Ugh. I wasn't going to post this, but I'm convinced no one reads this blog except me so who cares. It becomes like a live online diary I guess. Here goes:
WSOP Circuit, $5000 buy in at Lake Tahoe. 10K starting chips with 75 min levels. Deep stack poker.
My table seems pretty weak. Mike Kinney is on it and I know he's a good player. There is a looney tune in seat one who stacks off calling an all-in 4 bet with AK against AA. An obvious idiot. I won't make the same mistake. Reminds me of playing a hand at the Bellagio in a $3K buy in when TJ Cloutier raised, I called with AK, and then a woman re-raised, TJ re-raised and I got out of the way very very fast. AA vs KK then.
In the first level I get 99 and raise and get one caller. I don't recognize the guy. His name is Aaron. Short hair, sunglasses, ipod. Could be any internet kid. Anyway, the flop comes Ten-high and the board does nothing else and I lose the hand to his T8o. Meh. Later I have Q8s and lose to him on a board of 3-3-5-8-8 when he had limped with 63s. Hmmm.
So its the third level, 100-200. Aaron has played fairly aggro, but he's never 4-bet. A guy UTG limps (which he's done many times with who knows what) Aaron raises to 750. I look down at KK and make it 2250. Folded back to Aaron and he repops it another 3000.
Wow. Didn't expect that. OK, I started the hand with about 12K and he had me covered with 16K or so.
At this point my brain just turned off. The analogy I have made was some times in early residency doing surgery and coming into a situation that was new and not knowing how to proceed. Poker is easier though, because the default play when holding KK is to simply 5-bet push. I know this and I contemplate it. But I hesitate. Something isn't right. And the only thing that can't be right is that Aaron (who later I realized was Aaron Kanter, 4th place finisher in the 2005 Joe Hachem WSOP ($2M for 4th) also the same Kanter who knocked Greg Raymer out with QJ when Raymer held KK) well- the only thing he can hold that makes me hesitate is AA of course.
Crap. I don't want to bust out here running into AA. What else is in his range? KK, but that would be pretty unusual since I have KK. AK, again less likely. How bout lesser aces like AQ or AJ? If so, its a complete resteal and he would have to fold if I push. I suppose he could be holding other pairs like QQ, JJ, TT, or maybe worse? I dunno. All I know is that something is telling me he has AA and that I shouldn't push. My brain doesn't like it, but pushing doesn't feel right.
I could fold I suppose. I still have plenty of chips. But WTF?, did I come here to get pocket Kings and fold preflop? That seems worse than pushing for sure. Blech. I'm not folding.
OK, I can call. Yeah, thats it, I'll call. And then if there is no ace on the flop I'll ignore the feelings that led me not to push and I'll push on the flop. Brilliant! What a plan! (I'm an idiot)
I call.
Flop comes J-J-T, and Aaron checks.
Blech. I hate this flop. But what hands can he hold that hit this flop? JJ, TT, AJ, AT, JT. If he has JJ or TT then its probably gg for me. No way he 4-bet preflop with AJ, AT or JT. No way. OK, so I'm ahead of AK, AQ and QQ. Everything else he's holding I'm behind. I still think he has aces i guess. I check.
Turn: Another Ten.
He checks again.
What? Now he's checked twice. Would he do that with AA? No way. I'm lost now. I don't know what he has, but I cant see how he's hit this board unless he's made quads and that is always unlikely. Fuck it, I push.
He calls.
Ace-ten offsuit. ZOMG. ATo. Meh. Just for good measure the river brings an ace. He smirks and comments that if I would have bet the flop he would have gone away.
*********************
So, this was just a horribly played hand on so many levels. Just awful. A victim of the great overthink, next time I just push and take my beat from AA if that is the case.
No comments:
Post a Comment