Hand of the Week -- needs a title.

First lets describe the hand, then we'll talk about comments, themes and titles.

I'm in a loose limit holdem game with black 8's in mid position. Two limpers to me, I call, the button calls and the big blind raps.

5 small bets in pot, 5 players see flop of; 9d 8d 2h. Blind and first limper checks, second limper bets, I call, button raises, blind and first limper fold, second limper and I call.

11 small bets in pot, 3 players see turn of; 7d Limper checks, I check, button bets, and both call.

8 big bets in pot, 3 players see the river of, 2s. Limper checks, I check, button bets, limper calls, I checkraise, and the button RE-Raises. Limper folds and I call.

Hand Play Comments:
--Pre-flop, an optional play is a raise to drive out the button and the blinds and play vs the limpers with position.
--On flop, there should be lots of draws in play. I'm just going to wait till the large bet round and if a brick falls, then bet or raise. Button raise spoils my plan, but looks like a flush or straight draw.
--Turn is a "death card" putting a straight, flush and straight flush up. I go into check-call mode, and expect to on the river also.
--River pairs the board - HA! Back to my original plan. I checkraise (very rude) and then get RE-raised. A reraise of a checkraise usually signals a very strong hand, and theres lots of hands that beat my 88822: straight flushes, quad 2's and 99922. But, she could have 2's full or even a big flush. So, I call it.

Results: Button shows 99. My first "set over set" loser this year. I was beat the whole hand. I was "drawing dead -- and got there".

Hand of the Week 7: Razz Edition

Here's a hand that happened to me recently in the HORSE games on stars. No one was short stacked enough to make going all-in a possibility:

3rd Street
seat 1 [Qd]
seat 2 [Kd]
seat 3 [9h]
seat 4 [5s]
seat 5 [3d]
seat 6 [6c]
seat 7 [Ah]
Me [7d 5c 9c]

The Kd brings it in. The 9h, 3d, 6c, and I call the bring-in.
Before we go any further, we can analyze what has happened so far. Since the bring-in was only flat called by all these players, the marginal holding of [7d5c9c] is not a bad call, because the multiway pot and the cheap price. Considering the fact that all the hands that flat called, they probably have weak hands similar to mine. With this knowledge, outplaying them would be simply done by watching their boards.

4th street

seat 2 [Kd Jd]
seat 3 [9h 7c]
seat 5 [3d Kc]
seat 6 [6c Qs]
Me [7d 5c] [9c Ts]

Action: Everone checks

Fairly standard so far. At this point, there a very good chance that my hand is good, considering seat 3's check. If he does have a hand that dominates mine there is no reason for him to check here. He has no need to fear any of the boards that contain paint. I check simply to be play it safe.

5th Street
seat 2 [Kd Jd 5d]
seat 3 [9h 7c Ks]
seat 5 [3d Kc 3s]
seat 6 [6c Qs 8s]
Me [7d 5c] [9c Ts Qc]

Seat 6 checks
I check
Seat 2 checks
Seat 3 bets
Seat 5 calls
Seat 6 folds
I raise
Seat 3 calls
Seat 5 calls

I plan on ripping 6th street for free, because everyone's board sucks. However the action that goes down changes my plans. Since the only hand [6 Q 8] I fear folds, I can now really punish these players who are playing with open threes and AT BEST a 9-7 draw. I am fairly sure I have the best hand here. The open threes calling me worries me, but no two hole cards could scare me.


6th Street
seat 3 [9h 7c Ks Qh]
seat 5 [3d Kc 3s 4h]
Me [7d 5c] [9c Ts Qc Ad]

Action
I bet
Seat 3 calls
Seat 5 raises
I 3-bet
Seat 3 flat calls
Seat 5 calls

I have the best hand and I'm betting and raising, the best that seat 3 is drawing for is a 9-7, the best that seat 5 could have is wheel draw. In my mind that couldn't be true, because he would've raised 3rd street instead of limping. And even if he does have A-2-3-4, then I still have the best hand, going into the last card. Why he raises, I have no idea.

7th street
seat 3 [9h 7c Ks Qh]
seat 5 [3d Kc 3s 4h]
Me [7d 5c] [9c Ts Qc Ad] [8d]

Action
I check
Seat 3 checks
Seat 5 bets
I call
Seat 3 calls

Seat 5 [Ac 2h 3d Kh 3s 4h Th] (Lo: T,4,3,2,A)

Me [7d 5c 9c Ts Qc Ad 8d] (Lo: 9,8,7,5,A)

Seat 3 [2d As 9h 7c Ks Qh 8h] (Lo: 9,8,7,2,A)

What happened:
I decide to play it safe and check-call the last street. Seat 5's aggression is perplexing, and I have absolutely no idea why he would be so aggressive into our boards, which clearly have him beat, but it's enough to get me to slow down, even though I improved on 7th street. Another perplexing thing is Seat 3's willingness to put so much money in on 5th street and 6th street, where 2 big bets and 3 big bets went in on a very very small pot, when he was clearly behind.

This hand buggered my mind. I still have no idea what to think of it. Perhaps I pushed small edges too far in this hand, but considering the circumstances it seemed like the right thing to do.

Thoughts?

Gifts from PokerStars

PokerStars sent me a large box filled with goodies (mostly books and chips) to give away at upcoming tournaments. Tracie and Robert will no longer be able to laugh at me for handing out schlock prizes.

The stuff was completely free. I had attended a Sklansky seminar at the Stars hospitality room at last summer's WSOP and talked about it with one of their "muckety-mucks".

Thanks, PokerStars. - - - - -Now, about that Triple Draw Lowball game.