Mirage 10-20: He must not have believed I had Aces

I played some stud today for the first time in several weeks. I wasn't happy with the Hold'em games today and was pleasantly surprised to see two 10-20 games spread on a weekday afternoon- a rarity since the WSOP ended. It was about an hour before I realized that several of the players in my game were 20-40 regulars who were playing because their game broke up. Doh! No big deal thought. I didn't think they were tough.


The hand:


The third street boards are:


(x,x)4c

(x,x)9s

(Ah,Kc)Ad

(x,x)Ac

(x,x)Th


We're shorthanded while a few players take a walk. The lowcard 4c brings it in for the minimum $3. The 9s folds. I raise with my split Aces. The Ac folds. The Th calls. This opponent had just entered the game within the last 15 minutes. The low card folds. Heads-up going to fourth street.


The fourth street boards are:


(Ah,Kc)Ad,7s

(x,x)Th,7c


I bet and my opponent raises. That was quite a surprise. My first reactions were (1) he must not believe I have Aces and (2) maybe he just made two pair. Of course, I was open to other possibilities. I just called intending to checkraise on fifth street if nothing threatening developed.


The fifth street boards are:


(Ah,Kc)Ad,7s,7s

(x,x)Th,7c,3h


When I made an open pair, I decided to change my plan and just bet out. I was too worried that he would check behind me. If he raises me here, I should have good reason to be concerned. My opponent just called.


The sixth street boards are:


(Ah,Kc)Ad,7s,7s,8c

(x,x)Th,7c,3h,Qh


I bet and my opponent called.


The seventh street boards are:


(Ah,Kc)Ad,7s,7s,8c(Ks)

(x,x)Th,7c,3h,Qh(x)


I improved on the river but not substantially. I was somewhat confused as to what my opponent was calling with so I check my hand on the river. My opponent bet. I called. He thought for a moment and mucked his cards without showing.

I would guess that he bet a busted straight draw.


Well done..


CJ

Dynasty's opponet on split T's on 3rd. However,when he raised the turn card,I then put him on a 4-Str8. with 89 in the pocket. He was looking for a free card on 5th.

With a busted Str8,he was hoping that Dynasty had only the 7's and would therefore muck.

Unfortunately for him,his "read" was inaccurate.The older a player is,the more he tends to unestimate the skill of a young player. I believe that Dynasty was one of the youngest players in the lot--if not THE YOUNGEST.

I agree with Dynasty that his opponent didn't believe that he had split A's since one was showing.

However,he failed to realize that with semi-dead premium pairs,decent players who raise tend to have what they are representating in 10-20 and smaller limits--maybe NOT in the 20-40 or higher limits.

Hence,his opponent did not realize that he needed to make an adjustment for this game structure.

If he's a regular 20-40 and higher limit player,he probably sees a large % of players with "A" and nothing in the pocket raising in these games.

BTW,this is Y it's difficult for high-limit players to beat the lower limit games--they fail to adjust to the proper game structure.

If Dynasty didn't really have A's ,Y would he have been representating A's when one was already out? This is simply not done in 10-20 and lower limit games(I'm talking about for a very large % of cases) If no other A's were out,then the chances that he really has the A's are not quite has high if he is an aggressive player--which he is.

In this game structure,however,--with an "A" already out,the probability increases that one has a split premium pair when it is semi-dead and he "announces" it my raising.(Again,I'm speaking of 10-20 and lower limits)

I'm wondering what his thinking was for "gambling" a medium 3-Str8 against a possible big pair in a non-multi-way pot.

Even if Dynasty did not have his A's,his opponent's call was an error since Dynasty reduced the field to heads-up play.

With as little as 2 overcards,Dynasty is most likely the favorite. The opponent's early error was compounded on later streets and finally resulted in a desperate suicide mission to steal the pot.

Now consider the rake and toke.His opponent was going into battlle with a knife while Dynasty had AT LEAST a pistol.

BTW,in this case dynasty had a bozooka(LOL)!


Happy pokering,

Sitting Bull

It looks like you played it fine. Your river check makes sense since he could have a straight draw as well as a flush draw. That is there are many cards that he could catch that would give him a possible raising hand but which he can't call. Of course, he could bluff. And, given the way the hand was played, he could also bet some other two pair holdings for value, so you must call.

I'm guessing that he started with split tens or a better pair in the hole. He probably put you on a pair in the hole because of the ace out.


Yes , he didn't believe you had aces especially when you didn't reraise him on 4th st.


His bet on the end was irrational or did he expect you to fold 2 pair in this situation ? I don't see how he can put you on any less.

logical if he had a "busted" hand and Dynasty had only one pair. So it was worth taking a shot at the pot with a bluff bet.

Dynasty over-estamated his opponent's 10-20 skill since he was wondering what he had to re-raise his A's(Thought maybe he was beat). Of course,Dynasty assumed that his opponent "accurately" read his hand.

Several "thought processes" going thru both players head-one was thinking like a high- limit stud player(Dynasty's opponent),and dynasty was thinking that his opponent was thinking like a 10-20 limit player.

Both thought processes were incorrect.

Happy pokering,

Sitting Bull

Ps Again , this play furnishes additional evidence that it's difficult for a 20-40 limit player to adjust to a 10-20 limit game. Some of these players don't even think about adjusting--they even play a 1-2 game like a 20-40 one(LOL)!

Happy pokering,

Sitting Bull