Hands

Here's one I played super badly.

PokerStars Game #17880604960: Tournament #90690102, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2008/06/03 - 01:41:02 (ET)
Table '90690102 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 2: lowstackzac (1490 in chips)
Seat 3: papamig2 (1480 in chips)
Seat 4: JKM124 (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: nalbax (3030 in chips)
Seat 6: FR Vessant (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: DaRamsFan (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: CrazyJZ 01 (1500 in chips)
Seat 9: Double BID (1500 in chips)
papamig2: posts small blind 10
JKM124: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Td Ts]
nalbax: folds
FR Vessant: raises 40 to 60

Standard raise although I've been tending to put more in.

DaRamsFan: folds
CrazyJZ 01: folds
Double BID: folds
lowstackzac: folds
papamig2: folds
JKM124: calls 40

No reads or anything on this guy so I'm assuming he's calling pretty wide.

*** FLOP *** [4c 8h 5c]

I should be way ahead on this flop.

JKM124: bets 130

That's a big bet. Usually, I'd raise here and I should have done in this instance.

FR Vessant: calls 130

Very weak. Maybe playing a bit gun shy.

*** TURN *** [4c 8h 5c] [6d]
JKM124: bets 190

That card likely did not improve his hand and his bet is reasonably weak too. Having missed a bet on the flop, I should definitely put one in here.

FR Vessant: calls 190

but no. I have decided to call it down. I will not be folding the river unless it's really really bad.

*** RIVER *** [4c 8h 5c 6d] [6c]

Well, that's pretty bad, but I don't think you can put him on a 6. The flush is possible but if he has it, I guess I'm paying it off.



JKM124: bets 350
FR Vessant: calls 350
*** SHOW DOWN ***
JKM124: shows [8d Jh] (two pair, Eights and Sixes)
FR Vessant: shows [Td Ts] (two pair, Tens and Sixes)

They really do bet TPNK as though it was AA sometimes. This is why you shouldn't be too scared of bets and should not fold overpairs often.


***

Now check this out for weird.

Villain is a complete idiot. He's played every hand and will call with literally nothing.

PokerStars Game #17880705454: Tournament #90690187, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2008/06/03 - 01:49:23 (ET)
Table '90690187 1' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 2: learch1234 (2290 in chips)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (3800 in chips)
Seat 4: Leonites300 (1270 in chips)
Seat 5: jimmyc4 (1410 in chips)
Seat 6: BLUF18 (560 in chips)
Seat 7: jcplouf (1090 in chips)
Seat 8: wickedchops (1600 in chips)
Seat 9: Freewill1978 (1480 in chips)
Freewill1978: posts small blind 10
learch1234: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ah Ks]
FR Vessant: raises 60 to 80
Leonites300: folds
jimmyc4: folds
BLUF18: calls 80

As usual, BLUF18 calls.

jcplouf: folds
wickedchops: folds
Freewill1978: folds
learch1234: folds
*** FLOP *** [Tc Js 7h]

This is a decent flop for AK if you are going to miss one. Villain will not often fold, so I could just check, but I am afraid that he will bet if I do, and it will be more than I want to call. So I put in a probe bet, I guess.

FR Vessant: bets 100
BLUF18: calls 100

Of course. In hindsight, checking was much better. He probably does bet though.

*** TURN *** [Tc Js 7h] [Ts]
FR Vessant: checks
BLUF18: bets 60
FR Vessant: calls 60

Can't fold to that weak bet. He can have something or nothing here.

*** RIVER *** [Tc Js 7h Ts] [2h]
FR Vessant: checks
BLUF18: bets 120
FR Vessant: calls 120

Against nearly all players, I'd give up here, but this guy is retarded enough to have bluffed. Probably not often enough to make this a call, I suppose.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
BLUF18: shows [Th 3d] (three of a kind, Tens)

wat. Even in BLUF's world, that was a baaad call pre. His flop call is okay, obviously, because I miss that more than I hit it and he has middle pair. With his short stack, there's something to be said for shoving though. He bets the turn too small, I think. I have implied odds to hit my straight against his hand, because he'll certainly pay me off with what he has. On the river, he accidentally makes a decent value bet.

***

But this was better. If you're wondering why you play small pairs, here's why:

PokerStars Game #17880810897: Tournament #90689872, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/06/03 - 01:58:22 (ET)
Table '90689872 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: plfellows (1390 in chips)
Seat 2: jerseyru702 (1755 in chips)
Seat 3: killjoy247 (3280 in chips)
Seat 4: CrazyJZ 01 (3115 in chips)
Seat 5: FR Vessant (1690 in chips)
Seat 8: dwiele (1320 in chips)
Seat 9: AltarInUrBox (950 in chips)
killjoy247: posts small blind 25
CrazyJZ 01: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [5s 5d]
FR Vessant: calls 50

Many players fold here, but this table has played much more aggro postflop than pre.

dwiele: folds
AltarInUrBox: folds
plfellows: folds
jerseyru702: folds
killjoy247: calls 25
CrazyJZ 01: checks
*** FLOP *** [Kd Td 5c]
killjoy247: bets 500


This is a ridiculous overbet. There's only 150 in the pot. Obviously I will be continuing with the hand.

Sometimes you can just call with a set, but there are too reasons not to here. First, a very likely hand for him is Ad5d because the overbet is rarely a particularly strong hand. Ad5d has a lot of outs against top pair. I probably don't want to give him a "free" card. I dunno. More importantly, the rest of his range is a scared two pair/top pair hand and having put in this many chips, he will quite likely call off another K with a lot of that.

CrazyJZ 01: folds
FR Vessant: raises 1140 to 1640 and is all-in
killjoy247: calls 1140

And he does. He has KJ. A modest bet would have been okay for him, but his huge bet is stupid. It's conceivable that I will go crazy with a flush draw but mostly anything that is interested in that flop after he bets is very likely to beat TPJK.

*** TURN *** [Kd Td 5c] [4d]
*** RIVER *** [Kd Td 5c 4d] [Kh]

No way back from there.


***

No need to get excited or to start thinking we're running well, but this didn't hurt.

PokerStars Game #17880935046: Tournament #90690137, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2008/06/03 - 02:09:18 (ET)
Table '90690137 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: SparkyBet (2270 in chips)
Seat 2: dkmgmc (1795 in chips)
Seat 3: Banana_in_PJ (1375 in chips)
Seat 4: FR Vessant (1550 in chips)
Seat 5: Scorsese102 (2725 in chips)
Seat 6: Fishbitten2 (1300 in chips)
Seat 7: Smooth 1176 (825 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 8: wolfcal (1660 in chips)
dkmgmc: posts small blind 25
Banana_in_PJ: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qc Qd]
FR Vessant: raises 100 to 150

Standard raise at this level.

Scorsese102: folds
Fishbitten2: folds
Smooth 1176: folds
wolfcal: folds
SparkyBet: folds
dkmgmc: folds
Banana_in_PJ: raises 350 to 500

That's often a big pair. It's a raise I can call, not a shove.

Smooth 1176 has returned
FR Vessant: raises 1050 to 1550 and is all-in

But I am not going to credit an unknown with a big hand just because they repop.

Banana_in_PJ: calls 875 and is all-in

Whoops. He shows AA.

Uncalled bet (175) returned to FR Vessant
*** FLOP *** [Td 5d 2h]
*** TURN *** [Td 5d 2h] [Qh]

Niiiiice.

*** RIVER *** [Td 5d 2h Qh] [7d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Banana_in_PJ: shows [Ah As] (a pair of Aces)
FR Vessant: shows [Qc Qd] (three of a kind, Queens)


I did get KK cracked straight afterwards though, to restore the balance. And then on another table, I had K4 in the BB on a QJT flop. I had 800 chips after posting the blind and when someone bet 200 I didn't feel like surrendering my equity. I should have done. It was borderline retarded to push. He had QJ and I didn't improve. I'd make more money if I didn't translate "play tough" into "dicksize the fuckers".


***

I think I'm tilting a bit because I have been playing weakly. This morning I missed a lot of BvB shoves because I "felt" they would be called light. No reason to think that beyond having been called light a few times, and running into a few biggies too. So, at last, a BvB shove that worked.

PokerStars Game #17881062806: Tournament #90689887, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/06/03 - 02:20:59 (ET)
Table '90689887 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: PapaD!ddyPop (5975 in chips)
Seat 2: fbron25 (1300 in chips)
Seat 3: FR Vessant (1285 in chips)
Seat 4: Cleetuz (2040 in chips)
Seat 5: smack36 (1465 in chips)
Seat 6: RugbySteve2 (1435 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 75
Cleetuz: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Th Jc]
smack36: folds
RugbySteve2: folds
PapaD!ddyPop: folds
fbron25: folds
FR Vessant: raises 1135 to 1285 and is all-in

Less than 10BB, easy shove.

Cleetuz: calls 1135

Whoops. He has AQ.

*** FLOP *** [5s 2d 9h]
*** TURN *** [5s 2d 9h] [Jh]

Yay me!

*** RIVER *** [5s 2d 9h Jh] [8d]


Not playing all that well this afternoon, but not going too badly. Lost with AQ to KK, but then sucked out against JJ with the same hand.

Check this out though:

PokerStars Game #17881147419: Tournament #90690187, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/06/03 - 02:29:08 (ET)
Table '90690187 1' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 3: FR Vessant (3430 in chips)
Seat 5: jimmyc4 (4680 in chips)
Seat 7: jcplouf (660 in chips)
Seat 9: Freewill1978 (4730 in chips)
Freewill1978: posts small blind 75
FR Vessant: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Qh As]
jimmyc4: folds
jcplouf: folds
Freewill1978: raises 150 to 300

He's been quite aggro so I could push here. I decide to take a flop though because he might be retarded enough to call with something like KJ.

FR Vessant: calls 150
*** FLOP *** [2s 9s Js]
Freewill1978: bets 300
FR Vessant: calls 300

I'm obviously not folding. I have the nut flush draw and most likely the best hand.

*** TURN *** [2s 9s Js] [6d]
Freewill1978: checks
FR Vessant: checks

I am sure that I have the best hand. He took a stab and now he gives up. I check behind because I have no pair and want to keep it small. Betting would be okay, but he could just about call with a pair and that would be awkward.

*** RIVER *** [2s 9s Js 6d] [6c]
Freewill1978: bets 600
FR Vessant: calls 600

I'm not folding though. His hand can't have got better and this is just a bluff a lot of the time.
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Freewill1978: shows [Ad 5d] (a pair of Sixes)
FR Vessant: shows [Qh As] (a pair of Sixes - Ace+Queen kicker)
FR Vessant collected 2400 from pot

Nice.

Sadly, at another table, I snap off a shove with AJ and I'm dominating A7, but he rivers a 7 to cripple me. So the luck is not really better, just up and down.

***

This is bad:

PokerStars Game #17881228119: Tournament #90690187, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2008/06/03 - 02:37:11 (ET)
Table '90690187 1' 9-max Seat #9 is the button
Seat 3: FR Vessant (3355 in chips)
Seat 5: jimmyc4 (3285 in chips)
Seat 9: Freewill1978 (6860 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
jimmyc4: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [As 3s]
Freewill1978: raises 400 to 600

He's been raising a LOT.

FR Vessant: raises 2755 to 3355 and is all-in

But this is far too loose, I think. I suppose I am ahead of his range, but probably not by enough to risk my equity here.

jimmyc4: folds
Freewill1978: calls 2755

He has 99.

*** FLOP *** [Th Ac 8c]

Yay.

*** TURN *** [Th Ac 8c] [9c]

Booooo.

*** RIVER *** [Th Ac 8c 9c] [7c]


***

And retards still win the day:

PokerStars Game #17881249989: Tournament #90690102, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2008/06/03 - 02:39:25 (ET)
Table '90690102 1' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 4: JKM124 (9190 in chips)
Seat 5: nalbax (2665 in chips)
Seat 6: FR Vessant (1645 in chips)
FR Vessant: posts small blind 100
JKM124: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Tc As]
nalbax: folds
FR Vessant: raises 1445 to 1645 and is all-in
JKM124: calls 1445

He has 98s. I don't like his call. He's basically always behind, and losing a fair bit of equity. He has a big stack but that doesn't really mean that you should make bad calls. It's not really worth it to knock out other players. Let them knock themselves out.

*** FLOP *** [9s Jd 2d]

But why not when you can get lucky lucky lucky.

*** TURN *** [9s Jd 2d] [5s]
*** RIVER *** [9s Jd 2d 5s] [5d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
FR Vessant: shows [Tc As] (a pair of Fives)
JKM124: shows [8c 9c] (two pair, Nines and Fives)
JKM124 collected 3290 from pot
JKM124 said, "gg"


I told him to fuck off. Don't tell people gg when you make a really atrocious play and suck out. It makes them angry. Actually, don't chat at all. I don't know why I do it. It helps me not tilt but it's not making me feel good about poker or myself.

***

Just to top it off. This guy has been superaggro throughout heads up but he hasn't actually made any money. He's pretty exploitable. Most superaggro guys are. They steal a lot of blinds but they also pay you handsomely when you have something.

PokerStars Game #17881366671: Tournament #90690137, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2008/06/03 - 02:51:40 (ET)
Table '90690137 1' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: SparkyBet (8195 in chips)
Seat 4: FR Vessant (5305 in chips)
SparkyBet: posts the ante 25
FR Vessant: posts the ante 25
SparkyBet: posts small blind 200
FR Vessant: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [9s As]

This is the first hand at t400 and I'm delighted. I'm getting it in without any question. There's no point playing it slow with 13BB.

SparkyBet: raises 800 to 1200
FR Vessant: raises 4080 to 5280 and is all-in

Easy push. I will have the best hand nearly always.
SparkyBet: calls 4080

Horrible. He has Q7. This is just a terrible call. His raise in the first place is dodgy, but it's okay if I'm folding a lot, which I am. You can't call the shove though. That's just awful.

It's okay to gamble sometimes. If you're saying to yourself: I'm very short and have to gamble, well fair enough. If you're saying, I am getting great odds and this won't hurt much, that's okay (note that the bigstack who called with 98s was not getting great odds at all and his call sucked a shitton against anything I could realistically be shoving there).

*** FLOP *** [Kc 5c Jd]
*** TURN *** [Kc 5c Jd] [3d]
*** RIVER *** [Kc 5c Jd 3d] [Qd]

Fucking doomswitch.

So I scored one second and three thirds from six. It's okay, but I deserved better and it's those kind of tourneys that really cut into your winnings. I had my fair share of luck but no more in the earlier running (sucking out on QQ and AQ pretty much evens out with the big hands I lost -- and anyway, how can it be lucky to run into Ax when you shove BvB?) Would have liked to win one (this last one would have been reasonable), but meh. Onwards and upwards.