Thursday, May 29, 2008

Can you tell a story .....

About 3 hours into this table. My image is tight aggressive, I've shown down only big hands in big pots. At this level typically you are making money from 2 or 3 seats at the table, famouslastwords is NOT one of those seats. So in order to make money from the good players you have to be prepared to make moves like the one below.

This also means you have to have a proper bankroll, if you are worried about the money, this won't work. If you do get called in this place, just change gears and use the new image to your benefit.

FullTiltPoker Game #6550155262: Table Moreno (deep) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:04:47 ET - 2008/05/24

Seat 1: WTF_NotAgain ($973.60)
Seat 2: kingpin100 ($200), is sitting out
Seat 3: famouslastwords ($1,006.30)
Seat 4: thakilla ($462.60)
Seat 5: idn ($321.60)
Seat 6: MuddyDog ($400)
Seat 7: WikiLiki ($1,026)
Seat 8: tjgrow8 ($467)
Seat 9: j23ad ($1,415.90)
thakilla posts the small blind of $2
idn posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to WikiLiki [Tc 9d]
WikiLiki calls $4
tjgrow8 folds
j23ad folds
WTF_NotAgain folds
famouslastwords raises to $18
thakilla folds
idn calls $14
WikiLiki calls $14
*** FLOP *** [6c Qh 8d]
idn has 15 seconds left to act
idn bets $20
WikiLiki calls $20
famouslastwords raises to $75
idn folds
WikiLiki has 15 seconds left to act
WikiLiki has requested TIME
WikiLiki calls $55
*** TURN *** [6c Qh 8d] [4c]
WikiLiki checks
famouslastwords bets $155
WikiLiki has 15 seconds left to act
WikiLiki has requested TIME
WikiLiki calls $155
*** RIVER *** [6c Qh 8d 4c] [5c]
WikiLiki has 15 seconds left to act
WikiLiki has requested TIME
WikiLiki bets $425
famouslastwords has 15 seconds left to act
famouslastwords folds
Uncalled bet of $425 returned to WikiLiki
WikiLiki mucks
WikiLiki wins the pot ($533)
*** SUMMARY ***
Duration 159s
Total pot $536 | Rake $3
Board: [6c Qh 8d 4c 5c]
Seat 1: WTF_NotAgain didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: kingpin100 is sitting out
Seat 3: famouslastwords (button) folded on the River
Seat 4: thakilla (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: idn (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: MuddyDog is sitting out
Seat 7: WikiLiki collected ($533)
Seat 8: tjgrow8 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: j23ad didn't bet (folded)

I'll admit my limp from mid position is weak, however there had not been much pre-flop raising, and if I can connect I'm likely to get paid.

The button was playing "correct" poker, raising from late position, not playing from out of position. I called because idn called and was giving me a better price and I would close out the betting action and maybe get lucky in a big pot.

The flop gives me a double gutshot. When idn bets into the flop, I don't put him on much ($20 into $56 pot is pretty weak). I call hoping that famouslastwords will just call and let me hit my hand. When famouslastwords raises to $75 I have to re-evaluate. This causes idn to fold so he was just making a stab.

So now I have to think ... what does he have ? ... What raises preflop and then re-raises on the flop ? I put his range at JJ, KK, AA or AQ. I eliminate 66, 88, and QQ because it seems very rare for a raise on the flop with a quasi-ragged board like that.

What does he put me on ? ... I limped, then called, then called on the flop. I'm sure to look pretty weak from his point of view. I'm guessing he thinks the raise will take it down on the flop.

How should I play my hand, what story am I trying to tell ? If I raise him on the flop, what happens ? It won't make any sense. A raises doesn't tell the correct story. He is a thinking player, a good player, what will make him "think" I have a big hand ? If I simply call the raise that should make it look like I flopped a set. That will solidify the range he is putting me on to include 66's and 88's. For these reasons, and the fact that I can still hit my double gutter, which is very disguised leads me to call. I'm also hoping that a call will slow him down, which it usually does with a good player. They typically won't play a large pot without a big hand.

So now pot is sitting at $226, and I check, for two reasons ... 1st, a set of 6's or 8's would still check with that turn card ... 2nd my call on the flop might have slowed him down and I'll get the free card. A bet at this point does not build a credible story, it destroys him thinking I have a set. He bets $155, about 2/3's the size of the pot. From all the previous action, I now have him on 3 hands, AA, KK, and AQ. Can I get him to fold those hands now ? ... no, the only way to get him to fold those hands is to call this bet and fire into him on the river.

So that's my plan, call the $155 and if an A, K, or Q don't hit on the end, then fire away.

The river completes a flush, so if he had AQc I'm screwed, but so be it ... everything else I put him on has to fold. I feel pretty confident that I've sold the story of pocket 66's or 88's and fire $425 into a $536 pot and take it down.

I think with his range of hands, anything 1/2 pot or less might call. I think this hand illustrates what is going to happen at levels higher than this, and makes a proper bankroll even more important.

Of course famouslastwords is now going to Google his name and find this and I'll need to have a counter strategy ready for him :-)

2 comments:

Julie said...

Hey there,

This is "famous." I had AQ in this hand, so nice bluff. Don't really like how you played the hand up till the river, though.

When I folded the river, I was thinking you had backdoored a flush or straight (gotten stubborn with a hand like 87 or something) moreso than that you had a set (although that definitely made up a small portion of your range in my mind).

Anyway, nh. You'll never be able to bluff me again (hello value-town). :-)

CiscoServerGeek said...

Hey Julie !

Yeah, I can get stubborn at times :-) .... thanks for stopping by. You're already on my list of people the stay away from, so I doubt I'll try that big a bluff on you again :-)

Oh, and sorry for using "he" the whole time through the story, it's my old high school journalism coming through.

Good luck at the tables.