(Matt- tbf when Neil reloaded to £2.5k he was essentially not able to play a pot putting more than about 500bbs in until I put more money on the table also).
A few people have asked for my thinking behind the way I played this. I actually think the hand is kinda standard on my part when we are playing this deep.
I'm opening wide as I always do in cash games in late position and I normally open more pots than anyone else at the table too but I was particularly keen to isolate Vargas whenever possible so could hav been raising a little more than normal.
When he reraised I knew he was blind but then Neil started cutting out ponies as though he was going to reraise. If he'd done so I wasn't calling with my hand as it plays horribly against Neil's reraising range in this spot though I guess I might call with a lot of suited connectors/one gappers and all pairs and make life as difficult as I could for Neil being OOP against me. I'm wise enough to know that Neil could just be doing this to slow me down a bit too.
I'm happy to call instead of 4-bet and play off a flop. We both check to Vargas as we are waiting for him to put more dead money into the pot which he duly does with his £50. Neil flats. Now the way you have to play Vargas is to get very sticky with any pair or piece of the board so I'm raising the flop for value against both Neil and Vargas's ranges. I know Neil will fold all underpairs and as much as the Q or K of hearts. When he just flatted my reraise once again I was 100% certain he had the bare ace of hearts.
On the turn again I'm betting for value and to protect my hand as I know Neil is too good to call me on the flop drawing to the
when we are this deep. I just can't think it's hit him but I think the optimum way to play this here with my hand is to bet/fold I think. If Neil raises the turn I fold but I think it's a very hard thing for him to do in this spot even with the bare
in his hand as I'm calling with flushes and sets.
When he called my turn bet I was a little confused as I didn't think he'd do this with just the
so after a little thought I knuckled behind and got shown AK. I was tempted to turn my hand into a bluff incase Neil had in fact called with 1010/JJ or the bare
but I didn't feel it was right to try and bluff Neil as I think he thought I was 'at it' a lot. I'm lucky the offsuit A doesn't river as I valuetown myself to death.
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