A trip to Brantford
This is just a bragging post. I’ll admit. I am disguising it as a report on Brantford but it is nothing more than me wanting to tell the world about one hand of poker.
I went to Brantford to play the 2-5 table last week. It was the day of the $100 tourney. I got in early (around 1:30) and it started quite badly. My AQ diamonds was beat by a 3-6 off for a straight. I laughed this one off knowing that I will get this guy back. 3-6 off with 2 raises? Not smart poker.
I lost another big hand when my trips was beat with a better kicker. It happens. I moved on.
I lost yet another big pot when my trips were beat by the flush on the river. I am little off put. I have been playing for a few hours and my $200 is down to $40. I am not unhappy with my play, for the most part I played well, I just plum lost. I knew patience would pay me off. The people at my table were chasing a lot of crap and catching it. That never lasts.
Then the turn around happened. In the BB I had A2 spades. Weak hand but since no one raised, I have live cards. In my head I am screaming for an A A 2 flop. Well I got 2 A 2. I am gleeful inside. No slow playing with this table. I bet, they’ll call or raise. I knew it. I bet. One raise, two callers. I raise again. 1 fold 2 callers. Including the 3-6 chaser. Turn 7. I bet. 1 fold and the 3-6 chaser calls. River J. I bet, 3-6 raises. I think for about 1 second. AK? No way. He’s got a pair of kings. I raise, he calls. I happily throw down my A2 and he mucks. Big pot for me.
The next 2 hands I won with QQ and KQ. An hour later I am back to $200. I lost one big pot when my pocket 9s with a 9 on the flop were beat by pocket 10s with a 10 on the flop. That one hurt and I honestly never saw it coming. I really thought I had it.
I made it all back with pocket 3s. I limped in and caught a 3 on the flop. With 2 clubs. A raise that is re-raised and the turn brings another club. I know the other guy caught his flush and I am beat. Well I am 99% sure. A $5 bet will tell me the truth. I bet he calls immediately. Yep, I am checking the river. The river brings a wonderful 8 that pairs the board. I got a boat. The board was 3 10 8 A 8. I think he has a suited King. I bet, he raises. I re-raise and he looks at me for a while. Out of the blue I say, “If you call, I promise to show my cards.†He looks at me some more. One young guy at the table says, “You have to show if he calls.†I look at him and try to explain the joke but it is lost on him. Maybe it wasn’t funny. The guy calls. I turn over my threes and he is stunned. Another good pot for me.
After another hour I am getting tired and decide to leave. I will wait to be UTG and leave. I will only play a monster. Well I broke that rule. I got dealt A 10 off and raised. I had a good feeling and I love A 10. It has been good to me. 3 callers including Mr. 3-6 off (who won a huge pot later with 6 9 off when it was capped before he went in pre-flop???). Flop is 4 A K. I like it. BB checks, I raise. 2 callers, BB folds. Turn A. At this point I get upset (well I try to act it). I bet and one folds Mr. 3-6 raises. Hmmmm. AK Another Ace? I pretend to reluctantly call. River A. I am stunned. I look at 3-6 and shake my head. I tell him, “I don’t think you have the Ace.†And I bet. He smiles at me and raises me. I am busting, just busting. I look at my chips and then at him. “I really think you’re bluffing. You don’t have the Ace and I think my hand beats you.â€. I raise and he immediately re-raises me again. I know he has a King, he must think I do as well or pockets. I see that he has only $9 left so I have him for the rest of his chips. “Now you’re definitely not scaring me.†I raise and throws in his last $9 and I call the $4. He throws down his KQ and I show my A 10. The table absolutely erupts. Mr. 3-6 shakes his head. “I knew you had the ace.†The rest of the table is laughing pretty hard. I gather up my chips and one guy asks me if I ever tried acting. He claims I had them all fooled. I am not so sure about that but it seemed to work and get me a huge pot. Even the dealer thought I didn’t have the Ace.
I left up a lot of money after getting my ass kicked in the beginning. Mr. 3-6 and I shook hands as we both left. He was a decent guy and accepted the loss extremely well.
So my short moral to the story. The 2-5 is an easy table to beat. I won a few hands with top pair and people chased all the way to the river with nothing. One guy in particular would throw bets in before the cards were revealed and mucked to my top pair. He re-bought twice. Nutty guy who didn’t say a word. This guy was appalled that I played A 10 off in middle position. I don’t care I took a good chunk of his money.
I went to Brantford to play the 2-5 table last week. It was the day of the $100 tourney. I got in early (around 1:30) and it started quite badly. My AQ diamonds was beat by a 3-6 off for a straight. I laughed this one off knowing that I will get this guy back. 3-6 off with 2 raises? Not smart poker.
I lost another big hand when my trips was beat with a better kicker. It happens. I moved on.
I lost yet another big pot when my trips were beat by the flush on the river. I am little off put. I have been playing for a few hours and my $200 is down to $40. I am not unhappy with my play, for the most part I played well, I just plum lost. I knew patience would pay me off. The people at my table were chasing a lot of crap and catching it. That never lasts.
Then the turn around happened. In the BB I had A2 spades. Weak hand but since no one raised, I have live cards. In my head I am screaming for an A A 2 flop. Well I got 2 A 2. I am gleeful inside. No slow playing with this table. I bet, they’ll call or raise. I knew it. I bet. One raise, two callers. I raise again. 1 fold 2 callers. Including the 3-6 chaser. Turn 7. I bet. 1 fold and the 3-6 chaser calls. River J. I bet, 3-6 raises. I think for about 1 second. AK? No way. He’s got a pair of kings. I raise, he calls. I happily throw down my A2 and he mucks. Big pot for me.
The next 2 hands I won with QQ and KQ. An hour later I am back to $200. I lost one big pot when my pocket 9s with a 9 on the flop were beat by pocket 10s with a 10 on the flop. That one hurt and I honestly never saw it coming. I really thought I had it.
I made it all back with pocket 3s. I limped in and caught a 3 on the flop. With 2 clubs. A raise that is re-raised and the turn brings another club. I know the other guy caught his flush and I am beat. Well I am 99% sure. A $5 bet will tell me the truth. I bet he calls immediately. Yep, I am checking the river. The river brings a wonderful 8 that pairs the board. I got a boat. The board was 3 10 8 A 8. I think he has a suited King. I bet, he raises. I re-raise and he looks at me for a while. Out of the blue I say, “If you call, I promise to show my cards.†He looks at me some more. One young guy at the table says, “You have to show if he calls.†I look at him and try to explain the joke but it is lost on him. Maybe it wasn’t funny. The guy calls. I turn over my threes and he is stunned. Another good pot for me.
After another hour I am getting tired and decide to leave. I will wait to be UTG and leave. I will only play a monster. Well I broke that rule. I got dealt A 10 off and raised. I had a good feeling and I love A 10. It has been good to me. 3 callers including Mr. 3-6 off (who won a huge pot later with 6 9 off when it was capped before he went in pre-flop???). Flop is 4 A K. I like it. BB checks, I raise. 2 callers, BB folds. Turn A. At this point I get upset (well I try to act it). I bet and one folds Mr. 3-6 raises. Hmmmm. AK Another Ace? I pretend to reluctantly call. River A. I am stunned. I look at 3-6 and shake my head. I tell him, “I don’t think you have the Ace.†And I bet. He smiles at me and raises me. I am busting, just busting. I look at my chips and then at him. “I really think you’re bluffing. You don’t have the Ace and I think my hand beats you.â€. I raise and he immediately re-raises me again. I know he has a King, he must think I do as well or pockets. I see that he has only $9 left so I have him for the rest of his chips. “Now you’re definitely not scaring me.†I raise and throws in his last $9 and I call the $4. He throws down his KQ and I show my A 10. The table absolutely erupts. Mr. 3-6 shakes his head. “I knew you had the ace.†The rest of the table is laughing pretty hard. I gather up my chips and one guy asks me if I ever tried acting. He claims I had them all fooled. I am not so sure about that but it seemed to work and get me a huge pot. Even the dealer thought I didn’t have the Ace.
I left up a lot of money after getting my ass kicked in the beginning. Mr. 3-6 and I shook hands as we both left. He was a decent guy and accepted the loss extremely well.
So my short moral to the story. The 2-5 is an easy table to beat. I won a few hands with top pair and people chased all the way to the river with nothing. One guy in particular would throw bets in before the cards were revealed and mucked to my top pair. He re-bought twice. Nutty guy who didn’t say a word. This guy was appalled that I played A 10 off in middle position. I don’t care I took a good chunk of his money.
Comments
Good report. Cheers.