Small Ball...

7/29/08

Today I decided to check out the 3 pm NLHE poker tourny at
Caesar's Palace.Buy in was for $70.00 bucks, where you started
with $2,500.00 in chips. Blinds changed every thirty minutes.

Well to make a long story short,I busted out with Ace/Two offsuit,
when I went all in from the smallblind, with just the big blind
player. He went into the tank for a couple of minutes and finally
called me with Ace/Ten offsuit. That should be an automatic call
for him, as he had twice as many chips as me at the timeand blinds
were already $300/600. I had about $5,400.00 in chips atthe time.
Flop went Jack/Eight/Eight, so i'm hoping for another Jack
to tie or Two to win, on the turn. Turn card came Queen, now I
have other outs to tie, I'm hoping for Jack or Queen to tie, Two
to win, on the river. River card came 3 of clubs, oooh so close.
But hey, that's the breaks.

Actually the play I was proud of was when I had two black Aces
in the big blind. Blinds were $100/200, with a $25 ante, at the
time and I had about $3,200 in chips. It went fold all the way
to the small blind player, who raised it to $800.00. The pot
amount was up to $1,250.00.I thought it out and decided to go
all in. I had a good feeling that he was going to call me.
I was trying to make it look that I didn't want a call, maybe
have him think that I was going all in with some type of Ace
rag hand, or maybe he thought I might have had Ace/King where
he would want to race. He had about twice the chips I had,
so if he called and lost, he wouldn't be out of the tournament
just yet. Of course he obliged me and called my all in. He
flipped up pocket Eights, nice, I have him severely dominated.
The flop came out Queen of Hearts, Six of Clubs and Seven of
Clubs. Whoa, I though the hit an Eight. Turn card comes Five
of Clubs, great now he has a straight flush draw, with his
Eight of Clubs. At least I have the Ace of Clubs for a nut
flush draw as well, so that eliminated all the other clubs,
besides the Four of Clubs and Nine of Clubs, which would give
him a straight flush. He also had the two last Eights, and
any non club Four or Nine for a straight, as outs to beat my
pocket Aces. Now for the river card, a slowly rolled out Two
of Hearts. Nice double up, I also got compliments from a few
of the players about my play. They never put me on pocket Aces.
Well, that's why I played it that way.

But again, I did bust out before making the money...Lol...

After I busted out of the tournament, I decided to play a cash game
in the poker room. I really wanted to play some Pot Limit Omaha,
but there was no interest in the room. I got on a $1/3 blinds, No
Limit Texas Holdem cash game instead. I cashed in for $200.00,
played for 3 hours and ended up cashing out $577.00. A nice
triple up for the session.

One key hand I had was when I held pocket Eights in mid position.
Basically, I called the bet of $3.00 and if I was raised preflop,
I would make a decision of calling or folding, depending on my
position. Luckily, it became a family pot with no raising before
the flop came out. There was about $26.00 in the pot, after the
dealer took the rake. The dealer then flopped out the first three
cards, a Queen of Hearts, an Eight of Clubs and a Two of Clubs.
Sweet, I have a Set (Three of a Kind, when you have a pair in
the hole) - this is a monster hand. The small blind player bet
$12.00 into the pot, I put him on a pair of Queens. The next
3 players folded in turn. I then reraised him to a total of
$27.00. I was actually giving him pot odds to call, if he had a
flush draw, but I was ready to get all the chips in, if the turn
did not club out. The last 5 players folded after me as it got
back to the small blind player. He contemplated for a minute
and then pumped the total bet to $100.00. Now there is about
$153.00 in the pot now. I had $166.00 left behind me. I kinda
wondered what he had now, Ace/Queen of Clubs for pair of Queens
with nut flush draw, two pair combo, or a set of Two's? Hmmm...
I decided to bet all in $166.00. I would be happy to take the
pot right there. So now there is $319.00 in the pot. The bet
goes back to the small blind player, who asked for time. He asks
me what I have and I say nothing. He then flipped up his cards
and shows that he has two pair Queens/Eights, for top two pair.
Now, I'm wanting him to call. He did not have any redraw for the
club flush, so his only outs are the two remaining Queens. I talk
to myself inside and hope that he calls. He still was asking why
I would go all in like that, he now says that he thinks that I am
on a flush draw. After a couple of minutes, he calls my all in.
Cool, now there is $485.00 in the pot and I got him
dominated. I flipped up my cards and show him that I have a set,
he looks disgusted. He kept on saying why did he call, when it
was so obvious that I probably had a set. Well, if you knew, why
did you call? I guess it would be difficult for him to know that
I had a set of Eights, when I limped in preflop and he also had an
Eight in his hand. Anyway, turn card came Six of Clubs (whew, good
thing he didn't have a flush draw) and the river card came Ace of
Diamonds...My Set of Eights hold up....

I love scooping big pots...

Don't try this at home kids...Playing poker can be long periods
of boredom with occasional times of terror...hehe...I need an EKG
now...

Again to celebrate, I got me a Kosher Hot Dog, a Knish and an
iced tea at Canter's TI...mmm..mmm...I need a cholesterol
test now...