Co-ed Invitational - Holiday Ed. v2.0

One year ago some where around this very same time, OhCountess and I hosted the first holiday home game. If you want a review, try this link and this one. Usually an awesome good time.

Our modus operandi is to run this game a little different then normal. Since it is the holidays and a time of giving, there are couple of twists that make for a fun twist on the old home game.

First, there's an add-on. If you want an extra 500 chips, we asked the guests to bring non-perishable food suitable for delivery to a local food shelf or charity. I have yet to hear a complaint and again this year, we gathered together 40 items! Last year, we gathered 38 which was pretty awesome, but this year was even more special. Attendance was down a bit, we had 11 runners this year, so the extra effort is even more awesome! Thanks everyone!

The second twist comes in the form of something I like to call a reverse bounty. It's not a perfect name but I have no idea what else to call it. Everyone is asked to bring a wrapped present. Something fun and something around $10 in value. We the guests arrive, the place their present under the tree in our basement. As everyone busts from the tournament, the losers get to chose a present from under the tree. First out, first choice. You'd be surprised how fast boxes that look like the ones used at liquor stores disappear from under the tree.

With 11 people, we decided to just play deep at a single table. Our first bust out didn't occur for quite a while. First we lost Eloise, then Bodie25. I had been folding for pretty much the first 2 hours and then I went. AQo (yeah, the hand of the devil...friggin' cursed hands) It was no match for the mighty KJo. To be fair, I figured Ross for a King when the flop, of course came king high. I had a gut shot straight draw so I shoved it in the turn when the board made both a straight and a flush a real possibility. He thought for a very long time and with the help of a lot of table chatter, he made the call and I didn't improve.

Yet again, I didn't win my own home game :(

I moved over and joined Eloise and Bodie25. They were playing dealer's choice cash. A little omaha, pineapple, I called stud...Quickly, I dropped another $15. I was playing well.

OhCountess was moving chips in the other direction.

Mrs. Bodie25 went next, followed by Darrin and DeeBakes. Mrs. Bodie25 took her hubbies and my money home. I worked back in the direction of even playing Eloise in some PLO and Pineapple but she still left with a bit of my funds.

Ross's wife losing her last chip lead us to the bubble. Soon, my neighbor Steve became the last of the sore losers. OhCountess made the money!!! Way to go honey!!!! So glad one of us doesn't suck at this game! She actually went into the money with a very healthy stack.

Now, I know as the host, I probably should have been paying way more attention of the main game, but I was trying desperately to get back to even in the cash game. 3 handed PLO can be a bitch.

I did stop concentrating solely on the cash game long enough to document the rest of the night in photos. I was pretty excited to get the camera out. I had just recently had the sensor and the innards cleaned and purchased a Gary Fong flash diffuser. I was pretty excited to try things out!

OhCountess had busted leaving us heads up with Jerry and Ross.

Here's the cash game with DeeBakes and Darrin. That stack of chips on the right, that's me battling back. Yeah it looks somewhat healthy, but most of the cash piled up next to the box is mine. Sigh.
The scene of the carnage.

Jerry busts second and is more the happy to take some cash home.
A happy Ross showing off his winning hand and he new pride and joy, the travelling trophy that comes with winning one of our Co-ed Invitationals!

As always, OhCountess is there to be the hawt babe doing the money presentation. One of these days, I'm gonna get a few big bundles of ones at the bank just to make the payout look impressive. Might make for a good photo op :)
Another home game is in the books. These things are fun to host and it's been way to long since our last one. Seems we somehow missed the entire year and never hosted a home game. That's gotta change. I wouldn't mind even hosting a blogger game here at the house. As long as some of you promise to be house broken before checking in.

Thanks to everyone you who came! I'll be sure to post pictures of the kids dropping the food off. The idea of the food drive is OhPrincess1's, she still deserves all the credit! Hopefully we get a picture of that, unless of course we forget to take the picture like me forgetting to take a picture of the stack of food before we got it all loaded in a box...a pretty much hiding it...damn.