10-18-2001, 12:56 PM
Sitting in a decent $3-6 HE game last night. Typical loose, passive crew. Couple of OK players, but I'm having one of those nights where nothing much is hitting, and I'm down a few bucks. I pick up Ts9s in the BB. UTG, a young off-duty dealer from another casino, has just sat down to my immediate left. He raises from UTG.
Three coldcallers downstream, including a young woman (YW) I've never seen before, but it is obvious (at least to me on first impression) from the way she looks nervous and is handling her chips, that she has played very little. Another coldcaller nearer the button is a very weak player (VWP) who competes on far too many hands. SB folds, and I make the easy call ( IMO ).
Flop comes down Qs-9h-4s. Not too bad for my hand, a spade draw and middle pair. For better or worse, I decide to check to the UTG raiser and await developments. There could be a case made for betting right at him, and if he raises, this should drive out someone with a hand like KJ so that if my Ten hits the turn, I don't end up with a more costly 2nd best. But, I still think I am still on a draw here and maybe don't want to drive out folks at this point. Who would bet out here, and who would check and await developments?
I check, as I said, and UTG bets. YW calls, as does VWP and another of the coldcallers on the button, a woman with far too much money who plays LL poker when she gets bored from the slots. This hand could be anything! Well, at this point, I like my hand even more, and with the multiple outs, and good price, I decide to checkraise. One, I like the price I'm getting for the draw. Two, there still might be a chance my pair of 9's is the best hand at this point. Any dissenters here with the checkraise? I know there is a chance UTG will 3-bet but I'm willing to take the risk.
UTG double clutches, looks over at me, and somewhat hesitatingly just calls, as do the other 3 players. Turn card is a brick, something like the 6d, I recall. Now what? If I was purely on a spade draw here, I would have probably checked, hoping to cause some confusion and maybe get a free card, even out of position, but that nasty 9 in my hand tipped the scales towards betting out, I believe. UTG lays it down. He told me after the hand that he had JJ, so at this point, I have made a better hand lay it down. So far so good.
YM and VWP both call. The other woman mucks. Now the river is another blank. No two pair, no flush. Air ball. Now, I have another decision to make. If either of them has a Queen, I know I am sunk, especially with the YW. I have seen her make some crying calls with underpairs when it was clear she was hopelessly beat, but I have to make a decision here.
By my calculations, there is now $73 before the rake. Do you put another $6 in play here? What worse hands will call? If they are both on draws, my pair of 9's is probably good, and they will fold to a bet anyway. Is there a chance someone with something like A4 that was trying to spike a 2nd pair would call, thinking maybe I was on a busted draw? Would either of them call with something like 98? All these scenarios are flashing though my head in about 2 seconds after the blank on the river, and taking all these possibilities into consideration, I decide to bet. Even if I am called and lose, I also take into consideration that showing down this type of hand may have future value as well. If they are going to call me now with junk, I want them also calling me down the road on weakish hands when I've got something like a small set. In the long view, I don't think my river bet is a huge mistake, if it is a "mistake" at all. Results later in the show.
All comments on the play gratefully appreciated.
Three coldcallers downstream, including a young woman (YW) I've never seen before, but it is obvious (at least to me on first impression) from the way she looks nervous and is handling her chips, that she has played very little. Another coldcaller nearer the button is a very weak player (VWP) who competes on far too many hands. SB folds, and I make the easy call ( IMO ).
Flop comes down Qs-9h-4s. Not too bad for my hand, a spade draw and middle pair. For better or worse, I decide to check to the UTG raiser and await developments. There could be a case made for betting right at him, and if he raises, this should drive out someone with a hand like KJ so that if my Ten hits the turn, I don't end up with a more costly 2nd best. But, I still think I am still on a draw here and maybe don't want to drive out folks at this point. Who would bet out here, and who would check and await developments?
I check, as I said, and UTG bets. YW calls, as does VWP and another of the coldcallers on the button, a woman with far too much money who plays LL poker when she gets bored from the slots. This hand could be anything! Well, at this point, I like my hand even more, and with the multiple outs, and good price, I decide to checkraise. One, I like the price I'm getting for the draw. Two, there still might be a chance my pair of 9's is the best hand at this point. Any dissenters here with the checkraise? I know there is a chance UTG will 3-bet but I'm willing to take the risk.
UTG double clutches, looks over at me, and somewhat hesitatingly just calls, as do the other 3 players. Turn card is a brick, something like the 6d, I recall. Now what? If I was purely on a spade draw here, I would have probably checked, hoping to cause some confusion and maybe get a free card, even out of position, but that nasty 9 in my hand tipped the scales towards betting out, I believe. UTG lays it down. He told me after the hand that he had JJ, so at this point, I have made a better hand lay it down. So far so good.
YM and VWP both call. The other woman mucks. Now the river is another blank. No two pair, no flush. Air ball. Now, I have another decision to make. If either of them has a Queen, I know I am sunk, especially with the YW. I have seen her make some crying calls with underpairs when it was clear she was hopelessly beat, but I have to make a decision here.
By my calculations, there is now $73 before the rake. Do you put another $6 in play here? What worse hands will call? If they are both on draws, my pair of 9's is probably good, and they will fold to a bet anyway. Is there a chance someone with something like A4 that was trying to spike a 2nd pair would call, thinking maybe I was on a busted draw? Would either of them call with something like 98? All these scenarios are flashing though my head in about 2 seconds after the blank on the river, and taking all these possibilities into consideration, I decide to bet. Even if I am called and lose, I also take into consideration that showing down this type of hand may have future value as well. If they are going to call me now with junk, I want them also calling me down the road on weakish hands when I've got something like a small set. In the long view, I don't think my river bet is a huge mistake, if it is a "mistake" at all. Results later in the show.
All comments on the play gratefully appreciated.