5/22/06

It was my friend's birthday so we trekked to this underground poker place which we never usually go to. We came early so we were playing pool because there was only one table doing 10/20. They were going to have a sit and go for 500 so I signed up. Well, I lost that and moved to the 10/20 ring game, seat 10. The lady that just stood up from that seat was still fuming about the bad beats she got from that seat. I was like "perfect, now its my turn to deal some."

Mind you, the game was 10/20. As usual I raise to 60 UTG with 85o and everyone calls, except for the person in seat 7, who bets 1200 pre-flop. Actually seat 7 got another player to play for him, a friend of mine who usually plays at the biggest tables in town, one of the big table players (BTP). So I'm like, "What's up with that dude? 1,200 pre-flop in a 10/20 game?" Of course I call, kinda seething about that type of BS. I just bought in for 1k and only had 830 in chips left at this point, so I called with my 830. He flips over AKo and I flip over my 85. Wouldn't you know it, the flop came T-9-5 and with the board finishing up Q-4, I just dealt a BBS to one of the BTP.
BBS Served

Analysis - My only true concern was that he had an overpair, because experience has shown that overpairs are hard to come back from but as it was I was just a 65/35 underdog, easy for me. Post flop, I was way ahead 75% chance to win from that point and with the Q on the turn, giving him an inside straight draw, kept him afloat at 23% chance to win. A blank on the turn would have pushed him lower, to only about 13% chance to win at that point.

So I was kinda marked as a wild player by those who never saw me play before. Looking down at 76o I raise it again to 60 and now everyone calls. The flop comes 9-8-7 with two clubs so I decide to try to take down the pot that that point, betting 300 (in a 10/20 game) and wouldnt you know it, I had one called in seat 1 (more on him later) and seat 7 goes bezerk again, going all-in. Now I know its not his money, and the person whose money it is, we really don't care too much about, so maybe he's throwing that guy's money away just to spite him. I call and so does seat 1. Wouldn't you know it, they had A6h and A4h, taking away seat 7's straight draw, we could tie but he couldn't win outright with a T or a 5. The board ended up K-K and I won my next big hand in a span of ten minutes and the once-healthy stack of the guy was reduced to a molehill.
BBS Served.

Analysis - Preflop I was behind the A6h but on equal footing with the A4o. Post flop, I was very ahead at 70% chance to win at that point with A6h only 19% chance to win and A4 at 11%. When the K hit the board I increased my advantage to 85% and they needed a miracle to win.

As the night progressed, seat 7 gave back the seat (and the stack) to the owner and I was involved with some discussion with seat 1. After calling a bet on the river, I didn't make my straight, he showed his hand and I mucked it. He insisted on asking for my cards. I told him that I mucked it already but he persisted. So I taught the dealer how to show a called hand. Put the called hand aside, push the pot to the winner, collect the board and the other cards, tap the called hand to the muck and show the hand. At that point, there is no pot to contest and no board to compare it to. I just was very pissed.

Looking down on pocket threes, I managed my best not to go hog wild and only raise 3xBB, which everyone called anyways. But with the flop coming 8-3-2, I was in very good shape. I bet 300 and only seat one calls. With the 2 coming off the turn, my thoughts were on him having pocket 2's. Chances of him having pocket 8's and not going hog wild was very slim and I knew he didn't have it. I bet 800 and he calls. The turn gave a 7 and I go all-in which he calls, and my sinking feeling went out the window when I tured over my pocket 3's and he turned over A4. WTF? What a chump, but as one of my favorite pros said, never tap the aquarium. Another BTP comes in and we're really going to town with these fishes. It was kinda late and I had to leave to go home. I told the BTP, we're never going to get invited here again. I mean look at this, and I wave my hand around the room, I've never seen so much fish and we just took a huge chunk of their money.

Game Result - 3500
Running Total - 18,560