Today was not a fun day, but it did end on a good note. The morning was spent in very fine weather doing a charity 5K run. Of course, I failed my orientation skill check and proceeded to run about 7K since the route was not well marked in two crucial spots. So needless to say I was able to ignore my posted time of finish and grumpily proceeded to stuff my face with refreshments once I finally arrived at the finish line.
The afternoon brought some fussy work as I struggled to proofread a manuscript for a project I've left way behind schedule. I was distracted and still need to do a lot of work on it before it sees the light of day, and the deadline is looming.
I then proceeded to donk off my chips in the BBT5 freeroll, getting away from several second-best hands with a minimum of damage. I was never able to get my stack back above its starting amount, and I foolishly dusted off my respectably-sized stack when I made the mistake of trying to get a blogger - in this case, the estimable Numb to fold top pair. Needless to say this is just not a good idea.
And then I proceeded to get stomped when I played some cash games afterwards. Some Rush NLHE, no good. Some Rush PLO, which had been recommended to me by several trustworthy sources? No good. +2 buy-ins to begin with but soon enough I would lose some monster hands where I made the correct decisions but just couldn't hold up despite having the best of it. Five buy-ins later and I was stuck three overall.
Then I found the reliable cure: a mixed game, this time a juicy HORSE table. How juicy? Yet another example of a scoop as I played two rotations for a nice +2 buy-ins to end the night with the BR stabilized back to an acceptable level. My hourly rate in this game was fairly impressive!
We pick up the action on 4th street in - what else? - a stud hi/lo hand. The pot was inflated on 3rd as four of us got here after capping the action for four bets each. (I got a bit out of line but I knew V1 was a complete maniac)
Dealt to V1 [5c] [4h]
Dealt to V2 [9c] [6c]
Dealt to Hero [8c Ad 6h] [7s]
Dealt to V3 [Jh] [Qd]
Each person put in one more bet.
On 5th:
Dealt to V1 [5c 4h] [Jd]
Dealt to V2 [9c 6c] [Kh]
Dealt to Hero [8c Ad 6h 7s] [5d]
Dealt to V3 [Jh Qd] [Th]
I bet with a made low and an OESD, everyone called.
On 6th:
Dealt to V1 [5c 4h Jd] [4s]
Dealt to V2 [9c 6c Kh] [6d]
Dealt to Hero [8c Ad 6h 7s 5d] [4c]
Dealt to V3 [Jh Qd Th] [Jc]
V3 bets out, the other two call, I raise with my straight and made low, they all call. I'm showing four to a straight and a made low and they are all determined to see 7th! I'm sure you all see what's happening here, besides noticing that I am very lucky to have made a two-way hand here. Again, everyone else is playing for half.
On 7th, the following took place:
V1 bet. V2 called. Our hero raised. V3 folded. V1 3-bet all-in. V2 called. I 4-bet. V2 called.
At showdown, I tabled my eight-high straight and 76 low for a scoop.
V2 mucked [As Ac 9c 6c Kh 6d Ts] - HI: two pair, Aces and Sixes
V1 mucked [Ah 8s 5c 4h Jd 4s 3h] - HI: a pair of Fours; LO: 8,5,4,3,A
We can clearly see that V2 has some fundamental flaws to correct in his game. V1 got taken for a ride and stubbornly lost some extra bets that he didn't have to on the later streets, much to my benefit. Yours truly continues to get lucky with some marginal hands in just the right situations to play them.
The same lessons apply that I mentioned in my previous post.
Hopefully my next 5K run at the end of the month is on a course I can't get lost in.
Showing posts with label Stud hi/lo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stud hi/lo. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A game of scooping
It's a truism in split pot poker games that playing to win the whole pot is a fundamental component of a winning strategy. This is doubly true when you are involved in a hand against multiple opponents. Today I played a hand that illustrates this principle very well, and it's worth examining the play of this hand in detail.
This afternoon I found myself playing in a low-stakes 7-Game mixed game. The rotation had made its way to stud hi/lo, which is undoubtedly one of my best games, and perhaps even more importantly, often the worst game in the rotation for most of my opponents. Needless to say, I was primed and ready to find any profitable situation that I could and start pounding away.
I was dealt the [8s 4s] 6h and was the bring-in.
Villain #1 had the Ah showing and completed.
Villain #2 had the Th showing and called.
I don't love my hand here, since I have a pretty ragged 3-card low to an 8, but given this price I really should see 4th street. If I catch good I can likely proceed further with the hand; otherwise I can get away cheaply. More importantly it's distinctly possible that both my opponents have high-only hands and I'd be drawing very live for the low half with a chance at making a low straight or flush to scoop the entire pot 3-handed, which is a very profitable opportunity. Also, Villain #2 is extremely likely to show up here with split tens. If for some reason he's got rolled up tens, action could be fast and furious on later streets, which again would be to my benefit if I can make a medium straight.
On 4th, I do catch good: [8s 4s] 6h 7h
Villain #1 Ah 4h
Villain #2 Th 9d
Villain #1 bet right out, and Villain #2 called. I have to be wary that Villain #1 is drawing to a better low than I am (since I've got two hearts showing I can discount the possibility that he's also drawing to a flush), but with a gutshot straight draw which would also give me a qualifying low, this is a trivial call closing out the action. The turning point of the hand will be, as it so often is, 5th street when the bets double in size.
On 5th, I catch my gin card: [8s 4s] 6h 7h 5h
Dealt to Villain #2 [Th 9d] [Qs]
Dealt to Villain #1 [Ah 4h] [5d]
Somewhat to my surprise, Villain #2 leads out; I raise and Villain #1 makes it three bets! Villain #2 calls two bets cold and I have an easy cap since I have a made hand in both directions and can represent a flush if I catch another heart on 6th. Note, however, the potential vulnerability of my hand: I can end up with the second-best hand in both directions if Villain #1 makes a better low and Villain #2 can show up with a higher straight or a full house for the high half.
On 6th, the betting is capped again in the exact same pattern as on 5th:
Dealt to Villain #2 [Th 9d Qs] [5c]
Dealt to Hero [8s 4s 6h 7h 5h] [Kc]
Dealt to Villain #1 [Ah 4h 5d] [6d]
At this point I am definitely worried that Villain #1 had a board-lock for the low half, but I am equally determined to carve up Villain #2 for the high since he was clearly playing only for half. Finding small edges is crucial in a situation like this! And a remote possibility remains that I am currently in a position to scoop the entire pot if Villain #1 had started with split aces and a 4, 5 or 6 he'd paired up for aces up.
7th street came and I caught an immaterial card.
Villain #2 bet, Villain #1 called, and I called with the eight-high straight. To my amazement, I ended up scooping the entire pot (this led me to second-guess myself for not raising here)!
Here is what my opponents showed up with:
Seat 1: Villain #1 showed [As Kh Ah 4h 5d 6d 4d] and lost with HI: two pair, Aces and Fours
Seat 5: Villain #2 showed [Jd Ts Th 9d Qs 5c Td] and lost with HI: three of a kind, Tens
Seat 6: Hero showed [8s 6c 6h 7h 5h Kc 4s] and won with HI: a straight, Eight high; LO: 8,7,6,5,4
Let's look at what happened here on the later streets. Villain #1's play on 5th and 6th streets is hilarious in that he made it 3 bets with aces up and a live low draw against all the action in front of him, which means he is taking the worst of it; he presumably has to catch one of eight or ten outs to take down the low half, or one of 3-4 outs for an improbable full house for the high half. Villain #2 shoveled a lot of money into the pot from 5th street onwards in a horrible situation hoping to lock up the high half, as he was being forced to put in a ton of money whilst frozen out of half of the pot. And I was the benefactor as my two opponents didn't manage to improve.
The lesson here? Play for the whole pot.
Another lesson: mixed games are fun and profitable.
NB. If anyone knows of a good stud re-player, let me know!
This afternoon I found myself playing in a low-stakes 7-Game mixed game. The rotation had made its way to stud hi/lo, which is undoubtedly one of my best games, and perhaps even more importantly, often the worst game in the rotation for most of my opponents. Needless to say, I was primed and ready to find any profitable situation that I could and start pounding away.
I was dealt the [8s 4s] 6h and was the bring-in.
Villain #1 had the Ah showing and completed.
Villain #2 had the Th showing and called.
I don't love my hand here, since I have a pretty ragged 3-card low to an 8, but given this price I really should see 4th street. If I catch good I can likely proceed further with the hand; otherwise I can get away cheaply. More importantly it's distinctly possible that both my opponents have high-only hands and I'd be drawing very live for the low half with a chance at making a low straight or flush to scoop the entire pot 3-handed, which is a very profitable opportunity. Also, Villain #2 is extremely likely to show up here with split tens. If for some reason he's got rolled up tens, action could be fast and furious on later streets, which again would be to my benefit if I can make a medium straight.
On 4th, I do catch good: [8s 4s] 6h 7h
Villain #1 Ah 4h
Villain #2 Th 9d
Villain #1 bet right out, and Villain #2 called. I have to be wary that Villain #1 is drawing to a better low than I am (since I've got two hearts showing I can discount the possibility that he's also drawing to a flush), but with a gutshot straight draw which would also give me a qualifying low, this is a trivial call closing out the action. The turning point of the hand will be, as it so often is, 5th street when the bets double in size.
On 5th, I catch my gin card: [8s 4s] 6h 7h 5h
Dealt to Villain #2 [Th 9d] [Qs]
Dealt to Villain #1 [Ah 4h] [5d]
Somewhat to my surprise, Villain #2 leads out; I raise and Villain #1 makes it three bets! Villain #2 calls two bets cold and I have an easy cap since I have a made hand in both directions and can represent a flush if I catch another heart on 6th. Note, however, the potential vulnerability of my hand: I can end up with the second-best hand in both directions if Villain #1 makes a better low and Villain #2 can show up with a higher straight or a full house for the high half.
On 6th, the betting is capped again in the exact same pattern as on 5th:
Dealt to Villain #2 [Th 9d Qs] [5c]
Dealt to Hero [8s 4s 6h 7h 5h] [Kc]
Dealt to Villain #1 [Ah 4h 5d] [6d]
At this point I am definitely worried that Villain #1 had a board-lock for the low half, but I am equally determined to carve up Villain #2 for the high since he was clearly playing only for half. Finding small edges is crucial in a situation like this! And a remote possibility remains that I am currently in a position to scoop the entire pot if Villain #1 had started with split aces and a 4, 5 or 6 he'd paired up for aces up.
7th street came and I caught an immaterial card.
Villain #2 bet, Villain #1 called, and I called with the eight-high straight. To my amazement, I ended up scooping the entire pot (this led me to second-guess myself for not raising here)!
Here is what my opponents showed up with:
Seat 1: Villain #1 showed [As Kh Ah 4h 5d 6d 4d] and lost with HI: two pair, Aces and Fours
Seat 5: Villain #2 showed [Jd Ts Th 9d Qs 5c Td] and lost with HI: three of a kind, Tens
Seat 6: Hero showed [8s 6c 6h 7h 5h Kc 4s] and won with HI: a straight, Eight high; LO: 8,7,6,5,4
Let's look at what happened here on the later streets. Villain #1's play on 5th and 6th streets is hilarious in that he made it 3 bets with aces up and a live low draw against all the action in front of him, which means he is taking the worst of it; he presumably has to catch one of eight or ten outs to take down the low half, or one of 3-4 outs for an improbable full house for the high half. Villain #2 shoveled a lot of money into the pot from 5th street onwards in a horrible situation hoping to lock up the high half, as he was being forced to put in a ton of money whilst frozen out of half of the pot. And I was the benefactor as my two opponents didn't manage to improve.
The lesson here? Play for the whole pot.
Another lesson: mixed games are fun and profitable.
NB. If anyone knows of a good stud re-player, let me know!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
An Easter Egg, s'il vous plait?
Sadly, the 5 of clubs didn't appear on 7th street to let me scoop this pot. An unworthy rival showed up with it. Sniff. Half of the pot was pretty profitable, though. I was happy to fill up at the end as a consolation for missing my steel wheel.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Some overdue S8 tournament hands
CK's tourney recap was a good read. I thought I'd share a trio of interesting hands I played in the Skills Game before she busted me.
50/100 ante 10
Seat 1: ChampSampson (2,822)
Seat 2: AgSweep (1,689)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (3,016)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (2,959)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,518)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (3,238)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (3,379)
Seat 8: STING70 (5,405)
ChampSampson antes 10
AgSweep antes 10
BamBamCan antes 10
wwonka69 antes 10
NewinNov antes 10
PirateLawyer antes 10
TuscaloosaJohn antes 10
STING70 antes 10
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks]
Dealt to AgSweep [Jc]
Dealt to BamBamCan [7d]
Dealt to wwonka69 [7s]
Dealt to NewinNov [3d]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad] [Kc]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h]
Dealt to STING70 [5h]
NewinNov is low with [3d]
NewinNov brings in for 15
PirateLawyer completes it to 50
TuscaloosaJohn raises to 100
STING70 folds
ChampSampson raises to 150
AgSweep folds
BamBamCan folds
wwonka69 folds
NewinNov folds
PirateLawyer raises to 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 50
I cap the betting with what is assuredly the best hand unless TJ has rolled fours. Since it is much more likely that he has three baby cards, I want to put the pressure on Champ, who is certainly getting involved with a hand I have crushed unless he has the improbable rolled kings. My buried AA is poised to crush split kings.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks] [Td]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc] [2d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h] [9s]
ChampSampson checks
PirateLawyer bets 50
TuscaloosaJohn calls 50
ChampSampson raises to 100
PirateLawyer raises to 150
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 50
Both opponents catch badly, whilst my card is effectively a blank as well. Champ’s peculiar check-raise doesn’t scare me in the slightest, so I keep the pressure on. It appears as if TJ is taking one off to try to catch low on 5th.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks Td] [2c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d] [Ts]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 9s] [As]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer raises to 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 100
TJ finally catches good whilst Champ bricks again. My buried AA is unimproved but I still think I have the best hand, so I raise for value. Since the pot is large and I haven’t improved, a case could be made for a simple call here.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks Td 2c] [Js]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d Ts] [5s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 9s As] [8h]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson raises to 200
PirateLawyer calls 200
TuscaloosaJohn raises to 300
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer calls 100
I finally start to get a queasy feeling as TJ has assuredly got a lock for the low half. Champ’s raise on 6 seems to indicate he’s finally made some sort of 2pr, but I have a lot of redraws if he’s merely made kings up, so I reluctantly call.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d Ts 5s] [Qc]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer calls 100
This is the definition of a crying call.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TuscaloosaJohn shows [6c 3s 4h 9s As 8h 2s] Ace Nine high, for high and 6,4,3,2,A, for low
ChampSampson shows [Kh Jd Ks Td 2c Js 9h] two pair, Kings and Jacks, for high
ChampSampson wins the high pot (1,473) with two pair, Kings and Jacks
TuscaloosaJohn wins the low pot (1,472) with 6,4,3,2,A
And I die a little inside as it seems Champ started with KJK and got very lucky after getting his money in bad on 3rd through 5th streets. TJ clearly had a premium starting hand and was a bit unlucky not to scoop a monster pot, as he rode out the brick on 4th and caught perfectly on 5th and 6th. Champ, on the other hand, clearly donked it up from start to finish.
I am forced to play the shortstack from then on. I finally managed a nice scoop recovery when I get all the action I need here.
120/240 Ante 20
Seat 1: ChampSampson (3,771)
Seat 2: AgSweep (3,847)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (3,571)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (1,237)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,521)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (618)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (2,586)
Seat 8: STING70 (6,875)
ChampSampson antes 20
AgSweep antes 20
BamBamCan antes 20
wwonka69 antes 20
NewinNov antes 20
PirateLawyer antes 20
TuscaloosaJohn antes 20
STING70 antes 20
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd]
Dealt to BamBamCan [Ks]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Tc]
Dealt to NewinNov [3c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As] [3d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [9c]
Dealt to STING70 [Jd]
NewinNov is low with [3c]
NewinNov brings in for 40
PirateLawyer completes it to 120
ChampSampson raises to 240
AgSweep calls 240
PirateLawyer raises to 360
ChampSampson raises to 480
AgSweep calls 240
PirateLawyer calls 120
I have no idea what cards they have and frankly I don’t care. If they outdraw AA, so be it.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d] [8s]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd] [7c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d] [7s]
AgSweep checks
PirateLawyer bets 118, and is all in
ChampSampson calls 118
AgSweep calls 118
Trivial decision as this hand played itself out on 3rd street.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d 8s] [Ts]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd 7c] [5s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s] [2s]
AgSweep checks
ChampSampson checks
I can’t ask for much more as my board is running out nicely with a chance to scoop as my two opponents are checking it down with bricks.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d 8s Ts] [Qc]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd 7c 5s] [9h]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s 2s] [Jh]
ChampSampson checks
AgSweep checks
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s 2s Jh] [7h]
ChampSampson checks
AgSweep checks
I was relieved to improve to aces up on 7th street. But am I good?
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [As Ad 3d 7s 2s Jh 7h] two pair, Aces and Sevens, for high
ChampSampson mucks [Jc 8c 4d 8s Ts Qc 6c] - HI: a pair of Eights
AgSweep mucks [Qh Js Qd 7c 5s 9h 8d] - HI: a pair of Queens
PirateLawyer wins the pot (1,994) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
The answer is yes. It looks like I was up against split queens and a bad three-to-an-eight.
200/400 Ante 30
Seat 1: ChampSampson (4,568)
Seat 2: AgSweep (1,264)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (2,726)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (5,157)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,102)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (1,998)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (1,051)
Seat 8: STING70 (6,160)
ChampSampson antes 30
AgSweep antes 30
BamBamCan antes 30
wwonka69 antes 30
NewinNov antes 30
PirateLawyer antes 30
TuscaloosaJohn antes 30
STING70 antes 30
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Kd]
Dealt to AgSweep [Kh]
Dealt to BamBamCan [Ks]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h] [5s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d]
Dealt to STING70 [Qs]
TuscaloosaJohn is low with [3d]
TuscaloosaJohn brings in for 50
STING70 folds
ChampSampson completes it to 200
wwonka69 calls 200
NewinNov calls 200
PirateLawyer calls 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 150
Three low babies with a one-gap here and it appears from the upcards that I am favoured to lock up the low half of the pot if I can catch early on. If I can catch a 4 early on, I will have a powerful scoop opportunity.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Kd] [Ts]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc] [4d]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh] [6s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s] [Ac]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d] [8d]
PirateLawyer bets 200
BamBamCan has returned
TuscaloosaJohn calls 200
ChampSampson folds
wwonka69 calls 200
NewinNov calls 200
No need for finesse; I lead right out after catching the ace with a near-lock for the low if I improve - frankly I hope someone raises. I enjoy seeing this many calls.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc 4d] [7c]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh 6s] [2s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac] [9s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d 8d] [Ad]
PirateLawyer bets 400
TuscaloosaJohn calls 400
wwonka69 calls 400
NewinNov raises to 672, and is all in
PirateLawyer raises to 1,072
TuscaloosaJohn calls 221, and is all in
wwonka69 raises to 1,472
PirateLawyer calls 400
Stacks are short and the brick doesn’t scare me. I am determined to see showdown with so much dead money in the pot.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc 4d 7c] [6c]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh 6s 2s] [9h]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s] [5d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d 8d Ad] [6d]
PirateLawyer bets 96, and is all in
wwonka69 calls 96
PirateLawyer shows [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d]
TuscaloosaJohn shows [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d]
wwonka69 shows [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c]
NewinNov shows [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h]
I get the last of my chips in and I have to hit to stay alive. Sure enough, I’m drawing live for the low half and I have three fours out there for a scoop. I even have some alternate outs for the high half.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c] [Th]
Dealt to NewinNov [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h] [Js]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d] [7d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d] [Tc]
PirateLawyer shows [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d 7d] a pair of Fives, for high and 7,5,3,2,A, for low
wwonka69 shows [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c Th] a pair of Queens, for high
wwonka69 wins high side pot #2 (896) with a pair of Queens
PirateLawyer wins low side pot #2 (896) with 7,5,3,2,A
NewinNov shows [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h Js] two pair, Jacks and Sixes, for high
NewinNov wins high side pot #1 (77) with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
PirateLawyer wins low side pot #1 (76) with 7,5,3,2,A
TuscaloosaJohn shows [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d Tc] Ace Ten high, for high and 7,6,4,3,A, for low
NewinNov wins the high main pot (2,262) with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
PirateLawyer wins the low main pot (2,262) with 7,5,3,2,A
50/100 ante 10
Seat 1: ChampSampson (2,822)
Seat 2: AgSweep (1,689)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (3,016)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (2,959)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,518)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (3,238)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (3,379)
Seat 8: STING70 (5,405)
ChampSampson antes 10
AgSweep antes 10
BamBamCan antes 10
wwonka69 antes 10
NewinNov antes 10
PirateLawyer antes 10
TuscaloosaJohn antes 10
STING70 antes 10
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks]
Dealt to AgSweep [Jc]
Dealt to BamBamCan [7d]
Dealt to wwonka69 [7s]
Dealt to NewinNov [3d]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad] [Kc]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h]
Dealt to STING70 [5h]
NewinNov is low with [3d]
NewinNov brings in for 15
PirateLawyer completes it to 50
TuscaloosaJohn raises to 100
STING70 folds
ChampSampson raises to 150
AgSweep folds
BamBamCan folds
wwonka69 folds
NewinNov folds
PirateLawyer raises to 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 50
I cap the betting with what is assuredly the best hand unless TJ has rolled fours. Since it is much more likely that he has three baby cards, I want to put the pressure on Champ, who is certainly getting involved with a hand I have crushed unless he has the improbable rolled kings. My buried AA is poised to crush split kings.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks] [Td]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc] [2d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h] [9s]
ChampSampson checks
PirateLawyer bets 50
TuscaloosaJohn calls 50
ChampSampson raises to 100
PirateLawyer raises to 150
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 50
Both opponents catch badly, whilst my card is effectively a blank as well. Champ’s peculiar check-raise doesn’t scare me in the slightest, so I keep the pressure on. It appears as if TJ is taking one off to try to catch low on 5th.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks Td] [2c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d] [Ts]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 9s] [As]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer raises to 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 100
ChampSampson calls 100
TJ finally catches good whilst Champ bricks again. My buried AA is unimproved but I still think I have the best hand, so I raise for value. Since the pot is large and I haven’t improved, a case could be made for a simple call here.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Ks Td 2c] [Js]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d Ts] [5s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 9s As] [8h]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson raises to 200
PirateLawyer calls 200
TuscaloosaJohn raises to 300
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer calls 100
I finally start to get a queasy feeling as TJ has assuredly got a lock for the low half. Champ’s raise on 6 seems to indicate he’s finally made some sort of 2pr, but I have a lot of redraws if he’s merely made kings up, so I reluctantly call.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ac Ad Kc 2d Ts 5s] [Qc]
TuscaloosaJohn bets 100
ChampSampson calls 100
PirateLawyer calls 100
This is the definition of a crying call.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
TuscaloosaJohn shows [6c 3s 4h 9s As 8h 2s] Ace Nine high, for high and 6,4,3,2,A, for low
ChampSampson shows [Kh Jd Ks Td 2c Js 9h] two pair, Kings and Jacks, for high
ChampSampson wins the high pot (1,473) with two pair, Kings and Jacks
TuscaloosaJohn wins the low pot (1,472) with 6,4,3,2,A
And I die a little inside as it seems Champ started with KJK and got very lucky after getting his money in bad on 3rd through 5th streets. TJ clearly had a premium starting hand and was a bit unlucky not to scoop a monster pot, as he rode out the brick on 4th and caught perfectly on 5th and 6th. Champ, on the other hand, clearly donked it up from start to finish.
I am forced to play the shortstack from then on. I finally managed a nice scoop recovery when I get all the action I need here.
120/240 Ante 20
Seat 1: ChampSampson (3,771)
Seat 2: AgSweep (3,847)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (3,571)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (1,237)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,521)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (618)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (2,586)
Seat 8: STING70 (6,875)
ChampSampson antes 20
AgSweep antes 20
BamBamCan antes 20
wwonka69 antes 20
NewinNov antes 20
PirateLawyer antes 20
TuscaloosaJohn antes 20
STING70 antes 20
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd]
Dealt to BamBamCan [Ks]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Tc]
Dealt to NewinNov [3c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As] [3d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [9c]
Dealt to STING70 [Jd]
NewinNov is low with [3c]
NewinNov brings in for 40
PirateLawyer completes it to 120
ChampSampson raises to 240
AgSweep calls 240
PirateLawyer raises to 360
ChampSampson raises to 480
AgSweep calls 240
PirateLawyer calls 120
I have no idea what cards they have and frankly I don’t care. If they outdraw AA, so be it.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d] [8s]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd] [7c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d] [7s]
AgSweep checks
PirateLawyer bets 118, and is all in
ChampSampson calls 118
AgSweep calls 118
Trivial decision as this hand played itself out on 3rd street.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d 8s] [Ts]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd 7c] [5s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s] [2s]
AgSweep checks
ChampSampson checks
I can’t ask for much more as my board is running out nicely with a chance to scoop as my two opponents are checking it down with bricks.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [4d 8s Ts] [Qc]
Dealt to AgSweep [Qd 7c 5s] [9h]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s 2s] [Jh]
ChampSampson checks
AgSweep checks
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Ad As 3d 7s 2s Jh] [7h]
ChampSampson checks
AgSweep checks
I was relieved to improve to aces up on 7th street. But am I good?
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [As Ad 3d 7s 2s Jh 7h] two pair, Aces and Sevens, for high
ChampSampson mucks [Jc 8c 4d 8s Ts Qc 6c] - HI: a pair of Eights
AgSweep mucks [Qh Js Qd 7c 5s 9h 8d] - HI: a pair of Queens
PirateLawyer wins the pot (1,994) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
The answer is yes. It looks like I was up against split queens and a bad three-to-an-eight.
200/400 Ante 30
Seat 1: ChampSampson (4,568)
Seat 2: AgSweep (1,264)
Seat 3: BamBamCan (2,726)
Seat 4: wwonka69 (5,157)
Seat 5: NewinNov (1,102)
Seat 6: PirateLawyer (1,998)
Seat 7: TuscaloosaJohn (1,051)
Seat 8: STING70 (6,160)
ChampSampson antes 30
AgSweep antes 30
BamBamCan antes 30
wwonka69 antes 30
NewinNov antes 30
PirateLawyer antes 30
TuscaloosaJohn antes 30
STING70 antes 30
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Kd]
Dealt to AgSweep [Kh]
Dealt to BamBamCan [Ks]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h] [5s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d]
Dealt to STING70 [Qs]
TuscaloosaJohn is low with [3d]
TuscaloosaJohn brings in for 50
STING70 folds
ChampSampson completes it to 200
wwonka69 calls 200
NewinNov calls 200
PirateLawyer calls 200
TuscaloosaJohn calls 150
Three low babies with a one-gap here and it appears from the upcards that I am favoured to lock up the low half of the pot if I can catch early on. If I can catch a 4 early on, I will have a powerful scoop opportunity.
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to ChampSampson [Kd] [Ts]
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc] [4d]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh] [6s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s] [Ac]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d] [8d]
PirateLawyer bets 200
BamBamCan has returned
TuscaloosaJohn calls 200
ChampSampson folds
wwonka69 calls 200
NewinNov calls 200
No need for finesse; I lead right out after catching the ace with a near-lock for the low if I improve - frankly I hope someone raises. I enjoy seeing this many calls.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc 4d] [7c]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh 6s] [2s]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac] [9s]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d 8d] [Ad]
PirateLawyer bets 400
TuscaloosaJohn calls 400
wwonka69 calls 400
NewinNov raises to 672, and is all in
PirateLawyer raises to 1,072
TuscaloosaJohn calls 221, and is all in
wwonka69 raises to 1,472
PirateLawyer calls 400
Stacks are short and the brick doesn’t scare me. I am determined to see showdown with so much dead money in the pot.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qc 4d 7c] [6c]
Dealt to NewinNov [Jh 6s 2s] [9h]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s] [5d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [3d 8d Ad] [6d]
PirateLawyer bets 96, and is all in
wwonka69 calls 96
PirateLawyer shows [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d]
TuscaloosaJohn shows [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d]
wwonka69 shows [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c]
NewinNov shows [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h]
I get the last of my chips in and I have to hit to stay alive. Sure enough, I’m drawing live for the low half and I have three fours out there for a scoop. I even have some alternate outs for the high half.
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to wwonka69 [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c] [Th]
Dealt to NewinNov [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h] [Js]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d] [7d]
Dealt to TuscaloosaJohn [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d] [Tc]
PirateLawyer shows [2d 3h 5s Ac 9s 5d 7d] a pair of Fives, for high and 7,5,3,2,A, for low
wwonka69 shows [Qh 5c Qc 4d 7c 6c Th] a pair of Queens, for high
wwonka69 wins high side pot #2 (896) with a pair of Queens
PirateLawyer wins low side pot #2 (896) with 7,5,3,2,A
NewinNov shows [6h 7h Jh 6s 2s 9h Js] two pair, Jacks and Sixes, for high
NewinNov wins high side pot #1 (77) with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
PirateLawyer wins low side pot #1 (76) with 7,5,3,2,A
TuscaloosaJohn shows [4h 7s 3d 8d Ad 6d Tc] Ace Ten high, for high and 7,6,4,3,A, for low
NewinNov wins the high main pot (2,262) with two pair, Jacks and Sixes
PirateLawyer wins the low main pot (2,262) with 7,5,3,2,A
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Stud8 exercise, part four
This hand demonstrates -- and this is not about the profitable result for your hero -- how and why you should push edges and generate a lot of dead money in low-level Stud8 games. In this situation, I had only been playing at this table for four hands until I picked up a premium hand, (2d3d)Ah. The bring-in, with a 2c showing, completed immediately. A 7c called. As did another player with the 2s as their upcard. With the ace showing and last to act, I took the conservative route and just called, since a lot of low cards were clearly out already and I was going to need a good card on 4th street to feel comfortable about continuing. Also, representing split aces would not get anyone to fold. Finally, if I caught good on 4th I was going to be able to generate an awful lot of dead money and a nice overlay to make my hand.
4th street was fairly strong:
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Villain 1 [7c] [2h]
Dealt to Villain 2 [2s] [6c]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3d Ah] [5d]
Dealt to Bring-In [2c] [3c]
I took the unorthodox route of check-calling. I have four clear outs to the wheel, 3 baby diamonds towards a flush, and the best low draw, but a lot of low cards are out there so it's not quite time to raise. I want to lurk until 5th street where I can make big bets.
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to Villain 1 [7c 2h] [4s]
Dealt to Villain 2 [2s 6c] [Kc]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3d Ah 5d] [8d]
Dealt to Bring-In [2c 3c] [Td]
PirateLawyer checks
Bring-In checks
Villain 1 bets $4
Villain 2 calls $4
PirateLawyer raises to $8
Bring-In calls $8
Villain 1 raises to $12
Villain 2 folds
PirateLawyer raises to $16
Bring-In calls $8
Villain 1 calls $4
And here the trap springs. Once I make an 8-low with a flush draw, and redraws to the wheel, boom! Nothing is stopping me from jamming the pot and my opponents co-operate by contributing lots of dead money. I'm not unhappy about two of my opponents capping it here with me as we go to 6th street.
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to Villain 1 [7c 2h 4s] [9d]
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3d Ah 5d 8d] [Kd]
Dealt to Bring-In [2c 3c Td] [9s]
PirateLawyer bets $4
Bring-In folds -- I'm happy to get headsup vs. one opponent, this dramatically increases my chances to scoop a monster pot
Villain 1 raises to $8
PirateLawyer raises to $12 -- automatic raise, if I'm not ahead for both halves of this pot I'm freerolling to improve to a better low.
Villain 1 calls $4
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [2d 3d Ah 5d 8d Kd] [5h]
PirateLawyer bets $4
Villain 1 calls $4
And the result? A fun scoop against Villain 1's unimproved rolled sevens, with a lot of dead money going along from with a low that never got there to boot. Note how many bets Mr. Bring-In contributed once he caught bad on 5th; I was able to get him in a truly horrible sandwich position with the co-operation of Villain 1. That is precious dead money you want to seek out and trap!
It is situations like these that you should seek to find and aggressively push your equity edge against the field.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
A standard DQB brag
Fun and profit. Enough said.
That'll help correct a recent downswing, to be sure. If only it had been at a higher stakes table ...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Stud8 exercise, part two
A good bankroll builder for me has been the low stakes Stud hi/lo games in poker online. Heck, even Waffles can win at them when he doesn't overplay pocket pairs!
Here's an exercise in value betting on later streets. I really find that experience and good judgment, properly applied, can lead to very important thin value bets to extract the maximum value from second-best hands. This is crucial to one's winrate especially as you move up in stakes.
Here's a good example where I have rolled up tens to begin the hand and bet unimproved into two scary low boards:
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s] [Ac]
Dealt to villain1 [4c 9d] [6s]
Dealt to villain2 [3d Qd] [3c]
Dealt to villain3 [3s As] [6h]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain1 folds
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s Ac] [Qc]
Dealt to villain2 [3d Qd 3c] [2c]
Dealt to villain3 [3s As 6h] [8c]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s Ac Qc] [Js]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [Js Td Ts 7s Ac Qc Tc] three of a kind, Tens, for high
villain2 mucks
villain3 mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot ($46.80) with three of a kind, Tens
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $48.80 | Rake $2
Seat 3: PirateLawyer showed [Js Td Ts 7s Ac Qc Tc] and won ($46.80) with HI: three of a kind, Tens
Seat 6: villain2 mucked [Qs 5c 3d Qd 3c 2c 4d] - HI: two pair, Queens and Threes
Seat 8: villain3 mucked [Ks Jd 3s As 6h 8c 9s] - HI: Ace King high
Here's an exercise in value betting on later streets. I really find that experience and good judgment, properly applied, can lead to very important thin value bets to extract the maximum value from second-best hands. This is crucial to one's winrate especially as you move up in stakes.
Here's a good example where I have rolled up tens to begin the hand and bet unimproved into two scary low boards:
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s] [Ac]
Dealt to villain1 [4c 9d] [6s]
Dealt to villain2 [3d Qd] [3c]
Dealt to villain3 [3s As] [6h]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain1 folds
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s Ac] [Qc]
Dealt to villain2 [3d Qd 3c] [2c]
Dealt to villain3 [3s As 6h] [8c]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to PirateLawyer [Td Tc Ts 7s Ac Qc] [Js]
villain2 checks
villain3 checks
PirateLawyer bets $4
villain2 calls $4
villain3 calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PirateLawyer shows [Js Td Ts 7s Ac Qc Tc] three of a kind, Tens, for high
villain2 mucks
villain3 mucks
PirateLawyer wins the pot ($46.80) with three of a kind, Tens
No low hand qualified
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $48.80 | Rake $2
Seat 3: PirateLawyer showed [Js Td Ts 7s Ac Qc Tc] and won ($46.80) with HI: three of a kind, Tens
Seat 6: villain2 mucked [Qs 5c 3d Qd 3c 2c 4d] - HI: two pair, Queens and Threes
Seat 8: villain3 mucked [Ks Jd 3s As 6h 8c 9s] - HI: Ace King high
Friday, October 10, 2008
Stud8 exercise
I had the opportunity to put in four bets on 7th street with this hand but chose to simply call a 3-bet by my opponent who'd been the bettor throughout. His final board read [7d 8s 7s] [5s] so I had some worries about flushes and full houses beating me for high.
Was I too timid with a very good two-way hand here headsup?
Answer: of course I was, I had a board lock for the low and should always put in four bets!
NB. Oh, and apparently rolled-up jacks can lose to buried nines that hit runner-runner-runner-runner straight. !$#@%$
I don't even want to guess those odds, given I could've filled up at any time to lockdown the hand.
Was I too timid with a very good two-way hand here headsup?
Answer: of course I was, I had a board lock for the low and should always put in four bets!
NB. Oh, and apparently rolled-up jacks can lose to buried nines that hit runner-runner-runner-runner straight. !$#@%$
I don't even want to guess those odds, given I could've filled up at any time to lockdown the hand.
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