Comm 40: Trips multiway vs Scott Lazar

[ShawnHoo]

Scott's very aggressive, but not spewy, and one of the better hand-readers in the Commerce 40 game.

Folded to Scott in the CO who raises, dumb spewy donk calls OTB, I call in the SB with QJo, BB folds.

Flop: Q9Qr

I check, Scott bets, button calls, I c/r, Scott 3-towns, button calls, I call.

Turn: 5

I bet, Scott raises, button folds, I call.

River: Q

I bet.
_______
Gossip tidbit: Not too much later that night I got to see our man chew out a guy who gave him a bad beat, which led to the guy standing up and challenging him to go outside. Both guys got in each other's faces and they nearly got it on right there, but ultimately nothing happened except the bad-beater (easily the worst player at the table) got up and left.

[mike l.]

fyi scott can be really spewy sometimes. tilty too. but yes he's one of the better players there.

i wouldnt hate a fold preflop. oftentimes the best way to avoid situations like these is to avoid situations like these.

if youre going to bet the turn you should cap the flop since button is along for the ride.

as played you should c/r the turn and tie button in again.

as you played it you should c/r the river.

so not one of your better hands in my eyes.

[Dugalufagus]

I agree with Mike on folding pre-flop just cuz you have to play a hand that is easily dominated out of position. Other than that I don't see a prob with the way you played it. I doubt you had the best hand until the river so c/r the turn is gonna likely get 3 banged again up against his most likely holding 99. I don't think you can c/r the river cuz he would have to put you on Q he must have cryin called the riv with 99 or a bigger pair. But again unlikely big pair unless he way overplayed JJ or 10's. KK or AA prolly cap preflop.

[OnlinePro]

I dont mind the call preflop considering, people get very creative in the CO with everyone folding to them at times. And with the fish button along for the ride it gives you some extra money in the pot and all the money hes gonna be putting in after the flop.

Well played on the flop, but I wouldnt lead out on the turn, check raise the turn so you get the button going along for an extra bet.

PS, I play the 40 game all the time and I have no heard of scott lazar, can you give a description of him I would like to know if I know him.

[ShawnHoo]

[ QUOTE ]
PS, I play the 40 game all the time and I have no heard of scott lazar, can you give a description of him I would like to know if I know him.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://images.google.com/images?q=scott%20lazar

[OnlinePro]

hmmm, dont think I have seen him on my table. Then again I usually play the 10pm-4am shift so its usually the same group of 30 or so players going at it in the wee hours of the evening.

[ShawnHoo]

Mike,

I'm with you on the flop play.

On the turn, do I really want three bets getting in here? ie., if Scott 3-bets me then I'm pretty much f'ed, right?

On the river, do you think I'm more likely to get more than 2 bets in by c/r'ing?

[Gabe]

[ QUOTE ]
On the turn, do I really want three bets getting in here? ie., if Scott 3-bets me then I'm pretty much f'ed, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not necessarily, with the third player still in. He could be raising to lose the other guy. He might have been planning on checking behind with a big pair, but will now bet it if you check.

(I saw the commotion with Scotty from across the room. It looked pretty funny. Sometimes I think that he thinks he should be running the cardroom because he was famous for a while.)

[andyfox]

"Sometimes I think that he thinks he should be running the cardroom because he was famous for a while."

I don't think that's it at all. I played quite a bit with Scott, although it was a while ago. He was always the table captain and could be way out of line, although we were quite friendly and he treated me with respect. He would frequently pull a Hellmuth, berating a player who had outdrawn him for his bad play, and would, after betting the river with a board of, say, K-Q-J-8-8, show a 5 when his opponent folded, asking "are we clear?"

I would not normally discuss this here, but since Scott was public about it during the World Series when he made the final table, I think it's OK: Scott had substance abuse problems and consequent marriage problems; it's my opinion that that is what was behind his behavioral issues. He's now, apparently, clean and sober, but it's harder, sometimes, to change the behavior associated with substance abuse than the abuse itself. Not that this is a rare thing in the poker room.

On the turn, I agree with you, a 3-bet from Scott does not necessarily mean a better hand; in fact, I think it's more likely a big pocket pair.

Best hand I ever played with Scott was: I raised pre-flop, only Scott called from the big blind. Scott checked blind, I bet blind before the flop came down; Scott called. Scott then checked the turn and I bet it and he called. All this still before the flop came.

We had one confused dealer. (Old Joe for those of you who play Commerce. Yeah, I know, he's pretty much confused anyway.)

Anyway, he's always been, IMO, a terrific mid-limit hold'em player.

[sweetjazz]

Not to get off the hand, but was Scott Lazar the one who had a meltdown at the final table and misplayed two hands in succession to get knocked out? Just curious.

I don't know what your image is like and all, but I think if Scott is decent you are not getting 3 bets in on this river very often, maybe if he has AA. I think the primary reason to bet the river is because it looks like he has 99 and he should be sensible enough to check behind.

Cap the flop or check raise the turn. You have no reason to believe that Scott will help you on the turn and raise a worse hand for you.

Also preflop seems like a fold unless Scott steals a lot and the button is a loose cold-caller.