Ben Sheets-level filthiness (very long)

[gonores]

This is a way live hand. I do ~5 things different in this hand if I’m playing it online. Instead of trying to veil my brag post, I think it’s just better to post it as a “what goes through my head during a hand” and a “hey, look…everything worked out great this time” hand, and then let the weak-tighties on here criticize me if they so choose, with the results resting on my side. As I write this opening (after I wrote out the rest of the hand), I think this might be something BK would write back when he posted more.

Lots of important backstory here, IMO. I normally just make mention of whatever metagame considerations, and let the reader decide what is important. I’m telling you this time that everything I write in this post is very important, and all of it went through my mind during this hand, as opposed to many other hands, where I just rationalize my play after the fact by using the back story.

My opponent in this hand is in his early 20s. If I had to describe him, I’d say he’s a 2+2er who came out of the oven a little early. He seems to have had a lot of the tools necessary to be a decent higher-stakes pro, but he seems to give too much credence to the Vegas-style mid-limit regulars and the styles they play, which has limited his upside (for the time being) to beating the 30/60 and 40/80 west coast games for a reasonable hourly. You can tell there’s some innate aggression being suppressed for the sake of fitting in with the rest of the regulars at the table. He also talks way too much strategy at the table. That being said, he’s one of the very few people in the 30/60 where a metagame can be cultivated. We haven’t played together in about 2 months though. I have reason to believe the guy is a part-time 2p2er, so if you’re out there, realize that this is about as high of a compliment as I pay to anyone in my 30/60 games.

On to tonight.

I’m stuck about 2 racks at the time of this hand. I started out the session playing very fast (lost a little), then slowed down a lot as the game got better (lost a ton), then ramped it up back up a bit when two critical weak-tight players sat down (losing a little more). I’ve been getting 3bet preflop, calling, and then folding god-awful flops a little more often than I am comfortable with, but any time any hands get shown either at showdown or voluntarily, I feel justified by my weak-tight actions.

My opponent is also stuck maybe a rack and a half or so at the time this hand took place. One of the reasons I think he could have had a career playing higher is that he shows remarkable composure when stuck, and tonight is no exception. I’m sure he mixes in a little tilt into his game when he is stuck a bunch, but it’s definitely less evident in him than in others. Another reason I think he had a lot of upside is that he is the only guy at the table adjusting his 3betting standards to my loose raises…though he feels the need to tell everyone that that is what he is doing. An orbit and a half ago, we played this hand:

I raise UTG+1 (8handed) with A7s. He 3 bets me next in. HU to the flop. Flop is 875 two-tone. I c/r and he thinks a little and calls. Turn is a ace. I bet, he hesitates a moment, raises, I 3bet, and he calls me down and MHIG. He makes mildly incredulous commentary, again, about my light raising standards and then wonders out loud about whether or not he should be raising the turn if he can’t fold to a 3bet.

Wow….lotta backstory. On to the hand.

The two weak-tight reasons I feel like speeding again are in the SB and the BB. I think Villain knows this. I raise Qh9d from the hijack, he 3bets me from the button. Folded to me and I call.

Flop is Ts8s5s

I check, he bets, I raise (seems like as good of a spot as any to make amends for all my weak play on other flops after I get 3bet preflop), he 3bets with little hesitation. I call, and for the first second or two after the call, I decide my plan will be a simple c/f without improvement on the turn. Then I give it a second and decide that I think the 3 bet feels like a hang-on-to-showdown 3bet (assume initiative, take a free card on the turn or maybe free showdown after I call a turn bet). Yeah, that’s what that bet means….I’m so smart. Let’s rethink the plan.

I think most overpairs/sets can be written off at this point. I think he smoothes and raises turn with them a vast majority of the time. I think his range includes 99-66 (probably with a spade) and big aces with one spade…hands he can’t fold against me if the board blanks on the turn and river, and hands that want to punish light c/rs. By 3-betting, he thinks he is giving himself the option of betting the turn if he wants, or taking a free one in route to showdown. Of course, I could always be wrong and he could have an overpair or a ten without a spade that just felt like fastplaying was the right move against me (perhaps fearing that I might get 4BBs out of him on the big streets with a monster if waits to the turn to raise).

Turn 6c

I figure it all out and donk in to him. It may take two more barrels, but I get the feeling I can get him to fold (remember the Ac7c hand just happened). If we think on his plane, this donk probably does a good, hard sell on a bare ten or an 8 that doesn’t want to get free-carded and doesn’t want to give up initiative. He takes a little time to mull the situation over. He’s clearly confused. I get the feeling that he is leaning call but pondering a fold for quite a bit, then a raise for a second, and he finally settles on call (don’t they always?). This act leads me to believe he has AxJs or AxQs. If my read is off, then the pondering could mean KK-JJ, or maybe a T with another broadway card. that was expecting to bet and now pondering a raise. I still think from watching him, though, that he had more folding on his mind than raising. Sorta hard to describe.

River Ah

I stare at the board for a few seconds, and then check verbally (instead of making a hand gesture). He thinks for 2 seconds and then bets. I checkraise immediately.

Turbomuckage

I really want to show him, just because that level of pwnage will probably tone down the 3betting a little bit, but by the time the dealer is done pushing me the pot and my hand is hovering over the muck, I’ve decided it’s not worth it because I have to show everyone else too, and it’ll just lead to them making a few too many calldowns for my liking.

And just so I don’t over-inflate my ego any more, this hand happens less than an orbit later. I raise 4h6h from the CO, he calls in the SB, BB calls. Flop A83, two clubs, one heart, I bet, he c/rs, BB folds, and I 3bet because I decide he simply cannot have an ace here. I bet an offsuit 9 and an offsuit K on the turn and river, and he calls me down with what I am certain was an ace (I mucked instead of turning over my hand, trying not to call attention to the hand, as most of the table was engaged in some other conversation and not paying attention).

[rafiki]

wow, nice hand. You found the ideal person to pull the line on I'd say. Not sure what more there is to say about it. By the time you're resolved to taking the pot away from him, everything else is read dependant, and you were the only one there to say if it was going to work, or not.

[Mike Gallo]

Doug,

As always an awesome post.
POY 2007

[brettbrettr]

After you donk the turn why does he bet the river?

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
After you donk the turn why does he bet the river?

[/ QUOTE ]

imo because he has KQ-KJ with a spade and thinks doug has at least a pair given his turn donk and the river is the best bluff card in the world (for villain) given how villain played his hand.

[brettbrettr]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After you donk the turn why does he bet the river?

[/ QUOTE ]

imo because he has KQ-KJ with a spade and thinks doug has at least a pair given his turn donk and the river is the best bluff card in the world (for villain) given how villain played his hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. King high. That was the only thing I could come up with.

[emerson]

[ QUOTE ]
he seems to give too much credence to the Vegas-style mid-limit regulars and the styles they play, which has limited his upside (for the time being) to beating the 30/60 and 40/80 west coast games for a reasonable hourly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, now that is saying something. I'll try to avoid the "fitting in" trap.

[emerson]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After you donk the turn why does he bet the river?

[/ QUOTE ]

imo because he has KQ-KJ with a spade and thinks doug has at least a pair given his turn donk and the river is the best bluff card in the world (for villain) given how villain played his hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the guy made aces on the end and puts him on much stronger than a pair. I think the hero correctly assess the guy as one of those "can I bet the river and fold to a raise" guys.... assuming a bluff is impossible here.

[private joker]

Doug -- did you check the river because you knew he would bet? Or because betting was retarded so the only way to win was to check and hope he bet so you could try one more bluff?

[brettbrettr]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After you donk the turn why does he bet the river?

[/ QUOTE ]

imo because he has KQ-KJ with a spade and thinks doug has at least a pair given his turn donk and the river is the best bluff card in the world (for villain) given how villain played his hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the guy made aces on the end and puts him on much stronger than a pair. I think the hero correctly assess the guy as one of those "can I bet the river and fold to a raise" guys.... assuming a bluff is impossible here.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't want to say zero, but there's a really slim chance this guy hit the ace IMO.

btw, nice sales job here:

[ QUOTE ]
and then check verbally (instead of making a hand gesture).

[/ QUOTE ]