3x3

Played Hollywood yesterday. 1/3. Bought in for $300. Chipped up to $500 early. Down to $400. Nearing the end of my session a new player sat down. He had all the tell tale signs of a professional player. Ear buds. Hat He sized everybody up before he sat down. Two players I am friendly with and play with often knew him. I had never seen him before.

He raises his first hand and takes it down uncontested. Three hands later I look down to JJ in the big blind. New guy makes it $12 to go. He is now called in five places before me. I decide to just call. Flop is Ac Jd Td. Bingo. Little scary with the flush/straight possibilities. I check. New guy bets $20. Folds to the small blind. He hems and haws. I have played with him before. I was pretty sure he had the flush draw. He haws a bit more and pushes all in. About $ 200. I instant move all in for about. $350. New guy instant calls and I instantly know I am sunk. Yep set over set. He had AA. The small blind had AdQd for the straight flush draw. There were bad beat chances but alas it was not to be. I went home.

Played today. Finished with a $434 profit. Feeling better

Courage

Money breeds courage. That's my theory anyway. I have finally ground my bankroll up to a respectable level. With that level has come some poker courage. Last week I had two great sessions cashing out up $800 and $1000. Now that I have a little money behind me I have started making moves and paying with more freedom.

I was playing earlier this week. I was down a bit. A good player takes a seat at my table late in my session. He is aggressive and is capable of playing any two cards from any position He makes a standard raise of $13. Three call ahead of me so I decide to call from the big blind. I have 2c3c. The flop comes KcKh5c. I check. The raiser makes it $35. Folds around to me. I consider folding then I consider the hand. I did not think he had a king. His betting pattern did not jibe with the board and my experience with him. I decide to flat and see. Turn is the 4d. Now I am up and down with the flush draw. I have $160 left. Villain checks. I check. I am nearly positive he does not have the king. I really want an ace now. Probably pairs him so I can extract value. River is another 5. Now I have issues. Old me would have shut down and abandoned the pot. Or put another way, chicken out. New me sucks it up and does the only thing I can to win the pot. I bet $100. He tanks. Cuts out the money and stacks and restacks. He asks me if I will show if he folds. My buddy Slick has a theory on the question. He asks it to opponents when he is on the fence to call. If they say yes he instant calls. No means muck. I remember this and say no. He mucks, showing the 5 for the bottom full house. He then says if I said yes he is instant calling Telling the correct story and courage bought me a pot.

What?

Played today. Played loose and relaxed. Up and down. Chipped up $200 over my buy in. Four hands until I leave to pick up the kids. Look down at 33 on the button. Utg raises to $13. Five of us see the flop including the big blind. Flop brings 33Q. Super gin!!!! Now to get paid. Big blind bets $20. Middle position calls. Now all the books and blogs say I just call here. So I did Turn is a 2. Bb bets $20. Middle guy class. Blogs and books say call so I do. River is a 9. BB makes it $45. Middle guy pauses a sec and calls. I am confused as hell What do they have? I make it $100 after fake deliberation. Bb thinks a bit and moves in. The middle guy tanks Tanks a long time. He finally calls. I cannot raise him in due to the bb not having enough to reopen the betting. I call and immediately table my quads. I really wanted to know what they had. Must be quads over full house at least. Right? Bb had KK. Played itbso bad. Other guy had had AQ. Just needed one three