A New Favourite Hand

I think I played my new favourite poker hand ever last night. It’s Hand 3 below.

It was my second trip to the Gutshot for the £100 Monday game, this time with the Volcano and Honest Dave. There were 36 runners and I placed 2nd, good for £860. I think I’ll be making this a weekly game. I’m told the £75 Weds tournament has around 60 runners so that might be worth a visit too. The standard was mediocre, yet a little mouthy, so I just kept myself to myself in the early stages.

I had Gutshot Adi directly to my left, which isn’t great because he is an aggressive player and also extemely loud. Personally I don’t mind the banter, but if you are not confident in your ability or a beginner it could be very intimidating, and because of this I think he is bad for the game. He does it to get an edge - some of the players on my table were clearly uncomfortable with it last night. Anyway…5000 chips, 25 minute clock

HAND 1
Folded round to me in the SB and I flat call Adi’s big blind with AQ. (It’s going to be our first tangle, so I want him to feel he can bully me). However with 100 chips in the pot, Adi raises to 1050 which is absolutely ridiculous. He clearly doesn’t realise how strong my hand is, goads me and starts kissing his biceps. I confess to be close to tilt pushing here but I fold. He has QQ.

HAND 2
I limp pass 44 in mid position to a raise and re-raise. Adi also passes and then informs the table that we are all weak donkeys, and the reason he passed was it was senseless for him to take a risk on such an easy table.

HAND 3
I limp for 100 in early position, Adi raises to 500 and gets a caller from across the table. I re-raise to 1500 and Adi goes into a huge speech. “Look at this guy - the problem is that he looks happy with his hand, but the problem is that donkeys will do this with A10, and think they have made a good move. Donkeys don’t understand what they are holding so how am I supposed to get a read?”

Adi eventually calls and the other guy passes. Flop comes K high. Adi pushes with JJ , I instacall and stack him with my pocket Aces. Up to 10k in chips. Not much else before the break, but I sneak up to 12k.

HAND 4
I raise to 1200 with AK. Big blind calls.

Flop 2, 4, 9 (2 clubs). He check calls my bet of 1200
Turn 4. Check Check
River K (but bringing the club flush)

He bets 3600. This is the same guy who had previously flushed out on Honest Dave’s set so I am wary he has flushed again. I tank, and eventually figure the bet is too big if he had made the flush. I call and he mucks.

HAND 5
Folded to me in the big blind and I check my 10 6.

Flop 6, 2, 7 (2 spades). My bet of 1200 is called
Turn 9 (no spade). Check Check
River K (no spade)

He bets 2400. I only have the 6, but there are a whole host of draws that just missed, and given people’s tendency to polarise their river betting (i.e. they either have the nuts or zero) I call. He mucks.

HAND 6
Folded to me on the button and I raise to 4k with 3 6o. The lady in the small blind calls and we see a flop of J, 9, 8. She bets 4000 and I fold. She shows the Jack and says “you try to steal - I re-steal”. Hmmm - not sure flat calling a raise and then betting out with top pair really consitutes a “re-steal”, but never mind.

HAND 7
Folded round to button who raises to 3600. I re-raise to 11k with 8 7. Everyone folds. Now that’s a resteal ;)

HAND 8
Early raiser to 4k and a caller. I push for 19k in BB with QQ and take it down.

I eventually get to the final table with about 26k in chips. This is mostly played pre-flop so not too much of interest to report other than:

HAND 9
Folded round to the small blind who completes to 4000. I check with 22. As soon as I do it, I think I should have raised but anyway…

Flop 2, 2, 3. Ah-ha - quads! Just as I am thinking how to get money out of this, the small blind goes into overdrive. He bets 3000 - I call

Turn Ace. He bets 4000 - I call

River Q. He bets 5000 - I push and he folds.

No more interesting hands - as I said, the final table is all pre-flop. I am the short stack when we are down to 3 handed, but get lucky when the two big stacks get KK and JJ against each other, and we are heads up.

I am outchipped 7-1 so need to get busy. The end comes when I push on the river following a missed open-ended straight draw, and he calls me with a low pair. All in all, a solid performance - I’ll certainly be going back and may try the Wednesday game as well.