blonde poker forum

Cash Game at DTD, January 8th, 2009. £0.50/£1

I have just moved table, having treaded water spectacularly for about 5 hours on my first choice table .

I am in the big blind with 8s, 9d. Table is now 6 handed (it‘s late).

Folded to the button who limps, SB completes and I check my option.

The flop is 5,6,7 - all spades.

I have flopped a straight and an up-and-down straight flush draw.

The SB bets right into me, £10.

I am thrown by this. It’s a massive overbet. I know next to nothing about him, other than a) he has a decent stack, b) he has an American accent but looks middle eastern, and c) he has just made a very loose call for a gutshot and sort of managed to justify it using USA bullsh1t, but not that convincingly in my eyes - so to me he is a potential fish until he proves otherwise.

Anyway, what does his bet mean? He knows not much about me other than some table banter branding me a ‘rock’ when I sat down a few minutes ago.

I have been getting burned recently when calling massive overbets that look like bluffs, so I have to admit this is a factor in what I do next, although it shouldn’t be of course.

I think, “has he flopped the flush?” Unlikely. Is he making a play knowing I might not be able to call without any spades? Likely. Does he have the Ace of spades and is semi bluffing? Reasonably likely. Does he have an eight or a four and again be semi bluffing on and up-and-down straight draw? Again, likely. Is he just feeling saucy and just trying to make me go away? Seems just as likely too.

I reckon it’s
flopped flush - 5 % chance,
he has the ace of spades (with some rag to go with it, hence the limp) - 30 % chance,
he is up and down semi bluffing - 30 % chance,
he’s flopped two pair - a 10 % chance,
and a 25 % chance he’s just on a steal. I discount a set because a pocket pair three handed would probably have raised.

I hadn’t gone through these exact percentages in my head but this is an accurate assessment of where I thought I was, thinking about each possible holding he might have, which I did do.

Anyway,

I re-raise to £25.

Yes, a little small I know. (Letting the recent past get in the way of the present). My raise should have been £30 - £35.

Button folds. My opponent takes a little while, but eventually calls.

The turn card is a spade. I can’t remember the morning after what number it was exactly, but it was an ugly spade nonetheless.

Now it gets interesting. He bets into me again, this time £25.

Now I have a flush myself but of course it’s totally irrelevant if he is sat there with a better spade than my eight. So what I do now is determined by what I think he has, not what I have. Yes, I have a flush (and a two-out draw to the absolute nuts) but in this scenario I am either way ahead or way behind.

I take my time. He looks a bit stiff to begin with but then seems to loosen up a little. He leans back in his chair. I see his legs are crossed. He gets involved in a conversation that has started up at the table.

I have £75 left and he has me covered.

So what do I do now?

Your thoughts please.

Overbet looks very much like he has the Aspades

Tbh, your hand on this flop is deceptively not that strong. Call on the flop is fine, but I'd suggest you were looking for an 8, 4 or T

If he has A7 with no spade, well played, but you have to fold on this turn...

Thanks MC for the reply, although I'm a little confused by you saying I was looking for an 8, 4 or 10.

Having flopped the straight, I sensed I wasn't as strong as it looked on that all spade flop. His over bet really looked like the ace of spades to me, so I was cursing when the fourth spade came down.

The main problem was pre-flop, not re-raising him more.

It was an either/or moment when he bets into me again - in the end, after a long dwell and some oppo scrutiny, I passed and he showed J,7 of clubs.

He had bluffed in a spot that was ideal against someone who had only just sat down, so fair play to him. But I was disappointed that I didn't pick up on some on some pretty obvious tells...ho hum...

Did you call and river the one outer (like you did with that Royal Flush :D)?

I bet a lot more on the flop, and any spade (that isn't the 4s) on the turn is a nightmare card for you.

Whats wrong with the 9 of spades?

LOL, when I called that time to hit the royal, I already had the nut flush!

... and no, I passed. Sigh...

Still, it felt right at the time, even if my radar, with hindsight, was in the wrong continent.

Oops, sorry man, I misread the hand!!

I thought you had 89 on 678, and i meant you were looking for a 5, 8 or 10 in that spot.

Hence why my reply makes little sense!!!!

Re-evaluating, you should have raised more on the flop, but the decision on the turn is still the same....

Damn - misread by me!