pstarfish (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} pstarfish) wrote,@ 2005-07-20 12:45:00 |
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A strange Stud hand
Now that I have posted as to how much tougher the games feel in Las Vegas, let me share a hand that I played against one of the players who would fit into the 3 rating.
400-800 stud high only game. This game is only spread at Bellagio during the World Series, and Grant Strauss informs me that they don't even play 75-150 there otherwise. Some very tough stud players in this game, but at least two weak players. I'm in the 4 seat, with the "3" player on my left in the 5 seat.
A five brought it in for $100 on my immediate right, and I completed the bet ($400) with (JJ)6. There was another 6 on the board, and only one overcard (a queen) behind me. The 5 seat called with a 9 up, and the 8 seat also called, with a 7 up. 4th street brought a 7 for me, a Ten for the 5 seat, and a 2 for the 8 seat. The 5 seat was high and checked, the 8 seat checked, and I bet. They both called.
Fifth street was a good one for me. I caught another Jack, and the 5 seat paired his Ten. The eight seat caught a 4. The 5 seat bet his open Tens, the 8 seat folded, and I decided to raise. The raise here is in general too early, but the player has shown to be ready to call down anything. I didn't think he would fold his probably Tens and Nines hand, so I raised. He called.
On sixth street, I buried him. I caught the case Jack, and he caught a 2. Now, I bet, but I'm sick that I made the raise on 5th. I'm not sure what hand he thought I had on 5th, but the Jack has to improve me. Probably my worst possible holding was pocket aces or kings, but that even has him beat. I'm fully expecting a fold, but... He raises! Oh, how good is this! He can beat Jacks up or Aces up! I raised him back and he called.
OK, time for a review. Here are the hands:
Me (JJ)67JJ
Him (xx)9TT2
On the river, I make a 5. I bet. He raises! He has to have 4 Tens! I look down at his stack and see that he has another 8,000 in front of him, and I'm sure I'm getting all of it! I raise him back. Then he just calls! I turn over the hand that I have to have, and he grumbles and shows his Tens full of Nines that he made on 5th street.
I know that he loses with a big hand, but what can he beat when I raise him back on 6th? He loses an extra $1600 on the river that any good player would have saved. And even though hands like this don't come up often, they are absolutely a big reason why good players win and bad players lose over time.
I told this story to my wife over the phone the next day. She has never played stud, and doesn't play holdem any higher than 4$-8$. I didn't tell her my hole cards, just to see when she would know where I was on the hand. When I'm explaining the action on 5th street, she says "Well you have to have Jacks up. No, wait, didn't you say you raised third street? You probably made trips there". So, I think the five seat should have figured it out eventually too.
Now that I have posted as to how much tougher the games feel in Las Vegas, let me share a hand that I played against one of the players who would fit into the 3 rating.
400-800 stud high only game. This game is only spread at Bellagio during the World Series, and Grant Strauss informs me that they don't even play 75-150 there otherwise. Some very tough stud players in this game, but at least two weak players. I'm in the 4 seat, with the "3" player on my left in the 5 seat.
A five brought it in for $100 on my immediate right, and I completed the bet ($400) with (JJ)6. There was another 6 on the board, and only one overcard (a queen) behind me. The 5 seat called with a 9 up, and the 8 seat also called, with a 7 up. 4th street brought a 7 for me, a Ten for the 5 seat, and a 2 for the 8 seat. The 5 seat was high and checked, the 8 seat checked, and I bet. They both called.
Fifth street was a good one for me. I caught another Jack, and the 5 seat paired his Ten. The eight seat caught a 4. The 5 seat bet his open Tens, the 8 seat folded, and I decided to raise. The raise here is in general too early, but the player has shown to be ready to call down anything. I didn't think he would fold his probably Tens and Nines hand, so I raised. He called.
On sixth street, I buried him. I caught the case Jack, and he caught a 2. Now, I bet, but I'm sick that I made the raise on 5th. I'm not sure what hand he thought I had on 5th, but the Jack has to improve me. Probably my worst possible holding was pocket aces or kings, but that even has him beat. I'm fully expecting a fold, but... He raises! Oh, how good is this! He can beat Jacks up or Aces up! I raised him back and he called.
OK, time for a review. Here are the hands:
Me (JJ)67JJ
Him (xx)9TT2
On the river, I make a 5. I bet. He raises! He has to have 4 Tens! I look down at his stack and see that he has another 8,000 in front of him, and I'm sure I'm getting all of it! I raise him back. Then he just calls! I turn over the hand that I have to have, and he grumbles and shows his Tens full of Nines that he made on 5th street.
I know that he loses with a big hand, but what can he beat when I raise him back on 6th? He loses an extra $1600 on the river that any good player would have saved. And even though hands like this don't come up often, they are absolutely a big reason why good players win and bad players lose over time.
I told this story to my wife over the phone the next day. She has never played stud, and doesn't play holdem any higher than 4$-8$. I didn't tell her my hole cards, just to see when she would know where I was on the hand. When I'm explaining the action on 5th street, she says "Well you have to have Jacks up. No, wait, didn't you say you raised third street? You probably made trips there". So, I think the five seat should have figured it out eventually too.
