Alabama Gambling Forum - Poker, Pari-mutuel facilities, Casinos

johnf · Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 24

I just got back from my weekly jaunt to LA to play at the Commerce. I take the train up in the morning and get a room for the night; this allows me to play two days which usually breaks down to about 4 sessions of 4 hours at larger limits and frequently better games than I am able to play at the local casino. Had a few hands I brought back that might be worth talking about.
1. Playing in a rather typical $30/$60 which got shaken up when a rather unimaginative player was replaced by one with an overabundance of imagination. The new player posted behind the button and raised winning the blinds. He was in 4 of the next 5 hands but never exposed a hand - he won without a showdown or mucked so it was going to be difficult to put him on a range of holdings but I was inclined to believe that 'any two cards' might sum it up. This led to the hand in question: He raised UTG and the field, who had tightened up considerably while they adjusted to the change in the game, folded around to me in the BB. I looked down to see two black aces. I 3-bet and he made it 4. Usually in this position, I'll take the 4 bet and not insist on spelling out the contents of my hand to him and so I called. $250 in the pot and the flop comes 3d-5d-6d. I fire $30 and he looks back and checks his hand and calls. I'm inclined to believe that he does not have a diamond - I simply cannot believe that he has a diamond in his hand and doesn't raise me - two maybe - but not one. I'm not thrilled with betting into that flop btw, but I do not want to give him a free card more. I was encouraged by his flat call and then the 7d fell on the turn. I had put him on 2 diamonds or none by his play on the flop - as much as I didn't like this card it had possibilities; if he had no diamonds he would almost certainly have to fold to a bet and if he did have the two diamonds and was slow-playing the flop - it could cause him to perhaps lay down a better hand such as Td9d. So I bet and got called. Ok, I'm done with the hand. The river comes a offsuit King, I check and he checks behind me - he shows me 76o for two pair. I've been over this one in my head numerable tiems trying to decide if I could have gotten him to lay this down if I played it any differently - or barring that, if I could have correctly saved a bet elsewhere in the play of the hand. I'm pretty confident about the way I played the hand - but I still find myself reviewing it.
2. Short-handed $20/$40 while we're 'must-moving' and waiting for new players to take their seats. Despite being short-handed there are 3 callers when it gets to me on the button holding 7s8s. I call, the SB calls and the BB, a very tight straightforward player pops it and the field calls making it a family pot. We take the flop 6-handed for two bets - $240 in the pot. Flop comes Ks8d2c. Oddly it's checked around to me and I bet. This crowd isn't the type to check a hand hoping for a check raise - No bet means no one has a king. While they're pretty loose before the flop - most of them are frightened of any aggression and are folding rather than drawing. I bet the hand, the BB calls and the rest of the field folds. BB is the type of player to raise with AA, KK, AK, QQ from there - and thats about all - maybe JJ or AQs. He will not slow-play or go for a check-raise so I have to believe that I'm up against QQ or possibly JJ - he bets anything else (except AQs but wouldn't call a bet with AQs). He will call me down and defend his hand to the showdown but I won't bet again unless I improve (nor will he fearing a king) and I'll coast to the river for $20 making it a $260:$20 prop or 13:1. I need an 8, 7 or two running spades which gives me 6 outs (I always count a backdoor flush draw as one out) or about 8:1 on the turn so I have a favorable overlay, am in position to raise if I do hit my card and get a free ride if I don't. The turn brings the 8h and it's check-bet-call, the river a blank and he pays me off showing a pair of tens. I was really surprised to see the tens - got me re-thinking my process. I had never seen him raise with TT before and I've played with him alot. I'm disappointed I figured his hand wrong but in going back on the hand - he was stuck and I've seldom seen him stuck before. He's too tight to win very much but doesn't lose very much either - anyway, new information to go in the mix for next time.
3. A rather tough $40/$80 game which promised to get better as their were two very unusualy good props in the game who were off shift shortly and the game figured to loosen up considerably. MP limps I'm in the cutoff with AdKd and raise. Folded around to MP who calls and we see the flop heads up - $220 in the pot. The flop is about perfect for me: Ac2d4d. He checks and I bet. Against another player I might have checked to try to get some action, but this player knows me and would be suspicious of a check. He calls the bet and we've $300 in the pot. The turn is the 9d and I've got the nuts. I'm trying to determine how to get another bet out of him as I'm certain that I've got him drawing dead - he would have check-raised the flop heads up with aces or better. He prepared to muck, nothing obvious - but his attention unmistakenly turned to his food which just arrived. I decide that if he would have been suspicious of a check on the flop - then he puts me on a bet on the flop regardless of my holdings but may think that if I truly missed the flop - I might check now...so I did. That got his attention back from his food and we watched the 6h fall on the river - he checked I bet and he called with KQ - or nut nothing. I really feel I earned this bet. This wasn't a case of letting him make something so that he would call me - because I don't believe that with the ace out there he wouldn't have called even if he hit on the river - at least not *because* he hit. Instead, I tried to induce him into thinking I was stealing - it worked and he called the river with a hand he was drawing dead with. Not an every time play - but an occasional play that earned an extra $80 this time.
4. Screw up of the trip: I spent the night in the hotel and was waking up in a left over $15/$30 game. Not something I recommend usually but there was one seat left, the game looked great and I didn't want to lose the seat to the morning regulars who would be arriving soon. Soon after I sat down I found myself ahead about $300 and I'm on the button with AJs. An EP player whose play I really respect limped a MP limped as did I and the BB made it 4-handed as we saw the flop QdQsJh. Checked around to me and I bet called by the BB and MP. Turn is another Q and I'm now full but not particularly liking it. Checked around to me again and I fire again - the BB calls and MP starts with theatrics. "Oh man...you have the jack too huh? Well, just to make sure, I'll raise." Yeah ok. I'm disappointed that I have to muck - and my ego is annoyed that this twit thinks his patter is going to induce a call from me - so to make it all better I show the guy sitting next to me my hand before I toss it in the muck. Yeah, look at me - just saved $60 by not paying him off on the turn and river - and in the process cost myself money everytime I play with anyone in this game because the guy sitting next to me can't stop talking about what a good player I am being able to make such a tough laydown after MP shows his four queens at the showdown. It was an idiot move on my part and one I'm not going to make again.