JJ's Blog

So I played some live poker this past Saturday night. It had been around 3 months since I played. It was great fun to hang out and play some cards. I broke even for the night which was pretty bad because I had a better than average run of cards.

One hand came up that I can use some help with.

We are playing limit Hold'em. The play is really loose. Players (including me) are speculating with some pretty bad hands. We are playing 8 handed.

So after blinds are posted and two players limp, I find a K-J offsuit on the button.
Question #1: Would you?
a) Fold
b) limp into a 5 handed pot
c) raise

I chose to raise. I hate playing in unraised pots with a hands that are hard to know if you are ahead or not. I'd much rather limp with 3-4 suited than K-J. I think folding would have been a equally good option here.

My raise is called by everyone, which I could have anticipated, and we take the flop 5 handed with 10 small bets in the pot.

The flop comes 3-5-8. Both blinds check. The first EP player checks. The MP player (Flushie) opens for a bet. I don't really put him on an overpair to the board (he would have raised PF). I figure he must have a pair (i.e., A-8) or a draw (i.e., A-2).

Question #2. Would you
a) fold
b) call
c) raise

I chose to call. I really felt like if I turned a K or J (giving me top pair with a good kicker), I'd be in good shape. I have 6 outs to spike a K or J which puts me at 12% or around 7 to 1 against. The pot is laying 11 to 1. Plus, the price may get better if we get overcallers from behind.

I guess an argument could be made for raising to to try to fold someone holding a Q or an A - and trying for a free card on the turn, but I'm a weak fish, so I just called.

Much to my surprise, the SB (Skalony) overcalled. Then, the big blind (Tom) check-raised a field of 4 players - with 3 of us already committing money to this pot . What nerve! The first EP player folded. The MP player (Flushie) calls. Action to me.

Question #3. Would you
a) fold
b) call
c) raise

I chose to call. There's no questions - I'm definitely behind now. Raising is out of the question - after flat calling Flushie's lead bet on the first pass. I'm sure the Tom was planning to check-raise all along from the BB after hitting a pair. I can't explain Skalony's overcall. He must be on a draw. I think if I spike a K or J on the flop I'll probably take the lead. Now I'm getting 16 to 1 on my call and I'm still 7 to 1 against hitting a K or J on the turn. So I call. Skalony calls. There are 18 small bets (or 9 big bets) in the pot.

The turn is a beautiful Jack. I lucked out and now have top pair with good kicker. The board is 3-5-8-J rainbow.

Skalony checks. Tom continues his aggression (which he tends to do regardless of his cards). Flushie calls. Action to me.

Question #4. Would you
a) fold
b) call
c) raise

I chose to call. In retrospect this is probably a mistake. I'm not folding here. I think the correct play is to raise. If players are drawing, I should make them pay. Plus, the pot would be god awful big and players would call me down on the river with 2nd pair just to make sure I wasn't stealing a big pot. Plus, a raise would probably shut out Skalony but would be called by Tom and Flushie, who have already put money in the pot. This should have been great spot to score two more big bets.

After I call, Skalony calls. We are now 4 handed to the river with 13 big bets in the pot.

The river is even better than the turn. A king comes off giving me top 2 pair and a dog to only a set. The board is 3-5-8-J-K.

This time Tom Checks behind Skalony's check. Flushie checks.

I chose to check behind as well. Why? Because I'm an idiot - that's why! I already know I screwed up this street. I'm drawing the whole way - hoping to hit a big hand. Then, when I hit a miracle runner-runner, I get as little value as possible. Idiot!

Anyway - Tom mucks 5-3 for bottom 2. Flushie muck A-8 for top pair top kicker that got destroyed on the Turn and and again on the River. Skalony mucks QQ - which explains his overcalls on the flop and turn. (Sorry Skalony, but you played your hand even worse than I played mine).

So, good new - I collect 13 big bets. Bad news - probably could have collected around 6 more bets if I didn't play like such a fish.

I guess this makes up, a little, for the beat that was laid on me when I held AA and flopped top set on a board of A-K-x (on a Kill pot no less). The turn is blank and river is a 10 for a board of A-K-x-x-10. I was called down on every street by a player holding J-Q. We put in 3 bets on the river. I wanted to puke.

Oh well. Ups and downs. It was great fun though. I'm looking forward to next time.