Saturday, January 15, 2005

Call of calls

YTD: +$1311.25

Here is a very interesting, very marginal hand I played on Paradise. It shows the importance of notes, but also of taking a bit of time to think through the options, something I am very guilty of not doing in many spots, but especially on the river.

(Blinds $2/$4) Pot Limit Omaha Hi -

Seat 1: quads ($393.25 in chips)
Seat 2: shoryuken ($400.00 in chips)
Seat 3: BigRichard ($220.00 in chips)
Seat 4: Hero ($396.75 in chips)
Seat 5: PhilBrodie ($289.25 in chips)
Seat 6: oldman ($1,511.25 in chips)
Seat 7: dauni ($450.00 in chips)
Seat 8: Kwtwa Kwtr ($947.50 in chips)
Seat 9: another ($835.50 in chips)
Seat 10: Foe ($368.00 in chips)
another : Post Small Blind ($2)
Foe : Post Big Blind ($4)
shoryuken: Sit out
Dealing...
Dealt to Hero [ 7s 4c 5c 6c ]
quads : Fold
BigRichard: Raise ($14)
Hero: Call ($14)
PhilBrodie: Fold
oldman : Fold
dauni : Fold
Kwtwa Kwtr: Fold
another : Call ($12)
Foe : Call ($10)

Standard call here.

*** FLOP *** : [ Kd 5h 8c ]
another : Check
Foe : Check
BigRichard: Check
Hero: Bet ($50)
another : Fold
Foe : Call ($50)
BigRichard: Fold

Again fairly standard, with a nice draw, the preflop raiser checking and a chance to win the button.

*** TURN *** : [ Kd 5h 8c ] [ Tc ]
Foe : Check
Hero: Bet ($120)
Foe : Call ($120)

More problematic. I’m both betting the flush draw for value, also setting up the river for a bluff if everything misses. Note that I’m thinking ahead here so I don’t bet the pot and leave him with an autocall on the river. Once he calls, I’m not sure I want to hit the flush :(

*** RIVER *** : [ Kd 5h 8c Tc ] [ Td ]

Not great.

Foe : Bet ($184)
This looks like a simple pass.

Or is it?

Sometimes you get a desperation bet here with something like an overpair by completely clueless types. But although the foe is not a great player, he isn’t quite that bad. He could also have hit trips and decided that as he will call, he may as well bet. But I have played this hand like I have a set, not a draw, and you would expect him to check this. Could my baby pair be winning? Could he have had a draw too and now having missed, sees a bluff as his only out? I looked up his notes. “Checks the nuts on the river”, it says. Hmmm. I am either going to look a genius or a loon.

Hero: Call ($184)

*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $761 | Rake: $3
Board: [ Kd 5h 8c Tc Td ]

Hero bet $368, collected $761, net +$393 (showed hand) [ 7s 4c 5c
6c ] (two pair, tens and fives)

Foe lost $368 (showed hand) [4s 7c 6h Qc]

Genius is it then!

Of course this is a very marginal hand. He could have very easily had trips, or an overpair. But the play of the hand, thinking through the options, coupled with the extremely valuable note, just about pushed it into being a call.

If only my play had been as thoughtful all month!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cant believe everyone's stopped posting - I been lurking since year dot and would like to know (drum roll or equivalent noise) - Dave how big is this year's bankroll? For reference I got nada minus x in my account but who's counting?


Potless

I Thought I Was Winning!

Milkybarkid said...

Interesting call on the river. You must have had good notes on that player to make a call. Its a very marginal decision as you say.... and one i would never have made! I would assume that i was losing even to a bluff.

I'm surprised you are playing on Paradise. I have found it the toughest place to play Omaha on the net.

Big Dave D said...

Potless, im potless. Ive spent faaar too much of the tank, hence my new year's resolution on my last post of 2004.

dd

Big Dave D said...

Milky,

Most of my hand posts are extreme to illustrate a point. I was well aware that (a) it was very very marginal (b) he could be bluffing but I still lose. The fact he couldnt pot it helped a great deal.

gl

dd

Big Dave D said...

Milky,

Most of my hand posts are extreme to illustrate a point. I was well aware that (a) it was very very marginal (b) he could be bluffing but I still lose. The fact he couldnt pot it helped a great deal.

gl

dd