GC Last Night

Played again for three hours last night and went $-100. Overall, I'd say I played pretty well but made a few mistakes.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, but I actually made it to even after Tuesday night (for playing at Garden City) then dipped back down into the red again. At least I'm not $500 in the hole anymore!

A few hands:

• 76s. Called pre-flop, bet the flop, bet the turn and took it down with third pair. Of course, I think I had the best hand, but still...
• 64s. Must have gotten in from a blind. I have a note, Do I call when getting 6:1 with bottom pair? Answer: No, unless I'm unlikely to get raised on the flop (so I'm getting a true 6:1) and hitting my second pair won't complete a draw. Even then, it is borderline, because I have to depend on implied odds and not be drawing dead to a set or a bigger two pair. I think my fold was good.
• KTd. This maybe falls under creative plays. Bunch of us limped in, my main opponent was GPG (Good playing girl) in early position, and she leads the Q4d2 flop into 4-5 players. One or two others call, and I took one off on the flop since I had an over and a backdoor flush draw (that was a bad move, against odds). On the turn, I got a flush draw with the 3d. Since I was in position, I might have been successful semi-bluff raising and then betting the river no matter what hit. Alternatively, when the offsuit 4 hit the river, I might have been able to bet her off top pair, but probably not.
• TT. I raise in the CO, only the big blind (loose, aggressive Asian guy, also a chip-runner at GC, on a short stack) calls. No real reads on his hand, but I know he doesn't have a really big one. Flop comes K75 rainbow, he checks, I bet, and he raises. Normally, I'd call here and fold the turn, but against this guy, I thought he may not have a king. So I three-bet and he caps. I call, planning to fold the turn, because he's got to have a king now. He bets... 5 chips, or $10. Crap, I can't fold now when I can see one more card and the river for $10. He flips over KJ on the river. My problem was I didn't consider his stack; if I knew he had less I would have taken the call-fold line when he raised. But 3-betting locked me into a line where I lose $22 more on the hand. Oops. The main mistake I regret on the night.
• QJc. Don't remember the details, but GPG was my main opponent again. I believe I bet at the pot with the open-ender, two overs, and backdoor flush, but she raised me so I slowed down. (Note to self: maybe that's a good spot to three-bet the flop and induce her to fold later in the hand). The turn gave me a flush draw too, she bets, I called. Neither the OE or a club hit the river; a jack did. She checked, I picked up some chips thinking about value betting, but decided not to (the chip I picked up had a monster chip out of it and really surprised me). I ended up beating her (she said a T) but I think that'd be a really thin-value bet there. She could easily have a crappy two pair there and she'd also be able to fold a pair of tens or worse. Should I value bet?
  
• AKo. I only mention this because it is my favorite line with AK in these situations. One raiser in EP (a pretty aggressive guy) I three-bet, tight guy in the blinds cold-calls, raiser calls. They both check dark. Flop is QT7, 9 small bets. I bet (I'd bet no matter what came out, maybe not 772 or something like that, but wait to see the flop anyway) and they both call. At this point, I know I need to hit, but I bought a free card. Turn is a blank, we all check. River is a Jack (bingo!), they both check talking about me having AK, I bet, and original raiser calls. He had a set of jacks. Essentially, any time I have AK and hit a gutshot on the flop in position, I'll bet so I get a free river card. It isn't a strong enough draw to be able to push the action, but it is a strong enough draw that I want to see the river. If I hit, I almost always get called on the end because they suspect a possible bluff.

And, some of Thuan's hands we e-mailed back and forth about:

Hand #1:

Thuan:
Me: MP w/Jd9d.
Good Playing Girl (GPG) in EP raises. I call. Solid Asian Guy (SAG) in LP reraises, GPG caps. I'm getting 10:2 and I put them both on big PP or AK so my hand is live and is a nut cracker, so I call.

Flop: 9Tdx (12 small bets)

GPG bets, I call, SAG calls.

Turn: 5x (not a diamond) (7.5 big bets)

GPG bets, I call, SAG raises, GPG reraises. (13.5 big bets) I'm getting 6.5-1. What do you do?

Sean:
Ok, so I know GPG's range pretty well. SAG, if he was in the 7 seat to my left, was pretty tight. He 3-bet me w/ AKo at one point and actually had to think about it. He also told me he folded T9s in the SB for two bets with 3-4 other players in.

PF, if GPG open-raises and the people are still playing tight like when I left, I would have mucked. Not enough chance to get the 4-5 other players I want to play the hand. Your position isn't great either (I'd be more likely to call on the button). Assuming the table is loose, the call isn't bad. After the initial call, you have to call the cap due to odds. Although, folding isn't too bad either, because if the flop comes all low you might be facing a capped flop too to try to draw.

On the flop, you have second pair and backdoor straight and flush draws. Your two-pair draw is devalued slightly because it'll put a straight out there with KQ (not too likely considering the capped action earlier). Calling is fine, and you should feel happy it isn't raised by SAG.

On the turn, I probably release after GPG leads out. With 5 outs (actually slightly less, one of them could have JJ, TT, or 99 leaving you in bad shape or drawing slim). It is also possible neither of them paired. In that case, maybe raising the flop would have been a good line to put some pressure on SAG if he has KQ or something like that that takes your outs. Still though, 9:1 or 8:1 is right around your odds for a five outer, but you have someone behind you. I think it is around 0 EV either way, and in those spots, I usually fold. Raising the turn is also possible, but dangerous. I think raising the flop would have been a better plan if you thought they both had unpaired high cards. Assuming you call, you gotta get the hell out with the three-bet. SAG's call the flop and raise the turn means a big hand. GPG almost definitely has KK or AA or a set. You aren't getting odds to chase, fold. Plus, it will likely be capped.

Thuan:
Hand #1. I figured 2 pair would be good... so 5 outs doesn't give me the correct odds. But for some reason, at the time I thought I had more outs or better odds (maybe GPG didn't reraise)... shoot , I must've missed something. Anyhow I called and hit a J on the river. Check, check, SAG bets. GPG folds QQ! I call and get a really dirty look from SAG w/AA. Ok, I play bad.

Hand #2:

Thuan:
Me in LP: Jc5c
I limp. 5 to the flop.

Flop: 4x6s7s (5 small bets)
Bet, raise, reraise to me. (11 small bets)
What do you do?

Sean:
This one is easier. You have 6 live outs, maybe 7, considering your jack is likely no good and a spade draw may be out there. You could also be chopping. Also, given the action, the pot will likely be capped 3-4 ways. Assuming 3-way capping (I always assume the worse) + you, you'd be putting in 4 small bets to win 17 small bets, plus implied odds (not great considering flush and full house redraws and the transparency of your draw). 7 outs = <>

Thuan:
Hand #2. I fold. I'm only in for 1 bet and not even getting 4-1 for a tainted draw. Turn is a 3 and river is a 2. I would've won. Darn.