Hand by Hand 10; Achieving the goal

Here is a weird little play. UTG times out, utg+1 limps with 3.78, a couple folds, the hi-jack bumps it to .15 with 2.90, I fold the Qd/8h on the button, the small blind shoves his last 1.14 and gets a call from the limper.

If I am in the hand I give the shove 4/4+, maybe a suited Ace, A/10+. I give the caller 9/9+, A/Q+, and so forth. Or the original raiser could show Kd.Jc and be facing a call from Ad/7h.

I really do not have words to describe that. I think I am still a sub-par ring game player. I am working hard to figure out what I am doing wrong. But my quality is outstanding compared to these two guys…

I will, of course, open from the button with 6h/7h. I am not unhappy when they fold and I pick up the blinds.

I then make an unusual fold. UTG takes time, then raises to .30, a whopping 6 times the blinds. This screams either weakness or Aces. He has 7.33. I have 14.39, pocket 3s, and am two seats off the button.

I often call here trying to flop a set and stack people. This time, the combination of weak hand and too large raise induces a fold despite the implied odds being correct for a call.

From mp I open to .15 with 14.34 and Ah/8h. The ideal is to get everyone to fold with flopping a flush draw against multiple callers being second choice. The next seat calls with 5.75, the big blind comes along with 1.18 and that makes me less happy. He can shove the flop and if I miss I will have no odds.

The flop is the Qs/Ac/Jc. I have top pair, but that is one ugly board. Big blind checks, I raise. 25, the next seat click-raises, big blind folds, and I call. The turn is the 9h. I should lead out here…usually people fold there. But I check and he shoves his last 1.47.

So basically I am getting 2-1 on a call. I need to have the better hand one time in three. I am behind most aces, behind Q/J, any hand holding a ten…there are just entirely too may hands I am drawing dead to and almost none I can beat. I fold.

So now I am going in reverse, down to 13.69. It does not ‘feel” like I am playing worse, but I am starting to lose hands. I again consider rat holing but the desire to complete the challenge keeps me going.

The small blind takes his time when it is folded to him, then opens to .15 with 1.88. I often call here with sub-standard holdings planning to call a flop bet, then when they check the turn, bet to take it down. I do just that with 8d/Qh.

The flop is good for my plan, the 4c/3s/Ks. He bets .20 and I call. The turn is the Kd, he checks, I bet .35, he folds. Okay, now I feel better. Pretty obviously I played the position and situation rather than the cards because a Queen high is not very good…

UTG+1 with 13.98 and 6s/6d I am back to my raising ways. I get a call from mp with 2.95 and then the cut-off, with 5.98, raises to 1.00. A good raise…unless the other guy comes along I have the wrong odds. I fold.

From the cut-off I open with 5c/Kc. The big blind calls with 11.64. I do not want to get too deep with someone who could hurt me that badly, that is for sure.

The flop is the harmless 4c/9d7d. There is a chance of course he holds a pocket pair matching that or some sort of straight or flush draw, but I am probably ahead. He checks, I bet, he calls. Okay, not my favorite moment, but not a big deal. He probably check-folds the turn.

But the 8c was a really, really ugly card. I have a perhaps exaggerated fear of the J/10 which of course just completed the nut straight. On the bright side, I picked up a flush draw and a gut-shot to the ignorant end of the straight. He checks and I bet, figuring to take it down or face a check-raise. He actually calls and I am mystified. Unless, of course, he is on one of the flush draws.

The river gives me the unlikely flush with the 9c…thus also pairing the board. When he checks I think I have the hand won and actually decide to value bet. I raise .60, he calls, I how my flush and he shows the 8s/10h. He flopped the open end straight and could not get away from second pair. Nice.

Even nicer, I am now at 14.98, a whopping 2 cents short of my goal. One blind steal will get me there.

And the next hand I pick up the best possible hand, Ac/Ah. The small blind opens to .15, I repop from the big blind and he folds.I made my goal and now rat hole.

I should point out that was not always my goal. My initial goal was to simply play well. I enjoy playing as long as I think I am making the right decisions. But when I got close to 15 I twice went for it, wanting to complete what I think is a particularly difficult Academy challenge.

The first time it cost me, the second time it worked out and I pick up a nice win.