The Spaz Factor

Villain was some random I’d never seen before and knew nothing about:

Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

UTG: $534.20
MP: $2,144.40
CO: $2,000
Hero (BTN): $2,000
SB: $2,215
BB: $1,015

Pre-Flop: J J dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG folds, MP raises to $30, CO folds, Hero raises to $105, 2 folds, MP calls $75

Flop: ($225) 2 J T (2 Players)
MP checks, Hero bets $177, MP calls $177

Turn: ($579) 4 (2 Players)
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($579) 9 (2 Players)
MP bets $214, Hero raises to $888, MP raises to $1,862.40 and is All-In

Results: $2,355 Pot ($2,355 Rake)
MP showed AQo and LOST (-$1,170 NET)
Hero showed J J and LOST (-$1,170 NET)

I generally don’t give even fairly good players, let alone a random, credit for being able to 3-bet bluff the river for such a small amount, even though this is a decent spot for it. However, when playing against randoms, you do need to allow for the spaz factor. Because they generally are not thinking through a hand in a disciplined and systematic way, there is always the chance that they will go and do something crazy for reasons that they couldn’t explain if they tried. In this case, I think the guy just decided I had nothing and then refused to change that read even when I raised him on the river. Whereas a better player would revise the range of hands he assigns me and contemplate whether he should call, fold, or raise (whether for value or as a bluff), the spaz factor causes a player to say, “pfft, he’s got nothing, I’m all in”.

Incidentally, checking the turn was an accident. I had big pots on a few other tables and timed out. It’s nice when such an error, which usually causes substantial frustration, actually plays to my favor to the tune of nearly $2000.