Two Interesting Hands

I've been on two poker trips recently; Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In each trip a single hand stood out from the rest.

In Las Vegas, I started out slow. Couldn't get a hand. Couldn't hit a flop. Finally, oh finally, I get pocket aces under-the-gun, first to act. Now you gotta understand this table was somewhat wild. The World Championship of Rodeo was in town and we had a cowboy at our table sitting to my right (luckily) who was playin' every hand and hitting everything. Draws, full houses, you name it. So cowboy was on the big blind. I wanted to bet enough to get him heads-up because I knew he was calling anything. So I raise to $100 in this $5/$10 No Limit Game. Which was higher than I would generally bet. The guy to my left calls and, of course, cowboy calls. The flop comes out 7, 7, 4 rainbow. Guess what cowboy does? He bets $1400 straight out. I have about $1300 in front of me. What the . . .?

Now I'm deep in thought. If he had a 7, wouldn't he check, let me or the other guy bet, then go all in? Was he playing an over pair or maybe even a single 4? Pocket 4s would fall into the same category as a 7. Finally, the only hand I could put him on was 5, 6. I called. The guy next to me takes a few minutes, then folds. Probably had jacks.

The cowboy, shakes his head and says; "I've got a little kicker problem." Not what I wanted to hear. My read was off by only one blip. He didn't have 5, 6. He had 5, 7. After cursing to myself as I staggered out the Bellagio door, I had to admit that his play was very creative. If you hit a big hand and you know your opponent has a big pair, just go all in right off. He'll never know what hit him. I know, believe me, I know.

The other hand took place at the Borgata in AC. Again, I started out the trip really slow. Lost half my bankroll in the first day. So I was in another 5/10 no limit game on day 2. Just got to the table. I was again under-the-gun. But this time I had the premium, but very worrisome hand of AQ of hearts. I made it $60 to go and got 6 callers and the big blind was next to act. Turns out he was very short stacked. "I'm all in for $110," he says and tosses his few chips forward.

I immediately ask the dealer if I can raise. I figure its a great way to show strength and, besides, I needed to pare down this field. The dealer says; "I don't think you can raise because you made it $60 and the $110 the big blind bet isn't double that." Immediately the players at the table continue the action by each of them calling. "Hold it. Hold it," I say. "Call the floorman over please."

"FLOOR," the dealer yells and over waddles this pear-shaped nebishy man with crooked glasses and bad skin.

"Well I think thats right. You can't . . ."

I immediately cut him off. "Excuse me but I raised 50 not 60, so he min raised me, so I can raise. Right?"

"You gotta point there buddy." I was on foreign turf so I needed to be convincing. "Yes. The man can raise," the pear then walked away trying, in vain, to straighten his glasses.

"I raise," I said in a firm, authoritarian voice. "$350 on top." I figured they'd all fold at this point. How could they not put me on a huge hand. Then I'd get mister short stack big blind heads up.

"I'm all in," came a declaration from the next player to act. Like a flash, everyone folded and it was back on me.

The guy seemed to be playing solid poker. What could he have? It seemed that he was too good of a player to smooth call with AA, KK or QQ or even AK, although the last two were possible. Hell, anything is possible. But it seemed, unless this guy was some kind of a whack job, the most likely hands for him to hold were JJ or 1010. Maybe AK was third. If he had the first two I had to put the rest of my stack in, about $800. If he had the third, I should fold. I liked the first two hands better, but I wish I had a better profile on the guy. Too much money in there. 60 X 7 + 150 + 700 = 1200. Plus the matching 800. Thats 2.5 :1. Gotta go for it.

"I call."

The guy had QQ. Luckily the flop came out AKK and I held up. But did I make a bad call? Or did this guy make a poor smooth call for my 60. I just gave the guy more credit than he deserved and it cost me. I did not have a clear sense of the players at the table. But in poker, as in life, things often work out for the better in the end.