Poker Content
Originally wanted this to be a mixed blog about gambling in poker and gambling in the financial markets. So I’ll kick off some poker content now. The format will be like this: I’ll give the background/details of the game, and then I’ll go into some interesting detail on some hands. If you’re a poker newbie and you dont understand the terminology, I apologize in advance.
GAME DETAILS - The game is No Limit Holdem with $5/$10 blinds. The average chip stack on the table is about $1,000 and there are 9 players in the game. We are at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and I consider myself better than all the players at the table except for the guy in the #8 seat. I am in the #1 seat.
INTERESTING HAND #1 - The button is on the #4 seat. 7 seat limps, 8 seat folds, 10 seat limps, I limp, 2 seat raises to $35, 3 seat calls, button calls, small blind folds, big blind calls, 7 seat calls, 10 seat calls, and now its on me and I have 10(diamond)-2(diamond). This is a pretty weak hand in most scenarios but there is enough money in the pot now that not calling here is a mistake in my opinion. There is just too much money in the pot to not call for an extra $25 (there is $215 in the pot before my call). So I call. Now the flop comes: 10(club)-6(club)-5(heart). Everyone checks to me, and even though I have top pair I think my hand at this point is probably not the best hand. In fact specifically I think the original raiser (the 2 seat) has the best hand, and I’m thinking I need to check to him to see how he plays it, which is what I do. Now the #2 seat bets ONLY $45 into the $250 pot! This is an unbelievable bet to me for the following reasons:
- If he had an overpair like AA,KK,QQ,or JJ he would have to make a sizeable bet here to force any flush or straight draw out of the pot.
- If he had a three of a kinds Tens, Sixes, or Fives he would also have to make a reasonable bet here to force out the draws.
- He must know that if anyone has any semblance of a hand, they will call this small bet into that sized pot
So these reasons make me think he must have nothing, and is just stabbing at the pot to see if he can win it here with some miraculous folds from everyone. Now to my further amazement, every single person in the hand just simply calls all the way back around to me. WHAT?!? OK focus here, now there is $520 in the pot and its back around to me. Something either smells fishy here (someone is trying to trap), or everyone has nothing. I have to think everyone has nothing because if anyone had anything other than a draw or a horrible pair they would have had to raise the original raiser. So now after all that, I’m ready to fire. I reach for the $45 to call plus another $350 to raise. The way I see it, absolutely nobody can call this bet and I should be good to take down the pot right now with that big raise. As I suspect, the #2 seat folds as does everyone else EXCEPT for the #10 seat who just calls! Now I’m really shocked because this is the last guy I would expect to call since he
- didn’t raise preflop
- didn’t lead out with a bet after the flop
- didn’t raise the #2 seat after his bet on the flop - he just called after everyone in front of him called
Now I have to decide what he can possibly have. The only thing that makes sense is he either has a Ten, an Ace high flush draw, a straight draw, or a combination of these. So here comes the turn: Ace(diamond). OK- this is a bad card for me. If I thought to myself this guy must have the Ace high flush draw, this card puts him ahead of me. I’m scared of this card. Surprisingly, he checks to me. I would have had to fold if he bet into me right there. I am still worried though so I check too. River card: Ace (spade). This is a better card for me because now it is less likely he has an Ace in his hand. Nevertheless, he moves all in for roughly $500 on the river. Now its my decision whether to call or fold. Its pretty easy for me actually, there is $1,765 in the pot right now and its only $500 more to call. And lets not forget, originally I thought he was on a flush or straight draw, none of which hit. The only thing that beats me is if he has a Ten or an Ace - both I think are unlikely. I call and he shows Queen(club)-Jack(club) for a river bluff. I took down the $2,265 with a big smile and the table gawked at my little 10-2 and how I was able to make that huge raise on the flop. It was easy - just trust your insticts.