espn began its coverage of the main event last night, airing the first two episodes of the series. i thought there was a chance that i would get a couple seconds of air time sitting next to varkonyi when he was all in on the flop and chris ferguson was in the tank thinking about the call.
apparently though, they separated the four starting days (Day 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d) into 4 episodes, so maybe i'll be on next week on the third show. not that i'll have any of the focus whatsoever, but i was sitting at a table with two previous main event champions. i know i'm going to become famous from an anonymous 2.5 seconds of air time!
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thinking of playing the viejas ace of aces $300 tourney this saturday. the first levels are fine, but it becomes a turbo after about 5-6 levels with the blinds and antes doubling every level. if you don't catch some nice cards, you're done. i've done well at the live games there, so that might push me over the edge on whether to go.
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i did a quick spreadsheet of my stats since Aug. 1 and they are on the high side of the variance curve to say the least! i've been running at the completely unsustainable rate of + 29 big blinds / hour over 65 hours of live play, sitting mostly at 2/3 NL. can it continue?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
syndicate #3
busted 7th out of 26 or so. considering i was 1 for 3 with KK, doubling people up twice, i think 7th was a pretty good showing.
the first time i held KK vs KJ. you would think i'm a slight favorite against that hand, yes? well he flopped a flush draw and came over the top all in on my flop bet and hit clubs on the turn and river to double through.
really the only sizable pot i won was when i was in the big blind with Q-4 in an unraised pot. i checked the two 4s on the flop and got a bettor and an all-in raiser. i pushed over the top and the AA limper had to fold! [thanks for limping mark!]. my trip 4s held up over top pair.
later i was a mild underdog when i raised in late position with 6-7 and the short stacked big blind pushed. he held AK. i felt like the guy from pechanga the other night who called my all in with 8c9c, except that i still would have had some chips left if i lost this hand. i hit a 7 and knocked him out.
the 2nd time i held KK, we were down to 7 players. i limped under the gun, UTG + 1 limped as well, then there was a nice raise from middle position. i of course, pushed all in, and the raiser called with AK. the other limper who had folded preflop said he held A-10. that left two Aces in the deck. i was about an 80% favorite to more than double and take the chip lead....until the ace on the turn left me with 1 out.
i never limp / re-raise from early position as i just think it makes my hole cards transparent. if i had raised from UTG, then called a re-raise, i could have pushed all in on the flop when he missed. oh well. of course if the KK had held up, i look like a genius as the chip leader.
i'll get em next time.
the first time i held KK vs KJ. you would think i'm a slight favorite against that hand, yes? well he flopped a flush draw and came over the top all in on my flop bet and hit clubs on the turn and river to double through.
really the only sizable pot i won was when i was in the big blind with Q-4 in an unraised pot. i checked the two 4s on the flop and got a bettor and an all-in raiser. i pushed over the top and the AA limper had to fold! [thanks for limping mark!]. my trip 4s held up over top pair.
later i was a mild underdog when i raised in late position with 6-7 and the short stacked big blind pushed. he held AK. i felt like the guy from pechanga the other night who called my all in with 8c9c, except that i still would have had some chips left if i lost this hand. i hit a 7 and knocked him out.
the 2nd time i held KK, we were down to 7 players. i limped under the gun, UTG + 1 limped as well, then there was a nice raise from middle position. i of course, pushed all in, and the raiser called with AK. the other limper who had folded preflop said he held A-10. that left two Aces in the deck. i was about an 80% favorite to more than double and take the chip lead....until the ace on the turn left me with 1 out.
i never limp / re-raise from early position as i just think it makes my hole cards transparent. if i had raised from UTG, then called a re-raise, i could have pushed all in on the flop when he missed. oh well. of course if the KK had held up, i look like a genius as the chip leader.
i'll get em next time.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
one guess on my bust hand from pechanga.....
yep. some of you probably got it: AQ vs. KK. hit the Q but that wasn't enough. it was a frustrating tournament for me in that i didn't win those medium sized pots to accumulate any chips. i won some small pots, but the big ones just escaped me. i had a couple of 2nd best hands and even with position couldn't make some mildly bad calling stations lay down 1 pair.
a hand that really crippled me was JJ. i raised 1 limper in middle position and got 3 callers including the small blind, the big blind, and the limper. the flop was ok, but not great: 2-3-4. they checked to me so i put out close to a pot sized bet. everyone called!! the turn was just about the worst possible card: 5. the only cards i didn't want to see were an Ace and a 5. we all checked around. the river was a 10 and the small blind immediately went all in and the big blind insta-shoved all in. what a sickening turn card. i tossed in my rags, and they showed some pretty quality hands to be calling raises with out of position: A-3 and A-6. the 6 high straight took it down.
i nursed a short stack for a bit and then another sucky hand came up. UTG made a pretty decent raise. 2 callers, and i look down at AsKs in the small blind. i call. the big blind re-pops it big to take it down. UTG immediately shoves for a bit more than the BB's raise. it folds to me. i have a chance to triple up, but stand a good chance of being dominated. to call was for all my chips. i folded. it was QQ vs. JJ and UTG got knocked out. i would have made the nut flush had i stayed in and more than tripled up with all that dead money in the pot.
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flip side: had just a sickly incredible cash session after busting! played 2/3 NL and logged a +5 buy in session! i can't believe how hot i've been running lately. just hitting the crap out of some flops and playing pretty well.
flopped 2 pair with 2c4c in an unraised pot and had a 2 guys call my flop raise and 1 guy pay me off on the river with 1 pair. my table was just sooooo juicy. it was a saturday night and there was the token drunk guy who was bluffing almost every time when checked to. he kept pulling money out of his pocket which was a beautiful sight. [side bar: he reminded me of "Urlacher" of oceans 11 infamy]. i got a bunch of chips from him when i flopped a set of 5s and he had top pair. he made, for him, a good laydown with top pair on the river.
i thought this would never happen again in my entire poker career, but this was a pretty amazing hand: i called a $6 straddle in the dark in late position and with a big stack. the big blind raised to $26. alright......i'll look at my cards: QQ. "okay, i call." the small blind called as well. flop is Q-8-4 rainbow. how can i flop the nuts again? and this time in position. please bet, please bet......neither of them bet. so i checked behind. turn was a 6. okay, there are some straight cards out there but i wasn't that scared. the SB lead out for $15, the BB raised to $30 and i raised to $65. they both called! the river was a 7. any old 5 had made a straight, but i didn't think either of them had 55 and had lead out with a gut shot on the turn. the small blind bets $100. without the nuts, i just called on the river. do you raise on the river?? he had about $300 more behind.
he had flopped top two pair with Q8 and the big blind had 99. nice pot.
the last big pot i played was for close to $700. i re-raised a middle position player with KK in the cutoff. the button and the raiser called. flop was J high with 2 clubs. checked to me, i bet 2/3 pot. the button called and the other guy folded. i had played with the guy on the button before, and i knew he liked to mix it up quite a bit and play position poker. he was definitely not scared to throw chips in the pot and try to take down orphan pots. but he had smooth called a raise and a re-raise, so i thought he probably had some kind of hand this time.
the turn was a 3rd club. i did have the Kc, so i had an over pair and the 2nd nut flush draw. i check-called his $90 bet. i actually thought he was using the 3rd club as a scare card to try to get me off the hand. maybe he had AJ with the Ac. the river was an offsuit Q. now the only real hands i'm scared of here are JJ or QJ for 2 pair. there was no straight, and he needed two club hole cards to make a flush. pot on the river is $380. i check to him. he fairly quickly moves all in for $135. i'm getting close to 3:1 on the call. if he had a hand like 1 pair with AJ, i would think he would be happy to show down. does he have JJ/QJ or a flush? i tanked for a bit and went with my read of this guy. i called. he showed 5s6s for bottom pair! do you really want to play for your whole stack with 56 in a re-raised pot? soon thereafter he moved to 5/5 NL. hahaha.
anywho, running hot and loving it. or maybe CG has cursed me into becoming a cash game player now!
a hand that really crippled me was JJ. i raised 1 limper in middle position and got 3 callers including the small blind, the big blind, and the limper. the flop was ok, but not great: 2-3-4. they checked to me so i put out close to a pot sized bet. everyone called!! the turn was just about the worst possible card: 5. the only cards i didn't want to see were an Ace and a 5. we all checked around. the river was a 10 and the small blind immediately went all in and the big blind insta-shoved all in. what a sickening turn card. i tossed in my rags, and they showed some pretty quality hands to be calling raises with out of position: A-3 and A-6. the 6 high straight took it down.
i nursed a short stack for a bit and then another sucky hand came up. UTG made a pretty decent raise. 2 callers, and i look down at AsKs in the small blind. i call. the big blind re-pops it big to take it down. UTG immediately shoves for a bit more than the BB's raise. it folds to me. i have a chance to triple up, but stand a good chance of being dominated. to call was for all my chips. i folded. it was QQ vs. JJ and UTG got knocked out. i would have made the nut flush had i stayed in and more than tripled up with all that dead money in the pot.
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flip side: had just a sickly incredible cash session after busting! played 2/3 NL and logged a +5 buy in session! i can't believe how hot i've been running lately. just hitting the crap out of some flops and playing pretty well.
flopped 2 pair with 2c4c in an unraised pot and had a 2 guys call my flop raise and 1 guy pay me off on the river with 1 pair. my table was just sooooo juicy. it was a saturday night and there was the token drunk guy who was bluffing almost every time when checked to. he kept pulling money out of his pocket which was a beautiful sight. [side bar: he reminded me of "Urlacher" of oceans 11 infamy]. i got a bunch of chips from him when i flopped a set of 5s and he had top pair. he made, for him, a good laydown with top pair on the river.
i thought this would never happen again in my entire poker career, but this was a pretty amazing hand: i called a $6 straddle in the dark in late position and with a big stack. the big blind raised to $26. alright......i'll look at my cards: QQ. "okay, i call." the small blind called as well. flop is Q-8-4 rainbow. how can i flop the nuts again? and this time in position. please bet, please bet......neither of them bet. so i checked behind. turn was a 6. okay, there are some straight cards out there but i wasn't that scared. the SB lead out for $15, the BB raised to $30 and i raised to $65. they both called! the river was a 7. any old 5 had made a straight, but i didn't think either of them had 55 and had lead out with a gut shot on the turn. the small blind bets $100. without the nuts, i just called on the river. do you raise on the river?? he had about $300 more behind.
he had flopped top two pair with Q8 and the big blind had 99. nice pot.
the last big pot i played was for close to $700. i re-raised a middle position player with KK in the cutoff. the button and the raiser called. flop was J high with 2 clubs. checked to me, i bet 2/3 pot. the button called and the other guy folded. i had played with the guy on the button before, and i knew he liked to mix it up quite a bit and play position poker. he was definitely not scared to throw chips in the pot and try to take down orphan pots. but he had smooth called a raise and a re-raise, so i thought he probably had some kind of hand this time.
the turn was a 3rd club. i did have the Kc, so i had an over pair and the 2nd nut flush draw. i check-called his $90 bet. i actually thought he was using the 3rd club as a scare card to try to get me off the hand. maybe he had AJ with the Ac. the river was an offsuit Q. now the only real hands i'm scared of here are JJ or QJ for 2 pair. there was no straight, and he needed two club hole cards to make a flush. pot on the river is $380. i check to him. he fairly quickly moves all in for $135. i'm getting close to 3:1 on the call. if he had a hand like 1 pair with AJ, i would think he would be happy to show down. does he have JJ/QJ or a flush? i tanked for a bit and went with my read of this guy. i called. he showed 5s6s for bottom pair! do you really want to play for your whole stack with 56 in a re-raised pot? soon thereafter he moved to 5/5 NL. hahaha.
anywho, running hot and loving it. or maybe CG has cursed me into becoming a cash game player now!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
pechanga
played the $235 at pechanga last night. doubled early with AA vs. AK (he went all in on the turn with no pair and no draw!!). then a couple of coolers knocked me down to a short stack.
i called the big blind in an unopened pot with 9s6s on the button. flop was 9c6c4d. the blinds checked to me so i bet 3/4 pot. the small blind called. the turn was a 3. he checked, so i bet 3/4 pot. he check raised 500 more chips. i could / should have dumped it right there -- this was an older gentleman that would not check raise with 1 pair. i called. on the river, he led out for 1000 chips. i really didn't want to call, but i did with top 2 pair. i said, "You have 2-5 or 5-7, don't you?" and then i called like an idiot. he showed 5-7 for the straight.
about 5 minutes later i raised one limper in the cutoff with As9s. she called. flop was Ad9h4d. i kinda liked that flop. she bet 500 chips, i raised to 1200. she called. ok, she has something. i thought she probably had something in the range of AJ or A10. i didn't think she'd limp in early position with AQ or AK, but i'm hoping that's exactly what she has. and i put her on being a very straightforward player not likely to lead out with a diamond draw. the turn brought the 5d, putting three diamonds on board. she lead out for 1000. i called. she only had 1000 chips left. the river was a blank and she checked, i could put her in for 1000, but i would have only had 2100 left if i did, so i checked behind on the river. the people at the table couldn't believe i checked behind when i showed down A9 for top 2 pair. she of course had pocket 9s for a flopped set. i can't believe she didn't shove on the river.
i hung around somehow now a short stack after a couple of brutal hands. i later came over the top of a limper and a raiser finally picking up AsKs. the guy who raised said "you're way ahead, but i call." he showed 8c9c. no help on the flop to either of us, but it came runner runner clubs to knock me out. that guy was putting almost his whole tourney on 8c9c as he only had 1000 chips left after calling my all in. that's poker!
almost immediately i got a seat in a single table satellite for today's $1080 tourney. $110 buy in. i hung around and picked up some chips when i bluffed a guy in a blind vs blind hand. i held 3h4h and hit absolutely nothing on the board. i bet enough to put him all in on the river and he dumped it. with 4 players left, i raised on the button with KhJh. a very aggressive player and the chip leader re-raised all in from the big blind. i called instantly. he held Jd9d. i flopped a K to double up. a few hands later that same aggro player open shoved. we were close to even in chips. i held A-10 offsuit. i thought about it and folded face up. he couldn't believe i folded the hand! he held AA and had been trying to get me to call with his table talk. i smelled something there and it was good instincts to fold it. i ended up heads up with a tight player and about a 2:1 chip lead. we played for about 10 minutes with no real change in chip stacks. we agreed to chop with me getting the seat and i gave him $300 cash. i also won the last longer bet that three of us did. we each put in $20 at the beginning and the last man standing got the $60.
i am looking forward to playing some good poker later today in the $1000. the guarantee is $300,000, so i'm guessing first prize is in the neighborhood of $85,000. strippers and blow are on me if i win!
i called the big blind in an unopened pot with 9s6s on the button. flop was 9c6c4d. the blinds checked to me so i bet 3/4 pot. the small blind called. the turn was a 3. he checked, so i bet 3/4 pot. he check raised 500 more chips. i could / should have dumped it right there -- this was an older gentleman that would not check raise with 1 pair. i called. on the river, he led out for 1000 chips. i really didn't want to call, but i did with top 2 pair. i said, "You have 2-5 or 5-7, don't you?" and then i called like an idiot. he showed 5-7 for the straight.
about 5 minutes later i raised one limper in the cutoff with As9s. she called. flop was Ad9h4d. i kinda liked that flop. she bet 500 chips, i raised to 1200. she called. ok, she has something. i thought she probably had something in the range of AJ or A10. i didn't think she'd limp in early position with AQ or AK, but i'm hoping that's exactly what she has. and i put her on being a very straightforward player not likely to lead out with a diamond draw. the turn brought the 5d, putting three diamonds on board. she lead out for 1000. i called. she only had 1000 chips left. the river was a blank and she checked, i could put her in for 1000, but i would have only had 2100 left if i did, so i checked behind on the river. the people at the table couldn't believe i checked behind when i showed down A9 for top 2 pair. she of course had pocket 9s for a flopped set. i can't believe she didn't shove on the river.
i hung around somehow now a short stack after a couple of brutal hands. i later came over the top of a limper and a raiser finally picking up AsKs. the guy who raised said "you're way ahead, but i call." he showed 8c9c. no help on the flop to either of us, but it came runner runner clubs to knock me out. that guy was putting almost his whole tourney on 8c9c as he only had 1000 chips left after calling my all in. that's poker!
almost immediately i got a seat in a single table satellite for today's $1080 tourney. $110 buy in. i hung around and picked up some chips when i bluffed a guy in a blind vs blind hand. i held 3h4h and hit absolutely nothing on the board. i bet enough to put him all in on the river and he dumped it. with 4 players left, i raised on the button with KhJh. a very aggressive player and the chip leader re-raised all in from the big blind. i called instantly. he held Jd9d. i flopped a K to double up. a few hands later that same aggro player open shoved. we were close to even in chips. i held A-10 offsuit. i thought about it and folded face up. he couldn't believe i folded the hand! he held AA and had been trying to get me to call with his table talk. i smelled something there and it was good instincts to fold it. i ended up heads up with a tight player and about a 2:1 chip lead. we played for about 10 minutes with no real change in chip stacks. we agreed to chop with me getting the seat and i gave him $300 cash. i also won the last longer bet that three of us did. we each put in $20 at the beginning and the last man standing got the $60.
i am looking forward to playing some good poker later today in the $1000. the guarantee is $300,000, so i'm guessing first prize is in the neighborhood of $85,000. strippers and blow are on me if i win!
Friday, August 17, 2007
bro fives!
so i walk into oceans 11 last night, put my name on the 2/3 NL list, and walk into the back room to see if i can play 2/2 NL while waiting. i immediately run into a buddy and we get seats at the same 2/2 table within about 2 minutes.
we pretty much owned it from the word go. there was some good action at this table, and by "good" i mean "bad". as in terrible players! within about an hour we were both up over 3 buy ins. they couldn't help themselves from bluffing off buy in after buy in. we were loving it and having a great time taunting these kids. i was playing any two cards against a couple of specific players and i did hit some nice flops. it was obvious that the $100 buy in was a lot of money for some of them, so putting out a $35 bet made them really nervous. i check-raised at will and took down some nice pots with the 2nd best hand.
i remember one hand that i called a UTG raiser in the small blind with 10-4 (the nuts!), flopped 2 pair, and turned a boat. sadly, in a 5 way pot, nobody took a stab at it.
i also won a nice pot with 2-6, flopping trips on a 229 flop. i check raised the flop and got 2 callers. i checked the turn, which was the worst card possible: 9. i had to make a tough call though when Bluffy McLiarpants bet the river. i tanked and called with the under boat and he immediately mucked his cards before i showed. yea for busted flush draws!
i was in the BB and called a raise with several other players in the hand. i had not yet seen my hole cards, so i checked the flop to the raiser. he bet. i peeked down at QQ. i raised him and he folded. i showed my Qs and he claimed to have QQ also, but there's no way. based on how he was playing, mr. mcliarpants would have been all in over the top of me with queens.
i think being able to detach from the meaning of the money really helped me play well. i was making pretty loose preflop calls and simply outplaying them after the flop. [thanks felix]. if i missed, i could get away cheap, but if a hit, at least 1 or 2 people usually paid me off.
i ended up almost 6 buyins (just wish that was at 5/5) after a really fun night.
we pretty much owned it from the word go. there was some good action at this table, and by "good" i mean "bad". as in terrible players! within about an hour we were both up over 3 buy ins. they couldn't help themselves from bluffing off buy in after buy in. we were loving it and having a great time taunting these kids. i was playing any two cards against a couple of specific players and i did hit some nice flops. it was obvious that the $100 buy in was a lot of money for some of them, so putting out a $35 bet made them really nervous. i check-raised at will and took down some nice pots with the 2nd best hand.
i remember one hand that i called a UTG raiser in the small blind with 10-4 (the nuts!), flopped 2 pair, and turned a boat. sadly, in a 5 way pot, nobody took a stab at it.
i also won a nice pot with 2-6, flopping trips on a 229 flop. i check raised the flop and got 2 callers. i checked the turn, which was the worst card possible: 9. i had to make a tough call though when Bluffy McLiarpants bet the river. i tanked and called with the under boat and he immediately mucked his cards before i showed. yea for busted flush draws!
i was in the BB and called a raise with several other players in the hand. i had not yet seen my hole cards, so i checked the flop to the raiser. he bet. i peeked down at QQ. i raised him and he folded. i showed my Qs and he claimed to have QQ also, but there's no way. based on how he was playing, mr. mcliarpants would have been all in over the top of me with queens.
i think being able to detach from the meaning of the money really helped me play well. i was making pretty loose preflop calls and simply outplaying them after the flop. [thanks felix]. if i missed, i could get away cheap, but if a hit, at least 1 or 2 people usually paid me off.
i ended up almost 6 buyins (just wish that was at 5/5) after a really fun night.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
So you think you can.....raise?
up almost 1 buy in last night and i'm disappointed with that? with how hot i've been running, up 3/4 of a buy in seems like a let down. i was up 1.5 buyins earlier in the night last night, but slid down a bit before i left.
i caught several premium pairs early on and won medium sized pots with most of them. i check raised a small stack with QQ on a 10 high flop and he shoved. i felted. he must have had A-10.
no enormous pots to speak of really. i called a raise on the button with 10hJh. the flop was J high and the BB lead out, the PrF raiser called and i made a nice raise. they both folded. i thought there was a good chance i was ahead, and if not, i thought the BB would laydown J-10 and maybe even QJ. the preflop raiser said he just had AQ high. and i think the BB had an under pocket pair like 9s.
in one decent pot i lost before leaving, i called a raise in middle position with 8s9s. the flop was 8 high and i bet when checked to. i got 3 callers! (?) a nice pot was building here. there was a flush draw and a straight draw, so i could easily put the others on draws and/or overcards. the turn was an 8 giving me trips with a 9 kicker. it checked to me, so i thought i'd take it down with a $100 bet. the short stack tanked and then called all in for $55 and 1 other player thought before folding his flush draw. the short stack held Jc8c for a better trips [he was trying to get the flush draw to call by acting weak]. oh well. kind of a cooler in that i thought i hit my money card. i didn't really want to make 2 pair either, cuz that would have put a straight possibility out there.
anyway, i still logged a winning session (i think that makes it 7 out of 8), but more importantly i think i played relatively well. i played aggressively -- i didn't just call when i could raise, and i made a couple of good laydowns. those saved losing calls definitely add up.
i will try to play one of the pechanga tournaments, possibly friday, and hope to qualify for saturday's $1000 tourney. also looking forward to syndicate event #3 on sunday.
i caught several premium pairs early on and won medium sized pots with most of them. i check raised a small stack with QQ on a 10 high flop and he shoved. i felted. he must have had A-10.
no enormous pots to speak of really. i called a raise on the button with 10hJh. the flop was J high and the BB lead out, the PrF raiser called and i made a nice raise. they both folded. i thought there was a good chance i was ahead, and if not, i thought the BB would laydown J-10 and maybe even QJ. the preflop raiser said he just had AQ high. and i think the BB had an under pocket pair like 9s.
in one decent pot i lost before leaving, i called a raise in middle position with 8s9s. the flop was 8 high and i bet when checked to. i got 3 callers! (?) a nice pot was building here. there was a flush draw and a straight draw, so i could easily put the others on draws and/or overcards. the turn was an 8 giving me trips with a 9 kicker. it checked to me, so i thought i'd take it down with a $100 bet. the short stack tanked and then called all in for $55 and 1 other player thought before folding his flush draw. the short stack held Jc8c for a better trips [he was trying to get the flush draw to call by acting weak]. oh well. kind of a cooler in that i thought i hit my money card. i didn't really want to make 2 pair either, cuz that would have put a straight possibility out there.
anyway, i still logged a winning session (i think that makes it 7 out of 8), but more importantly i think i played relatively well. i played aggressively -- i didn't just call when i could raise, and i made a couple of good laydowns. those saved losing calls definitely add up.
i will try to play one of the pechanga tournaments, possibly friday, and hope to qualify for saturday's $1000 tourney. also looking forward to syndicate event #3 on sunday.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Broadway?? [you're kidding.....]
Another good session on Friday night - Saturday morning at Oceans 11. I have really been running hot / not getting (too) unlucky the last few weeks. I like poker.
hands of note in the session:
i got a guy all in preflop with AA vs 10-10. he caught a 10 on the river. thankfully he only had about $120 behind to start the hand.
i called a raise in the small blind with Ac9c. flop was 5c7c9d. i check-raised all in vs. the UTG raiser. he called with pocket 10s. i won the coin flip making the nut flush on the turn. i felt a bit bad for the guy as i had his number all night. i later busted him again with 9h10h. i raised on the button with a couple limpers in the pot. i got 2 callers including the big blind. the flop was 6d-5h-8d giving me a gutshot draw to the nuts, 2 over cards, and a backdoor flush draw. it checked to me, so i continuation bet. the big blind called. the turn was the 7c, giving me the stone nuts. the BB checked to me again, so i value bet, hoping he made 2 pair. he raised! his bet left him only about $100 behind. i re-raised him all in. he called instantly with 9d5d, a straight and a gut shot straight flush draw. the river bricked out and i felted him for the second time with a 10 high straight vs. a 9 high straight. again someone raising me when i have the nuts. i think i like this trend.
for a stretch in the early morning, the table was fast and loose. there were some huge pots. a really terrible player came in about 6am. it became evident that he didn't know what was going on. he asked what a straddle meant and continued to flip over his cards when he didn't have anything or at least couldn't win at showdown. pretty much the definition of dead money. i was going to leave around that time, but couldn't pass up this opportunity.
i raised in late position with KQ and got a couple of callers. the flop was Q high with 2 clubs, so i bet. the donkey called. the turn was a K giving me top 2 pair. he check-called my pot size bet. i knew he was either on a flush draw or had a weak Q so i knew he was getting his money in with the worst of it by calling a near pot-sized bet on the turn. the river was the Jh. no flush possibility. he thought for a second and moved all in for $250. wow, this really surprised me. i thought he was just trying to steal the pot. i thought maybe he didn't know to raise the turn if he'd made a set. but with the range that i'd seen him show down, he might think QJ or AK was good. the final board read: 2-3-Q-K-J. obviously 9-10 or A-10 had made a straight, but what could he call with on the flop?? i had over $1000 behind, so i could make the call, but i really tried to get in his head to figure if i had the best hand. i failed though and made the all in call. he showed down A-10 for the nut BROADWAY straight (???). bad beat. he obviously couldn't wait to get rid of his chips.
soon thereafter i picked up AA and made my standard raise to $16 in early position. a middle position player re-raised me to $40. the donkey called $40 from the blinds. i re-popped to $110. they both called! flop was Q high and i moved all in after the donkey checked. the re-raiser called and donkey folded. my Aces held up over his JJ for a nice pot. i'd really like to know what some people are thinking when they call a 3 bet preflop with JJ. what hands are you ahead of there? i guess that's what keeps us coming back.
i called a raise with Ac10c and flopped 2 clubs in a 3 way pot, one of whom was the donkey. they both checked, so i bet. the initial raiser folded, the donkey called. i picked up a straight draw on the turn, but still had A high. we both checked the turn. i made a pair of 10s on the river with a 9-J-5-Q-10. he moved in ahead of me. i folded.
the last significant hand i played, i raised a couple of limpers on the button with A-10 (again??). 3 players to the flop of: 6c7cAh. giving me top pair with a decent but not great kicker. the early player checked, middle position bet, i called, and the other player folded. the turn was another A. he leads out for $100. i had already decided i thought i had him beat as he didn't raise from middle position. i thought he would have raised preflop with AJ or better and i thought there was a good chance he would laydown a weak Ace, possibly up to AJ if i raised on the turn. i raised his turn bet to $250. he called instantly with about another $220 behind. i was done betting. he had to have a set here, filling up on the turn, and setting me up to move in on the river. the river was the 4h. he checked!!! yea! i'm happy to show down three aces here without having to call his all in bet. he showed 8c9c for 9 high and my three aces took it down. i felt pretty lucky to survive his open end straight flush draw for a big pot. we were a coin flip on the flop. he muttered that he would have called all in on the turn when i was a 3:1 favorite. i didn't really want to play that big of a pot with A-10, and trips are so vulnerable; i definitely felt i dodged one.
in hindsight, i played the hand correctly, but for the wrong reasons. i put him on the wrong hand (a marginal ace) that i thought i could make him lay down by raising on the turn. when he called the raise, i again made a bad read and put him on a set. but in reality he was betting his monster draw and i made him pay for it on the turn, which is correct. if the cards were face up, i think i would have played it the same way. side bar: if not for the 10c i held in my hand, there was a potential bad beat jackpot on this hand. if i instead held the 10d and the 10c came up on the river, he wins the hand with a straight flush and i lose with aces full of tens. i would have loved to lose the hand that way.
that pretty much ended another great session and a fantastic couple of weeks. bed time for bonzo.
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