The Monster & The Fish

Sometimes you get paid for catching a monster.  Sometimes you get paid off by a fish. This was a session from late December in Vegas where only two hands mattered.  But they were two really good hands.

It was 1/2 of course, and I had bought in for $200. I was down to about $170 when I looked down at pocket 8’s.   After a limp, a guy made it $11 and I called.  The limper called as well.  The three of us looked at a lovely flop—Queen-Queen-8.  Flopping boats is nice!  The preflop raiser led out for $20 and we both called.  The turn was a 9, and this time the guy who had originally limped moved all in.  Cool.  His stack was approximately the same as mine, give or take.  The preflop raiser, who had us both covered, tanked for a long time but finally folded.  I of course called the shove.

I don’t remember the river card because it didn’t matter.  I showed my boat and the other guy showed Queen-Jack.  Sweet.  He had me covered as it turned out, but just barely.  I had around $360-$365 after the hand.

 It was quite awhile before I noted any more hands and my stack was now a bit under $300.  And I looked down at pocket Aces.  Before it got to me, a guy opened to $15 and another guy called.  That guy is the key player in the hand.  He had only recent arrived at the table.  There were still a few people who hadn’t acted yet when it got to me.  I made it $60.  Another player tanked, said something like, “How big is your pair?” I said nothing of course.  He finally called.  The preflop raiser folded, but the guy who called the $15 called.  So it was close to a $200 pot before we even saw the flop.

The flop was 6-5-2, rainbow.  Surely no one was playing 4-3 for $60, were they?  It checked to me.  I meant to bet $100 but my stack was off and I only made it $95.  The guy who asked how big my pair was insta-folded and said, “That was a bad a gamble.”  But the other guy called.

The turn was a Queen.  This time, the other guy open-shoved.  It was like $60-$70 and I had him covered.  I had no idea what he could have had.  Did he turn a set of Queens?  Or did he just have Ace-Queen or King-Queen?  Or did he really flop a straight?  All I knew was the pot was way too big for me to fold for that bet.  I called. 

I don’t recall the river because it didn’t matter.  I turned over my rockets and he turned over—8-6 offsuit.  Well bless his little heart.  It sure helps to play against really bad players, doesn’t it?

So let’s see.  With that mighty 8-6, he called an initial raise of $15.  Then he called the re-raise to $60.  With 8-6 off.  On the flop, well, he did have top pair, with no kicker.  Well, ok, to be fair, he did have a back-door straight draw.  Let’s not forget that.

I guess by the time the Queen showed up—an over card to his top pair—he must have figured out that he was pot-committed. Maybe by then he realized he should have shoved on the flop instead of just calling—if he was going to stay in the hand, that is.

The pot was over $500.  Nice to drag those in a 1/2 game.

Unfortunately, he didn’t re-buy. I didn’t get anything else to play, and there were no fish left for me to take advantage of.  But I cashed out with a nice $335 profit for the night.