03-05-2002, 01:13 AM
Well of course we all know I'm a Super-Genius*. But check out this hand here. Perhaps what really occurred in this case is not totally due to my superior mental prowess in the game of poker. Perhaps it's more due to the fact that I just tend to prefer playing in GOOD GAMES. So check out these two hands...
Hand 1: 3-6 game
9 handed game. I limp in the cutoff after several limpers with KcTc. The pot gets raised by the SB and EIGHT PEOPLE take the flop.
The flop makes me go "Doink!" and have to check it twice: T T T. Flopped quads in an eight way pot, I pinch myself, but I'm not dreaming. Now normally I won't slowplay much, but the last two times I have flopped a monster I have NOT slowplayed at all, and each time I questioned myself afterwords (once I flopped four kings with two diamonds and a broadway draw on board, bet into 7 people, and they all folded. D'oh!). Sooooooo... when it gets checked to me, I slowplay it and check along. I had hoped the button would bet, but he didn't. If he had, the SB would likely have check-raised anyway and driven everyone out, so maybe I did play it optimally after all. I LOVE having to think about THIS type of stuff...
So onward to the turn we went. It's an eight. The SB now comes out betting. It's his last big bet and he's all-in. To my complete amazement, ALL BUT ONE of the players in the pot called when it got to me. For good or bad, right or wrong, I just called too. SIX out of eight were still in the pot, but one was all-in.
The river is an offsuit 4. Now the BB comes out betting. It's nearly inconceivable, but THREE people had called again when it got to me!! Now I decide that perhaps if I'm gonna raise it, this would be the time, so I raise. ONLY ONE of the players in the pot folds their hand!
Hand 2: 8-16 game
It's been not too wild a game, actually it's been a bit boring. Nobody has been playing many hands, and the blinds have gotten stolen about twice a round. I'm actually thinking about finding another game, but then two new players come in. Both have the same name: Action Jackson. Good deal. So off we go...
Action Jackson #2 is away from the table, but AJ #1 is in the BB. He CAN fold a hand, he's only been playing perhaps 45% of hands. He's not too aggressive pre-flop, but after the flop he puts in WAY too many bets considering his holdings. So what happens is that I don't see that there's a caller, because his jacket is covering his cards and his chips are such a mess you can't tell that he's called. I raise on the button with Q9o thinking I'll try to steal the blinds. AJ1 reraises and the limper, who I now see is in the pot, calls the raise. I call and we see the flop three handed.
The flop is Qs 7s Qd. AJ1 bets and limper calls, I raise, AJ1 reraises, limper calls, I call. I considered reraising, but I felt my raise appeared to be automatic, no matter what I held, so I thought deception might be the better play.
The turn is the Ts. AJ1 bets and limper calls, I raise, AJ1 calls and the limper calls.
The river is the case queen, putting three queens on board. It's checked to me and I bet. AJ1 raises and the limper folds. I three-bet and AJ1 raises again. I reraise again, making it 5 and AJ1 makes it six. Each time he raises, I check my hole cards (he is NOT at all a sophisticated opponent, whom I would not bother using such ploys against, but I am the only player at the table). I reraise yet again, going to seven bets. Finally, AJ1 calls. He has pocket kings.
Super-Genius? Perhaps. But certainly not because I "smartly" won these pots. That was blind luck. Perhaps something else was at work here: game selection. I know what you're thinking. Where the hell do you come up with these games? The answer is simple. Follow the yellow brick road. It ends in California.
Dave in Cali
*self-proclaimed
Hand 1: 3-6 game
9 handed game. I limp in the cutoff after several limpers with KcTc. The pot gets raised by the SB and EIGHT PEOPLE take the flop.
The flop makes me go "Doink!" and have to check it twice: T T T. Flopped quads in an eight way pot, I pinch myself, but I'm not dreaming. Now normally I won't slowplay much, but the last two times I have flopped a monster I have NOT slowplayed at all, and each time I questioned myself afterwords (once I flopped four kings with two diamonds and a broadway draw on board, bet into 7 people, and they all folded. D'oh!). Sooooooo... when it gets checked to me, I slowplay it and check along. I had hoped the button would bet, but he didn't. If he had, the SB would likely have check-raised anyway and driven everyone out, so maybe I did play it optimally after all. I LOVE having to think about THIS type of stuff...
So onward to the turn we went. It's an eight. The SB now comes out betting. It's his last big bet and he's all-in. To my complete amazement, ALL BUT ONE of the players in the pot called when it got to me. For good or bad, right or wrong, I just called too. SIX out of eight were still in the pot, but one was all-in.
The river is an offsuit 4. Now the BB comes out betting. It's nearly inconceivable, but THREE people had called again when it got to me!! Now I decide that perhaps if I'm gonna raise it, this would be the time, so I raise. ONLY ONE of the players in the pot folds their hand!
Hand 2: 8-16 game
It's been not too wild a game, actually it's been a bit boring. Nobody has been playing many hands, and the blinds have gotten stolen about twice a round. I'm actually thinking about finding another game, but then two new players come in. Both have the same name: Action Jackson. Good deal. So off we go...
Action Jackson #2 is away from the table, but AJ #1 is in the BB. He CAN fold a hand, he's only been playing perhaps 45% of hands. He's not too aggressive pre-flop, but after the flop he puts in WAY too many bets considering his holdings. So what happens is that I don't see that there's a caller, because his jacket is covering his cards and his chips are such a mess you can't tell that he's called. I raise on the button with Q9o thinking I'll try to steal the blinds. AJ1 reraises and the limper, who I now see is in the pot, calls the raise. I call and we see the flop three handed.
The flop is Qs 7s Qd. AJ1 bets and limper calls, I raise, AJ1 reraises, limper calls, I call. I considered reraising, but I felt my raise appeared to be automatic, no matter what I held, so I thought deception might be the better play.
The turn is the Ts. AJ1 bets and limper calls, I raise, AJ1 calls and the limper calls.
The river is the case queen, putting three queens on board. It's checked to me and I bet. AJ1 raises and the limper folds. I three-bet and AJ1 raises again. I reraise again, making it 5 and AJ1 makes it six. Each time he raises, I check my hole cards (he is NOT at all a sophisticated opponent, whom I would not bother using such ploys against, but I am the only player at the table). I reraise yet again, going to seven bets. Finally, AJ1 calls. He has pocket kings.
Super-Genius? Perhaps. But certainly not because I "smartly" won these pots. That was blind luck. Perhaps something else was at work here: game selection. I know what you're thinking. Where the hell do you come up with these games? The answer is simple. Follow the yellow brick road. It ends in California.
Dave in Cali
*self-proclaimed