Set it up

Decided to step down for a bit and play some 2/5. Started playing 2 tables with 2 bucks on each, on one table was down to 1.07 and on the other up to 2.27. On the table with 2.27 I open utg with a min-raise to .10 with pocket fives, hoping to see a cheap flop.

UTG+1 calls with 3.47, the button comes along with 11.06, the small blind completes with 3.08 and the four of us take the flop.


I like the 6c/Kd/5c. Someone playing a suited King or something like K/Q or K/J hit this, I will also probably get action from any flush draw. I am not particularly nervous about pocket Kings based on pre-flop action, and if someone has pocket 6s, I am getting stacked.

The sb checks, I continuation bet .25 cents, UTG+1 click-raises to .50, a fold, the small blind calls.

So now there is about 1,60 in the pot, I have 1.88 left and am probably ahead. I want to get it in while I have the lead and with this much interest, they are almost guaranteed to call. I re-pop all in.

The utg+1 flat calls it, then the small blind re-raises all in.

About this point I get the sinking feeling I am on the wrong end of set over set, and the other guy is most likely a flush draw, possible the OTHER set in a sick cooler, or maybe just a bad player sticking around with a weak King or 2 pair or even something goofy like an open ended straight draw.

UTG+1 calls…I am surprised to see the red pocket rockets, he mis-played them horribly. And the big blind is all in…with that goofy 7h/8d straight draw. I show my set and start hoping.

The turn is the 10c, the river the Jc. The Aces win the 1.51 side pot and my set pulls in 6.50. Nice….almost a triple up.

I almost quit for the night but decide to keep playing. It is a weird night where almost every raise I put in faces a monstrous re-raise so I tighten up for a while, win a couple pots, lose a couple and notice a few times I am folded to in the big blind so loosen up again.

After a while UTG open limps with 7., utg+ 1 and 2 call with 2.81 and 1.56, a fold, and in middle position I look down at As/Qh. Now, often I fold here, but this time I just sense weakness and think I can take the pot uncontested so I raise to .35. It is folded back to the last guy who called and he again flat-calls.

I start thinking about what he could have. Big pairs, big slick are out. It feels like a drawing hand that got big eyes at the size of the pot. Suited connectors, suited ace, small to medium pair…nothing bigger than 7s or 8s I think.


The flop is 9c/6h/4d, he checks, I bet .40 expecting to either take it down or face a re-raise all in. He flat calls it. I am confused. The turn is the 5h, he checks.

A lot of times people will pride-call the first bet, but fold to the second bet. He has .81 left, I bet .80 expecting him to fold…and he calls.

The river is the 2h, he bets his last penny. Having badly mis-read him and mis-played the hand, the bet is so ridiculous there is no way I am not calling it. I expect to see him turn over a straight or set of 6s or even something like A/9 and I am kicking myself for giving away 15 BB with A/Q…

Until he shows the 10d/Jc.

I have made some pretty bad plays…but his might top every bad play I have ever made. All he could beat was an 8 high bluff. Literally. And he stacked off with Jack high.


After a while I Have 6.87 and pick up Ac/Jc. I open to .15 in middle position, the big blind calls with 5. And we see the flop heads up. I have seen this guy betting huge with some pretty marginal holdings.

The flop is 4c/9s/6d. Probably missed up both. He takes his time, checks, I bet .25 expecting a call and bet on the turn. He almost runs out of time and then calls.

The turn is the Jd, he takes his time and checks. I bet .55 and he check-click raises. I believe he is on total air and have a choice. I am not folding here…but do I re-raise all in or flat call and see how the river looks?

Though I think he is loose and could have a hand as bad as 5/8, even loose, wild players can have something like pocket 4s. If the river is dangerous, I can fold there if he bets all in but I think he will check the river with a strong holding and bet with a weak one. If I go all in, he is calling here…and I am not sure the risk is worthwhile. After all, my hand is just top/top. I flat.

The river is the 4d. That actually hit’s a fair number of hands he could have…Q/4 suited+, and diamond suited hand, etc. At the same time….it misses a lot of hands, too.

He bets 1 buck into a pot of over three bucks. I think I have him but am not so sure that I am willing to put him all in so I flat call and he shows Js/Qh. I pull down a nice 4.69 pot with a pretty marginal hand.



I hover around between 8 and 9 bucks for a while, am thinking about quitting, and should have.

With 8.79 I pick up Qs/Qh. Middle position open limps with 4.66, the next seat raises to .30 with 1.36.

I see (and use) this move a lot…when I am middle or later and people have shown weakness, I widen my range and will re-raise with a pretty wide range expecting to take down the pot. Against a wide range like that, I want to get heads up, so I raise the pot, 1.02. Everyone folds except the raiser who re-raises all in. The .34 cents is an easy call.

Unfortunately, he had a legit hand…pocket kings, and when the flop brings another, I take a hit.



I play a couple more hands and end with more than a double up of what I put in, satisfied overall. In the same situation, I play the queens the same way…I trusted my reads all night, this time he had a better than expected hand. If he has a bigger stack and re-pops, I think I lay the Queens down so that tells me I am improving again.