[ML4L]

Hey all,

Well, everyone swung and missed on my hand. But, y'all never had a chance...

For once in my life, I made a better read than The Ocho. When button bet the flop, he had a big hand. Just one of those things you can tell in a live game... I thought he had a set; maybe two pair. So, I decided to take one off with my 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]4 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], because I was getting button's stack if I hit my gutshot. The guy was one of those who would be so concerned with "protecting his hand" if the turn was not a diamond that he would bet big, probably another overbet, and pot-stick himself. Plus, I might be able to sell the diamonds since I had been kinda snug postflop that session, and I had backdoor clubs. Kinda a thin call, but I knew my read was right as to his hand, and I thought the guy was a prick, so I wanted to bust him... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Anyway, I did not figure The Ocho would call, since he would bet ANY piece of that flop 100% of the time. Make that 99.9% of the time after this hand...

On the turn, I picked up my draw, but I don't know if I would have been able to call if I wasn't closing the action. I had no idea what The Ocho had, so I wasn't putting in $400+ to have to fold to a check-raise. But, fortunately, The Ocho pulled that weird stop-and-go, both allowing me to close the action AND get a good price on my clean 10 outs. My read on the button was now two pair (he mumbled something about The Ocho having AA as he called). My read on The Ocho was that he might have a big hand or might just be messing around. But, again, I was getting 4-1 and still thought the button would pay me if the river was not a diamond. Easy call.

Bluffing the river didn't cross my mind, although maybe it should have. I was just too baffled by The Ocho's play to make a stab at it. Once he overbet, I knew he had the nut flush and was trying to stack the button. He's lucky that I wasn't on diamonds, because I would have mucked my flush.

So, again, there would be no way to really guess my hand without knowing my read on the button...

As to The Ocho's play, I would probably have led the flop, although his stop and go was OK, I guess. Certainly confused the button and I (and might have gotten him to the river cheaper). The river, however, is bad. I think that a bet of about $400 would be perfect. It looks like trip aces making a blocking bet, so button would probably raise his flush if he had one (he didn't come all that way to call when he made his hand). But, if button didn't have a flush, he would pay off with his two pair, and I might have paid off with a second-best hand too. So, he wins more when button doesn't have a flush, but the same amount when button does have a flush, since the button would push.

Thanks for the replies.

Mike