Archive for December 3rd, 2009

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($5294)
BB ($4588)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7, 5
Hero bets $60, BB calls $40

Flop: ($120) 9, 8, 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $77, BB raises to $240, Hero calls $163

Turn: ($600) K (2 players)
BB bets $400, Hero raises to $1444, BB calls $1044

River: ($3488) 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Total pot: $3488 | Rake: $0.50

Results:
Hero had 7, 5 (straight, nine high).
BB had 9, 8 (two pair, nines and eights).
Outcome: Hero won $3487.50

This is a crappy river for a number of reasons. It downgrades my hand to the 3rd nuts, it makes it a lot easier for Villain to have the second nuts, and it polarizes my range to the point where the only worse hands that call a shove will be bluff-catchers. The big sticking point for me is Villain’s flat call on the turn. I expected him to shove his value hands, so when I called, I thought he’d often be drawing. He’s not calling a river shove with a busted spade draw, and if he had something like TJ or Tsxs, he got there. I was surprised to see 98, though I actually think this is a good way to play it. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.

We were looking for a place to stay last night in Estes Park, a resort town just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. During the summer, the place is apparently over run with tourist families, but in December it’s a ghost town and lodging prices plummet. After walking out on one proprietress of a near-empty hotel who wouldn’t come down more than 5% on her price, we walked into a lobby presided over by a sweet, grandmotherly old lady named LuJean Dunlap.

She was cheerfully plump, with a knitted sweatshirt, bifocals, and a kind smile. But let me tell you, this little old lady was a straight hustler. We asked about rates for the night, and she trotted out the high-end stuff first:

“I’ve got a beautiful cabin, right on the river, hot tub, fireplace, kitchen, barbeque grill, doesn’t that sound like fun? That goes for $180.” She smiled encouragingly but we just gave her the silent treatment until she continued.

“Our intermediate lodges have fireplace and kitchen, they’re two-room suites, those go for $115.” Silence.

“And then I’ve got motel rooms,” she said with a discouraging frown. “Just a standard room, one queen and one twin, for $50.”

We smiled and looked each other. “That sounds good,” we told her.  Read the complete post...