A Limit Hand
Feb. 22nd, 2006 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirks$2/$4 Texas Hold'em - Wednesday, February 22
Seat 1: (Small Blind) Teddyman10 ( $18 )
Seat 2: (Big Blind) Skiboo ( $26 )
Seat 3: Quilantis ( $93.50 )
Seat 4: thepro0517 ( $102 )
Seat 5: Birks ( $198 )
Seat 6: Labchemist ( $93.50 )
Seat 7: jagryes ( $76 )
Seat 8: alas7 ( $110 )
Seat 9: MassimoOddo ( $131.24 )
Seat 10: (Button) gambler7183 ( $118.50 )
Dealt to Birks [ A♠ A♥ ]
Quilantis folds.
thepro0517 folds.
Birks calls [$2].
Literally an attempt to throw a bit of variety into my play and nothing more. I had only just sat down and most of the names were strangers to me (so I assumed that I would be a stranger to them). I was hoping for a raise behind, of course. This would be less likely against opponents familiar with my play, who would have seen my open-limp and said “ahh, Aces” almost straight away.
Labchemist calls [$2].
jagryes folds.
alas7 folds.
MassimoOddo folds.
gambler7183 calls [$2].
Teddyman10 folds.
Skiboo checks.
But, no raise. So it goes. Enter plan B
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7♠, 2♠, Q♣ ]
Skiboo checks.
Birks bets [$2].
By way of an aside, you should never underestimate the importance when you have Aces of having the same suit as the potential flush. This gives you a redraw if the third of the suit comes on the turn and if there happens to be a flush out there. And, if there is just a singleton of a suit out there, it eliminates the possibility of a flush suck-out. I play much more cautiously at this level with, say, two red Aces and two spades on board after the flop, than with the Ace of Spades and the Ace of Hearts. All that said, this flop isn’t too bad with three opponents.
Labchemist calls [$2].
gambler7183 calls [$2].
Skiboo folds.
One down, two to go.
** Dealing Turn ** [ 6♦ ]
Birks bets [$4].
No reason for any change of plan. This is a nice flop card for me.
Labchemist calls [$4].
gambler7183 calls [$4].
** Dealing River ** [ A♦ ]
Hmm, I think I like that.
Birks bets [$4].
Labchemist folds.
gambler7183 calls [$4].
Birks shows [ A♠, A♥ ] three of a kind, aces.
gambler7183 doesn't show [ J♦, Q♦ ] a pair of queens.
Birks wins $33.50 from the main pot with three of a kind, aces.
So, a hand where I would most likely have won $5 or thereabouts turned into a hand where I won $23.50. I mention this only as an illustration of Abdul’s point that flat-calling with Aces can be more profitable than raising, although you have to accept the higher variance. I still do not like it as a general play and I distinctly dislike it if you are on the button and everyone has passed to you. I also dislike it under the gun, mainly because in both cases it looks so suspicious. Also, with a raise UTG and a raise on the button (no previous callers), you are more likely to find customers — in the first case because there is a chance there will be another good hand out there and in the second case because calling standards are drastically reduced when the raiser is on the button and no-one else is in.
Seat 1: (Small Blind) Teddyman10 ( $18 )
Seat 2: (Big Blind) Skiboo ( $26 )
Seat 3: Quilantis ( $93.50 )
Seat 4: thepro0517 ( $102 )
Seat 5: Birks ( $198 )
Seat 6: Labchemist ( $93.50 )
Seat 7: jagryes ( $76 )
Seat 8: alas7 ( $110 )
Seat 9: MassimoOddo ( $131.24 )
Seat 10: (Button) gambler7183 ( $118.50 )
Dealt to Birks [ A♠ A♥ ]
Quilantis folds.
thepro0517 folds.
Birks calls [$2].
Literally an attempt to throw a bit of variety into my play and nothing more. I had only just sat down and most of the names were strangers to me (so I assumed that I would be a stranger to them). I was hoping for a raise behind, of course. This would be less likely against opponents familiar with my play, who would have seen my open-limp and said “ahh, Aces” almost straight away.
Labchemist calls [$2].
jagryes folds.
alas7 folds.
MassimoOddo folds.
gambler7183 calls [$2].
Teddyman10 folds.
Skiboo checks.
But, no raise. So it goes. Enter plan B
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7♠, 2♠, Q♣ ]
Skiboo checks.
Birks bets [$2].
By way of an aside, you should never underestimate the importance when you have Aces of having the same suit as the potential flush. This gives you a redraw if the third of the suit comes on the turn and if there happens to be a flush out there. And, if there is just a singleton of a suit out there, it eliminates the possibility of a flush suck-out. I play much more cautiously at this level with, say, two red Aces and two spades on board after the flop, than with the Ace of Spades and the Ace of Hearts. All that said, this flop isn’t too bad with three opponents.
Labchemist calls [$2].
gambler7183 calls [$2].
Skiboo folds.
One down, two to go.
** Dealing Turn ** [ 6♦ ]
Birks bets [$4].
No reason for any change of plan. This is a nice flop card for me.
Labchemist calls [$4].
gambler7183 calls [$4].
** Dealing River ** [ A♦ ]
Hmm, I think I like that.
Birks bets [$4].
Labchemist folds.
gambler7183 calls [$4].
Birks shows [ A♠, A♥ ] three of a kind, aces.
gambler7183 doesn't show [ J♦, Q♦ ] a pair of queens.
Birks wins $33.50 from the main pot with three of a kind, aces.
So, a hand where I would most likely have won $5 or thereabouts turned into a hand where I won $23.50. I mention this only as an illustration of Abdul’s point that flat-calling with Aces can be more profitable than raising, although you have to accept the higher variance. I still do not like it as a general play and I distinctly dislike it if you are on the button and everyone has passed to you. I also dislike it under the gun, mainly because in both cases it looks so suspicious. Also, with a raise UTG and a raise on the button (no previous callers), you are more likely to find customers — in the first case because there is a chance there will be another good hand out there and in the second case because calling standards are drastically reduced when the raiser is on the button and no-one else is in.
