For you Hold'Em players

[Antrax]

Here's a hand I'm proud of:

(Krazie I tagged as "good player", grizz1371 I tagged as "loose aggressive")
---
Game #315004059 - $0.50/$1 Texas Hold'em - 2003/06/12-12:47:44 (CST)
Table "Takaroa" (real money) -- Seat 6 is the button
Seat 1: Skanlez ($38.50 in chips)
Seat 2: Antrax ($15.75 in chips)
Seat 3: 1BBhr ($3.50 in chips)
Seat 4: BinnyB123 ($38.75 in chips)
Seat 5: grizz1371 ($103.25 in chips)
Seat 6: RickBlane ($22 in chips)
Seat 7: sonny3 ($5.75 in chips)
Seat 8: Krazie ($28.50 in chips)
Seat 10: 76epaz ($17.25 in chips)
sonny3 : Post Small Blind ($0.25)
Krazie : Post Big Blind ($0.50)
Dealing...
Dealt to Antrax [ Ac ]
Dealt to Antrax [ Th ]
76epaz : Fold
Skanlez : Fold
Antrax : Call ($0.50)
1BBhr : Fold
BinnyB123: Fold
grizz1371: Raise ($1)
RickBlane: Fold
sonny3 : Fold
Krazie : Raise ($1)
Antrax : Call ($1)
grizz1371: Raise ($1)
Krazie : Call ($0.50)
Antrax : Call ($0.50)
*** FLOP *** : [ 3s Tc Ad ]
Krazie : Bet ($0.50)
Antrax : Raise ($1)
grizz1371: Call ($1)
Krazie : Call ($0.50)
*** TURN *** : [ 3s Tc Ad ] [ As ]
Krazie : Check
Antrax : Check
grizz1371: Bet ($1)
Krazie : Raise ($2)
Antrax : Raise ($3)
grizz1371: Fold
Krazie : Call ($1)
*** RIVER *** : [ 3s Tc Ad As ] [ 9s ]
Krazie : Check
Antrax : Bet ($1)
Krazie : Call ($1)
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $17.50 | Rake: $0.75
Board: [ 3s Tc Ad As 9s ]
Skanlez didn't bet (folded)
Antrax bet $7, collected $17.50, net +$10.50 (showed hand) [ Ac Th ] (a full house, aces full of tens)
1BBhr didn't bet (folded)
BinnyB123 didn't bet (folded)
grizz1371 lost $4 (folded)
RickBlane didn't bet (folded)
sonny3 lost $0.25 (folded)
Krazie lost $7 [ Ah Kh ] (three of a kind, aces)
MaoMao didn't bet
76epaz didn't bet (folded)
---
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[This message has been edited by Antrax (edited 06-12-2003 03:37 PM).]

[The Anonymous Card Player]

Well played, although I think I would have bet the turn. Your check-raise worked out, but seeing as Grizz merely called the flop, there was no guarantee he would bet the turn, meaning you might have lost some bets into the pot while holding the most-likely best hand. Also, your hand could be beat by a lucky draw; make them drop or make them pay, I always say. But that's nit-picking in the extreme. Well done.

As long as we're whipping out our favorite hands, I have to tell you about a hand I played in a $10 buy-in Omaha-high tournament we had over the memorial day weekend.

I was short stacked (i.e., had the least chips on the table), and the lady with the big stacks (chips, you pervert) went all-in on a hand where the flop came 8-6-6. Well, I was holding 88 (among other junk). This was MY flop, and I needed to double up. So I quickly called, and threw down my full house, eights full of sixes.

She was holding QQ6x (can't recall her 4th card; doesn't matter). There were 3 cards in the deck that could beat me; two queens (giving her queens full of sixes), or the case six (giving her four of a kind).

The turn came: 6

Crap. Looked like I was out. But Randall, doing the dealing, made a big production out of the river card, because there was _one single card_ left in the deck that I could win with. He finally turned it up:

8.

I beat her 4 8s on the river to her 4 6s on the turn. I doubled up, put her out the very next hand (which was also a monster), and went on to win the whole tournament.

That was the BEST hand of poker I've EVER had.

God I love poker.

[Antrax]

TACP:
I disagree with both your comments. Betting on the turn would've caused my maniac to fold (since he'd know he's beaten and can't drive us out), and Krazie would've either called or folded, and might not have called on the river. Secondly, there is no river card on earth I could lose to. I was holding the absolute nuts, and there was simply no fifth card and any combination of hole cards that could've created anything to beat my aces full of tens.

However, upon analysis, I played the hand terribly on the flop -- I should've raised, and if rereaised to the cap, folded.
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[The Anonymous Card Player]

Sorry; I read the hand wrong. I was thinking it was possible that he could have had TT, and the 4th 10 could've hit. But you had one of the tens, so you are correct. I agree completely with your analysis.

[mikegoo]

I pretty much only play no-limit tourneys any more so if I may be a bit off on structured strategy.

The only thing I question is getting into a hand with A 10 off against a good player who is raising out of his BB (anything other than an A and a 10 and you don't have much confidence in your hand). On the flop and after I think you played it just fine (since it looks like you raised on the flop the way I'm reading it).

As for the check raise on the turn it was a bit of a gamble, although worth it IMO and it was a great read on Mr. Aggressive. You did not have the absolute nuts on the turn ...a J Q or K on the river could have concievably lost you the pot as either opponent could have had AJ, AQ, or AK (which was the case). I don't think this should have changed the way you played it though so it is kind of a moot point although it could have impacted some folk's decision on whether or not to check raise on the turn.

[Antrax]

Yeah, I agree my preflop play was very dubious -- I'm still shaking off playing a different strategy, which for some reason really values AT and A9. As for the turn... it might not come as a surprise one of my only redeeming qualities as a holdem player is the ability to read the other players, to the point a lot of them could've just played with their cards face up for all I care. Of course, that does me little good because I have no patience and I keep convincing myself to get in with bad hands and then get trapped and lose money, but I'm learning
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[Samadhi]

[Antrax]

It's online. You have a lot of factors, like the time it takes them to act, are they patient and wait for the big blind to enter or not, are they aggressive in general or not, how much money they brought initially, where they're from... it's very possible. Also, almost none of them have variance in their play style, making it VERY obvious what they're holding. Once I know a player bets on draw hands, and I see the guy bet-bet-bet until the river then checks, I can tell he didn't make his flush draw and bet my stupid pair safely (just the principle, naturally I wouldn't keep a stupid pair to the river if two to a flush was on the board and I was heads up with a small pot).

Of course, a lot of good that did me in this session I just finished -- 24 consecutive folds before getting a single playable hand, then never hitting the flop, or being dealt anything that can win without improving. Best hand all day was AKo with which I stayed to the river for free thanks to clever preflop play, and that helped me a whole lot when the board had 4 to a flush on the river and I held my high cards proudly.
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[Samadhi]

I'm finding myself intrigued with the differences in play.

In all honesty, you seem to be more cognizant of the fine points of strategy than I am. I am certain that is vital in OL play. But mere basic strategy, guestimating the odds and mainly reading my opponents has served me very well in RL play. I KNOW when my opponents have crap. It can't be easy to pick up a tell on line. Or maybe it is, but I can't.

Also, I don't think I'd ever fold 24 hands in a row. I mean tight is one thing, but that's like hermetically sealed. In RL, I would definitely have thrown in a bluff at some point once I got known for a tight hand. But I can see that in OL play, it may be more difficult to read whether your opponents have registered that you play tight. Or maybe not.

Fascinating.

[Antrax]

If you are dealt the following hands in succession:
29o, 39o, 38o, K4o, Q3o, 23o, 67o, 27o, A5o.... which do you call with? Not even a fish would keep any of these, except for maybe the ace lovers calling with the last one. Last night was a test of my patience for bad card streaks (and bad flops -- when I did stay with AKo, the flop was 24Q all of the same suit, and the turn was a 7 of the same suit).
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[Samadhi]

It's not the cards that matter so much on a bluff, it's the players.

[RSA]

what does the o mean? ("29o")

[Antrax]

You can't bluff pots in low limits online. That's a principle you learn quickly or you lose a lot of money. People call holding nothing in the river, I've seen it happen. Those people are your main source of income, too.
RSA: o means "offsuit", as opposed to s, which is "suited" (I would've played A5 suited, Q5 suited, and K4 suited, those hands are actually quite profitable in that stupid loose games online, if you play them from the right position and can limp in for cheap)
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[This message has been edited by Antrax (edited 06-13-2003 12:10 PM).]

[Samadhi]

Oh you're right. I did overlook that fact. Also you have limits.

[Antrax]

Yeah. I keep feeling I would probably beat higher limits, but I can't afford to test that theorem just yet. In the meantime I understand why rec.gambling.poker is filled with people claiming online casinos cheat like kings (though none of them are able to explain WHY the casino would cheat, when it makes plenty of money running a straight game).
Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[pikachamp]

*holds em down*

[Chuck]

The world's best Texas Hold'em player will soon be a computer.

[Samadhi]

You're saying Antrax will soon be the world's best Texas Hold'em player?
Cool.

[TACP]

Bah. Why did I let Antrax talk me into turning my brain off and believing he had the nuts on that hand? ;-)

Anyway. Had a lot of fun last night. Played penny-ante and taught a bunch of guys to play. So many people seem shocked that poker isn't actually random. It absolutely amazes me.

We played mostly Omaha High. I dealt an extremely interesting hand where the flop came QQQ. There were enough cards out that it was almost a 50/50 shot that somebody was holding the fourth queen (I was not). Which made the play on the flop very cagey. Then the turn came:

Q

I immediately folded on the first bet to hit the table, since I wasn't holding a pair. Another guy called to the river with no pair in his hole cards (one of the newbies), and another guy was betting and raising with a pair of 3s. The final guy had second or third nuts with a pair of kings or jacks (don't remember which), and of course won. The guy with the pair of 3s is a regular at my $40 buy-in game and should know better!

This is the same guy that I _talked_ into calling 3 bets in a row (2 on the flop, 5 on the turn, and the maximum 10 on the river) when I flopped J66 holding J6xx, and turned the 4th 6. Playing in my normal game, I'd have talked him into coughing up probably $3.50 on a hand he had no chance of winning.

The moral of the story is people will give you action on _anything_. Even when you flop an obvious monster.

[Antrax]

Stolen from RGP:

---
OK, I know that everyone hates bad beat stories, but I just have to
share this. Just to let you know I am a consistent winner in my home
game, winning at least one small bet per hour in our .10-.25 game.
But online, I just can't seem to catch a break. Here it goes:

The game is 3-6 Hold'em on a website I would rather not name, lest
they further conspire against me.

I am under the gun w/ 2d 7h. I haven't even been playing even 60% of
my hands and am getting frustrated. I know this isn't a premium hand,
but both cards are red, so I have that going for me. I come out w/ a
raise, everyone calls to the button, who reraises, both blinds call, I
reraise (I am not going to let him push me around from the button),
now we get 2 people to fold and everyone else calls.

The Flop is 2c Ah Ad.

OK, I have 2 pair and have a bunch of outs to five red cards. Both
blinds check to me and I fire out a raise. Now I am in control.
Everyone folds to the button, and HE RAISES ME!!!! What is this guy
thinking? Both blinds fold and we are heads up. Now here is where I
am going to get paid off, me and him heads up and I know I can outplay
this guy. I can tell this guy knows nothing about hold'em. I bet he
hasn't even played 20% of his hands all night. How can you win a hand
w/ your cards always in the muck? Well, after the blinds fold, I fire
out a reraise w/out hesitation. He caps it and I call, but I am
starting to get worried. I figured him for maybe a 5d6h drawing to
hit a lower 5 red card hand, but now I am concerned he has a 2 w/ a
better kicker, like and 8 or 9.

But the turn alleviates my fear, it comes down 7c.

Now we have 2c Ah Ad 7c and I am sitting pretty w/ 2d 7h. That 7 made
my three pair and I know I have him beat at this point. I just want
to slow play my hand to trap him at this point and just check. Well
he walks right into my trap and fires out a raise and hesitate and
pretend to think and then I reraise him. The fool, how did he not see
that check raise coming ( I told you he was bad)? The idiot actually
comes back w/ reraise and I cap it. (How I wish this site allowed
unlimited heads-up raising!!!)

Anyways, the river comes down w/ a 9h making the table:

2c Ah Ad 7c 9h

Well, w/ my 2d 7h that means I have 3 pair w/ a five read card kicker.
I am not playing fancy anymore, I just want to get my money into that
pot. I raise, he reraises, I rereraise and he caps.

I type in "lol, you fool"

I show my three pair and do you know what he turns over?

AcAs. What was he thinking playing his hand that way? But the worst
thing was that the site actually gave him the hand. He only had 2
pair of Aces and I had a pair of Aces, a pair of 2s, and a pair of 7s.
Now I don't know what kinda operation these internet poker rooms are,
but can you believe they just gave my money to this guy? I mean,
obviously he is a bot and the site refused to let the bot lose a hand
even after I outplayed it.

Well, this was my last straw w/ that site. I wrote to customer
service to complain, but that is a different story entirely.

But I will say this, it is obvious that these rooms are rigged.
Giving cards to make players raise and raise and then screwing them w/
a bad beat. And then to top it off, when I come in and outplay the
site, then have the audacity to refuse to pay me for the $228 pot they
stole from me.

Well, I have to respond to the latest customer service they sent me.
(Even after they saw the hand history they refuse to pay, saying
something about 4 of a kind and best five cards, I just put my hand
out and give them a big WHATEVER!)

Let this serve as a warning to all.
---

Antrax

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"If it comes down to a choice between being unloved and being vulnerable and sensitive and emotional, then you can just keep your love." -Victor Mancini, "Choke"

[...]

That was hilarious!

[MatthewV]

In that last situation, the other guy had a 4 of a kind. This is one of the highest hands in poker. Besides, you cant have a "three pair" I believe...

[Lepton]

Antrax jests.