blonde poker

 

My table had no name players on it except Kafelnicov, the ex Russian tennis pro. Although the blinds were only 200-300 and everyone had 15,000 chips people were raising 1000 before the flop, so effectively, a lot of your chips are a risk if you play a full pot down to the river. 6 handed means that an Ace X is reasonable strong and the value of small connectors is smaller, as you play most pots heads-up. I lost a $3000 pot early on when I re-raised someone on a flop of 86Q with a gut shot holding 95 off suit (I was in the BB) and then continued the bluff to the river even though I missed the 7 - the SB had slow played AQ on me. 1 round later, I found Kh Qc in the small blind and a guy who had played most pots made it $900. I flat-called but gave him credit for a least a medium ace or a pair. Flop came Ks Js 8h. I decided to check raise him as I felt sure I was ahead. I checked, he bet out only $1000 into a $2100 pot. I felt this was a steal bet with A high so I re-raised him $3000 immediately, without thinking 2 seconds he pushed All-In. Now I had the think, has he AA, KK, JJ AK, 88 or the same hand as me KQ? Would he push all-in with trips? Why a small bet of 1000, this was not a protection bet with AK or a made hand, with so many draws out their he would have bet full pot. I came to the conclusion that he put his bet in very quickly, he did not protect his hand originally, he did not want a call, so he most likely on a flush draw, hopefully not 9Ts, which would give a straight and flush draw, and make me a dog. A flush draw with an Ace was my verdict, which would give him 12 outs, making me the favourite. If I believe I have a mathematical edge in a hand I call, as in the long term, I will win more chips. Also people are less likely to bluff me in the future. So, I moved all my chips in and he flipped over 9T off suit - I had given him too much credit but I sort of liked the move he had pulled on me. This gave him only 8 outs twice and I was over 2-1 on to double up. Turn 8, now I am 6-1..oh XXXX, river 7, making him the straight. Did I play this badly? I had put 33% if my chips into the pot and I could have still passed leaving me with $8000 (over 25 big blinds) BUT I Iike my call, as my thought process necessitated a call if I was correct. Maybe I should not have played KQ off suit in the small blind in case I am up against AA, KK, AK? But, I came here to play poker although I may have passed in a 10 handed game. My first WSOP cash is little over $2000, a very small profit on the tourney but overall I'm happy with my play today, a bit reckless at times but I never called for all of my chips when I was behind and I never had to show down a bluff. We have a break now until Monday when it is the Pot Limit Hold'em $5000. Thanks for reading my journal so far, I've only ever put a handful of posts on a web site before this, and wasn't that confidant when Tikay asked me to do it but its nice when people say they have enjoyed reading it and its my WSOP more interesting.