http://www.gutshot.com/bforum/blog.php?b=79
I said I would tell the story of the $2/5 game last night at The Venetian.
Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. In the beginning, it was bad. I had come from the Rio, still a bit sick about my exit from the $1500.
Actually, I was nearly over it and was planning to play really solid in the $180 Venetian 8pm. But when I took my seat, Kieron from the club spotted me and agreed to hear my “bad beat”. Re-living it put me back off-balance for a bit and before I knew it I had check-raised ¾ of my chips with the middle pair and 2nd-nut flush draw into a guy who had Aces.
A few hands later, Good game.
So, back to the beginning.
I sit down on table #15 in the back corner of the room. It seems like it could be lively. Everyone is going by their place-name. So we have “Moscow”, “Lubbock Texas”, “Spain”, “London”, ”China”, “Sweden” and so on.
Now, “Lubbock Texas” is certainly steaming drunk and ready to give away all his money, of which there is a lot. Crazy Chinese guy in the next seat also has a tonne of bills and looks like he could splash them around.
In the case of Lubbock, you know he is going to get felted but in between times it can get rather exciting.
Let’s look at one hand. “Sweden” has not been in the game long but already we are calling him the Fake Swede as he seems to play only the nuts or better. He folded AK face-up on the button when I re-raised him pre with 63o. So, his image was pretty strong when he and Texas saw the flop.
Texas had not looked at his cards but the action was very heavy on the flop 7c5s4s with Texas betting, getting re-raised big and calling. The turn was 4h. Texas bet $300, still blind, and was raised all in for $350 more.
Now he has to look. He looks. Now we has a decision apparently. He thinks. He calls !
Obviously Sweden has 8-6 for the nuts on the flop. Texas has 7s6s and makes a straight flush when the river comes the 3s! $2,000 pot.
Of course it was only a matter of time before he lost the lot. We kept his seat open for a while but he never returned.
I took $600 off him when I insta-called his re-raise on the river. On the board Qd3s4sJdKd I had raised pre and been called. When he checked to me on the river I bet $100 and was re-raised to $300. I was pretty sure I would be winning with Ace-high tbh, but with the top pair it was an easy one.
I soon had around $1500 from the $500 buy-in (about 20mins playing) when the first bombshell hit.
I had KsQs and there has been the standard raise to $35 pre, called in 4 spots. The flop comes Kh9h5s and I check, looking to check-raise. Texas bets $50 and for some reason I now decide not to raise yet as I think China may try a raise so that I can come over the top again.
China makes it $200. I make it $500. He pushes. I am sure I am good. I call $900 more. He has Ad9s . Ace on the turn. $3000 pot lost to a 5-outer. Clearly, the money was there to be won back and I soon got my next $500 up to $1000 when this happened:
I have As6s and see a cheap flop (just called the straddle I think). Flop 6c9s5s. I have 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. I lead out for $40 and and limit-raised to $80 by a guy who has hardly played a hand. I call. Turn Js giving me the nuts. I check. $100 is bet. I check-raise to $300. Called.
The river is 9c.
Obviously I am concerned about the house but I don’t think he has it. I make a mistake now, although the result is the same. I check, looking to call a bet but of course I should bet in case he has a smaller flush or trips say. He pushes, and I call even though I am not happy. He has Jh9h!! 4-outer on the turn. Again, if I push on the turn I imagine I win but with the nuts, I thought the $300 raise was good.
I do my next $500 quickly to “real scandi” who has arrived. Overpair vs 93o on a 335 board.
OK. Last $500. Here comes the middle of our story:
I stack up my new chips and “dennis the menace” (China’s friend) open-raises to $45. I take a peek. 5h2d. There is not one scintilla of doubt that I must play. Fake Swede also calls.
Flop Ah3s4s. DtM leads for $145. I try to look a bit worried. Kinda-hoping Sweden has flatted with Aces pre. I look to see how much DtM has – only about the same as me. I call. Sweden reluctantly folds. DtM moves in blind on the turn.
SHIP !!
This karma-filled start is the beginning of the middle period in which the table continues in fantastic spirit – 10/10 for fun and I’m winning as well.
I think I am playing quite well. I even make some folds –Ac9c – I raise it preflop and get 4 callers. Ah9hJc flop. I lead for $100 and get called. Turn Ts. I check and China bets $200. I fold face-up and he can’t believe it. He has Qh8h.
By now I have realised that China is actually a very good, dangerous aggressive player. But, he is such a friendly guy that I am happy to play and I don’t feel intimidated even though I know I am outclassed.
Now I get Aces – the first time in a cash game this trip. I raise, and get 4 callers. Marvellous. Flop 7d7c5d. Not exactly what I hope for. China can be relied upon to take a stab at this flop so I check. China bets $80. True spirit of Scandinavia calls. He is the guy who took $500 off me with an offsuit 3 on a 33x board. I am a bit worried about him.
I make it $300 and China passes instantly. Scandinavia calls, apparently with some reluctance.
He checks the turn 9c and I bet $400 which he calls. He checks the river and I take the safe route of checking behind. He mucks but apparently had 88. China had folded 44 (phew !). This was a big pot but when we discussed the hand everyone (or most people) agreed I should bet the river. They correctly (I think) reasoned he cannot have a hand that beats me when he did not raise the flop or turn and checked on the river.
I agree with them in hindsight but I have so much to learn in cash games. I am value betting more, now, but still not enough most likely. This was pretty much the high point $-wise. I oscillated between $2000 and $2800 for a few hours now and the game continued to be pretty wild.
Let us move on towards the end-phase of our tale.The beginning of the end was when China proposed we play the 7-2 game. The agreed terms were $20 from each player to any player who won a pot with seven-deuce and everyone was to take a shot of Jagermeister. Leading a sheltered life entirely outside of nightclubs I have never heard of this and was a little reluctant (about the shots, not the $20 obv.) but in the spirit of the game, I acceded.
It’s very nice stuff I must say ! I am quite sure it does not improve poker-skills, however, and it was probably after about the 5th seven-deuce that I crossed the invisible line that led in due course to me having no chips left.
As it’s my blog, I am not going to focus on the hands where I lost $2000 but one was with Aces against China’s 73. Another was against Sweden’s Aces.
I must however give you some idea of the play with 7-2. Unfortunately I was never dealt it myself, but here are a few examples:
DtM makes it $35 to go. His range usually here is AT+ or 88+ say, so I re-raise to $100 with 99. China calls. His range here is ATC. I check-dark figuring I want to hit a set really.
It Comes T63 rainbow. China bets $300, DtM passes. Unfortunately I cannot rule out that China flat called with a higher pair (even Aces) so I pass. He flips up ... seven-deuce !!
And so it went - $2, $5, $10. Raise to $45, All-in, pass. 7-2 shown ! etc etc. Brasilia had the seven-deuce 4-times and had the heart to bet it strongly each time.
I must close with one final hand from the seven-deuce era. It’s very late now – actually early morning with the room at it’s quietest but some new players have flown in and are obviously less tired and emotional than us.
A new player – let’s call him Dallas – has been on a bit of a tear, turning his $500 into $1600 and he thinks he has the table figured out. He raises pre-flop. Sweden has 72-off and instead of the conventional re-raise, decides to flat call with the intention of check-raising any flop.
The flop come Q72 rainbow. OK ..... Sweden checks and re-raises Dallas from $40 to $160. Called. Turn is a 5 and puts 2 spades on board. Now Sweden leads out for $300 and is re-raised all in for $800 more. He pauses for a count of his own stack and composes himself.
Call.
River is a 3c – a true blank.
2-pair announces Sweden and it’s good. Real good in fact ! Safe to say, I think, that he wouldn’t have been raking in a $3k pot with 72 in most other games.
Dallas was outta there in a millisecond. He didn't reach into his pocket to give Sweden the extra $20.
I’d have to say that this was one of the best games I have ever played in. If I could have stopped my natural urge to self-destruct and come away up in the game, as I really should have, then it would have been even better. But even with the disappointment of that, it has to be the most fun game played in such tremendous spirit by all (or nearly all !) the players.
I have great admiration for what China was able to do – that’s actually quite a skill to play as aggressively as he did whilst making everyone at the table feel good about losing all their money to him, and he certainly had the heart to make every play in the book. So difficult to play against.
Pre-flop and on the flop his calling and raising ranges were literally unlimited.
Maybe some more things I can remember from the game, in which case I will post.If any of you from the game last night are reading this, thanks. Don't spend all my money at once.
To all the rest of you - you have to get out here. It's quite a game. You couldn't make it up.
Cocktails !
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