Give me a hand: Trust yourself
Derek James Knabenbauer
Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: Entertainment
The Situation: The most aggressive $5/$10 No-Limit Hold'em game I have ever played in. It's still early in the night, only 9 p.m., which is early for poker. The table is full of players that I've played many times before. I'm doing very well, up to $2,600. The player that is under the gun (first to act) put in a $40 raise and everyone folds to me. I have 7?8? in the seat before the cutoff.
The Play: I really like to see flops with hands that have a lot of potential like suited connectors. The real trick with them is that you will very often end up with a draw. With almost half of the players at the table left to act, I am hoping that, with a call here, I can solicit some of the other players to call as well.
It turns out I was right and all of my opponents call, including a very loose and aggressive player that I've played many hands against. We'll call him Kao.
Kao and I have always been very civil outwardly, joking around and having a good time. When it comes to the play between Kao and I, it's all out war. Sometimes we will call just because the other person is involved in the pot. He's on the button and I'm not the least bit happy about him being able to act after me.
I try to keep an eye on Kao's reaction when the flop comes out: 8?T?9?. He just stares at the flop, nearly always a sure sign of weakness. Maybe he hopes that if he stares at the cards long enough, they'll change?
The action is checked around to me while I am staring side-long at Kao. What to do here? I have a bottom-pair and a straight-draw, though it's not the best of straight draws to have. If a Jack comes out I'll have a straight, but I'll be dead to any Queen. This is why a lot of players will refer to the low-end of a straight as the dumb-end.
All of that being said, my hand is still plenty good enough for a bet, and I count out two piles of $100 and put each stack in one at a time.
"I'm sorry sir, that's a string bet," the dealer says as she moves one stack back toward me. I can't believe I just did that. It's illegal to put out chips and then reach back for more, and they are strict at this casino. I feel myself uncontrollably slump in my chair as Kao calls. Fortunately, everyone else folds to my half-bet.
The Play: I really like to see flops with hands that have a lot of potential like suited connectors. The real trick with them is that you will very often end up with a draw. With almost half of the players at the table left to act, I am hoping that, with a call here, I can solicit some of the other players to call as well.
It turns out I was right and all of my opponents call, including a very loose and aggressive player that I've played many hands against. We'll call him Kao.
Kao and I have always been very civil outwardly, joking around and having a good time. When it comes to the play between Kao and I, it's all out war. Sometimes we will call just because the other person is involved in the pot. He's on the button and I'm not the least bit happy about him being able to act after me.
I try to keep an eye on Kao's reaction when the flop comes out: 8?T?9?. He just stares at the flop, nearly always a sure sign of weakness. Maybe he hopes that if he stares at the cards long enough, they'll change?
The action is checked around to me while I am staring side-long at Kao. What to do here? I have a bottom-pair and a straight-draw, though it's not the best of straight draws to have. If a Jack comes out I'll have a straight, but I'll be dead to any Queen. This is why a lot of players will refer to the low-end of a straight as the dumb-end.
All of that being said, my hand is still plenty good enough for a bet, and I count out two piles of $100 and put each stack in one at a time.
"I'm sorry sir, that's a string bet," the dealer says as she moves one stack back toward me. I can't believe I just did that. It's illegal to put out chips and then reach back for more, and they are strict at this casino. I feel myself uncontrollably slump in my chair as Kao calls. Fortunately, everyone else folds to my half-bet.
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