I can’t complain about the hands last night. I had more than enough to play. It was the kind of night for weird hands – good beats and bad beats with unlikely draws.
On the third hand I limped in with A-7. The flop was 7-7-6. With a set of 7s and the best kicker, it was time to milk the pot. I bet medium and got one caller. On the turn he checked, I bet medium, he called me. On the river he bet out first. I came over the top with a large raise. He re-raised me. Sucker. I called him. He turned over 7-6, he had flopped a full house. Son of a… I was very short-stacked already. I played aggressively the next hour. I made a little progress but eventually got caught. I rebought.
At 50-100, I had A-A in the small blind. I did a standard raise to 300. The big blind called me, everyone else folded. The flop was an innocent looking J-5-2. I plopped in 500. He dithered and came over the top with a bet of 2,000. Hm. He could have two pair. Or a set. Or pure bluffing. There were two clubs out there, maybe he’s semi-bluffing with a flush draw. Hm. Ah, I can’t fold this. I went all in, another 2,900. He called and turned over 5-2 for two pair. I was surprised he had called my pre-flop raise with that, but that’s how it goes. Lady luck was smiling on me. The turn card was another Jack. That counterfeited him. (That means that his pair of 2s didn’t matter anymore – he now had two pair of Jacks and 5s, whereas I had Aces and Jacks.) The river card of a jack, giving me a full house, was just to rub it in.
As we combined into one table I was in the chip lead with one other player. We had started with 14 players. We were down to 10 and I had about five times my starting stack (~12,000). An hour later we were down to five players and I had about the same – so things had evened out a bit.
At 300-600 I have K-A. I raise it to 2,000 and get one caller. The flop is Q-x-x. I continue to push with another 2,000. He calls. I suspect he has the Queen. The turn is a blank. I check. This time he puts in 2,000. Hm. He probably has me beat. I have about 6,000 left, it costs me a lot to call. I only have six outs. On the other hand, it costs me 2,000 to pick up 12,000+. What the heck, I call. The river is an Ace. I bet another 2,000 and he is already cursing as he is forced to call and see me take almost all his money.
The very next hand I limp in as the small blind with 9-10 suited. It’s raised and I call. The flop is 9-7-3. With top pair I put in a generous bet. The same player from last hand goes all-in with his remaining stack. It’s only 1,400 more and I have to call him. He had pocket 8s, my 9s take him down. I don’t think he’s going to talk to me for a week.
Now we’re down to the final three. I am the big stack. The player to my right is an interesting one. He’s fairly new to Texas Hold’em, but he knows poker in general. It’s now getting late and he’s been making noises about how he needs to get home. The week I was out he needed to go home early also. He went all-in three times in a row and won each time. He was in 5th place and just walked away from the table. So I figure he’s going to be playing any two cards.
At 500-1000 I raise preflop with A-10. He goes all in. It’s not much more and I have a good hand and I expect him to go all-in with weak hands, so I call. He has K-x. He flops his king and doubles up. He now has a little bit more than me. Grr.
The next hand I have pocket 9s. I put in a raise, he calls. The flop is A-7-4 and he goes all-in. Argh. Does he have the Ace? I think he has the Ace. But maybe not. A fold here knocks me down to short stack at the table. Ah, heck, I call. He has an ace. I end up knocked out in 3rd place and a $26 profit on the night.
See my standings here.