Pot limit Hold'em

“God gave us alcohol as a social lubricant to make men brave and women loose” Dave’s pal in Just Like Heaven


Had a great time again yesterday at the Binion’s Classic. There were 186 players for the Pot-limit event, which is a real good turnout for a non-no-limit event. Hopefully, having fun and playing relaxed will eventually result in a nice cash.

Again, had a nice table and joked around and talked with everyone. We talked about the rumored problems at the WSOP with the new cards and the 4-hour lines, the great “oldies” car show running on Freemont Street, and a host of other topics. Met a nice woman from California who was 43 and a grandmother of three. Also Mike from Oklahoma City who is playing the same WSOP Omaha h/l event I am. There was another guy (I can’t remember his name) who chatted quite a bit and was from Vegas, and when someone asked him how long he had lived in Vegas he confidently said, “Four days!”

As to the tournament, I think I played real well again, at least as well as I think I can play.
The first 3 levels were very quiet, mostly I participated in conversation and got comfortable with the players, since I knew I’d be with them for quite a while. Binion’s breaks down tables in a predictable manner, and I was at a table that would be 6th last to break. I didn’t have much action during the first three levels. I played a couple pots in position but didn’t connect. A couple times when someone was about to raise preflop, I told them to “take it easy” and a couple times got them to agree, lol. I made one decent pickup when 3 players limped in the third level for 75/150 blinds, I pot-raised an AT and pleaded that I had a family and that I needed to tell them that I won at least one pot. They let me have it, and I ended the break with 3850 chips from 4000 starting chips.

I had some action in the second session. At 150/300 I had a Q9 in the SB and limped after everyone folded since I had a good rapport with the BB. Flop came K93, I checked to see what he’d do and control the pot size to my advantage OOP and he said “Well, I should bet this but I wont.” The turn came a Q and I bet 400 and he called. The river was an 8 and I bet one pink chip (500) and he called again and showed a King as I took it down. At 200/400 I made a raise to 1400 with QJs and a solid player who I had played with the day before and remembered me, reraised all in for 1500 more. I thought AK was fairly likely given his reaction, I think he would have hesitated a bit more with AQ. So getting 2-1 I called, and indeed he flipped over AK. I flopped a Queen, he turned an Ace, and I rivered a Jack.

Later I was in late position after two limpers with 44 and made a pot sized raise, but the UTG limper reraised all-in. It was a tough decision as he struck me as the type player who might resign himself to sticking it all in rather than folding a KQ/KJ type hand. He even said “Might as well go all-in” which could mean that type hand, or could also be a false tell with AA/KK to get action. I was getting around 2.5-1 on the call which is an easy call if I knew he had just two overcards, but I decided to muck. One thing that influenced me here was that even if I was right that he was resigning himself here, he could easily be resigning himself with 66 or 55.

Soon after I picked up 77 in the SB, and after several limpers I decided to limp along rather than create a large pot OOP where it was likely I’d get called somewhere. Flop came QQ4. I maybe should have led at this pot but I was concerned about being called or raised by a four with two bets to come and not knowing where I was. I decided to check and it got checked around, which is bad because I let a free card come off when I likely had the lead. Fortunately a six popped off, and I bet out here for a little more than half pot and got a caller. I was pretty sure that was a hand like A6, and when a 7 fell on the river I was even happier. I had about 4000 left and bet half of it into a 4500 pot and he reluctantly called, and when he mucked he claimed that he wouldn’t have called 2100 lol. I asked if he had A6 and he said yes and I believed him. I ended the second break with 7800.

In the third session, I made a move against the grandmother. With blinds 300/600 I raised the pot to 2100 with 89o from the cutoff. She was about to muck her BB when she change her mind and announced “I’m gonna call.” She was a decent player, but had already told us that she wouldn’t risk her whole tournament on just a draw. Flop came QJ4 and she checked. It was in thew wheelhouse of what a BB would defend with so I checked behind with a gutshot and a possible turn bluff opportunity. An ace came on the turn and when she checked that was a great opportunity to bluff so I fired out a 2/3 pot bet and she folded after thinking a bit. She claimed T9. Soon after, I made a late position raise after two limpers with AT, and the UTG guy, same guy that reraised me earlier with the 44 hand, reraised all-in again. Getting around 2.5-1 and having him covered by a few thousand, I decided to take a stand here and was very happy when he turned over KJ. I had around 16K after that hand.

At 400/800 I potted an AQ in late position after two limpers, but the SB called. On a 873 flop, I decided to bet against this player. He was a studious player who had seen me check behind a couple times earlier in this spot like with the 89 hand, and I felt he would give me a bit of credit if I continued the bet here and likely lay down AK or a small pair. I bet about half the pot and he check-raised me all in and I pitched the hand. Soon after, I limped behind several players on the button with a J9s and called a minbet with middle pair, then layed down to further aggression. I was down to around 10K when I picked up 99 in early position. I raised the pot to 4200 and got called by a player in late position. This player was selective in his starting cards so I was cautious. When the flop came K86 I was in a bad spot. There was nearly 9K in the pot and I had about 6K left. It was generally a decent flop for 99, but this players range I thought was fairly tight. I was afraid of AK or a higher pair. I truly thought he might lay down JJ/TT even QQ here for a bet. To check/fold here or check and give a free card or give up an opportunity to fold out TT-QQ seemed a bad play, so I made the other bad play and pushed. We must choose our weaknesses in this game. Well…he insta-called and turn over AK and I was done. Several of the players shook my hand and thanked me for the conversations and I walked away in 42nd place.

Today, I think I’m not gonna play, I have a few things to do plus want to see The Sopranos. I think I might go over to The Rio though and check out the action.