Ace-in-Space
02-16-2006, 03:07 AM
Part 1
Flew out late Sunday to my annual real estate company convention. Got a room at Flamingo ($99 on Sun. night and $49 on Mon. and Tue., not a back deal, in my book.)
Sunday night:
Checked in and promptly walked to the MGM and sat down at a $2/$5 NLHE game (min. $200 and max. $500 buy in) and bought in for $300. I am pretty comfortable at this limit (maybe some day I might move up to a $5/$10 game) with a $3,000 BR I brought with me on the trip (Although I never intended to go down that deep but somehow knowing I have this much in reserve puts me at ease). The table was not too tough, although there was one winner with a big stack over $1,200 but we didn't get to any significant clash.
Early on there were no significant movements to my chip stack (yo-yoing between $250 to $450 mostly so I am mostly on the plus side of the ledger. Then, I made 2 nice plays:
1. Got in on 54o in the BB on an unraised pot 5 handed and saw a flop of A38 with 2 diamonds (I have none). I checked to a middle position player who bet $15 and called by a late position player (with 2 other players folding). I decided to call on my gutshot with implied odds since there are no further action possible behind me (although there is a possibility of a flush draw so I might just have 3 clean outs.) Turned an offsuited 6 now I am open ended. I checked to MP who checked and LP bet around $50. I now know MP is probably probably weak (although he might have a flush draw) since he would've bet with 2 diamonds on the board to make the flush draw pay.) I put LP on an ace but not aces up and called (again I may have only 6 clean outs if MP has a flush draw although I didn't think so.) since he IS making a flush draw pay (which he put me on). My plan was:
A. I am counting on MP to fold (since I didn't really think he had a flush draw.
B. If a diamond comes on the river (but doesn't complete my straight I am going to represent a flush by betting out a good amount.
C. If an offsuited 2 or 7 comes I am going to trap by check raising.
Do I have the pot odds right now to make the call? No. But I definitely have a good chance (I am in the doubly good position because of my reads and my real hand, the straight draw is well disguised.)
River comes a diamond paint and I immediately bet out $200 to a pot that contains less than $150. The LP almost folded instantly and said "nice catch." I tabled my worthless 45 and both MP and LP lamented they had an ace.
After this play I made another bluff and stole another pot heads up by betting $120 on the river preceeded with a bet when there were 3 hearts on the board at the turn (both AKh were on board.) but no 4th heart on the river. If the other player had only $135 left so pretty much it cost him all his chips. He thought about it for a full minute or more (at least it felt that way) and finally, to my relief, released his hand after flashing me the ace.) I tabled 4, 7 of clubs!
Which brings me to my second nice play (now I am pegged as a bluffer although I played pretty straight forward in the first couple of hours):
2. I looked down at AhQh in early position and limped. My thinking was I want to see if other players with lower suited hearts might come in the pot. A played in middle position (fair aggressive raising preflop type) raised to $20 and got called on the cutoff and button so we are 4 handed. Flop comes QQx with 2 diamonds. I decided to change gear and not to slow play but betting $30 (like I am trying to steal the pot and put pressure on the PF raiser.) MP (PFR) folds, cutoff folds, and button calls (there is no straight draw) so I immediately put button on a flush draw (Pot is about $140) Turn: Ad (bingo!) I hesitated and try to make a $45 bet, hoping to convey the message to the button that by my betting smallish (defensive) bet into a good sized pot (only about 1/3 of the pot.) which implies I am fairly scared of the flush but didn't want to check it totally to show complete weakness. The button called relatively quickly (but he did hesitate enough which show he had considered raising. Perhaps he didn't have the nut flush with the Kd and wanted to see if another diamond come on the river.) River comes a black card and I checked. Button fires $100 of his remaining $300+ stack and I had his covered. I stuttered to the dealer "I will put...I will put him all in." He called in about 10 seconds and I showed him the 2nd nut.
I was cruising now and was up $1,000 at the high water mark but cashed out with a $700 net profit after 6 hours and staggered backed to Flamingo around 3AM
Flew out late Sunday to my annual real estate company convention. Got a room at Flamingo ($99 on Sun. night and $49 on Mon. and Tue., not a back deal, in my book.)
Sunday night:
Checked in and promptly walked to the MGM and sat down at a $2/$5 NLHE game (min. $200 and max. $500 buy in) and bought in for $300. I am pretty comfortable at this limit (maybe some day I might move up to a $5/$10 game) with a $3,000 BR I brought with me on the trip (Although I never intended to go down that deep but somehow knowing I have this much in reserve puts me at ease). The table was not too tough, although there was one winner with a big stack over $1,200 but we didn't get to any significant clash.
Early on there were no significant movements to my chip stack (yo-yoing between $250 to $450 mostly so I am mostly on the plus side of the ledger. Then, I made 2 nice plays:
1. Got in on 54o in the BB on an unraised pot 5 handed and saw a flop of A38 with 2 diamonds (I have none). I checked to a middle position player who bet $15 and called by a late position player (with 2 other players folding). I decided to call on my gutshot with implied odds since there are no further action possible behind me (although there is a possibility of a flush draw so I might just have 3 clean outs.) Turned an offsuited 6 now I am open ended. I checked to MP who checked and LP bet around $50. I now know MP is probably probably weak (although he might have a flush draw) since he would've bet with 2 diamonds on the board to make the flush draw pay.) I put LP on an ace but not aces up and called (again I may have only 6 clean outs if MP has a flush draw although I didn't think so.) since he IS making a flush draw pay (which he put me on). My plan was:
A. I am counting on MP to fold (since I didn't really think he had a flush draw.
B. If a diamond comes on the river (but doesn't complete my straight I am going to represent a flush by betting out a good amount.
C. If an offsuited 2 or 7 comes I am going to trap by check raising.
Do I have the pot odds right now to make the call? No. But I definitely have a good chance (I am in the doubly good position because of my reads and my real hand, the straight draw is well disguised.)
River comes a diamond paint and I immediately bet out $200 to a pot that contains less than $150. The LP almost folded instantly and said "nice catch." I tabled my worthless 45 and both MP and LP lamented they had an ace.
After this play I made another bluff and stole another pot heads up by betting $120 on the river preceeded with a bet when there were 3 hearts on the board at the turn (both AKh were on board.) but no 4th heart on the river. If the other player had only $135 left so pretty much it cost him all his chips. He thought about it for a full minute or more (at least it felt that way) and finally, to my relief, released his hand after flashing me the ace.) I tabled 4, 7 of clubs!
Which brings me to my second nice play (now I am pegged as a bluffer although I played pretty straight forward in the first couple of hours):
2. I looked down at AhQh in early position and limped. My thinking was I want to see if other players with lower suited hearts might come in the pot. A played in middle position (fair aggressive raising preflop type) raised to $20 and got called on the cutoff and button so we are 4 handed. Flop comes QQx with 2 diamonds. I decided to change gear and not to slow play but betting $30 (like I am trying to steal the pot and put pressure on the PF raiser.) MP (PFR) folds, cutoff folds, and button calls (there is no straight draw) so I immediately put button on a flush draw (Pot is about $140) Turn: Ad (bingo!) I hesitated and try to make a $45 bet, hoping to convey the message to the button that by my betting smallish (defensive) bet into a good sized pot (only about 1/3 of the pot.) which implies I am fairly scared of the flush but didn't want to check it totally to show complete weakness. The button called relatively quickly (but he did hesitate enough which show he had considered raising. Perhaps he didn't have the nut flush with the Kd and wanted to see if another diamond come on the river.) River comes a black card and I checked. Button fires $100 of his remaining $300+ stack and I had his covered. I stuttered to the dealer "I will put...I will put him all in." He called in about 10 seconds and I showed him the 2nd nut.
I was cruising now and was up $1,000 at the high water mark but cashed out with a $700 net profit after 6 hours and staggered backed to Flamingo around 3AM