Hand 1: 2 limpers in the pot, I am in seat 4, I limp with ATc, the button puts in a small raise of $100 and 1 of the limpers calls, and I call. I make up my mind that if an Ace comes, I'll lay my hand down to a bet. I'm playing this hand to hit a Ten, 2 pair or a flush draw. The flop comes T 4 2 rainbow, limper checks, I bet $400, button flat calls and limper folds (now 1200 in pot). I put him on AA, TT, KT or 2 over cards (not 22,44 as I believe he would have tried to see a cheap flop, or JJ, QQ, KK as he would have -re-raised to protect his hand and build a pot). Turn comes, a lovely Ace, making me top 2 pair. I bet 1200 hoping that he had called with AQ, AK and hit his Acehe just flat calls, now I am confused as he looks very reluctant to call and not happy with the Ace. Anyway, I now think I am 100% ahead but don't know what he has, river comes a King. This is a bit of a scare card for me as he may have the AK so I decide to check to him and to my shock he moves all-in. he can't have had QJ for the straight, so what has he got?
To call me will leave me with $1000 chips. I begin to doubt my reads, but if I was ahead on the turn he can only have AK or KK or QJ, I discount KK (why would he call 30% of his chips with the Ace on the turn) and QJ for obvious reasons. So, I need to put in $2,500 and there is there is over $6000 in the pot - over 2-1I call the bet and he flipps over KK!!!! He had called on the turn and hit his 2 outer on the river; I'm down to $1000 chips after 30 minutes!
Normally when this happens, I like to chuck all my chips in the middle and cross my fingers for a quick double up, but alas, this is pot limit so I can't even go on tilt, I'm trapped in a place I don't want to be! So, I have no option, I compose myself, put my shades on and spend the next 2 hours grinding in back to $3,500 when this hand developed:
Hand 2: Negraneau raised under the gun and gets 1 caller (he always gets callers). I look down and see JhTh on the button and call. Flop comes Kh5h8s, Negraneau checks and the other caller bets $700. I put him on KQ, KJ I am sure I can make him pass if a move all my chips in and I have the flush draw as backup. I'm not really worried about what Negraneau has, as he had checked even though he raised under the gun, even with AA he would have get to protect his hand against the flush draw, especially in pot limit. So, I re-raised with nearly all-in of chips and Negraneau thinks for ages and then just flat calls, the initial bettor folds, I chuck my remaining $400 in the pot and Negraneau matches it. He flips over his cards and says, I really hope you're on a flush draw!, he has Ah8h meaning I was dominated. To make matters worse, I hit my Jack flush and a runner runner straight but he made the Ace flush! Wow, Negraneau called 70% of his chips with the original bettor still to act who had more chips than him, I shook his hand but couldn't resist saying, how can you call with that hand with a man behind you who has you covered? He just winked and said gamble sometimes.
So, did I play badly today? If I had laid down ATc and ThJh pre-flop I may still be in, but then I would not have been involved in these interesting hands. I like to analyse my hands after I have been knocked out, please do not confuse this with replaying bad beat stories. I find the mathematical and psychological side of poker fascinating.but it would be nice to win a few of these big pots every now again!
On a positive note, Burnley John won the $500 freeze out at the Bellagio today, getting $10,000 on his first day in Vegas. He was all in pre-flop with AT v AQ (T on river), 66 V KK (6 on flop), TT v AA (Ten on river). Each time he outdrew someone Chubby and Kev were going crazy on the sidelines. The noise even made Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese and Phil Ivey look across the room in between a $500K pot!
