Got up this morning looking for a poker game....
After taking my stepson to school, I ventured to my favorite poker room, The Mirage. I got there around 7:30AM, looking to play 3-6, but could only find a 7-handed 1-2 No Limit game. Nothing much happened for an hour, as I lost 9 bucks then preceded to the newly opened 3-6 Limit Game...
As much as I love the Mirage Poker room, I'm beginning to really despise the "Aces Cracked" aspect of the room. You get 75 bucks if you lose with pockets aces, $150 if the Aces are the same color. It's too the point where it's not even worth playing...all the players know each other, and there's blatant soft-playing of hands that I totally despise. The game are much tighter (notice I said tighter, not tougher -- there is a difference), because they fold everything but Aces. From here on out, I'm going to be leery of playing in poker room that offer jackpots (i.e. High Hands, Bad Beats, Aces Cracked, etc) because although in theory it's great for the room, it does encourage collusion and soft-playing, which are two of my pet peeves.
After being card-dead for an hour, I decided to take my $34 lost and cash out. I just didn't feel a good vibe at the Mirage. If I stayed, I know I would have lost more.
I decided to go across the street the Venetian, and into one of the busiest poker rooms in Vegas. I get a seat immediately in the 1-2 No Limit Game. Won a couple of nice pots right away mainly with AJ offsuit. Once I raised 3 limpers from the Big Blind (BB) and got called by everyone and bet into a K J 4 Flop..everyone folded..The second time I 3-bet Preflop an aggressive gentleman with AJ...and won the pot with a continuation bet on a K 4 3 board...
Then the hand of the day comes up...
Up about 85 bucks at this point, I get a text from my wife reminding me of my sushi date, so I'm getting ready to rack my chips, I get dealt in. Now, at this point, I'm hoping for a complete garbage hand. I peek down and see AK hearts! DAMN, guess I have to play...I raise an early position limper to 12...Get called by the button (A very aggressive older gentleman), and the limper. Both players have me covered. THe flop comes 9 K Q (two clubs). Limper checks...AT this point, I though about putting in a standard continuation bet, but I decided to go a different direction. The button was a VERY aggressive older gentleman, who always bet when checked to and was proud to show bluffs! I decided to try and exploit this tendency, so I checked. The button obliged and bet $30, the early limper folds. Now it's on me...Since he just called preflop, I quickly eliminated QQ and above from his calling range. The range I put him on was AJ, KQ, a medium pair, or something like J9 suited. So the only hand I couldn't beat was KQ, I decided to call and reevaulate on the turn...The turn brings an offsuit 8. I check again. The button quickly bets $75. The thing that stuck me about this bet was not how much he bet, but HOW he bet it!! Normally, he takes his time to put his money out there. I found this rather odd. I still believe I had the best hand, but I now had to be leary of a hand like 98. I called the $75...The river brings the 8 of clubs, completing the flush and pairing the board...I check..Without hesitation, he tosses in $200! Well if he was betting the flush draw, he got there, and the range of hands I put him on was out there...I definately was in a bind!! For a moment, I thought about folding cause what other hands could he possibly be betting in that spot (KQ, 98, J10, 99). Then the old man did something out of character...he spoke...
"I'll show if you fold" The old man barks at me.
WOW!! I've been dealing for 6 years, and in my experience of dealing in all sorts of pots (BIG AND SMALL), whenever someone says that...it usually means a weak hand....In THAT INSTANT, I knew my AK was the MONSTER..
"I call" I quitely say.
The old man shockingly looks down at his cards then tosses them into the muck!!!
And I rake a nearly $500 pot!!!! WOOHOO!!!!
It's funny how the small bit of information especially in a game like poker can help you make the right decision...
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