HORSE Tournament

It isn't very often that any of us get to play a live HORSE tournament, which is one of the reasons to have one as part of the St Cloud Series of Poker that is being run by the Central MN Poker Players Association. I knew it was going to be a challenge as many players don't have a lot of 7 card stud experience and this event was being played as a limit event. Some of my rustiness showed up early. In a hand in 7 card stud. I reraised on the turn and bet the river and then turned over my cards and announced that I had the wheel only to be told that I had a pair of 5's and a busted flush draw. Guess I should have looked at my cards one more time. To make it even worst, a few hands later in Stud hi-low, I called all the way to the river and announced that I had a nine low but of course stud hi low is an eight or lower game. At least the blinds were low and it really didn't cost me much for being a dummy. LOL! My early run of cards was very poor. I had great starting hands but was not able to put anything together as the hands played out. My chips were dwindling fast. I was playing too many hands thinking I could out play people that had no experience playing games other then holdem. That lack of experience just caused them to play hands that they shouldn't and draw out on me several times. We started with 15,000 in chips a big starting stack. By the time blinds hit 200-400 I was down to 800 in chips and it was looking like I would be the 1st one out. I got all in on a set of 9's in stud split and took down a nice pot to get back to 2000. Then I made a couple of nice calls and soon was back to over 25,000. In one holdem hand, I had pocket 7's in the small blind. In debated on a reraise but decided to call because of how had limped in already. BB raises. There ends up with 3 players in hand and I put both other players on big cards. Flop is nine high. I am sure that I have the best hand. I check and BB bets and I call. Turn is another small card. I check call again. River pairs the board. I check and BB bets. Other guy folds. At this point in time the river bet is a big bet. I put bettor on high cards, but he has bet the whole way. I am still sure that I have best hand and debate a reraise. I decide to call just in case he has a pair bigger then mine and turn over my 7's. He mucks his cards and immediately on tilt. He can't believe that I had called the whole way with a pair. I told him I was pretty sure that I had the best hand the whole way. The one thing about this is that I had debated on raising preflop. I am glad that I hadn't because it would have changed the way the whole hand would have played out and I think I would have won less chips. Unfortunately, several very inexperienced players never stopped chasing and catching and it took a little of the fun out of the tournament. (you know who you are!) I did end up in 5th place and cashed for almost enough to pay the bar tap, so I would call it a successful day. Congratulations to Dustin Hoff who played well all day and took down the event and he also wrap up player of the year honors for the CMPPA'S 1st year.