03-03-2002, 05:02 PM
In the last year I think I've played no limit at the casino maybe twice. Just haven't had the 'roll or the time to play it much. However, I was able to make it out last night and play til 3 a.m.
Boris and I were both there and we represented 2+2 in fine fashion, ripping up the game for a couple grand between the two of us.
A few hands from last night.
The game is 1-2-2, 5 to go, with single and double kills optional. (You may add as many zeroes as you like in your mind in order to think the hands are more interesting).
1. I am in the small blind with KK vs. two limpers who are loose and tricky, especially the button. I raise to $40, both call. I have about $400 left and my opponents have me covered.
Flop is TJQ rainbow. We both check to the button who bets $80.
I check-raise all-in and take it down after the button deliberates for a LONG time. He shows 89 for the baby straight but he was so convinced I had AK that a few minutes later he THANKED me for not smooth-calling the flop cause that might have busted him.
My reasoning was that I had a good chance of being ahead anyway, and could probably get a laydown from all kinds of hands that beat me since my check-raise looked so much like AK. And I was right.
2. I have AA UTG, which I almost hate to play. I hate being out of position so bad that I really don't even want to see AA here, especially because my stack is deep (about $1500) and two people have me covered. I open for $30, two whack-jobs call behind me. One has about $500 and the other has me covered.
Whack-job #1 is not a maniac, is not a fool, but is simply way too unpredictable overall.
Whack-job #2 will take a LOT of heat preflop and flop but will almost never put pressure on the aggressor until he actually makes his hand. He WILL start betting if you show weakness though.
Anyway, flop comes ten-high two tone which matches one of my aces. I bet $100 into the pot and they both call me. Turn is another crappy heart and I bet $160 now, with my Ah to back me up.
Whack-job #1 raises all in for $265 more. Whack-job #2 folds. It's $265 to me, the pot is $975 and I may actually not even be losing. If I NEED a heart, my pot odds are pretty thin probably right on the money, but if I only need to beat two pair, I think I'm getting damn good odds. The odds I might actually be winning swing a call to my favor hands down. Right?
3. One of my friends in the game informs me that a serious live one is about to join the game. A tourney player who calls too much and bluffs too much. We all know the best thing for a no limit ring game is to have a tourney player in it. The tourney player arrives and the game really gets going.
I have KQs in the big blind and five people see the flop. My stack is around $600. Flop is K34 two tone not my suit. I bet and get called in two places. I bet $100 on the turn and get called by the button, the tourney player.
The river is a total brick and my opponent has around $175 left. I look at those chips and think to myself, "I'm not satisfied with this pot, I must have all those chips".
So I check, all the chips go in of course, and I win easily. Ha ha! Played like a fine-tuned instrument.
TWO STORIES ABOUT LIMPING WITH ACES:
1. I limp UTG with AA after the button kills it making is $20 to go. He is aggressive and capable of putting a couple hundred in preflop with middle pairs. No dice. We see the flop heads up and it's 9JQ. Uggggg. I make a cursory $40 bet at the pot and he smooth-calls.
I make my decision before I even see the turn. This hand is OVER. I save my $500 stack for another day.
2. Two limpers to me and I limp in the cutoff with 65o. Flop is 662 with two clubs. UTG bets out $20 and I make it $80. He calls. Turn is a T off and I push in about $200 more. He calls.
River is a K of clubs and my heart skips a beat until he shows me the worst played AA I've seen in a while. He throws it into the muck with disgust after I show my hand. What do you expect?
natedogg
Boris and I were both there and we represented 2+2 in fine fashion, ripping up the game for a couple grand between the two of us.
A few hands from last night.
The game is 1-2-2, 5 to go, with single and double kills optional. (You may add as many zeroes as you like in your mind in order to think the hands are more interesting).
1. I am in the small blind with KK vs. two limpers who are loose and tricky, especially the button. I raise to $40, both call. I have about $400 left and my opponents have me covered.
Flop is TJQ rainbow. We both check to the button who bets $80.
I check-raise all-in and take it down after the button deliberates for a LONG time. He shows 89 for the baby straight but he was so convinced I had AK that a few minutes later he THANKED me for not smooth-calling the flop cause that might have busted him.
My reasoning was that I had a good chance of being ahead anyway, and could probably get a laydown from all kinds of hands that beat me since my check-raise looked so much like AK. And I was right.
2. I have AA UTG, which I almost hate to play. I hate being out of position so bad that I really don't even want to see AA here, especially because my stack is deep (about $1500) and two people have me covered. I open for $30, two whack-jobs call behind me. One has about $500 and the other has me covered.
Whack-job #1 is not a maniac, is not a fool, but is simply way too unpredictable overall.
Whack-job #2 will take a LOT of heat preflop and flop but will almost never put pressure on the aggressor until he actually makes his hand. He WILL start betting if you show weakness though.
Anyway, flop comes ten-high two tone which matches one of my aces. I bet $100 into the pot and they both call me. Turn is another crappy heart and I bet $160 now, with my Ah to back me up.
Whack-job #1 raises all in for $265 more. Whack-job #2 folds. It's $265 to me, the pot is $975 and I may actually not even be losing. If I NEED a heart, my pot odds are pretty thin probably right on the money, but if I only need to beat two pair, I think I'm getting damn good odds. The odds I might actually be winning swing a call to my favor hands down. Right?
3. One of my friends in the game informs me that a serious live one is about to join the game. A tourney player who calls too much and bluffs too much. We all know the best thing for a no limit ring game is to have a tourney player in it. The tourney player arrives and the game really gets going.
I have KQs in the big blind and five people see the flop. My stack is around $600. Flop is K34 two tone not my suit. I bet and get called in two places. I bet $100 on the turn and get called by the button, the tourney player.
The river is a total brick and my opponent has around $175 left. I look at those chips and think to myself, "I'm not satisfied with this pot, I must have all those chips".
So I check, all the chips go in of course, and I win easily. Ha ha! Played like a fine-tuned instrument.
TWO STORIES ABOUT LIMPING WITH ACES:
1. I limp UTG with AA after the button kills it making is $20 to go. He is aggressive and capable of putting a couple hundred in preflop with middle pairs. No dice. We see the flop heads up and it's 9JQ. Uggggg. I make a cursory $40 bet at the pot and he smooth-calls.
I make my decision before I even see the turn. This hand is OVER. I save my $500 stack for another day.
2. Two limpers to me and I limp in the cutoff with 65o. Flop is 662 with two clubs. UTG bets out $20 and I make it $80. He calls. Turn is a T off and I push in about $200 more. He calls.
River is a K of clubs and my heart skips a beat until he shows me the worst played AA I've seen in a while. He throws it into the muck with disgust after I show my hand. What do you expect?
natedogg