Mixers, 3/9/07

Last tune-up before the "important" tourney Saturday. 3 tables of about 7 people each. I was a little on edge from events throughout the day so I determined to really concentrate and play well. No limping in, no calls...raise or fold. No showing my hand. Make it a mystery.

I started out playing well. I raised, someone called. He raised on the flop despite missing it, he reraised, I folded. He had me beat, it was a good fold. I got nervous because I had lost the hand, almost shifted into defensive...then thought, no, I am going to play correctly.

Picked up pocket kings in the big blind. Lots of limpers, one raiser, I reraised, went heads up with same guy. I raised on the flop, he called. I knew I had him. I raised on the turn, he folded, I mucked. Leave it a mystery.

Got involved with same guy. I he raised, I reraised. Flop came, I raised, he called. Turn gave a straight draw to anyone with a 6. I checked, he went all-in. I went over the hand out loud. "You raised pre-flop...either paint or pocket pair. If paint you might have something like A-J, K/j, something like that. If you had a pocket pair you might have a set, if it was 6s you have the straight." I paused to guage his reaction. I can't say why but I know I was right, he had me, all I had was a pair of 8s. I folded and said, "Any of those will beat 2 pair." He was like, "I made you fold 2 pair? You were right, I had you...but how could you fold 2 pair?" It got me a lot of respect (even though it was a lie...)

Won a couple hands that were shown. Built chips. Big blind again. Under the gun raised, I had A/J suited and lots of chips so I reraised enough to put him all in if he called. To my surprise, a limper I know only raises with good hands, I figured pocket kings or queens, went over the top all in. My original target called. I had to think about it. I figured at this point they were both ahead but I had straight, flush, and high pair draws. I called. UTG flipped up A/Q off and the lady flipped up cowboys. Yep, I was behind. The flop paired my jack, the turn gave me trips, and to rub salt in their wounds the river gave me the ace for the boat. I got in with the worst hand but got out way ahead.

Quick note: it has not been too long since I finished reading Doyle Brunson's Super System II; Power Poker and he pointed out he often gets in with the worst hand because he has paid for that one by picking up lots of small pots. Hmm. It worked. I had picked up a couple with stone cold bluffs, once with A/Q suited with a flop of rags and once with 2/3 off. Those had paid for this gamble...and when it hit I was dominating the table, chip wise.

A few hands later another solid player who rarely raises but when she does you figure her for pairs raised. A guy called, I looked down at pocket aces and reraised putting her all in. My chip stack grew.

Finally we collapsed to the final table. Dee and I had about 20,000 chips each, noone else more than 3 or 4 thousand. And then it started; I got in with pocket 9s against an A/4. And he hit the Ace on the river to stay alive. Got in with K/J suited against 2 undercards. He hit one to stay alive.

Got in a hand where under the gun raised, I put him on king or ace and rag, reraised, he called. On the flop, pair of medium cards and longshot straight draw if someone had something like he went all in. I looked at the flop, decided he had nothing and remembered our earlier confrontation where he thought I laid down 2 pair. I called with a pair of 4s. He blanched. "Good call" he said and flipped up Ace/9 off. I had him. We both knew it. Then he spiked the 9 on the river. Great call...but costly.

It kept going. Against an all-in I called with pocket 7s. She had an overcard and it hit on the smurfing river. We were all laughing by now. All in all I went in 8 times with the best hand...and lost every one. My once huge chip pile got down to about 4000.

I picked up pocket 3s. I went all in. 2 callers, then Dee went all in to get rid of him. We flipped them up. She had 2 overs, a 9/q. I had the best hand. I put on my coat. She flopped the straight. I shook hands and made my way out the door.