The Losers Lounge

Ok, since yesterday was Wednesday, you might be expecting a write-up of last night's Above Malibu tournament. Guess what? It's not going to happen.

That's not to say I didn't play. I did. I didn't win my first pot until Level 5 (mainly because a gross calling station was on my immediate left, and I had a half hour span where I wasn't dealt a hand better than T2). I finally won my first pot when I called an all-in blind from the big blind and managed to more than triple up. Eventually, I went out on the bubble when my pocket 8s ran into pocket Hellmuths, and I was pot-committed to call the 1.5xBB all-in reraise over the top of me. I lost, and then went out on the next hand heads-up from the big blind with T6s when the flop was A-T-x. My opponent had AdKd.

Instead of picking apart my tournament play, I want to talk about a couple of interesting hands in the Losers Lounge ring game. Ordinarily, I skip out on the ring game due to the lateness of the hour (if I've gone deep in the tournament, it's usually after 1am by the time I bust) and the fact that I have to get up for work at 7am. Last night, Ugarte somehow convinced me to join the ring game. Maybe it was all of those chicken pictures. Anyway, I think most of these hands are interesting because of mistakes I made.

** Hand No. 1 **

The game, as always, was NLHE, 0.25/0.50 blinds, $20 buy-in. I missed a few hands early on, and found myself down to about $15. With A8o in the BB, I took a free three-handed flop of T-8-8 and promptly bet $1 into the $1.50 pot. The player two seats to my left raised to $3, and it folded to me. I did not think J9 or T8 were likely hands for him, and I couldn't see him raising TT in that spot, so I felt I was comfortably ahead and had him drawing to 2 (if he paired the ten) or 3 (if he held x8) outs. I called the raise; $7.50 in the pot.

The turn was a very ugly ten that we both checked.

The river was a blank, and I was faced with a decision. My gut was that he had raised a hand like AT/KT on the flop, and then caught his 2-outer on the turn and checked behind in an effort to induce me to bet the river. But there was always the chance that he really had been drawing the whole time. I'm not sure what the best move is here. A small river bet that looks like a value bet is one option. The upside of that bet is that if he was drawing or held x8, I probably win the pot or at least get a cheap showdown for a chop.

The risk is that if I get raised, I have to fold -- BUT, I don't think he can raise here without the ten. Unfortunately, this isn't the option I took. Instead I checked, he bet $5, and I folded my hand face-up. He said he had the ten, but I never believe poker players unless I see it for myself.

** Hand No. 2 **

I completed from the small blind with QcTc. The flop was pretty good: 9c-8c-x. I had an inside straight flush draw with two overcards. The problem was that I was first to act in a 5-way pot. I checked, and somehow it checked around. The turn was a blank, to which I led out for $3. Nobody raised, but at least three people called. I had to expect somebody else was drawing clubs, one or two might be drawing for the straight, and somebody was paired up. When the river came a queen to give me top pair, I checked, fearing the JT straight. It checked through and my queen was good.

I think the mistake on this hand was not betting the flop. I have four outs to the nuts, another eight to a very strong hand, plus two overcards which could be good. On a raggedy board like that, I think I need to bet my hand rather than try to draw into it. In this instance, it worked out to my advantage by pairing on the river and getting a rather nice-sized pot, but I don't think it was the optimal play.

** Hand No. 3 **

Shortly afterwards, I limped 4d2d from the button in a 6-way pot and flopped two pair 8-4-2 to bust one player for his whole stack. That doubled me up to about $40. As the night wore on, we were down to 5 players when I caught 9h9s in the CO. I made a standard $2 raise, and it folded to the big blind who reraised to $5. I called.

My read on the big blind was that he was not a very deceptive player, but I did see him refuse to chop the blinds with Ugarte, then reraise Ugarte from $1.50 to $3.50, only to fold on the flop when Ugarte bet $5. So, while my intuition here was that he had a hand, I remembered the previous hand with Ugarte and tucked it away.

The flop came Th-7h-3s. He was first to act and bet $5 into the $10 pot, a rather curious bet. I was sure he didn't have the ten, so it was only a question of whether he had a bigger pair. I raised to $15 to find out, and he quickly said "Ok" and called. $40 in the pot.

The turn was the very interesting 6h, and he pushed his last $10.50. I thought about some things. Would he make that move with AK, or did he really have a big pair? If he had a big pair, how many outs did I have? It was either 5 or 14. In fact, half the time it is 5 (the 3 out of 6 times his pair uses a heart) and half the time it is 14. So my effective outs in this situation are 9.5, giving me a bit better than 4-to-1 on a 5-to-1 call. I called, he showed KK with the king of hearts, and I was pretty screwed until I bad beated him by spiking one of my five outs (the 9d) on the river.

I think I misplayed this hand somewhere, and it may have been talking myself into the call on the turn. I welcome people's thoughts on this one. I think the flop raise was correct, if only to test whether he really had a big pair.

** Hand No. 4 **

This one I wasn't involved in. Ugarte, with a tight rep, raised to $2 from MP. He was called by the CO and the button before the big blind reraised to $6. Ugarte promptly made it $15, folding the CO. The button made a comment about not really wanting to play his hand before calling the $15. The big blind called as well, for $47 in the pot before the flop.

The flop was raggedy, 9-high and unconnected. I think the big blind checked, inducing Ugarte to push his last $8. The button and the big blind both called, the big blind being all-in as well. They all opened:

Big blind - AhKh
Ugarte - AdKc
Button - AsAc

When the CO announced he folded KcQc, Ugarte was drawing dead and the big blind was drawing only to a runner-runner flush which did not materialize. I'm not sure how much I like the button's play here. Once the CO came along for the ride, I think he should have reraised. However, once the BB raised to $6 and Ugarte reraised to $15, I think calling is the better play. He has to know that he has caught both of them holding big hands and that he's probably ok as along as no king, queen or jack flops. By calling, he is attempting to entice the big blind to stay in the hand, which might not happen if he pushes right away. The rest of the money is going in on the flop one way or another, so at that point I think it's really just a matter of hoping that the aces hold.

All in all, it was an interesting night. I made a few good plays, a couple of mistakes, and wound up with a profit of $50 thanks to a bad beat. I wasn't proud of that beat, and apologized to my opponent, but I still wonder if the call was correct or not.