O-Poker

I finished 2nd in the Mookie last night. I had a pretty good lead heads up against Bayne, so I felt confident that I would take it down. It wasn't meant to be though. Bayne was a tough heads up opponent and I had to constantly switch up my play. He was shoving all-in just about every time that I limped. I was waiting to set him up with a big hand. Unfortunately when I finally got AK and limped in, he checked behind. My flop bet took it down.

Bayne got about even in chips when I got all in on an Ace high flop with Ax against his set of 7s. I was able to start to regain the chip lead until we got all in with my AQ vs. his 99. (No way either of us were getting away from those hands heads up.) The board was no help for me and I was left with around 12k to his 110k +/-. I felt like I still had a chance if I caught a couple of hands - definitely didn't give up. I chipped up a little to above 20k. A few hands later, we got all in preflop again. This time my short stacked 99 lost to his A3. GG and well played Bayne.

I am guessing that I have probably made a bigger jump this week than anyone in the Battle of the Bloggers Leaderboard. I was sitting in 32nd place on Monday morning and 21st after my win on Monday night (highest ranked with less than 20 tourneys played). I am curious as to where I stand after my 2nd place last night.

I guess I let Waffles down, since he had picked me as one of his horses on BuddyDank Radio. BTW, I listened to BuddyDank radio for the first time on Monday and really enjoyed it. Great show!!!!

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How Would You Play it? (Results)

The Hand from yesterday's post
I am dealt JJ in mid position and raise to $80 to thin the field. I get 4 more callers including Lucky, Seat 5 (who is steaming), Seat 10 (in the BB) and Seat 1.

Flop comes 8d9d3h. Seat 10 opens for $200. I am 100% certain that I have him beat and pretty certain that he is on a flush draw. Seat 10 has about $200 behind. Seat 1 calls his last $135. I'm guessing Seat 1 has either a flush draw, straight draw, or 1 pair and 1 over. (Really not too concerned about his hand.)

I have a decision to make. Seat 5 is beaming like he has monster. Seat 5 has around $1,300. Lucky looks like he wants to call. Lucky has about $3,500.

I have around $2,100.

What is your play here?

A. Flat Call (and the draws a chance to catch)
B. Raise (if raise what amount? enough to put Seat 10 all-in or more?)
C. Fold

Results:

I may have steered everyone in the same direction with my "Seat 5 is beaming like he has monster" comment - not sure.

My thinking was that I only had $80 invested in the pot. I really thought I had the best hand, but wasn't sure. I decided to let it go, mainly because of the two big stacks behind me. If they weren't there I was going to put Seat 10 all-in.

I folded. Seat 5 shoved all-in. Lucky folded. Seat 10 folded instead of putting in his last $200. He said that he folded 77. Talk about a horrible fold. He had to call a little less than $200 into a $1,135 pot.

Hands:

Seat 10 - folded 77
Seat 1 - KQ (no diamonds)
Seat 5 - Ad10d

The turn and river came 5,6. Not only did the guy that folded 7s fold the best hand, but he also would have made a straight. Ace high took down the pot.

I don't regret folding. I don't like results oriented thinking. If I flat called, Seat 5 was shoving and I would have to fold. If I raised, Seat 5 was shoving and I might have called or might have folded depending on the bet amounts.

This hand really got me thinking about how you play against live bad players that don't understand the value of certain hands. It isn't a big deal in cash games, but it a tourney/sng, especially in a home game turbo format, bad players can actually gain a little bit of an edge over a better player that isn't catching any cards. If you get a good read on a poor player that doesn't understand the value of his hand, he may be giving off signals of a strong hand when he has a draw since he may see his draw the same as the nuts. I know some players that think even a weak flush draw or a straight draw is just about the nuts. Basically, you might wind up getting in bad or folding a lot of hands to these poor players if they give off the same signals (because they feel like they are all monster hands) with the nuts as they do with 2nd pair or a draw. (I'll expand more on this in a future post.)

Last night, I was finally able to find some time to play some live poker. It was a 5/10 $500 Max Buy-in home game. I haven't been to the game (or any other live game for that matter) in ages. I arrived about 1 hour after the game started and took the final remaining seat at the game. I decided to feel out the table for the first hour.

(How would you play it is the last hand - if you aren't interested in reading the other hands.)

After about 15-20 minutes (and my past history with the players) I was able to get a pretty good feel for all of the players:

Seat 1 - Guy that had just gotten back from Vegas and was telling everyone about the WSOP. He didn't play in it but did "spend a lot of money on satellites. Man, those things can really suck you in." He was fairly tight, but could not get away from hands that he thought were big.

Seat 2 - Long time history with this player - mainly from 1/2 table local tourneys over the past 3-4 years. Solid but tight - can get him to fold a lot of hands.

Seat 3 - Don't remember much about

Seat 4 - Me

Seat 5 - Very loose player; have seen him tilt in games before. He likes to show his cards to other players (it was me tonight) while he is still in a hand. He liked to bluff a lot and would go the the felt with a draw even against the tightest of player.

Seat 6 - Very solid player; I planned to avoid pots with him unless I had a big hand. I am pretty sure he had the same plan against me since we weren't in many pots with each other.

Seat 7 - Luckiest, loosest player at the table that built a huge stack early by being a calling station. He made 2 gutshot straights on the river, 2 pair on the river three times against big pairs, and quad Kings twice (yes, he made quad Kings twice). He would call just about any bet as long as he had at least 3/4 outs.

Seat 8 - Loose player that tries to run over table. He will always make a cont. bet and then slow down if called. He and I get along but for some reason he likes to try to take pots away from me and plays as many pots as he can when I am in the pot. Evidence of this was a hand after I folded preflop and Seat 5 raised, he called and then realized that I wasn't the one that had raised and said, "Oh, I thought Mitch raised. I wouldn't have called except I thought he raised."

Seat 9 - Always led out with big hands and always overbet when he had a hand

Seat 10 - Solid but impatient - tries to get to fancy when he hasn't played a pot in a while.

As you can tell, it is the kind of table any poker player would drool over.

I was up and down at first. I won a decent pot to start with after flopping two pair with A3 (yes it was soooted) against a guy that couldn't fold pocket Jacks. I gave a little back after missing a couple of draws - both times I was getting ridiculous odds to draw.

The game had a ton of limpers and most players wanted to play just about every hand.

Bluff Gone Bad (why play fancy)
I got too fancy in one hand and it crippled me early. I was on the button with 34s and after all but one of the players at the table limped, I raised to $50. I thought that I might take the pot down right there but was going to continue big on the flop and give it up after that. The table was fairly weak and I thought I could win a big pot with air. I got 2 callers - Seat 7 (lucky) and Seat 8.

Flop came A2Qr. It checked to me and I decided to continue to represent an Ace by betting $100. Lucky reluctantly called and Seat 8 folded.

Turn was a 10. Lucky checks. I felt like he was very weak, so I bet $180. He thinks and finally calls. He again came off very weak. I had seen him make a ton a draws on the river and I am certain that he doesn't understand odds.

River was a King. Lucky checks again. I bet $300. He flat calls with......drum roll.... K2. He said that he called my bets because he had a straight draw. I am not sure if he thought he had a straight draw on the flop or not.

Oh well, lesson learned. No fancy play required - just solid straight forward poker. I was licking my chops hoping for a big hand after that one.

Lucky can't fold
I finally get a big starting hand. I am in the small blind and all but two players at the table limp. I look down at AA and raise it up to $60. Lucky calls and Seat 1 calls.

Flop 10102 with two clubs. I bet $180. Lucky instantly calls. Seat 1 folds.

Turn is a 6. I made my decision that if Lucky has a 10 so be it. I shoved for about another $300. Lucky thought for a while and then called with 88!!

River was a 7 and I doubled up. I guess the guy really can't get away from a hand.

Dealer can I get a Deuce?
I have known the guy that was dealing (from playing with him in games around town) for 3+ years. He is friendly with everyone. I was asking him for a deuce on almost every flop that I was either SB or BB.

A little while later, I am dealt 22 in the small blind and like most hands 75% of the table limps. I call and the BB raises to $50. Two players call, so I call. I ask the dealer, "What do I want?" and he replies "We need a deuce." As he starts to turn the cards over the card in the window is the 2 and he looks at me and smiles. The other two cards made me smile. Everyone says there is your card.

Flop AA2. I just knew I was going to get paid off here. I checked and unfortunately everyone else at the table checked. I am certain that at least one player at the table was slow playing their A6o (or something similar)

Turn is 7. I bet out $50. Seat 5 folds. Lucky calls. Seat 1 calls.

River is an 8. I bet $150 hoping that they will both call with weak Aces. Lucky calls. Seat 1 min raises another $150. Yuk. I am picturing a hand like A7 or A8. I just called and for some reason Lucky folded. (I guess lucky only liked to call my bets.) Seat 1 confidently turned over AJ. Everyone laughed about the deuces as I raked in the pot.

Limp Parade - so why not
It was getting late and everyone was limping almost every hand - no joke. It was common to see an unraised pot with 8 people to the flop. I limped along with 35s (because that's how I roll).

Flop comes A24 with 2 clubs. I bet out $60 and a jackass says, "What do have 35 or something?" Seat 5 raises me to $120. Everyone else folds (even Lucky). I try to figure out the best play to maximize value here. I decide that Seat 5 has a big Ace and know he can't get away from it. I raise to $350. Seat 5 shoves (he started with about $600 +/-). I call with the nuts and he turns over A2. Turn and river are blanks and I win a nice pot.

How Would you Play it?

I am dealt JJ in mid position and raise to $80 to thin the field. I get 4 more callers including Lucky, Seat 5 (who is steaming), Seat 10 (in the BB) and Seat 1.

Flop comes 8d9d3h. Seat 10 opens for $200. I am 100% certain that I have him beat and pretty certain that he is on a flush draw. Seat 10 has about $200 behind. Seat 1 calls his last $135. I'm guessing Seat 1 has either a flush draw, straight draw, or 1 pair and 1 over. (Really not too concerned about his hand.)

I have a decision to make. Seat 5 is beaming like he has monster. Seat 5 has around $1,300. Lucky looks like he wants to call. Lucky has about $3,500.

I have around $2,100.

What is your play here?

A. Flat Call (and the draws a chance to catch)
B. Raise (if raise what amount? enough to put Seat 10 all-in or more?)
C. Fold

I'll post the results tomorrow.