Big Calls on Both Sides

These were all against a strong but possibly over-aggressive opponent:

Full Tilt Poker, $4/$8 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 4 Players
LeggoPoker.comHand History Converter

UTG: $1,325.80
Hero (BTN): $1,910.90
SB: $1,626
BB: $1,600

Pre-Flop: 3 3 dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG folds, Hero raises to $28, SB folds, BB raises to $88, Hero calls $60

Flop: ($180) 5 J 2 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $122, BB raises to $320, Hero calls $198

Turn: ($820) 6 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($820) K (2 Players)
BB bets $520, Hero calls $520

Results: $1,860 Pot ($2 Rake)
Hero showed 3 3 (a pair of Threes) and WON $1,858 (+$930 NET)
BB showed A 7 (Ace King high) and LOST (-$928 NET)

Kx is a very reasonable hand for him to have here, but the K is also a great card for him to bluff. I expect to lose a fair amount of the time here, but I don’t have to be good all that often to call profitably.

I was ready to call down on the river here, but his bet size suggested he had a better pair than mine, so I tried to take him off of it:

Full Tilt Poker, $4/$8 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 Players
LeggoPoker.comHand History Converter

Hero (SB): $3,273.90
BB: $1,608

Pre-Flop: 9 9 dealt to Hero (SB)
Hero raises to $24, BB raises to $72, Hero calls $48

Flop: ($144) 8 T 5 (2 Players)
BB bets $112, Hero calls $112

Turn: ($368) 6 (2 Players)
BB bets $144, Hero calls $144

River: ($656) 8 (2 Players)
BB bets $248, Hero raises to $2,945.90 and is All-In, BB calls $1,032 and is All-In

Results: $3,216 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero showed 9 9 (two pair, Nines and Eights) and LOST (-$1,608 NET)
BB showed J J (two pair, Jacks and Eights) and WON $3,215.50 (+$1,607.50 NET)

In retrospect, I think it was a bad idea, because unless he thinks I’m shoving rivered trips, my line doesn’t make sense. With two pair or a set, I almost certainly would have been more aggressive earlier in the hand.

Another one, similar to the first:

Full Tilt Poker, $4/$8 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 Players
LeggoPoker.comHand History Converter

Hero (SB): $1,875.40
BB: $2,999

Pre-Flop: 6 9 dealt to Hero (SB)
Hero raises to $24, BB calls $16

Flop: ($48) 6 J 4 (2 Players)
BB bets $48, Hero raises to $151, BB raises to $336, Hero calls $185

Turn: ($720) 3 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $365, BB folds

Results: $720 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero mucked 6 9 and WON $719.50 (+$359.50 NET)

Valuetown:

Full Tilt Poker, $4/$8 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 Players
LeggoPoker.comHand History Converter

Hero (SB): $2,186.40
BB: $2,686.50

Pre-Flop: Q 7 dealt to Hero (SB)
Hero raises to $24, BB calls $16

Flop: ($48) K 5 9 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $48, BB calls $48

Turn: ($144) Q (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($144) 4 (2 Players)
BB checks, Hero bets $114, BB calls $114

Results: $372 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
Hero showed Q 7 (a pair of Queens) and WON $371.50 (+$185.50 NET)
BB mucked 9 J (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-$186 NET)

He quit me after this hand.

2 thoughts on “Big Calls on Both Sides”

  1. The JJ vs 99 hand wasnt good. No fish fold JJ with you just calling each street – this is sometimes why just calling a set on a draw heavy board (while risky) can be paid off with an overbet for value on the river.

  2. Agreed, but just to be clear, he is definitely not a fish, in fact he’s quite good, probably a winner at these stakes. I’d be more inclined to bluff a weaker player, who wouldn’t read hands as well and simply say “Meh, all I have is one pair, and board just paired = fold.”

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