Deep stack theory

[cjmewett]

Sorry for the delayed update. You guys were right: the game was way over my head. I lost everything and spent the ensuing weekend alternatingly contemplating bodily harm and planning a daring escape from my creditors.

Except not really... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I'm just giving a couple of you a hard time. I'm sorry that there was such a contentious beginning to this thread. I'm not offended by the disclaimers, because I think you guys were just being responsible. Anyway, I'm happy to see that the thread has turned out great.

As for Friday night...

The game didn't play quite as deep as I expected. I didn't see anyone buy in for more than $2000 and the deepest stack when I arrived was under $2500. The average stack was probably somewhere around $1800. I came into the game about two and a half hours after it started for $2500, and two guys had already been popped out (for $1000 and $1200, I believe).

I only played for about five hours, and that was my biggest disappointment. I hadn't slept much in the preceding days and had to work at 7:30 the next morning, so I couldn't continue to sit in what was really a VERY good game. In any event, I cashed up $860 after five hours feeling like I'd left a good deal on the table.

I played a significant hand early -- in the first hour and a half or so -- that helped settle my nerves and reinforce my belief that I was a big favorite at this table (not because I played well so much as my opponent playing very poorly).

Hero (~$2600) dealt A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

SB posts $5
BB posts $10
UTG folds
Hero raises $30 to $40
MP1 folds
MP2 folds
CO (~$2200) calls
Button (~$800) raises $200 to $250

I'm not sure I understand this raise. It seems oversized, which is usually a sign of TT or JJ in the 1-2 game. You'd be shocked how often this holds true. In any event, it wasn't going to affect my play at this point, as I'm looking to get the aces heads-up.

Hero raises $500 to $750
CO folds

The button thought for about two minutes, kept making comments to the effect that he believed he was behind, then inexplicably called off the rest of his money with QQ.

King high flop, board pairs fives on the turn, river blank and aces hold up.

At this point I'm pretty close to being the big stack, and felt very comfortable. I can't say there was a hand the whole night where I felt legitimate discomfort about the idea of being put all in. The game played VERY tight/passively for the most part, a pleasant surprise.

Another significant large pair hand:

HERO dealt Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] UTG

SB (chip leader; only player who has me covered) posts $5
BB (wild player who will cold-call pre-flop with any two) posts $10
Hero raises $30 to $40
folded around to SB
SB calls $35
BB calls $35

FLOP ($120) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

SB bets $50
BB calls $50
Hero raises $150 to $200
SB folds
BB calls

TURN ($670) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

BB checks
Hero bets $300
BB calls $300

RIVER ($1270) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

BB checks
Hero checks

FINAL POT $1270

BB shows 56o for two pair
Hero mucks

SB said after the fact that he laid down 57c thinking that I had a set.

Was I too aggressive here against a relatively scary board? Obviously I'm not expecting someone to call a raise out of position with 56o, but I KNOW that this player is capable of that. Is the turn bet horrible? At this point I was thinking he was on a draw, and that a reasonable bet would force him to lay down. In retrospect, even though the hand probably wouldn't have turned out differently, should I have made a larger bet, more like 3/4 to pot-sized? Anyway, that hand put a serious dent in my stack and my mood, but I was able to make a reasonable comeback without any startlingly dramatic hands.

I'd like to give a better recounting of things, but with a week(/end) of sleep deprivation and away from the poker tables, any further elaboration would be riddled with inaccuracies.

On a separate note: do you guys prefer time or rake in a game like this? The game was played for the first four hours or so on time ($7 per player per half-hour) and was switched on player demand to a rake ($5 per pot up to $200, then $7). I think the time charge promotes action, but this rake seemed too good to pass up. Any opinions?