I recently played a poker online tournament where I started off actually doing well for once. I raised a poker online pot with pocket jacks, got two callers and flopped top set on a very dry board. I had made it 1,000 preflop. With 3000 in the middle, the guy in first position led out for 4000! I only had 8500 left, so I basically min-raised all-in. The third poker player folded and the lead-out-better folded instantly. I guess he was bluffing. Later on I lead out for a bet with AK and am shoved on by someone in the blinds. I call and they show pocket 8s. I flop an ace and actually river the nut flush. Things are going well. Then, the tables condense at 20 players. Everyone settles in and I am under the gun with pocket queens. The blinds are 400/800 and I have about 22,000 chips. I decide that with a full table, it is very probably that someone out there has a decent hand. I opt to limp in and hope to re-raise someone’s opening bet. So, I limp and it gets all the way to the button before something happens. He shoves with a reasonably short stack (3900) and I obviously call. He has KQ. I’m a 70/30 to win, and the king peels off to ruin my hot streak. So now I’m down to about 18,000 and blinds go up to 600/1200. The table is playing very tight and in the cutoff I get K-9 suited. I open for 3,000 and the big blind shoves for about 10,000. I think about how I’m probably dominated and fold my cards. He shows pocket queens. So things are going poorly. I hit the blinds and after a few rotations I’m down to about 1200 chips. The blinds are now 800/1600. There is one limper and in late position I am dealt Ad-Qd. I raise the pot to 5,600. It folds all the way around to the limper and he moves all-in on me, having me covered. To me, it’s a no-brainer. I need to call my last 6,400 chips and the pot now has (800+1600+5600+5600+his all-in of 6400 to me =) 19,000. I’m getting over 3-1. Even if I am against AK, I’m only a 70/30 and it would be an appropriate call. Even if my opponent has KK I have a 70/30 with my ace. The only hand I would be hard pressed against is AA. I call and he has JJ. We are in a coinflip that I am getting 3-1 on. Boink, I miss, end of game.
26.02.10
