Encore Club Noon $1,000 Guarantee (5,000 chips)

Got into the club in time to qualify for the bonus 500 chip and started off on the black tables because of a leak behind the usual tables due to a torrential rainstorm. Table friendliness was driven by L—a bartender at Boss Hawg’s, “Home of the Hawgarita”—who was buying shots for the anyone who wanted one. Though I typically don’t drink while I’m playing (and probably shouldn’t have here), I accepted and tossed in some of my money from the weekend win. Chipped up nicely when my flush draw beat out a set of  deuces and I got the first cocktail just as I was moved to another table. “Another shot!” was the phrase of the day.

I managed to stay well ahead of the chip average for quite a while, with over 40,000 chips while we were still at two tables. I lost a little ground calling smaller all-ins with my stack, but managed to push people off a couple of raises as well, including one BB I played with 7♥2♥, going all-in after two hearts hit the flop.

L was at the final table and I put in for a couple of drink rounds myself, which may have led to the call I made that kept me from the real money. We were at 1,500/3,000 with just five players and I was BTN with K♥9♥ when I raised to 9,000 (a little less than a quarter of my stack) and got re-raised all-in by one of the tighter players from BB. I called him, he showed JxJx and I whiffed the board completely (he caught another jack on flop), which left me with one thin 1,000 chip. The player to my immediate left had been down to 1,500 in the previous level and was up over 40,000, but you did have to wonder if it could happen at the same table twice in a half-hour.

I tossed several hands until I was UTG (which wasn’t long), then tossed my chip in with what I had: Qx4x. Amazingly enough, I quadded up when a queen hit on the turn and I took the main pot, but I was all-in as BB on the next hand and didn’t make it any further.

Got deeper than I should have considering I hardly ever drink. Back to whatever passes for diet soda next time, I think.

Four hours. -50% ROI. Fifth of 28 players.