2+2 + 2+2 + 2+2 = ???

[Ulysses]

I'm UTG with QQ and raise in an 8 handed game
Sucker is raising UTG. Hmmmm... He must have a pair or two big cards. I hope I have a big hand. Why have I been here for 20 hours? Everyone's folding. Nice. Let's see what I have. Sweet, a pocket pair (I think 8s or 9s). I'm going to 3-bet.

Terrible player calls from near the button.
Dammit. Now if I 3-bet Sucker is going to 4-bet. Caller in the middle isn't going anywhere. I'm screwed if any big cards show up on the flop. I think I am going to eat after all. Maybe the Korean BBQ ribs special. That sounds pretty good. I think I probably have the best hand right now, but I guess I'll just stick w/ the minimum investment here and see what happens on the flop.

Anyways, Tommy 3 bets. I call, as does everybody else.
Tommy 3-bet? Dammit. I wonder if he has AKs or a big pocket pair. Or maybe he's just screwing around. Is this action or the illusion of action? These decisions sure were easier to make 17 hours ago. Sucker didn't 4-bet. Nice, he doesn't have a really big pocket pair. (Oops.)

Flop: Tommy bets dark. Cards then come out, J-J-5. I raise. Bad player folds, Ulysses calls. Tommy calls.
Dark bet? WTF? I've seen him do that w/ both AK and big pairs now. Hmmmm.... Sucker raises. He always raises the flop. What would I do if I had a Jack? I'd probably cold-call here and hope Tommy 3-bets. But maybe I'd 3-bet to make them think I don't have a Jack. I wonder what they think I'd do. Well, if I cold-call and they have just overcards, I don't think they'll fire again on the turn. If checked to on the turn (or I hit my 8), I'm going to bet and take it down.

Turn: 3, or some other blank. Tommy checks, I bet, Ulysses folds, Tommy calls.
Oh, Sucker did have a big pocket pair. Dammit.

River: Blank (2). Tommy bets. I call.
I can't believe I put in so much money w/ the worst hand. Damn button.

[Tommy Angelo]

"Tommy 3-bet? Dammit. ... Is this action or the illusion of action?"

Of course I would never do this to either one you guys but this morning right when the game filled up with players ready to play good until their third flop, a guy openraised from the cutoff. I think he is somebody who thinks and rightly so that I don't do much goofy stuff from the blinds. The button folded. I was in the the small blind. I looked left.

The big blind was folding for sure.

I got to thinking after the hand that you'd think it'd make sense to raise from the small blind LESS often if you know the big blind is folding, because you don't need to apply two bet pressure to make his live money into dead. But actually, I kinda like reraising more often here because I get to show some extra implied power for free. I know the big blind is folding, but maybe the initial raiser didn't watch.

I looked down to see K-9 of diamonds. I made it three bets. The big blind folded. The cutoff called. I bet the flop in the dark.

The board was all raggy. He called the flop bet. On the turn, I didn't like it. I checked, ready to fold. He checked. The river, I checked, he checked.

How much is it worth to have a guy not reraise preflop, and then not raise you on the flop, and then check behind on the turn and river, with AK? That's what he had. AK. Chaching! That's what I was thinking. The only bad news was that I did turn my hand over at the end on the off change that the guy had QJ. I think I'll go back to the AA, KK, QQ, AK plan for a while.

Tommy