Well it was a bad week...what can I say... WNP was a total bust for me. I was a little late and missed a few orbits. I got really no playable hands and the ones I did see, I folded.
I then got QQ in the CO which for me is dreamy because many people know I like to steal from there. I raise to 300 when blinds are 40/80. The button flat calls which was scary. Then the SB pushes for 800 more. I figured I had no choice but to push all-in when it got back to me and then the BB goes all-in for just slightly more than my stack. I thought for about 30 seconds and folded. The button folded. SB had 88 and BB had KK. An 8 hit on the flop so I was basically crushed and relieved to only lose 300. If the SB folds, I am probably done if the BB raises me.
I never got another hand and basically got blinded out. Onto the cash game where I seem to miss every draw. Even ones that were so good that I was ahead.
Onto Friday night in an 8 person SNG at my house with Turning Stone blinds. Only 7 showed up....
About halfway through level 1 a new player to my house (but not new to poker at all) raised from the button. For some reason I wanted to defend with KH10H. At WNP there were a few times where I wanted to play weak holdings but choose not too. I felt like there was some missed opportunity as I was not playing my reads.
The BB also called and the flop came KDQH9H. I checked BB checked and the button bet 600 into a pot of about 600. I min-raised to 1200. He flat called which I must admit confused me. At that point I put him on a similiar draw as myself.
The turn was a black 8. Which really did nothing for the board. He bet 1000. I said, its not your turn, its mine and I bet 1500. I was really trying to push him off the hand and the way he thought about the call, I was certain that unless an Ace hit on the river, I was going all-in and he would not call. The river was a black 5 and I pushed all-in. I factored in probably a 40% chance I was good and a 50% chance he was not strong enough to call based on my read on the turn. I figured that was enough to push all-in as it didn't seem to be that much risk....
Well, I was wrong after long deliberation and me laughing at him when he said he hit the K, he called all his chips with KJ no heart. I must admit it was a great call on his part one that I could never make unless I was 90% certain I was good. I thought I played the hand well enough and just got unlucky as I didn't really know the player I was pushing in on. I am pretty sure I was way ahead or 50/50 on the flop but I was representing a huge hand like I have done many times in the past and won huge pots. The players at the game that knew me were sure I was way ahead with a set...no luck.
But magic happens. The 8th player doesn't show up and they let me rebuy!! Woot woot.
I get back in the game and really saw no more hands again. I called a raise from the SB with AK and completely missed the flop. I don't think the other person hit either but I didn't want to push all-in with A high to find out I was crushed.
I then got into the push zone and pushed UTG with AK and showed everyone. Then in the SB everyone limped in. Looking down at KQo, I figured noone was strong enough to call my all-in since there was no raise. I still had enough chips to hurt every player at 2800. I pushed all-in to try to steal the 1100 in the pot. I made the perfect play because I was correct and noone was strong enough to call my all-in but someone did with A7 which was strange but I figured if I won that race, I was going to really be able to do some damage. I lost the race and was elminated.
I think the lesson I learned was to really pick the players I gamble against. If I am pushing 50/50 and there is no chance they are folding because they are looking for a race then its a horrible push. Maybe players hate racing and would fold to avoid it, those are the players you can push in on. The gamblers who will put 1/3 of their stack in for a race are NOT the players to push in on when you are racing. It is though more of a reason to push all-in preflop with monsters like AA because the gamblers wil call thinking they are racing to find out they have a 7% chance to win. I believe its important to bet your great hands the same as your trash so for certain I push all-in with Aces there.
Anyway I definitely learned a lot last night but it cost me $80. I am going to river today to try to get some of it back....
Mark Silver
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