s] and won (29550) with four of a kind, Aces
Seat 5: WGC1234 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: doctorzico folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 7: ppthebandit showed [Jd Td] and lost with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 8: three ladys (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 9: Tobsen (small blind) folded before Flop

Tough opponent, but the shove after my turn bet just didn’t make any sense. It might be a loose call but considering the aggressive nature of opponent, I figured I still had outs even if he had my beat on fourth street, but as it was, he was drawing dead when the money got in the middle. No doubt I will pay him off like a crooked politician next time we tangle!

Hand 3:

PokerStars Game #15700018732: Tournament #78436461, $200+$15 Hold’em No Limit - Level XXI (7500/15000) - 2008/03/02 - 22:17:13 (ET)
Table ‘78436461 387′ 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: s0stndrd (350737 in chips)
Seat 2: jerlin (433811 in chips)
Seat 3: troyomac (593750 in chips)
Seat 5: UgotBodied (304009 in chips)
Seat 6: CashGalore (120362 in chips)
Seat 7: BunnieLee (414456 in chips)
Seat 8: crossfire163 (785524 in chips)
Seat 9: icecoldRivA (560099 in chips)
s0stndrd: posts the ante 1500
jerlin: posts the ante 1500
troyomac: posts the ante 1500
UgotBodied: posts the ante 1500
CashGalore: posts the ante 1500
BunnieLee: posts the ante 1500
crossfire163: posts the ante 1500
icecoldRivA: posts the ante 1500
icecoldRivA: posts small blind 7500
s0stndrd: posts big blind 15000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to s0stndrd [Td 9h]
jerlin: folds
troyomac: folds
UgotBodied: folds
CashGalore: folds
s0stndrd said, “nh cross”
søstradi is connected
crossfire163 said, “ty”
søstradi said, “phew”
BunnieLee: folds
crossfire163: folds
icecoldRivA: raises 25000 to 40000
s0stndrd: raises 50000 to 90000
icecoldRivA: calls 50000
*** FLOP *** [5d 8h Ts]
icecoldRivA: checks
s0stndrd: bets 90000
icecoldRivA: raises 378599 to 468599 and is all-in
s0stndrd: calls 169237 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [5d 8h Ts] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [5d 8h Ts 9d] [3d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
icecoldRivA: shows [Kh Qs] (high card King)
s0stndrd: shows [Td 9h] (two pair, Tens and Nines)
s0stndrd collected 710474 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 710474 | Rake 0
Board [5d 8h Ts 9d 3d]
Seat 1: s0stndrd (big blind) showed [Td 9h] and won (710474) with two pair, Tens and Nines
Seat 2: jerlin folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 3: troyomac folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 5: UgotBodied folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: CashGalore folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 7: BunnieLee folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 8: crossfire163 (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 9: icecoldRivA (small blind) showed [Kh Qs] and lost with high card King

At the time, this was a monster hand. Pre-flop it just felt like a weak raise and I felt I could take him off his hand with a stiff raise. The call worried me a little but at least I had position on him. Flopping TPOK in a battle of the blinds is a pretty good hand and I decided I was betting it. I was a little worried when he came back over the top, but went with my gut and decided to put the rest in. I was delighted that my read was correct (nice for a change) and even more so with the nine on the turn. All I had to fade on the river was a four-outter and when my two pair held, I was back in contention.

Hand 2:

PokerStars Game #15702018909: Tournament #78436461, $200+$15 Hold’em No Limit - Level XXVII (30000/60000) - 2008/03/02 - 23:59:48 (ET)
Table ‘78436461 906′ 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: s0stndrd (1862474 in chips)
Seat 2: citrus (1884977 in chips)
Seat 3: himpapawid (1750910 in chips)
Seat 4: Weimar (1853548 in chips)
Seat 5: mman_status (855638 in chips)
Seat 6: nilsson (120226 in chips)
Seat 7: petter85 (2458559 in chips)
Seat 8: troyomac (1845000 in chips)
Seat 9: Doyle122 (1222474 in chips)
s0stndrd: posts the ante 6000
citrus: posts the ante 6000
himpapawid: posts the ante 6000
Weimar: posts the ante 6000
mman_status: posts the ante 6000
nilsson: posts the ante 6000
petter85: posts the ante 6000
troyomac: posts the ante 6000
Doyle122: posts the ante 6000
nilsson: posts small blind 30000
petter85: posts big blind 60000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to s0stndrd [Qc Qh]
troyomac: raises 95000 to 155000
Doyle122: folds
s0stndrd: raises 265000 to 420000
citrus: folds
himpapawid: folds
Weimar: folds
mman_status: folds
nilsson: folds
petter85: folds
troyomac: calls 265000
*** FLOP *** [3h Qd 9s]
troyomac: checks
s0stndrd: checks
*** TURN *** [3h Qd 9s] [8d]
troyomac: checks
s0stndrd: bets 420000
troyomac: raises 999000 to 1419000 and is all-in
s0stndrd: calls 999000
*** RIVER *** [3h Qd 9s 8d] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
troyomac: shows [Ac As] (a pair of Aces)
s0stndrd: shows [Qc Qh] (three of a kind, Queens)
s0stndrd collected 3822000 from pot
petter85 said, “gg”
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3822000 | Rake 0
Board [3h Qd 9s 8d 4s]
Seat 1: s0stndrd showed [Qc Qh] and won (3822000) with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 2: citrus folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 3: himpapawid folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 4: Weimar folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 5: mman_status (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: nilsson (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: petter85 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: troyomac showed [Ac As] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 9: Doyle122 folded before Flop (didn’t bet)

Utterly brutal hand for troyomac. After the hand and the flood of railbird chirping I gave some back and would like to apologise. I don’t normally like to talk it up but in the heat of the moment, having dudes tell me how much of a fish/donkey/luckbox I am after an unfortunate but standard hand just irked me enough to get my fingers a-typing. So guys, no hard feelings?

I felt troyomac had been opening a lot of pots and was certain my hand was best, so reraised to isolate vs any Ax hands behind me, though in honesty, if another person shoves behind, I don’t think I can fold with stack sizes and the amount in the pot.

Hit my gin card on the flop and check behind (funny yet embarrassing sidenote: a few hands earlier I shoved my AA that had hit top set into a fairly ragged board into two other pre-flop callers. I play cards so bad). The eight of diamonds that put a flush draw on the board was a real action card and with the check-raise, I figured troyomac for AdKd and couldn’t call fast enough. I was in better shape than I thought with troyomac having the bullets and I dodged a two-outter to scoop a massive pot and bust the poor guy.

Hand 1:

PokerStars Game #15703861880: Tournament #78436461, $200+$15 Hold’em No Limit - Level XXXVI (250000/500000) - 2008/03/03 - 02:14:27 (ET)
Table ‘78436461 338′ 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: colonelkosta (19250429 in chips)
Seat 3: himpapawid (6619701 in chips)
Seat 4: vm1124 (35512771 in chips)
Seat 6: DrunkPPlaya (6026306 in chips)
Seat 8: s0stndrd (8326737 in chips)
Seat 9: ShipThatIsh (4894056 in chips)
colonelkosta: posts the ante 50000
himpapawid: posts the ante 50000
vm1124: posts the ante 50000
DrunkPPlaya: posts the ante 50000
s0stndrd: posts the ante 50000
ShipThatIsh: posts the ante 50000
DrunkPPlaya: posts small blind 250000
s0stndrd: posts big blind 500000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to s0stndrd [8h 8c]
ShipThatIsh: folds
colonelkosta: raises 500000 to 1000000
himpapawid: folds
vm1124: folds
DrunkPPlaya: folds
ShipThatIsh said, “can i have an additional 5 minutes added to my timebank?”
s0stndrd: calls 500000
*** FLOP *** [Ah 3d As]
s0stndrd: checks
himpapawid said, “lolk”
colonelkosta: bets 500000
ShipThatIsh said, “i will pay $100″
s0stndrd: raises 1000000 to 1500000
colonelkosta: calls 1000000
*** TURN *** [Ah 3d As] [Kh]
s0stndrd: checks
colonelkosta: checks
*** RIVER *** [Ah 3d As Kh] [8d]
ShipThatIsh said, “2 minutes?”
s0stndrd: bets 1500000
colonelkosta: raises 5000000 to 6500000
ShipThatIsh said, “113 seconds?”
s0stndrd: calls 4276737 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
colonelkosta: shows [Ad 2c] (three of a kind, Aces)
s0stndrd: shows [8h 8c] (a full house, Eights full of Aces)
s0stndrd collected 17103474 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 17103474 | Rake 0
Board [Ah 3d As Kh 8d]
Seat 1: colonelkosta showed [Ad 2c] and lost with three of a kind, Aces
Seat 3: himpapawid folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 4: vm1124 (button) folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 6: DrunkPPlaya (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: s0stndrd (big blind) showed [8h 8c] and won (17103474) with a full house, Eights full of Aces
Seat 9: ShipThatIsh folded before Flop (didn’t bet)

A completely sick and unbelievable hand. On the surface, this looks like complete spew and I’d have to agree, but the good colonelkosta had been playing so many pots and showing down so many mediocre - yet winning - hands that I couldn’t resist for a min-raise. I check-raise him on the flop because I just don’t believe he has an ace there and am expecting him to fold quickly but when he calls, I realise I’ve mis-stepped and am praying for a cheap showdown so I can scope his opening range. I gratefully accept the free river when he checks the king, but it’s the glorious two-outter on the river that causes a commotion through our small study. I’m obviously delighted when he shoves my value bet (yes I am an ATM and was paying AK all day) and snap-call to win a massive final table pot. This hand marked the beginning of the end for the colonel who proceeded to go busto in the space of three hands. Two of the hands featured an eight on the river to sink the English chappy including his AQ getting pipped at the river by a short stack’s A8.

All this just goes to show - it doesn’t matter how good you are at cards (or not in my case), to win tournaments you need to get lucky occasionally.

Or more correctly, just not get unlucky.

It’s amazing what a weekend in Sydney will do to your timetable - knock you about completely! So I haven’t had a chance to up any pictures from my camera, but that won’t stop me compiling a list of five hot joints to spend your hard-earned cash while lunching in Northbridge. As someone who works in the infamous Perth suburb, I can vouch for each of these eateries and their popularity can be verified by ATM receipts and credit card statements.

5. Nando’s Northbridge (35 Lake Street, www.nandos.com.au)

When you’ve got a craving for protein, there’s nothing like Nando’s to hit the spot. During my training days, I once managed to shovel down three quarters of chicken (ie 75 per cent of a whole chook) at once with large chips. Has gone through a few changes of ownership since opening its doors in 2004 - one of the happiest days of my life - but the current mob in seem pretty good. BYO hasn’t been tested at this particular Nando’s, but most Nando’s restaurants are happy for you to bring in a beer (and wine I suspect, but I’ve only ever brought in six packs for food at Nando’s). Extra hot or bust - unless you live in Melbourne where your Nando’s is inexplicably hotter than ours and extra hot at St Kilda Nando’s almost killed me. Almost.

4. Dragon Seafood Chinese Restaurat (108 James Street, www.dragonseafood.com.au)

Some of the best dim sum in Northbridge, though the greatness does come at a bit of a cost. Superb sui mai and very flavoursome fried squid tentacles. Looking forward to trying the all you can eat seafood steamboat buffet one night. Fully licensed and BYO wine is available at $2.50 per person.

3. Maya Masala (49 Lake Street)

A Northbridge institute and name synonymous with Indian cuisine in Western Australia, Maya Masala has long been dishing up tasty treats from the sub-continent. For those who can’t decide between favourites such as the butter chicken, roganjosh, vindaloo or a stash of other curry delights, the $15 non-vegetarian thali is a god send. Featuring naan, rice and six little tubs filled with different curries and a dessert, it’s the best way to sample a cross-section of Indian flavours. BYO is all good here, though if you’re going to order something with a bit of heat to it, I suggest a wine with some sweetness to it to help battle the sting of the heat.

2. Il Padrino Caffe (198 William Street, www.ilpadrinocaffe.com)

My first brush with this house of fine pizza was in 2000 when I first joined the work force (a handful of fast food jobs during uni not withstanding). Back then, Tuesdays were the only day you could get a half-price pizza but now you can enjoy 50 per cent off pizzas all week, making the prospect of dining at Il Padrino’s far more affordable. The owner and pizza chef Nunzio is a real character and his massive personality extends onto his restaurant with memorabilia and photos plastered across walls. BYO is on.

1. Saigon Cafe & Noodle Restaurant (101 James Street)

If I feel like splashing out, the broken rice with seven meats is on, but if the wallet is looking a little lean and I don’t think I can swing the $9.90 for the goodness of the broken rice, than six fiddy gets you a bowl of Saignon chicken noodle or the Saigon chicken rice and it’s just as good (just without as much pork). Lunches are a quick, tasty and affordable affair and dinner excursions to Saigon have been just as pleasing with the removal of clock-watching broadening a brand new set of culinary horizons. BYO is good here and there are often beer specials on offer too, but with an everday low price of $5.50 (or therabouts if memory serves me correct) for a Corona, one could argue the prices are special all the time.

Welcome to the first post in the new Top Five category!

Each week, I’ll dig deep for a top five to do with a pretty wide range of subjects. Sure, some if it will be poker and wine related, but there’ll also be scope for coverage on a whole range of different topics.

For the maiden Top Five, I’m following the script fairly closely and presenting my view of the five worst ways to get your hand rivered in a hand of Texas Hold’em. Most experienced poker players would have been on both sides of that nasty river card: on one hand, part of you feels sorry for the poor schmuck you’ve just trumped though a pot is a pot and if you’re suffering the beat, words do little justice to that emotional about-turn experienced from the flop to the turn (usually a high) and then from the turn to the river (worlds come crashing down).

And if you haven’t experienced these riverings personally yourself - you have a lot to look forward to.

5. VILLAIN SEMI-BLUFFS WITH OPEN-ENDED STRAIGHT OR FLUSH DRAW(S)

The usual and entry-level rivering. You flop middle set with 66 on a board of 3h-6h-7c and get it all in only to be called in two spots. One of the villains has Ah-10h and is looking for a little more heart from the dealer while the other caller is hoping his 8c-9c can coerce a non-heart 5 or 10 out of the deck. The 10 of clubs turns but the river is the 5 of hearts and the flush draw scoops the lot, leaving you to mutter about donkeys and noone on being able to fold a flush draw. Tilt away $200 and reload.

4. YOUR PAIR IS COUNTERFEITED ON THE RIVER

Your read is spot-on and you KNOW your pocket 4s are good against the maniac’s AQo (not even soooooted for god’s sake) on a rainbow board of 10-7-3-10. Ooops, repeater 7 on the river. You now have 10s and 7s with a four kicker (hey at least you’re not playing the board) while the bad guy has suddenly catapulted into the lead with the same two pair but the best possible kicker. Kiss goodbye to the 200BB pot and your third mouse this week. Rapidly donate $1000 to the poker world and reload.

3. ONE CARD STRAIGHT OR FLUSHES

True story. I raise with my aces, get a reraiser and we both get it all in preflop. I hit another ace on the flop and am looking in massively good shape against my opponents 8c8s. Turn is another club, putting three clubs on the board. River is another club and I learn in brutal fashion that a flush always beats three of a kind. Sickening.

2. VILLAIN HITS TWO-OUTTER FOR A BIGGER FULL HOUSE

Pocket 5s on a flop of 5-2-2 is looking very, very sexy, especially when people bet into you. You’re hoping that Q on the river helped someone so you can extract even more from your flopped full book. Gleefully you call your opponent’s push, beating him into the pot, only to discover villain’s pocket Queens run into another lady on fifth street for a delightful little menage a trois funded by your money. Withdraw all remaining money from account and delete poker site’s software from your computer immediately.

1. THE IMPOSSIBLE ONE-OUTTER

The famous one-outter (for non poker people, a one-outter means there is only one card in the deck that can help you). This disgrace and computer-killer is often manifested by way of hitting quads versus your opponent’s higher set or hitting that impossibly rare straight flush. When the dealer manages to pull out the ONLY card in the deck that can help your opponent, you know it’s not your night. When this happens in critical moments of tournaments or cash games, people stop visiting casinos. And it does happen:

PokerStars Game #7547137157: Omaha Pot Limit ($1/$2) - 2006/12/21 - 20:59:57 (ET)
Table ‘Johanna III’ 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: johnnymonny ($104.25 in chips)
Seat 2: mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008 ($83.40 in chips)
Seat 3: mastermarkca ($146.05 in chips)
Seat 4: bullwinkle25 ($69.65 in chips)
Seat 5: gl123 ($23 in chips)
Seat 6: joker10277 ($34.95 in chips)
Seat 7: andersCleanU ($307.60 in chips)
Seat 8: mr unlucky 2006 ($215.90 in chips)
Seat 9: AlmostFamous ($202.35 in chips)
bullwinkle25: posts small blind $1
gl123: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008 [7s Ks 4h 7d]
joker10277: calls $2
andersCleanU: folds
mr unlucky 2006: calls $2
AlmostFamous: folds
johnnymonny: folds
mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008: calls $2
mastermarkca: calls $2
bullwinkle25: calls $1
gl123: checks
*** FLOP *** [7h Ah 3s]
bullwinkle25: checks
gl123: checks
joker10277: checks
mr unlucky 2006: checks
mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008: bets $11.40
mastermarkca: folds
bullwinkle25: folds
gl123: folds
joker10277: folds
mr unlucky 2006: raises $18.60 to $30
mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008: raises $51.40 to $81.40 and is all-in
mr unlucky 2006: calls $51.40
*** TURN *** [7h Ah 3s] [5h]
*** RIVER *** [7h Ah 3s 5h] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
mr unlucky 2006: shows [Ac Td Ad 2s] (a full house, Aces full of Sevens)
mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008: shows [7s Ks 4h 7d] (four of a kind, Sevens)
mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008 collected $171.80 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $174.80 | Rake $3
Board [7h Ah 3s 5h 7c]
Seat 1: johnnymonny folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 2: mr luckbox 2006, 2007 and 2008 showed [7s Ks 4h 7d] and won ($171.80) with four of a kind, Sevens
Seat 3: mastermarkca (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: bullwinkle25 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: gl123 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: joker10277 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: andersCleanU folded before Flop (didn’t bet)
Seat 8: mr unlucky 2006 showed [Ac Td Ad 2s] and lost with a full house, Aces full of Sevens
Seat 9: AlmostFamous folded before Flop (didn’t bet)

And to round off the maiden edition of Top Five - here are some snap shots (not quite five) from last night’s escapades at the Cott. It was a long weekend here in Perth and with the volleyball guys in town for State Champs, there was plenty of good times to be had. It was also a “Singlet Sunday” and Marty requested all of us to wear (if we had them) the world tour singlets he gave us from his last couple of years on tour.

Sunday nights have a tell. If the end of the night looks like this (empty or nigh-on plates at Billy Lee’s in Chinatown, Northbridge) then you’ve had a good time indeed.

Easily the best looking part-Asian beach volleyballer (oh stuff it, let’s just say male) I know. Chad Hugo from the Neptunes ain’t got shit on our boy Marty!