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Server Time: 2/13/2012 10:12:54 PM PACIFIC |
 I'm a lucky player, Mark Gregorich, 9. Sep 2003 11:06 | ||
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| Here's a couple of hands from a good $30-60 hold'em game I was in at Bellagio yesterday. Hand 1: I've been playing for about 4 hours in the game, running good, and the game is fired up due to the presence of two loose aggressive players to my immediate right (right where I want them). Its folded to the player in the 3 seat (I'm in seat 4) who predictably raises. I'm in the cutoff seat (next to the button) and make it $90 with KJ offsuit. I'm looking to play heads up with position with what figures to be the best hand. Prior to 3 betting it, I had noticed that the button was going to fold, so this makes my raise easier as well. The flop comes 58Q with 2 hearts (I have the K). Not my dream flop, but I bet when he checks, hoping to win it right there. He checkraises. I call, thinking I may need to hit as little as a jack to win the pot. The turn is a 9, giving me a gutshot straight draw. Now, I could have anywhere from 4 to 10 outs, depending on whether a king or jack would win the pot for me. He bets and I call. Off comes the offsuit ten, just as I planned. He bets without hesitation, I raise, and he calls immediately. When I show my hand, he disgustingly shows the 85 of diamonds. Okay, I got real lucky here, but I'm content with my play of the hand, based on how this player had been playing. I don't think I was out of line thinking I may win the pot just by pairing my jack. However, I would have folded if the turn card had not produced the straight draw, as I would be drawing at a maximum of 6 cards which may or may not be good. Hand 2: A few minutes later, I'm again in the cutoff, and there are 4 limpers to me. I call with the 67 of spades, as does the button and blinds, making it 8 way action. The flop comes A72 with the A7 of clubs. Its checked to me, and I bet. I think this is a marginal play, as it is likely someone is holding an ace here considering how many players are in the pot. However, if nobody has an ace, I would hate giving a free card here, as virtually any overcard will probably beat me. I get raised by the button, and everyone folds except for Mr.85 to my right, who calls. I call. Naturally, the turn card is a 7, giving me trips. 85 checks, I check, and the button bets. Now, the hand gets interesting. 85 checkraises, giving me a decision. I don't think he's bluffing here, so I decide he either has an ace or the other 7. I'm sure the button has an ace, and I know I'll lose him if I reraise. So, I just call, feeling I probably have the best hand. I don't want to raise, though, because I win the same amount of money by just calling and keeping the button in (hopefully) if my hand is good, and I save a bet or two if 85 has me beat. The button calls as well. The river is a jack. 85 bets, I call, and the button calls. The bettor has AJ, and predictably goes nuts when I show my hand (isn't he supposed to be sucking out on me???whats going on here?). One little detail, though: If he had just bet his AJ on the flop, I would have folded right then and there. Or, he had another opportunity: once I bet the flop and got raised by the button, he could have made it three bets, which would also have won him the pot. But, I was allowed to stay in the pot, and got lucky as a result. Life IS good. Mark | ||
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| Re: I'm a lucky player, stdioh, 9. Sep 2003 12:00 | ||
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| Hi Mark. Great post, but I don't see why you would bet that flop at all. You acknowledge that it is marginal, but I would say that it goes beyond marginal. In a hand like that you can be pretty damn sure that somebody is holding an ace, that somebody is very likely to hold a better 7 if it comes, and that you're not going to be able to lose everybody and win it right there. Even if you hit your 6, your baby 2 pair can lose a lot of ways on the river. I think this is a great place for a check-fold unless you have special information. For instance, if you were looking at a flop of K72 and had an excellent read on a player that you put on AA then you could think about drawing to 2 pair, knowing that that player will both pay you off and protect your hand if you make it. | ||
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| Re: I'm a lucky player, Mark, 9. Sep 2003 13:50 | ||
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| Hi Mark Good play in the first hand. Although you sucked out on Mr. 85, you were right to think any pair might win. If he would raise 85 suited, there's no telling what he's capable of. As for hand two, you're flop be really depends on the texture of the table. If you really thought your 7s had a chance to be good and no one (except Mr. 85) would draw to overcards, then your bet would be O.K. But with the pot being as big as it was, i would expect alot of people to call. That would make me check. If you checked the button would have bet. Then you can see what everyone else does. If it did not come back raised, i would take a card off. I also wouldn't have bet the hand because i wouldn't want to have to call a check raise. How did Mr. 85 play after that hand, he must have been steaming. Mark | ||
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| Re: I'm a lucky player, DJpoker, 9. Sep 2003 17:29 | ||
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| I may be wrong here, but KJ off and 76s don't seem like great hands. I know limping in with 76s on the button is appropriate and betting on the flop of A-7-rag isn't a bad steal attempt, but I think you are really gambling and not playing smart cards (Yes I know we are gambling but I think you know what I mean). Please don't take that personally, JMHO. From what I've experienced and learned from here, I think you are going to get burned playing like that. With that said congrats on having a nice river and turn on those two hands. | ||
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| Re: I'm a lucky player, Mark Gregorich, 9. Sep 2003 21:52 | ||
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| KJ and 67 suited are not among my favorite hands. However, I do believe there are situations in which playing them is profitable. In the case of the KJ, I found myself in a spot that by reraising a player who figured to have a worse hand, I could most likely play the pot heads up with position. This is good! True, I may get outdrawn, or he could wake up with a hand, but I felt that raising was the correct play here. Had the maniac raised in early position, I would have folded my KJ, as the rest of the field was yet to act, and my position wouldn't warrant playing the hand for either a call or a raise. I played the 67 suited because I was able to get into the pot cheaply in late position in a multiway situation. Also, the fact that two very loose players were sitting to my immediate right made the situation more profitable for me. They were in prime position to pay me off, should I make a hand. I would probably fold this hand preflop even for one bet if all the other players in the game played good poker after the flop. The reason for this is that I probably wouldn't get paid off nearly as well should I make a hand with this longshot holding. As it turned out, the player to my right butchered his AJ, turning what should have been a winner for him into a winner for me. That exemplifies why I am willing to play a few extra hands when several weaker players are in the game. | ||
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