A Hand

When you play 18,000 or so hands a month, most things that crop up at the table are not new. But the multi-wayers with main pots and side pots against loose players are still unusual situations for me, simply because I don't often play when these nutters are around. This one turned out okay, but I could have played it differently at any number of points.

$0.5/$1 Blinds No Limit Hold'em

Late Saturday Night, Pacific Poker

Seat 5 is the button

Total number of players : 9

Seat 10: cau2gz07 ( $27.65 )
Seat 1: MrNOmrcy ( $98 )
Seat 2: ClaytonT ( $86.5 )
Seat 3: manjarin ( $92.5 )
Seat 4: 64mic ( $269.38 )
Seat 5: RedfernH ( $77.81 )
Seat 6: 777rob ( $104.59 )
Seat 7: notfor ( $84.85 )
Seat 8: Hero ( $152.94 )

777rob posts small blind [$0.5].
notfor posts big blind [$1].

** Dealing down cards **

Dealt to Hero [ Q♠ Q♡; ]

Hero raises [$3].

I've adopted a standard $3 raise as default, sometimes even with limpers. It's mainly because I'm more confident now about my post-flop play. If you let players think that they are getting implied odds, then you have to be able to get away from at least some of the hands when they hit, while calling down others when they pretend that they have hit, but they haven't.

cau2gz07 raises [$5].

This is a worrying raise from a short stack who is not at all loose. Indeed, during the day on the IP Network, you'd expect this to be Aces at least half the time. But late on Saturday night? Maybe a bweer too many. Maybe getting a bit frisky

MrNOmrcy folds.
ClaytonT folds.
manjarin folds.
64mic calls [$5]

Not a very worrying call. This guy is loose passive and has bundles of chips. Could be anything.
.
RedfernH raises [$27.65].

I grant this man's raises no credibility whatsoever. I am way ahead of his range.

777rob folds.
notfor folds.

So, how much to reraise? Pacific is a bastard site for this, and more than once I've actually folded while I've been trying to type in a number for my raise. The default of double Redfern's bet seems as good as any to me. So I press that button.

Hero raises [$47.3].
cau2gz07 calls [$22.65].

Now that he's called, I'm trying to factor in this guy having Aces, meaning that I might be focusing in on the side pot.

64mic calls [$45.3]

Narrows this guy's range somewhat. But, hell, maybe he just fancies a gamble.
.
RedfernH calls [$22.65].

This guy was always calling.

** Dealing Flop ** [ 6♣;, K♠, 2♡; ]

Ugh. I can't see how a bet out here helps me. The all-in guy works as some protection against a bluff from opponents with cash left.

Hero checks.
64mic checks.
RedfernH checks.

Now there's hope.

** Dealing Turn ** [ 8♣; ]

How much to bet here? I'm in alien territory. I decide to try for two-thirds of the sidepot


Hero bets [$40].
64mic folds.
RedfernH calls [$27.51].


** Dealing River ** [ K◊; ]

** Summary **

cau2gz07 shows [ K♡; Q♣; ].

RedfernH shows [ 4♣; 4◊; ].

Hero shows [ Q♠ Q♡; ].

cau2gz07 collected [$108.1].

Hero collected [$122.97].


For a net plus $45 on the hand or therabouts.


( Two more hands )