300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

Obviously not a hand I played [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

This was on high stakes poker the other night when it was the first game that the buy in was $500k. Some of the details might be a bit off, but the concept remains. This part of the game just amazes me.

David Benyamine open limped from like +2 with 55. Guy Laliberte raised in CO with JJ. Sammy called in the BB with two small clubs and David called as well.

The flop came JTs3 giving Sammy a FF.

Sammy and David checked to Guy. Guy bet pretty large. Sammy called and David folded.

The turn came a blank 5.

Something happened.

The river came a flush 5.

Sammy ended up betting like $200k and folding to a raise.

Guy rakes a huge pot. Had one thing changed as simple as getting fancy with a flop check, he could have lost $500k instead of winning $250k. A difference of 3/4 million for one decision. Sometimes luck is so hidden in this game.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

I always think about this when I try something fancy or non-standard and end up losing my stack when if I just played the hand "normal" I would have won. However, I'm sure there are times when making one decision differently than you normally do also benefit you. But yea nice point about the hidden luck.

Also, I think it is funny that Benyamine apparently thinks its ok to sometimes open limp a pocket pair, something that would normally draw criticism here.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

That reminds me of a hand I had in a live $1/2 game. Couple limpers, I limp 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], flop comes 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], UTG bets the pot, I flat call. Turn comes 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], UTG bets the pot, I flat call. River is a 5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], UTG shoves, I snap call while flipping my cards up.

UTG shakes his head in disbelief and says, "no, it gets worse," and tables 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Usually I'd find a raise in there somewhere, but for some reason I kept flat calling and UTG stumbled into a big losing hand. Luck certainly takes many forms.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

lol I have lost atleast 4 or 5 times when a person with top set checks it through on flop and I hit my set on turn.

It is so [censored] frustrating.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

That game is almost pure juice. I wish someone would stake me. I love how a lot of people think they're using Level 90 thought, when really most of them don't have a clue, even about basic odds.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

i havnt read the book lately but i think dan harrington talks about hidden luck in H.O.H. and how it played a factor in his deep finish in the WSOP the year moneymaker took it home.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

I would love to play some high stakes FR. I mean once I get up to 5/10+ at FR you know how much better you have to be than those guys in a lot of situations?

I mean Leatherass9 would probably be a huge favorite in that game, IMO. They are so unpolished and have been playing mostly HU and if not 3 or 4 handed at the most for so long. I bet they haven't thought or played FR seriously for sooooo long.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I would love to play some high stakes FR. I mean once I get up to 5/10+ at FR you know how much better you have to be than those guys in a lot of situations?

I mean Leatherass9 would probably be a huge favorite in that game, IMO. They are so unpolished and have been playing mostly HU and if not 3 or 4 handed at the most for so long. I bet they haven't thought or played FR seriously for sooooo long.

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um HSP deliberately leaves off the best NLHE players, err well most of the best ones

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

The flush actually hit on the turn, so if Guy checked on the flop the hand really would've been crazy b/c on the turn Benyamine would've hit his set and Sammy would've hit his flush. Benyamine would've led, Sammy would've raised, and who knows what Guy would've done.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

Slight thread hijack. Did anyone fall out of their chairs on the Brunson/Gold hand flush vs flush hand? I cannot f.cking believe what an imbecile Jamie Gold is. I think I could play .10/.25 NL with Jamie Gold for a month and win his whole roll.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I think it is funny that Benyamine apparently thinks its ok to sometimes open limp a pocket pair, something that would normally draw criticism here.

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Out of the 2p2ers that have actually played with Benyamine almost all of them think he is terrible so its not like his play is necessarily good here.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Did anyone fall out of their chairs on the Brunson/Gold hand flush vs flush hand? I cannot f.cking believe what an imbecile Jamie Gold is. I think I could play .10/.25 NL with Jamie Gold for a month and win his whole roll.


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Gold is terrible. His tells give away everything.

I think Brunson read Jamie correctly, in that Gold thought he had the best hand. Doyle forget that Jamie might think a 9 high flush was the nuts.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

Going along with what CDL said,

The 2+2er's I've talked with irl have all said Benyamine is probably the biggest loser in the online nosebleed stakes. I'm not sure how his live results pan out.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Going along with what CDL said,

The 2+2er's I've talked with irl have all said Benyamine is probably the biggest loser in the online nosebleed stakes. I'm not sure how his live results pan out.

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in NLHE or LHE 2-4handed maybe

but he's up ~5million on the year at PLO and at HORSE, limit O8

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Did anyone fall out of their chairs on the Brunson/Gold hand flush vs flush hand? I cannot f.cking believe what an imbecile Jamie Gold is. I think I could play .10/.25 NL with Jamie Gold for a month and win his whole roll.


[/ QUOTE ]

Gold is terrible. His tells give away everything.

I think Brunson read Jamie correctly, in that Gold thought he had the best hand. Doyle forget that Jamie might think a 9 high flush was the nuts.

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as long as we are off-topic, this happens alot when I play live

I have a read that a villain really likes his hand. However, since the villain has little idea of what a good hand is, it does me little good

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I think it is funny that Benyamine apparently thinks its ok to sometimes open limp a pocket pair, something that would normally draw criticism here.

[/ QUOTE ]

I open limp pp's sometime...I think it's a fine play.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Slight thread hijack. Did anyone fall out of their chairs on the Brunson/Gold hand flush vs flush hand? I cannot f.cking believe what an imbecile Jamie Gold is. I think I could play .10/.25 NL with Jamie Gold for a month and win his whole roll.

[/ QUOTE ]

you tube link? it makes me feel happy watching JG play poker.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

One other important factor that influences the dynamics of the High Stakes Poker game is the fact that there are also antes posted.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

I think what you have to keep in mind when watching and and judging HSP is how incredibly deep those guys play. I watch it quite frequently and IMO it's a completely different game from what we play online. Therefore all this limping with 55, calling raises with 64os stuff...

P.S.: Damn true, David Benyamine is making a whole lot of money with PLO, HORSE and O8. And you have to give him credit, he is never afraid of playing the highest stakes at FT against everyone...

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

I try to withhold judgment for the most part. We get to see 25 hands over the course of a season. Doesn't probably tell the whole story. There are surely on-line, mid-stack HU specialists that could clean their collective clocks at those games, but most of those guys won their way up to high stakes. They can't all be just lucky.

Re: 300/600NL: Something That Always Amazes Me (LC)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I try to withhold judgment for the most part. We get to see 25 hands over the course of a season. Doesn't probably tell the whole story. There are surely on-line, mid-stack HU specialists that could clean their collective clocks at those games, but most of those guys won their way up to high stakes. They can't all be just lucky.

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My guess is he's playing that way for a reason, either the character of the game or his image. He certainly seems like at least an OK player in that game.

These guys seem to be playing pretty loose so maybe there's not much fold equity raising from early position. So he doesn't want to play a small pocket pair against a few players out of position for a raise. If someone raises behind him, then he'll just play fit or fold on the flop.