slowplays&broadways

I once actually considered investing in a punching bag to hang next to my desk. It seemed like a good way to help cope with a two-outer on the river, or KK>AA on the bubble of a tournament. Bad beats are a part of the game, but doesn’t it seem like you take them more than you deliver them? Those who don’t catch my drift might understand it better coming from grapsfan.

One of the best and worst things about playing low stakes poker is the inexperience of most players. Inexperienced players are great for your bankroll; they play horrible hands and overplay most of the draws they get. Although this is where most experienced players will make their money, these pros can turn to cons in the flip of a card.

Lets take for instance a hand I ran in to early Sunday afternoon:

I wake up UTG with QQ, a desirable starting hand. The villain calls my 3x raise two positions later and everyone else folds. The flop comes down 69T, rainbow. I lead out for about 2/3 of the pot, a moderate sized bet for an overpair. I make this bet for two reasons:
• I’m putting my opponent on a hand like Ax
• I want to give my opponent poor pot odds to call a potential draw

Naturally, my opponent flat calls and we go to the turn. The turn comes 7d, a non-threatening card that only really adds the danger of a straight draw being completed. I check in this position, hoping that I can induce a bet and check-raise the villain in the event that he does make another run at catching his A or K. The villain does what is expected and bets about 1/6 of the pot, a very inexperienced bet by any standards. I proceed to check-raise as planned; this usually deters opponents from playing weaker hands. The villain proceeds to three-bet raise, so I decide to shove all in. His three bet seemed weak, as if he was trying to call me on a bluff. He called and showed me J8 for the straight and I went home with my tail between my legs.

His mistakes:
• Calling a 3x raise with J8, a very weak starting hand.
• Calling a 3x raise with J8 and 4 players behind.

My mistake:
• I offered him correct pot odds to make the call on the flop
• I was over responsive to the three-bet.
• I gave my opponent too much credit for having a good hand.

The moral of the story is that bad hands get lucky sometimes. That’s why some low stakes players decide to play them. Although QQ vs. J8 preflop is about and 80/20 favorite, I am at fault for making it a profitable play.

The hand is just relived is one of many disasters of the weekend that I hope to forget soon. I’m probably going to turn down the number of tournaments I play this week and try some live poker instead. Live poker is another monster and usually makes for some good writing material.

threebets&floppingsets

Big pots and gut shots is a blog about texas hold'em. This blog is not the first of it's kind, nor will it be the last. I have the luxury of drawing inspiration from many well-established and successful poker blogs. We can all read and enjoy these blogs, but sometimes it's hard to relate. As a low stakes player, I feel that this blog targets the mass of the poker population.

For now, I will talk about my trials and tribulations, my successes and failures. I will learn and grow as a poker player; hopefully some will learn and grow with me. I will try to tackle the hot topics, starting hand ranges, three betting ranges, blind stealing, and whether or not Durrrr is busto.

Oh yeah, I'll also try to have some fun along the way.