Thursday, September 18, 2008

How not to play Kings

What is it with dumb-asses slow-playing big pairs pre-flop lately? Did someone send out a particularly stupid memo without telling us all?

For the record, a big pair is a made hand, but is particularly vulnerable to suckouts. If your opponent(s) hit the flop, you have at best two outs to catch up. That's an 8% chance after the flop and a 4% chance on the river. That's assuming, of course, that a set will win. If you raise or re-raise with your big pair and take it down pre-flop, that's still better than letting your opponents catch some stupid bizarro two pair and end you.

Full Tilt Poker Game #_: $14 + $1 Sit & Go (Super Turbo) (_), Table 1 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:26:39 ET - 2008/09/19
Seat 1: (570)
Seat 2: (540)
Seat 4: (330)
Seat 6: (330)
Seat 8: villain (690)
Seat 9: hero (240)
Seat 1 posts the small blind of 20
Seat 2 posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to hero [Qd Js]
Seat 4 folds
Seat 6 raises to 80
villain calls 80

I'll end the suspense. The villain has kings.

And he just calls? Doesn't he know what that'll start?

hero calls 80
Seat 1 calls 60
Seat 2 calls 40

The button and blinds here are getting the right odds with just about anything, despite the rather early position pre-flop raise (which, by the way, was not big enough).

His kings, at this point, are actually going to win less than 50% of the time against four random hands.

*** FLOP *** [Jh 8c 6s]
Seat 1 checks
Seat 2 checks
Seat 6 checks
villain checks

Really?

You're going to give that straight-threatening board a free card?

hero bets 160, and is all in

Top pair and an over with 400 in the pot? Damn right, skippy.

Seat 1 folds
Seat 2 folds
Seat 6 folds
villain calls 160
hero shows [Qd Js]
villain shows [Ks Kd]

Fuck me.

*** TURN *** [Jh 8c 6s] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [Jh 8c 6s 7h] [Ts]
hero shows a pair of Jacks
villain shows a pair of Kings
villain wins the pot (720) with a pair of Kings
hero stands up
The blinds are now 25/50
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 720 | Rake 0
Board: [Jh 8c 6s 7h Ts]
Seat 1: (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: folded on the Flop
Seat 8: villain showed [Ks Kd] and won (720) with a pair of Kings
Seat 9: hero (button) showed [Qd Js] and lost with a pair of Jacks

No comments: