Umm, No, You Had 2 Pair

After grinding it out at the SNGs yesterday, and taking a couple of disappointing finishes, I decided to try out a NLHE 6-player-max $25 table. I've said it before, but I really need to watch this kind of behaviour where I see a few disappointing finishes and then think "oh I'll go try something new now for a change." A change was probably called for, but it should have been "go take a walk" or even "go play some PS2", not something which could have exposed me to more loss.

But I'm also a smart guy, who figured that out pretty fast and had a firm grip on my emotions. I'd sit for a little bit, gauge how the table was, play a few pots and see what happened. I ended up there for over 2 hours. There were at least 6 memorable hands that I won, including when I took down over $50, when my pocket Kings held up against two all-ins. Another time, a guy who had been chatty and friendly the whole time I was playing took a beat and went on explosive tilt, going all-in 4 hands in a row, 3 of which were suprisingly folded to him, and the last of which I called with AKs, flopped a broadway straight, and made a flush on the river.

But the most memorable hand was probably the one below... be sure to read the chat that followed the hand. (And yeah, I know my play is somewhat debateable here... it felt right at the time to semi-bluff with the flush draw, that's all I can say.)

***** Hand History for Game 974430238 *****
$25 NL Hold'em - Wednesday, September 22, 01:50:21 EDT 2004
Table Table 14078 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 6: ME ( $60.8 )
Seat 5: iluvpickles ( $27.02 )
Seat 8: farhaman ( $31.8 )
Seat 10: looseplayer2 ( $35.85 )
Seat 1: otc126 ( $26.6 )
ME posts small blind [$0.25].
farhaman posts big blind [$0.5].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ME [ Ac 2c ]
looseplayer2 folds.
otc126 raises [$1.5].
iluvpickles folds.
ME calls [$1.25].

I'm not sure this was a good call really, but against this guy who I have been watching and suspect is really a chump, my implied odds are good. If he's holding AK or a good pocket pair, and I hit my nut flush, I know he'll pay me off.

farhaman calls [$1].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 3c, 5s, 8c ]
ME bets [$2].

With 4 clubs now, and an inside straight draw, I fire out a significant bet thinking I might take the pot right here, and if not, I'll have plenty of options on the turn. Out of position here, I'd rather be the agressor.

farhaman folds.

Yes!

otc126 calls [$2].

Hmmm.

** Dealing Turn ** [ 6s ]

I don't think my lone opponent is cagey enough to be pre-flop raising with any of the cards that would make him a straight, or trips, and with the obvious straight possibilities which he has to see, I figure I'll see how he really feels about his hand:

ME bets [$5].
otc126 calls [$5].

Again, hmmm. At this point I'm thinking he might have trips or an overpair. Then the magic happens:

** Dealing River ** [ 5c ]
ME bets [$10].
otc126 calls [$10].
ME shows [ Ac, 2c ] a flush, ace high.
otc126 doesn't show [ Td, Ts ] two pairs, tens and fives.
ME wins $36.60 from the main pot with a flush, ace high.

So he had an overpair, which he couldn't get away from even with a possible straight and a possible flush on the board.

otc126: damnit, i knew it
otc126: that was stupid
ME: you should have figured me for at least a straight
otc126: i couldnt put you on a straight
otc126: you called the raise

Okay, he's not totally stupid. He's using the same logic that I was to rule out the straight possibility, but when that third club fell and I bet out and he called?

otc126: i had a set
ME: umm, no, you had 2 pair
iluvpickles: haha
otc126: no i didnt
ME: check the hand history sucker?
iluvpickles: u know we can see what u had dont you?
looseplayer2: otc, you would have had a full house if you flopped a set
iluvpickles: lol
ME: haha
iluvpickles: nice lie

He eventually took some of that money back from me with some big hands, but he was over-respecting my bets and raises, and I just kept on raising him. I ended the session at about +$30... dissappointing considering how far ahead I was at one point. If all the NL games are as easy to crack as this, perhaps I'll have to play some more. I think the key is the no-limit... you can loose everything you have at the table in one click, and mistakes can be so much more costly. As long as you're not the one making them though, there seems to be some good opportunity for profit.