Kick Ass in 3 Hands or Less & Your Decide #39
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
I appreciate everyone's patience during my downswing. I never intend to write woe-is-me posts, and certainly I hope you see that. However, I also greatly appreciate your comments, so thank you greatly.
Since you've been so patient, I've got something to cheer you all up. Well, maybe not cheer YOU up, but cheer ME up and give you at least one day's respite from my recent bitchin' and moanin'.
I won last night, $55 in total. I played a 12 person shorthanded SNG on Starts with Drewspop, and Waffle (and possibly someone else, although I think that was it), and moneyed in 3rd place. The 2nd place winner was sitting out, so that irked me a bit, but at that point in the game I was so shortstacked that my play (re-raising with KTs into AT preflop) was warranted.
I also won some dough at .25/.50 NL on Stars and a variety of PL Omaha stakes on Stars and Party Poker.
Overall, I was in a much better place than usual. At the Stars cash game (and in the SNG at times) I just bombarded my competition with bets. Players were buying in for the $10 minimum, so playing the role of the big stack was easy. Plus, there is nothing more fun that pushing around a table.
I went on a particularly fun three-hand run, and as soon as the third hand ended, I knew I had something post worthy. So here it is, Jordan Kicks Ass in 3 Hands or Less.
It's .25/.50 NL full table, with a $50 max buy-in and a $10 min buy-in. I had bought in for the max and was playing at the table for about 30 minutes or more, during which I took turns folding everything and then betting everything. Swings happen and at this point, I had $38.70, with three players less than me and three players with more (the table wasn't 100% full at the time).
I'm dealt 5s7s in the BB. Gun with $19 makes it $2 from the button after everyone folded. The SB, Snow with $21, called. I called the $1.50. This is a Waffle manuever, hoping to hit it big with a less than stellar hand because if I do, the payoff will be sweet. Also, the button could easily be on a steal with less-than-stellar cards, and the call from the BB did not concern me.
The flop is 6d 4h 9d. I have an open-ended straight draw, but I usually mentally negate two of my outs (8d and 3d) because it would fill a flush, and straights vs. flushes = busted. The SB opens up the betting with $1 into a $6 pot. I call, as does the Gun (button).
The turn is the Jc. This is good, because it didn't fill the flush. It's bad because it didn't fill my straight, and it may've paired a looser player with KJ, AJ, QJ or QT. Remember that this table had not wow'ed me with their intelligence and prowess (although I did appreciate their fear).
Sno bets $1.50 into a $9 pot. He better be trying to milk us with these sorts of bets. Whatever the case, I have to call, simply because of math. With 6 outs (and realistically, probably 8), and 46 possible cards to come on the river, my odds of hitting are roughly 1 in 8 or 13% give or take (I'm doing this in my head, but feel free to get one of those nifty odds calculators). The bet is 1.50 into 9, which is 1 in 6. But the implied odds are huge if I hit. Two-pair, a set, or even TPTK are likely to pay me well, and I have both of these guys covered, so my exposure is limited to an extent too.
Unfortunately, Gun raises $3.50 to $5, total. Snow folds. So there is now $15.50 in the pot, and $3.50 to call. The bet from Gun is scary, but it also reassures me that I will get paid off if I hit. I call.
The river is an 8h. I hit my straight. I get a bit overzealous though. Gun has about $10 left in front of him. Let's make it look like a steal. I push all-in for more than he has. He folds quickly. I've now earned some maniac cred. I doubt anyone has me on a straight. Gun was probably bluffing or was going for the flush.
I decide to taunt the table and come up with the ever-witty, "WARRIORS, COME OUT AND PLAYEEYAY!!"
I like to play rushes. So, on the very next hand, on the SB, I'm dealt QJo, now with a $49 stack. A new player, Lock, bought in for the max in EP/MP and checks when it is folded to him. I call, and the BB, Fish ($59), checks.
The flop is Ad 4s As. There is nothign there for me, but I do have two things going. First, it is fairly unlikely that either player has an Ace, since two are already out, and if it was any decent ace, I'd probably be facing a raise. Second, I'm first to act, which is ideal for a steal here. I bet the pot, $1.50. Fish folds. So far, so good. Lock calls. Uh oh. I put him on a 4, a low pocket pair like 6s, or a flush draw.
The turn is a 6d, which is rather inconsequential. However, he's shown me that he is willing to call a bet, and I don't want to throw in good money with the bad. I check. He checks too.
The river is a Td. I've dodged the flush, but in truth, I don't have anything anyway. I can bet out here, but I'm only going to get called by a winner, and I don't think I can get this guy to fold. Besides, he just sat down and I don't have any read on him. I check. He checks....and I win.
Elated, I type: "haha," and then "Q high?" and then "really?" He had 25o. Now everyone has seen that, not only am I a taunting prick, but I'm also bluffing, albeit weakly. Let's really have fun.
One of the things I like to do at the online table is have some fun referncing video games. To me, its just goofy fun, but I suppose it also reflects the mentality that it isn't poker when its on a computer. It's just a videogame where the points are $$.
One of my favorite refernces is from NBA Jams. In NBA Jams, if you hit three baskets in a row, your player is on fire (as the announcer says it, "He's on Fire!"). If you are a male born between 1977 and 1983, you likely know what I'm talking about. A lot of people outside that range do too.
I often state, "one more and I'm on FIRE!" in the chat box after winning two hands in a row. The problem with the line is, it makes everyone hyper aware that you are going for a trifecta, and they know you are playing with dookie. Even so, I had to drop it, "one more and I'm on FIRE!" Let's see how that last hand went.
Third hand in a row. I'm finally in position on the button. This is the real hand to watch, the others were just set ups. In fact, lets make this the Degree All-In Moment. Um, wait. I mean:
You Decide #39
We know the setup. I'm dealt with Qs2h $51.60 in front of me. It's a far cry from a good hand. But I'm on a rush and in position. My good buddy Lock limps with $48. No fear there. Gun limps as well, with $10 left. I limp, the SB folds and Doom, the BB, checks.
The flop is a surprisingly helpful 2c Js Jh. Yeah, I just have 2s, but my kicker is ok (for someone playing a 2) and I'm really just fearing a Jack or an overpair to 2s. They are both possibilities with all of these limpers.
The blinds check and Lock does as well. Gun (remember, he only has $10 in front of him), bets $2. I take my time. The chekers might have been slowplaying, but if they did, it'd be the first time I saw it from either of them. Lock doesn't appear to have the capacity, and Doom seems fairly straight forward. I decide to go for the kill with an isolating bet. I raise $10 on top. If Gun has me beat, I only lose what he has, which isn't much. However, he might be on a steal here with desperation sinking in. Also, if he doesn't have a Jack, he may fold an overpair to my 2s, because, frankly, he folded on the river bet two hands ago when I pushed him all in (after he led out most of the way).
The other players fold quickly, and Gun calls. The turn is a 6d. The river is a 2s. As it turned out, I hit my 2-outter. Gun had 33. I exclaim: "HE'S ON FIRE!!!", do some goal tending, and then get back to folding.
Last night, this stretch of three hands felt amazing. Looking back at it, it was really just sheer aggression, followed by some luck on the last hand of the series. However, I think, overall, I played the hands well because I was constantly putting my opponents to the decision. It helped that I was the big stack in most of the confrontations.
One last hand before I go. In my 12 person shorthanded (6p tables) tournament, we are at 100/200 blinds and there are 5 players at the table when I'm dealt AA in the SB. I have 1400 in chips. It folds to the button (3500 in chips), who min raises to 400. Thank god! I see an opportunity to slowly get all-in (instead of the usual push here), so I min raise back. I don't want to scare this guy away, since I need me some chips. He calls after the BB folds.
The flop is a glorious 8h 3c As. I have to check, since I want some action and the Ace might scare any pocket pairs. He pushes all-in. I call. The rutn is Th. The river is 2c. The cards flip and my set holds up against A7c.
It's Easy with Aces!
That's all for today. Enjoy!
posted by Jordan @ 11:48 PM,
3 Comments:
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At 11:30 AM,
SirFWALGMan said...
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Nice hands. Nicely played. One thing that I have sort of learned lately.. just something to think of. I used to go after the small stacks. Because, hey, they are small and you can pick on them... not scary.. but really the guys you want to go after are the big stacks. You want it to be worth your time. Screw those little jerks. Clean them up when you get a chance but focus on the big guys.
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At 11:59 AM,
Jordan said...
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True, Waffle, but on the flipside, you want to play well against the big stacks, but you can gamble it up a bit more against the small stacks.
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At 1:33 PM,
TripJax said...
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You taunting prick! I think you made some new friends last night...or at the least, go tagged by a few of them on their notes.
Gotta love it.
