Hand of the Day

Anyway, I was in the $10 rebuy last night on Stars. Was not playing well but this hand came up that I thought was a little interesting because of the read.

I was down to only $3500 in chips, the blinds were 75-150. I have 33 in the CO. Action folds to me. I make it 450 to go, standard. BB calls. The BB has around 11,000, which is about average at this point. He has been relatively active, but not making any astounding plays. I had no clue what he had.

Flop comes 5J3 rainbow. He checks. What do you do? I bet 600. He calls.

Turn is a Q, making two diamonds. He checks. What do you do? I checked behind. I hoped he would bluff at the river.

River is the K. No flush. He checks again. What do you do?

You really have two choices here. 1. Make a 2/3 pot size bet or 2. Move in. Option 1 is clearly an attempt to get paid off as a weak attempt to buy the pot. It could also be viewed as a reasonable value bet trying to get a decent call from a mediocre hand. Now I did not have any clue as to what the BB kicker was, but I was almost positive that he had a jack because he smooth called the flop bet. Now because he neither C/R my flop bet nor bet the turn, I did not think his kicker was any good. And when he checked the river, I definitely knew it wasn't QJ or KJ. He would have bet something somewhere.

I chose option 2 and moved in for 2450 into a pot with 2100. He thought for a full ten seconds and called with J7. I wanted him to think I was trying to buy it on the river, and he fell right into that thinking. He said to himself. He does not have anything. I bet its a pair of 10s at best, or an ugly Ace.

Moving in on a weaker player can invoke certain emotions, especially in someone who has an ego issue. I do not know who the BB was or if he has any of these issues, but I really thought that if I overpushed the river, he would have to call with any face card in his hand. He was only worried about AK and talked himself out of that worry with his call. I felt that I maximized hitting that set against a weaker player because of the manipulation of his emotional state. If I was wrong, he would not have called anyway. He calls with two pair regardless of the emotional state he is in. But what I guaranteed was that he would call an all in with a jack in his hand, which he did.

Until next time (and it may be a while - I am off to DC for a few days of work),

Good Luck and See You at the Felt.................................

Damn It!

It was close, but we don't play horseshoes or throw handgranades. Saturday night, I buy into the $10 rebuy event on Stars. I am settling in to watch the end of the Predator game (won in a shoot out) and the late Cardinals - Padres game three. Did I mention that the Cardinals rock? Anyway, I get into the tournament for $30. I have an average stack at the end of the rebuy period and promptly double up in the first orbit after that with AA v. A5o. Wow, but thanks.

1631 Players - 180 get paid. Two interesting hands as I made it deep.

Hand one. 200-400 level I have an average stack and I am in the BB with AJs (11,700 in chips - about average). three limpers, I raise to 4,000 to isolate and hopefully take it down. Limper number two calls (He has 13,000). Okay, mid-pair. Flop comes 10 9 4. I bet 6500, he calls. Crap. Turn is a Q. Check, check. river is a 7. Check, check he has 4s for bottom set. I have 1200 left and post 200 in the SB. I fold the SB, but double up twice before the blinds get back.

With 240 to go, I am in the top 20 in chips. I start playing bubble poker v. the small stacks. That is so much fun to situationally raise with any two cards knowing they cannot call with 95% of their potential holdings. These guys would fold 10s if it meant getting to that $50ish payday. I hate it in their short position, which makes it all the more sweet when you are on the boss end of it.

We crash through the money and I am still in the top 20. I play solid poker wanting a final three table finish, making the sleepless night worth it. I get to the final three tables fifth in chips. I had just doubled up to 500k with AK v. Ax and 10s, with a K high flop. I play sheriff two hands in a row in the BB and SB to late position pushes from small stacks. Lose the first one with K4s. Now before you get too bothered by that one, I was getting 4.2-1 on the call and felt the need. He had A-2 so it was more than appropriate to call, but missed. In the SB, the Button pushed and I had KJs. I call and he has A9. I miss again and I decide to quit playing sheriff with 370,000 in chips. The Weasel calls and starts singing "who shot the sheriff?" and I want to kill him.

Down to 11 handed, I am in 8th with 600k. Blinds are 30k-60k 3k ante. In the BB with this Hand:

BB - KK
SB - Has me covered by about 100k.

Folds to the SB, he min raises. I minraise back. I am screaming powerhouse hand here. He just calls. Flop comes AJ4. He bets out 140,000 which is what I have left. I have to call. He has A10. Turn is.......

A King. Yes, the world is great. I am the greatest playe.........

River is a Q for a gut shot straight. I am out 10th as the other table eliminates 11th place seconds before my hand. I would have been third in chips with about 1.3 million or so. Oh well, $530, winner got 15k. The bad beat giver finished 4th for $4,500.

So close, but getting there. Until next time,

Good Luck and See You at the Felt....................

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