A cautionary tale

I don't often get tricky, preferring the straightforward value game that works well at the low stakes, but here I took a line that mostly would have been better, if I wasn't doomswitched permanently at Stars.


PokerStars Game #22601595008: Tournament #124735199, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2008/12/03 21:36:27 ET
Table '124735199 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Doctor Roy (1130 in chips)
Seat 2: Tinman161 (1460 in chips)
Seat 3: Royal4000 (1450 in chips)
Seat 4: Lowery44 (1840 in chips)
Seat 5: dprickards (2080 in chips)
Seat 6: Merrillk25 (1460 in chips)
Seat 7: FR Vessant (1500 in chips)
Seat 8: Cheeks420 (1080 in chips)
Seat 9: mjs200x (1500 in chips)
dprickards: posts small blind 10
Merrillk25: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Ac Ks]
FR Vessant: raises 40 to 60

Straightforward raise.

Cheeks420: folds
mjs200x: folds
Doctor Roy: raises 140 to 200

Oh dear. I look the guy up though to see why he lost chips, and he looks pretty bad, but I'm not sure. Often, I'd just shove here, but I'm willing to see a flop and if it looks good, get it in.

Tinman161: folds
Royal4000: folds
Lowery44: folds
dprickards: folds
Merrillk25: folds
FR Vessant: calls 140
*** FLOP *** [9d 5h Ad]

That's a good flop. I think it's best to check here, because worse aces will all bet, but other hands might too.

FR Vessant: checks
Doctor Roy: checks

Boo.

*** TURN *** [9d 5h Ad] [9h]
FR Vessant: bets 200

So I bet, but that's a bit cute, and in retrospect I should have bet more. Still, I'm wanting to be called by the hand he actually has.

Doctor Roy: calls 200
*** RIVER *** [9d 5h Ad 9h] [Jh]
FR Vessant: bets 200

Arguably, this is bad, because he won't call with his mid pairs, but I'm hoping he will find it irresistible with AQ. Not sure about my reasoning there, and probably check/call is better.

Doctor Roy: raises 530 to 730 and is all-in
FR Vessant: calls 530

I obviously won't fold in this spot.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Doctor Roy: shows [Jc Jd] (a full house, Jacks full of Nines)

Jeezus. Well, he called with two outs on the turn, but you can't really blame him. These players are quite straightforward, and not betting the flop sort of says I don't have an ace (that's the point of it, of course), so it's possible his jacks are ahead.

***

Think I'm exaggerating about the doomswitch?

Think again:

PokerStars Game #22601984343: Tournament #124735652, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2008/12/03 21:52:00 ET
Table '124735652 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Omaha_RK (1805 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 2: thawdgharp (1640 in chips)
Seat 3: 9idiotwind (1690 in chips)
Seat 4: Rancklor (1330 in chips)
Seat 5: mcdramfan (625 in chips)
Seat 6: FR Vessant (1490 in chips)
Seat 7: Ryanbankn (660 in chips)
Seat 8: charitypro (2435 in chips)
Seat 9: TruePhoenix4 (1825 in chips)
mcdramfan: posts small blind 15
FR Vessant: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FR Vessant [Kd Jd]
Ryanbankn: raises 30 to 60
charitypro: folds
TruePhoenix4: folds
Omaha_RK: folds
thawdgharp: folds
9idiotwind: folds
Rancklor: folds
mcdramfan: calls 45
FR Vessant: calls 30

I call because I would limp this on the button and this guy is super bad.

*** FLOP *** [Jc 8d 6d]

Nice.

mcdramfan: checks
FR Vessant: bets 90

I bet, hoping to get action. I will obviously get it in with my pair, overcard and flush draw.

Ryanbankn: raises 510 to 600 and is all-in

Nice.

He has KQ. His play is just awful, on both streets. First, he should not even play KQ, let alone minraise it. Second, he should fold on the flop. He only has six outs vs top pair, and he's never going to make the average $10 player fold top pair with a push.

So he's dead to a queen.

mcdramfan: folds
FR Vessant: calls 510
*** TURN *** [Jc 8d 6d] [Ac]

Add two tens (not Td) to his outs and he's still a longshot...

*** RIVER *** [Jc 8d 6d Ac] [Ts]

Oh.