Close to rebuying on a holiday weekend after a series of hands went awry.
It’s always good to have plenty of chips in front. On the other hand, it doesn’t hurt to get back to basics and tighten up a little either.
And actually, the chip position for this fairly soft locals game isn’t too bad either. So we just fold and count the pot and watch the world go by for a few laps.
Decided to defend with A-9o against a loose-aggressive raiser. When the turn puts a straight draw on the board, fire out with a big bet.
Not surprisingly, he calls. Not surprisingly, the straight draw doesn’t materialize.
Considering the action and the board, the best thing is to bet out. But I decide to check and it’s checked behind.
Table the A-9 and the loose aggressive player turns up queen high.
That’s a few more chips for the armament.
Eke another win and the chip stack is looking a little more respectable.
So reasonably well-armed, look down to see Kh-Kc in middle position. Make the obligatory raise and a loose-aggressive gambler-type behind me quickly calls. Then the guy behind him, a solid player and a shrewd observer, raises again, making it three bets to go. The blinds complete and a limper calls and it’s back to me.
Feel good about the pocket kings but six ways, I’m a ‘dog to the field so I just call. Besides the guy who just three-bet me had previously three-bet my pocket 10s with pocket queens and flopped a full house. What does he have this time? Pockets aces? The other pocket kings? Pocket queens again? Or something else entirely?
We’re about to find out.
The flop comes down J-9-2 — all diamonds. Hardly the best flop for Kh-Kc.
Tempted to peek back, but I’ve sealed the hand in my temporary memory bank: it’s Kh-Kc.
The blinds check and I check along. The aggressive gambler-type fires out and everyone calls back to me.
Did he make a pair? Did he pair the jack? Is he on a flush draw? Or did he flop a flush?
I call, and we’re building a nice little pot.
The dealer burns and turns and another deuce tumbles out of the deck.
After running through all the options on the onboard computer, conclude the gambler-type has paired the jack. And as for the solid player, it doesn’t feel like pocket aces, but you never know. And he’s got position.
So I fire on the turn. The gambler-type calls. The solid player calls. But the three other guys have seen enough and pitch their hands into the muck.
A king sure would look pretty on the river. Even the diamond king, which traces its lineage to Julius Caesar, would make a fine river card.
But Lady Luck will have none of that fanciful ending. The dealer burns and turns and yet another deuce completes the action, making the board J-9-2-2-2.
Feel reasonably confident about deuces full of kings so I lead out on the river, a bit perhaps like Caesar now crossing the Rubicon. If there’s a better full house — or quads — you’re going to find out very quickly.
The gambler-type tanks for the longest time. He’s either holding a monster — A-2 wouldn’t be out of the realm — or he’s actually thinking it through and realizes the jack is no good in a three-way hand. But he calls.
The solid player dutifully calls, too, and then says “I think I’m third best.”
That’s a very good sign.
“You got those queens again?” I ask.
“Yup,” he says and turns them up.
Technically, it’s my turn to show first anyway so I flash the kings.
The gambler-type doesn’t budge for a few seconds, then dutifully mucks. I figure he had J-10 with a diamond ten for a weak flush draw.
“Nicest pot of the day,” the solid player says.
It is and I pull it into the stack.
“I’ve only had two big pairs for the day, both queens and both against you,” he also says.
“Yep,” I say. After being stuck, I’m very much savoring this win, but the dealer has already popped a fresh deck out of the shuffler and is flicking plastic cards around. And I’ve got pocket treys.
As Hamlet might say, ’tis nobler to win a big pot than to rebuy.
