The "almost" hammer

Felicia and I have been going to the Rio for hot WSOP action! Actually, in terms of the NLHE games, the competition has been tougher than last year at the 2/5 tables. One table I was at for only a couple hands, when the dealer remarked, "Wow, we're actually going to see a flop!” Um, “table change!!” Before I did though, I was finally the recipient of the "tourists" money.

First hand at this tight table I was dealt QQ. There was one UTG limper (the tourist), the SB completed, and when I found QQ, I made it 25 more. UTG called, SB folded, so I got to play HU. Now, Felicia and I had a discussion yesterday about having an over pair flop and to still bet out sometimes. She says she doesn't even look at the flop, just at the person and fires according to the read she is getting (as well as the player). The reason for this discussion is that TWICE yesterday, I walked into a game and got QQ first hand. I know, now this is 3 times! Amazing.

Some background: One of the tables from the previous day that I got the QQ first hand, an Ace flopped and the person that called me had a deep stack. I figured he was a tight player and that he must be sportin' an Ace if he called me. Well, of course it didn't occur to me that he could just be a loose player that has gotten lucky. I checked the flop, checked the turn when a King showed (now 2 over cards). He finally bet the river when another K showed, and I called to look him up: KTo. So much for his being a tight player. Loose that's gotten lucky. I, of course, hated the wimpy way I played it (“lift up your skirt” as they say) and Felicia gave me good advice for the future.

Back to our regularly scheduled program: When we left, our hero had raised his villainous limpers from the Big Blind with a solid pocket pair of Queens. The traitorous tourist called - no respect for our hero – while the small blind slips away, folding his cards and fading into the background like the slug he is.

The flop, of course, comes K-high, but I'm watching the tourist and he doesn't seem overly interested, so I plug out 40 into the 65$ pot. He hems and haws and finally folds. I asked him (conspiratorially, like, Mike Caro says to make friends with the guy on the left, while declaring war with the one on the right), "You didn't have a King, did you?” He says, "no QTs." "Oh, I had pocket Queens, you didn't want a Queen", I informed him. “I was looking for diamonds”, was his plea. Action! Gotta love it :)

It was a few hands after this the dealer made his comment about there being a flop. I didn't correct him about the first hand that I sat down. But it was a tight table. I recalled how the previous day someone said that they folded QQ against me on a 9-high flop after I raised in early position with KK. I guess I bet too much! –grin- Either way, I don’t want to be playing with people that will muck a premium over pair! Eeeck!

After the dealer’s remark of the tightness of the table, I was going to leave with my whole 20$ win from that first hand, when I got AQ UTG and raised it. The BB, who just suffered a beat, called and we saw a flop of 89J and he slightly over-bets the pot and I let him have it. But now, I was down $5. I thought, "Now I have to see if I can get it back". LOL

In my SB, there are SIX limpers. WOW. I see 73s, and complete with the great pot odds. Didn't think about it until later that with that many limpers on a tight table, I bet there's a profusion of high cards in people's hands. Anyway, the flop comes 753 and I bet 25, almost the pot. The tourist calls and all others fold. I'm wondering if he has some kind of 7. He didn’t raise, so I didn't put him on the straight. I bet out in the first place wondering if someone might come over the top with an over-pair, in case you're wondering why I bet it ;)

On the turn, I get a good card of a 3, giving me a boat. I check, he bets 25, I check-raise 100. He calls! Now if it was any of the other players, I might be worried about a set of 5's, not to mention that they have deeper stacks for me to loose more against, but I notice that he's only got 25 or so left (had some white in his stack), so I bet 30 blind. He called and I show my 73soooted (an almost hammer); he mucks and leaves.

And I was going to get up from the table! -grin-

Posted by Glenn