Live Play

Played in the local Holdem Tournament last night. I must admit that playing live is fun. To be able to sit there and see the tells that you read about and then see them flip the hand you put them on is mind boggling at times.

First off game 1. I got down early with this hand and then limped to fourth place. I misplayed this badly trying to get cute. I have AQo in cutoff and I limp with 3 others. Flop is Q high, 2 suited and I bet T600 into a T800 pot and only get called by BB. Turn completes the flush draw and BB check/raises me all in after another T600 bet. Now at this point I am positive he does not have the flush draw, he would have slowed played it some more, I fold. I was right, he hit 2 pair. My question is, why check raise all in when the only hand that would call you beats you? I don't think that is worth the chance but I am new at NL and maybe I am missing something. The guy is better than average player and I asked him about it at end of night and he said that the flush never entered his mind, and added "Maybe it should have". It's not like I was not betting it like a flush...who knows.

Ironically, I go all in blind after 5th place went out with T600 and a T400 BB. I wait till end to see if I won, I lost....AQ.

2nd game. This table had a few that were new to the game. Lately, these guys have been killing it. The expressions "Beginners Luck" and "Better lucky than good" come to mind. Jsaw and I ride down together, its about 30 minutes from my house, and usually play at the tables together. As a side note his game 1 was bad and topped off by is pretty sizable all in bet with KK called by a little bigger stacks A9s who hit his ace. That will become a bitter theme you will see. I'm hanging in, with a couple small wins and right before the break Jsaw raises twice the BB UTG with 88. I look down to see the Hilton Sisters and double the raise, he folds to the dismay of everyone and at first break I am chip leader by a few. This time it seems luck was on a break and shortly after resuming play, it was down to five "regulars".

At this point I would like to introduce you to player 1, lets call him "Phil". An over aggressive 22 year old who has watched to much poker on TV and "Tilt" probably isn't helping either. By the way, he just started playing NL at Party and I will have to get his screen name. A little on the obnoxious side and loved to showboat. Played with his blue mirrored sunglasses and liked to claim to all who would listen how he preferred to play his "reads" on people over the cards he actually had. It was all about the reads! Funny thing is, he was the most readable of them all. Jsaw is still in when he raises big again with KK. "Phil" calls and well, lets just say I saw the most unbelievable flop with the most unlikely of hands to call the raise with. I’ll let Jsaw write about THAT one. "Phil" and I are about even and there are 3 left.

The set up.
I call in with 33 on the button, SB completes and "Phil" checks BB. Flop comes Jxx and I go all in instantly. SB folds and "Phil" starts to chatter. He actually shows the table his hand! JTo and looks hard for a reaction from me. He asked if he is out kicked...I said I don't need a kicker! He asked if I wanted a call, I looked him in the eyes and said "Please". He then announced he had a good read on me, counted out the chips, and folded. I showed the 33. Got a pretty good reaction on that one!

I knock down third place when I go all in with KQs on a flop of Q68. 3rd places calls with 22 and spikes a 2 on the turn...I hit RR flush and he is down to one BB left. He doubles through twice when this hand happens.

The knock out.
Though outwardly there wasn't much in the way of change in "Phil", I know inside he was fuming. I am still stacking chips from the RR flush miracle and I am in the BB. "Phil" completes in SB and I check blind. Flop comes Qxx. "Phil" bets T1000. I look down and see JJ. Now "Phil", being the astute poker player he is would have raised my BB with any face card. So I just call. I feel pretty good about this. Turn is a rag and again T1000 and I called. River is Q and he thinks for a minute and reaches for all his chips. I realize instantly he is buying the pot. As he says "ALL IN" I say call and flip over JJ. He is flabbergasted that I called him down and he mucks. I see the cards as dealer takes a peak...95o. Complete bluff. As he goes on a little about how unbelievable he thinks that call was I was thinking how easy it was.

I now take the extremely small stack 2nd place guy all in next hand with J8 vs. Q4. I flop a jack for the win. It was my second win but I felt in control over this one from the break on.


Well, got to get busy. $18 left on True Poker bonus to go(Still killing it over there), Party Poker has a reload bonus about to expire I want to get, Empire Poker annouced a reload bonus good till Feb. 8th. 25% up to $150 with bonus code Feb150. It's posted on there site so know it is good, and it is time to reload at Interpoker for there monthly 100% up to $90.

Some much bonus....so little time.

Till Next Time!