[Terry]

The game at which I have had the greatest sustained earn in big bets per hour was the $10/$20 O/8 at the Mirage. There were always a couple of very good players in the game, but there were also sufficient tourists to ensure that simply playing tight (nut draws or the nuts [with redraws if one of the good players was in]), trying the occasional “maneuver” only in short-handed pots against the better players, would do the job.

How tight? One night, having spotted one my favorite opponents in the other game, I requested a table change. Shortly after I got to the new table the dealer from my original table pushed in. I picked up two good hands. She looked at me and said “Wow. Two in a row? You didn’t play a single hand at the other table.”

Now, I didn’t want to go ballistic in front of the live one, but I’ll tell you, I was so hot I thought my hair was going to catch fire, and I most certainly did get very loud (after the hand and away from the table) when I went to the floorman. Understand that even though she “said” those words to me, she was actually “talking to” an acquaintance / boyfriend of hers at the table, know what I mean?

Tight is right in this game, and an hour (or two) without a hand is not at all unusual. As for your specific hand, I would never play it in early position, just because someone might raise. If I had good reason to think there will be a raise, I’m not playing it in any position. A3 needs a deuce on the flop, and one of those deuces is too likely to be in the hand of the raiser. I want to see for cheap if my deuce flops or I don’t want to play.

Sure, in a loose aggressive game the “every hand” types push a lot of huge pots back and forth... that’s the nature of the game. Your play is to keep smiling at them, congratulating them on their fine play, and waiting for your turn to scoop one (on a good night two) of those monster pots.

If I can play for six hours, pick up the low half with my A2 a couple of times to pay my blinds, and scoop one 12 to 15 big bet pot, I’m going home happy. That’s the way I play the game.