I went to ALEA in Nottingham on Tuesday to check it out, as I had heard they were now running cash games after the tournaments.
Getting there at midnight was a mistake as I still had to wait 90 minutes for a short handed table to get going.
Anyway, the table is a straddle happy £0.50/£1 No Limit Holdem.
I have been busy, but not getting much respect. Most people seem happy to gamble away their blackjack money and getting in good spots is proving difficult. We are seven handed.
I am in middle position. Frankie-the-best-player-in-China is sat to my immediate right. UTG limps, Frankie limps, I raise to £6 with

A player to my left re-pops all in for about £35. He has openly said the lot will be going in any time soon and he doesn’t need a good hand to do it with either.
It’s folded round to Frankie who now shoves all-in for £130 ish, (well, more than the £85 I currently have anyway).
After a bit of a tank I fold. I just can’t see anyone doing this with a hand worse than AK and it looks a lot more like QQ or better to me. I have only played with Frankie very sparingly up until now and while I know he is busy and capable, I know that he knows that I wouldn’t raise with shit from Middle position on a fullish table. I feel if he knows I must have AK or QQ or better then he must have me beat.
Anyway to cut a long story short, I pass, he turns over A,10 off suit and he takes it down against the random hand that the other guy shows.
I’m not in the slightest bit bothered that I would have won but I was a bit taken aback by everyone’s amazement that I had passed AK.
To me it seemed the right play with all the info I had at the time.
Am I missing something here - I did begin to think I had when somebody said, “..oh I knew Frankie couldn’t have aces”.
Well the more I cogitate about it, I realise I could have worked out that he was just isolating - if he did have QQ, KK or AA then with him capping the betting and a large side pot to play for he doesn’t need to raise does he?
Still, I do feel against a tight player like me this is a somewhat risky play with A,10. It seems more of a tournament move to me but then I mostly play cash so I would think that.
Your thoughts please?