When Big Pockets go south

Started out with 4 bucks playing 5/10. The plan was to play tight, mostly set-mine. Raise 7+ from early, any pair from middle, call up to 30 cents in middle or later with about any pair. Raise Big Slick, A/Qs from middle or later, A/Jo from late. Everything else is a fold.

And the very first hand, pick up the cowboys in the big blind. UTG has 7.15 and bumps to .30, folded to me. Some players, better than me, would flat-call here. I do not because I tend to hold the hand too long…I would rather win .35 pre-flop (his raise + the blind) than play a hand out of position, particularly if an Ace flops.

I re-pop to .95, he calls. There is about 2 bucks in there, I have 3.05. The flop comes down Jc/9d/3c. The correct play here is to bet half the pot and shove the turn.

I have gotten drawn out on a lot lately and was feeling puckish. I decided it was going to cost him to draw out. Realizing Jacks were in his hand range but not much else I was not ahead of, I went ahead and went all-in. He folded.

I do not know if I like how I played the hand or not. I am really only getting called by MAYBE A/J, queens, aces, or a set. I guess some weak players would call on the flush draw, but they would be getting bad odds.

At the same time, it adversely affects my play when someone with some trash like a suited 10/7 sticks around and hits runner-runner. It should not bother me…I want to face those hands in this situation and have them call. But it has felt like I was running into that a lot lately…so take the .87 pick-up and move to the next hand.

2 folds later, I break my plan, opening to .20 from under the gun. A middle position player with 6.98 calls, as does the big blind with 24.66.

The flop is ugly, Ks/10d/8d. Many times I continuation bet here, having raised pre-flop. But on this board…K/Q, K/J, K/10, Q/J, Q/10, J/10, 7/8 suited, 9/10 suited as well as a variety of A/x suited that include an 8 or 10 all are well in the range of hands here. At the moment the only hands I am ahead of are things like A/Q, A/J, pocket treys.

It is checked around. If a baby falls on the turn I will take a stab at it…but it is the Jh. The big blind bets the pot and I fold.

I am quite happy with that outcome. I saw a speculative hand cheaply, did not send good chips after bad, and folded on a dangerous board. I am showing improvement.

3 folds later I pick up pocket 9s in early middle. I raise 3 times the blinds and everyone folds. Just the type of result I like on speculative hands.

6 folds later I have 4.72 and bump it to .30 from under the gun. A middle position guy with $8 calls as does the button with 4.78.

The flop is pretty decent, Qs/Jd/7h. I am ahead of lots of reasonable holdings such as A/Q, A/J, Q/J, medium pockets, and behind sets. I bet the pot…and they both call.

The first call does not bother me…the over-call does. Time to tread cautiously. The 3s falls on the turn.

Now, I have to believe one of the opponents has a set…but for whatever reason, I convince myself one has the queen, the other the jack, and shove. I see a re-raise call in and call, and they flip up pocket queens and jack ten.

Neither hand surprises me, and the J/10 was exactly the type hand I was hoping to see. But I played like a complete tool and, when a ten fell on the river, ended with the third best hand.

If there was just one caller on the flop a shove might be good here…but against 2 callers, the Aces are drawing thin. It requires discipline to lay them down…discipline I did not show.
I played poorly and I paid for it.

That is definitely a hole in my game. I need to stop over-valuing big pairs and recognize the prevalence of sets in Rush poker.