I've got a confession to
make: I've been lazy at the poker table.
I had spent the winter systematically destroying the low limit online hold'em
games like a slot machine (where I am the casino), but the result has been
somewhat disastrous. Ever since I got back to St. Louis, I've been expecting the money to
roll in without having to do any thinking at the table. I've been avoiding the
no-limit games because they require actually paying attention -- something that
is more true today than it was six months ago, as the players overall have
gotten better.
The truth is that I am not a great player. On some days, I am not even a good
player. But when I am seeing the game well, I can control it, and I can play
with just about anybody.
It is time to get back to playing poker.
The Game
It's Saturday night at Harrah's. I used to swear off the place, but the new
poker room is nice. Greg Raymer was in town earlier in the week for the grand
opening celebration, and Dutch Boyd had also been there blowing $400 playing
drunk $3/$6. On Saturday, Chris Moneymaker was there playing $30/$60 with some
of the best players in town. I might have played in that game, except I only
had about $800 in cash and $900 in Ameristar chips that don't play there; plus
I didn't feel like over-playing my bankroll by sitting in the toughest game
possible.
So I sat down in a $2/$5 NL game and bought in for the $500 maximium.
I spent the first hour or so just picking up pots. I started off in a
six-handed must move game. I had opened with a raise to $15 in the cutoff with
the KT and got a caller. The flop came Q-7-5, he checked, I bet $20 and he
folded. Then I got moved to a full ten-handed must move game, where I had
raised to $15 on the button with the 9c8c behind a limper and picked up the pot
in a similar manner. I also lost a hand where I opened with a raise UTG to $15
with the AK and got a caller behind me, the flop came J-9-4, I bet $20, got
raised, and folded.
1. The Initiative
I was dealt the 9h8h on the button. An early player and the cutoff limped. I
raised to $20, and the big blind and both limpers called.
The flop came Ah-Kd-3d. Everybody checked to me, I bet $40, and only the cutoff
called. The turn was the 7c, and my opponent checked.
So here's the situation: We've both got about $500 left, and there's about $160
in the pot. If I check here, I am essentially giving up the pot. The real
question is whether or not my opponent -- a relatively good/halfway tough
player whom the dealer has named "Bad Boy" -- can stand a big bet.
The only hands that he can really stand a bet with are 33 for a set or A3 for
two pair. If he had a big ace he probably would have raised before the flop, or
if he had an ace at all he more likely would have bet the flop. My guess is
that he is probably on a flush draw, and would probably give up the draw to a
pot-sized bet. And even if he had an ace, he probably could not stand a big
bet.
I bet $150 and he folded.
2. Second Set
The next round, I was dealt the 8-8 in the small blind. A couple of players
limped, I limped, and the big blind checked. The flop came Jh-8h-3d, giving me
second set. I bet $20 and only the button -- the player from the previous hand
-- called. The turn was the 2c. I bet $60 and he called. The river was the Th,
putting a possible flush on the board.
I made a $100 value/blocking bet, and he folded, muttering something about not
slowplaying next time. I told him I had him; he says something about me getting
him on the river, meaning that he thought I had been betting the flush draw the
whole way and hit it.
This hand would be key later on.
3. Bluff Freeroll
The next round, I was dealt the AsJs in the small blind. The UTG player limped,
a middle player raised to $25 and it got folded to me. I made the call, as did
the limper. There was $80 in the pot. The flop came Tc-5h-3c. The flop got
checked around. The turn was the 2d. I contemplated betting but decided to
check; both players checked behind me.
The river was the 4h, making me a straight.
Now there is little point in betting here. If either player had a pair they
would have bet by now. So the only player that will call me is likely the
pre-flop raiser with an Ace, in which case we would split. So I checked.
The player behind me also checked, but now the pre-flop raiser bets $25. I pull
out $25 to make the call, but get a better idea. He almost definitely has an
Ace, but that doesn't mean I should split the pot with him -- I should make him
stand a raise.
I raised to $75.
The next player folded, and it was back to the pre-flop raiser. I remember
thinking that I should have bet more. But he contemplated.
Him: Do you have pocket sixes? Are you trying to steal half the pot for
$50?
Yeah, basically. He folded.
Now this part is key: Bad Boy next to me is going off about how the other kid's
ace was good, and that I in fact was on a steal.
4. Big Pot
So the next time around, I am dealt the 5d3d in the small blind. A middle
player limps, Bad Boy limps on the button, I limp, and the button checks. There
are four players and $20 in the pot.
The flop comes Td-4d-3h, giving me bottom pair and a flush draw with a backdoor
straight draw. I bet out $15, the next two players fold, but now Bad Boy raises
to $75. He has about $675 total, and I have him covered.
I could just fold here. However, I think I have too much hand here to just give
up the pot.
The raise was inordinately large; my feeling is that the only reason he bet
that much was because he didn't think there was any way I was going to call
him. For some reason, I doubt he would make this bet on just a flush draw. He
didn't raise before the flop, so I can't put him on TT. I have a 3, so the only
real hands I am halfway afraid of are 4-4 and 4-3. But if he has at least a
pair, then that means that my flush draw is good.
I am surely behind, but I don't want to re-raise all-in here to blow him out of
small pot; I'd prefer to make the play on the turn, and let him put more money
in before I bluff him. I also don't want to run into a set by re-raising on the
flop, when I could possibly bluff him off a set if a straight card comes on the
turn; or I might just make a flush and win the hand.
The play is to call him here. If a diamond falls, I will bet out. If a 2, 3, 5,
6, or a 7 comes -- making me either two pair, trips, or adding a straight draw,
then I will check-raise him all in. I feel I may be able to convincingly
represent a straight if a 2 or a 7 comes, and if a 6 comes I will also have an
open-ended straight draw to go with my two pair/trips/flush draw.
I call the $60.
The turn is the 5c, giving me two pair with the flush draw. I check, he bets
$150, and now I raise all-in for his last $450 as planned.
Surprisingly, he insta-called. I asked him if he had a set, to no answer. I
showed my 5d3d and announced my two pair with the flush draw; the river was the
Jc. Apparently my two pair was good.
I'm not sure exactly what he called with. I am guessing it was something like
AT -- he would have showed 4-3 if I outdrew him -- and he thought I was making
a play with just a flush draw when I called him on the flop. But at the very
least it is clear that he was tired of me pushing the table around; that was
the first hand I showed down all night.
I finished the
night with a $945 win. But most importantly, I think my game is back on track.
