Three Hands
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
I'm busy typing up my year in review post, so excuse me for the lack of posting lately. I'm not even sure if I'll make a formal trip report post for X-mas in AC, largely because I played so little poker. I played one morning session in which I played HORRIBLY. I even called a players' winning hand aloud...and then called for a nice chunk of change. After a few hours, I left -$266, but happy to be alive. The next night I started off in suckout city, and had to reload my stack (I bought $100 in chips whenever I was below $200) three times. So I was basically stuck another $300 because of terrible river cards. Fortunately, I reminded myself to keep my head on straight and enjoy the bad play because it would pay off eventually. I fought hard and eventually left that table hours later up $187. So total poker profit for the trip: -$79. I probably suck $100 in table games too, but that's a small number considering the amount of table games I played.
Meanwhile, I played in two tournaments two days ago and was doing well in both. Unfortunately, I suffered a suckout in the Razz tournament, and then I basically had a blow up moment in a 6-handed PLHE tournament, giving away all of my chips. It's part of the reason why I shouldn't be playing online...I just don't have the mental stamina for these long tournaments.
That said, let's look at three hands from the PLHE tournament. At least I can offer you that little amount of content.
It's a $24+2, $4,000 Guaranteed tournament on FT, with 6-person tables with Deep Stacks (3000 to start). We are at the 20/40 level and I have chipped up to 4,130. I've been playing fairly aggressive, which should be no surprise to you.
I'm in the BB with A2h. Stick (3,380 chips), UTG, min-raises to 80. DevilDog (2,940) is next and calls. Ruf (2,280) calls immediately after. The SB folds. I call.
The flop is Th Jc Kh. I have a flush draw and an inside straight draw to Broadway. I check, hoping to get a free card, or at least a cheap card. Stick and Devil check, but Ruf bets 170 into the 280 pot. The price is right and I call. The other players fold.
The turn is a beautiful Qd, for Broadway with a draw to the nuts. I check, assuming that Ruf will take this opportunity to bet. He bets 340 into the 620 (or so) pot, and I decide to raise. I go with a min raise to 680 total, hoping to get the call. He complies. Should I have bet more here?
The river is Td, so the board has paired. It's on me, and he has about 1,300 left. I decide to bet a little less than half of his stack, because I find that people will call a bet that is less than 1/2 their stack much easier than they will call a bet that is more than 1/2. He calls. At showdown, he shows 97c, for a King-high straight.
I wonder if I could've busted him for another 650 or so. But on the end, I almost thought we were going to chop. What do you think?
We are now at the 40/80 level, and we have the same players at our table. I'm dealt 66 UTG (5,570 in chips, and the table chipleader) and raise to 240, a standard 3x the BB bet that I've been consistently making. Stick folds. DevilDog (2,465) calls and everyone else folds.
The flop is a beautiful Ac 6d Ts, and I've hit my set on a rainbow board with an Ace. I bet pot, 600, another move that I've been doing consistently. So, basically, in most hands I've been playing, I've been betting 3x the BB preflop and potting it on the flop. He calls.
The turn is 2d, a negligible card. I check, because at this point, he only has 1,625 left. I want him to think I'm weak so he does the betting for me. Sure enough, he pushes and I call.
What did he have? 78c. He was floating me on the flop and was planning on stealing on the turn if I showed weakness. My consistent aggression paid off here. It's all about timing, too, because in other hands, this may've gotten me to fold.
Last hand. The blinds are 150/300 and there is only one person left from my original table. I have 9,415, and I'm in third place in chips at our table. I'm dealt AsKd on the button, and it folds to me. I raise 3x the BB to 900. The BB, Twin, with over 12k, calls.
The flop is Kc 7c 4c, which gives me TPTK, but also makes a fairly blatant flush for anyone with two clubs. Twin checks, and I bet 1,500 into the 1,950 (or so) pot. Twin raises 6,450 on top. Now, for a split second I think. Does he have the flush? I decide to call because to me, this was a make-it-or-break-it hand in the tournament. It's all too easy to fear the flush, but the raise seemed like he wanted me out of the pot. That could mean that he made a low flush and fears me drawing to a higher flush. Overall, though, I do not put him on a strong made flush, and I think he is way more likely to be drawing, if anything. Assuming he is drawing to the flush, do you essentially call all-in here? I did.
The turn was a blank and the river was a club. At showdown, he had KJo, with no clubs. I took down a monster pot.
I'm not sure how helpful or even interesting these hands were. All I knew was that I was playing great...until I decided to push with TPTK on a 7-high board against Jacks. That's the part with my whole brain-lock thing. If anything, these hands show that part of luck is the timing of luck. I was lucky that someone with 78c decided to bluff me all-in when I had a set. I was lucky that KJo decided to push into my AKo when we both hit top pair on a scary board. But I was also lucky that I decided to make my plays when I did, and in a sense, I earned that luck by setting up my betting pattern, beating down my opponents, and taking opportunities when they presented themselves.
Keep an eye out for the year in review. Otherwise, have a great new years everyone.
Until next time, make mine poker.
posted by Jordan @ 5:23 PM,
3 Comments:
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At 3:04 PM,
said...
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I think you played the first hand about perfectly, for the reasons you stated. If you bet more on the river, you force the villian to either wake up and smell the Broadway and fold (thus costing you any call on teh river), or to decide he's pot committed and reraise you all in, representing the boat. Then, you either fold or make what's likely a crying call.
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At 9:20 PM,
Poker4peace said...
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Happy New Year Jordon! Keep up the great post! Slime
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At 4:50 PM,
said...
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When it's safe (board paired there equals not safe) and I'm looking at a split, I play it very aggressively to get the other player to fold, usually all in. Half the time it works.
