Flagged Hands from $500 PStars freeroll

[scotty1139]

Here are some hands that I thought were interesting, for various reasons. These are not converted and thus not replayer compatible. Comments welcome.

Hand #1: 15-out draw vs. tpgk/2 pair

PokerStars Game #3165514443: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2005/11/26 - 16:45:04 (ET)
Table '15558977 2' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (2140 in chips)
Seat 2: elleron (2860 in chips)
Seat 3: Velar (2335 in chips)
Seat 7: fishinghooks (3390 in chips)
Seat 9: pngn (2110 in chips)
elleron: posts small blind 25
Velar: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Kc 3c]
fishinghooks said, "some crazy beats here too"
fishinghooks: folds
pngn: folds
mervhage: calls 50
elleron: calls 25
Velar: checks
*** FLOP *** [4c 3d Qs]
elleron: bets 75
Velar: folds
mervhage: calls 75
*** TURN *** [4c 3d Qs] [Js]
elleron: bets 150
mervhage: calls 150
*** RIVER *** [4c 3d Qs Js] [6s]
elleron: bets 600
mervhage: raises 1265 to 1865 and is all-in
elleron: calls 1265
*** SHOW DOWN ***
mervhage: shows [5s 2s] (a flush, Queen high)
elleron: shows [Jc Qd] (two pair, Queens and Jacks)
elleron said, "Damn."
mervhage said, "ooo boy"
mervhage collected 4330 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4330 | Rake 0
Board [4c 3d Qs Js 6s]
Seat 1: mervhage (button) showed [5s 2s] and won (4330) with a flush, Queen high
Seat 2: elleron (small blind) showed [Jc Qd] and lost with two pair, Queens and Jacks
Seat 3: Velar (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 7: fishinghooks folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Hand #2: Overbet Protection gone amok, or just high drama luck?

*********** # 73 **************
PokerStars Game #3165458307: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2005/11/26 - 16:38:47 (ET)
Table '15558977 2' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (2165 in chips)
Seat 2: elleron (2985 in chips)
Seat 6: Eruu (878 in chips)
Seat 7: fishinghooks (2237 in chips)
Seat 8: Phaedrus374 (985 in chips)
Seat 9: pngn (1250 in chips)
fishinghooks: posts small blind 25
Phaedrus374: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [7d 7h]
pngn: folds
mervhage: folds
elleron: folds
Eruu: raises 828 to 878 and is all-in
fishinghooks: calls 853
Phaedrus374: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ks Qs Qd]
fishinghooks said, "sigh"
mervhage said, "ouch"
elleron said, "Ouch."
*** TURN *** [Ks Qs Qd] [4c]
*** RIVER *** [Ks Qs Qd 4c] [7c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
fishinghooks: shows [7d 7h] (a full house, Sevens full of Queens)
Eruu: shows [Js Qh] (three of a kind, Queens)
fishinghooks collected 1806 from pot
elleron said, "Ouch."
fishinghooks said, "oh boy"
pngn said, "ouch"
Phaedrus374 said, "man"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1806 | Rake 0
Board [Ks Qs Qd 4c 7c]
Seat 1: mervhage folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: elleron folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Eruu (button) showed [Js Qh] and lost with three of a kind, Queens
Seat 7: fishinghooks (small blind) showed [7d 7h] and won (1806) with a full house, Sevens full of Queens
Seat 8: Phaedrus374 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Hand #3 : Calling an all-in with suited big cards - the 40/60 race

*********** # 171 **************
PokerStars Game #3165989603: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2005/11/26 - 17:37:33 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (8915 in chips)
Seat 2: Miamipuck (1570 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (3410 in chips)
Seat 5: The Amoeba (3105 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (2810 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (1190 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
Miamipuck: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
The Amoeba: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
mervhage: posts small blind 100
Miamipuck: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ks Ts]
fishinghooks: raises 300 to 500
The Amoeba: folds
pngn: folds
gangly joker: folds
mervhage: folds
Miamipuck: raises 1045 to 1545 and is all-in
fishinghooks: calls 1045
*** FLOP *** [5h Th 8s]
*** TURN *** [5h Th 8s] [2c]
*** RIVER *** [5h Th 8s 2c] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Miamipuck: shows [As Qc] (high card Ace)
fishinghooks: shows [Ks Ts] (a pair of Tens)
fishinghooks collected 3340 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3340 | Rake 0
Board [5h Th 8s 2c 4s]
Seat 1: mervhage (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: Miamipuck (big blind) showed [As Qc] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 3: fishinghooks showed [Ks Ts] and won (3340) with a pair of Tens
Seat 5: The Amoeba folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: gangly joker (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Hand #4 : Poaching from the big stack on the bubble
*********** # 211 **************
PokerStars Game #3166141300: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/11/26 - 17:54:16 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (7065 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (3930 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (4360 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (5645 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
mervhage: posts small blind 200
fishinghooks: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ts Ad]
pngn: folds
gangly joker: folds
mervhage: raises 800 to 1200
fishinghooks: raises 2705 to 3905 and is all-in
mervhage: folds
fishinghooks collected 2500 from pot
fishinghooks: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2500 | Rake 0
Seat 1: mervhage (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: fishinghooks (big blind) collected (2500)
Seat 6: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: gangly joker (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Hand #5 : Folding AK on the bubble

*********** # 212 **************
PokerStars Game #3166148511: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/11/26 - 17:55:04 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (5840 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (5205 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (4335 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (5620 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts small blind 200
pngn: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ah Ks]
gangly joker: raises 1200 to 1600
mervhage: raises 4215 to 5815 and is all-in
fishinghooks: folds
pngn: folds
gangly joker said, "crap, but I have to do it"
gangly joker: calls 3995 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [2h 3s 7c]
*** TURN *** [2h 3s 7c] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [2h 3s 7c 4h] [2c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
gangly joker: shows [Jh Js] (two pair, Jacks and Deuces)
mervhage: shows [Td Tc] (two pair, Tens and Deuces)
gangly joker collected 11890 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 11890 | Rake 0
Board [2h 3s 7c 4h 2c]
Seat 1: mervhage (button) showed [Td Tc] and lost with two pair, Tens and Deuces
Seat 3: fishinghooks (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: pngn (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: gangly joker showed [Jh Js] and won (11890) with two pair, Jacks and Deuces

[mervhage]

Hand #4 : Poaching from the big stack on the bubble
*********** # 211 **************
PokerStars Game #3166141300: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/11/26 - 17:54:16 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (7065 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (3930 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (4360 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (5645 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
mervhage: posts small blind 200
fishinghooks: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ts Ad]
pngn: folds
gangly joker: folds
mervhage: raises 800 to 1200
fishinghooks: raises 2705 to 3905 and is all-in
mervhage: folds
fishinghooks collected 2500 from pot
fishinghooks: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2500 | Rake 0
Seat 1: mervhage (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: fishinghooks (big blind) collected (2500)
Seat 6: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: gangly joker (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

You were 4:1 to double up on this hand, as I was holding A8, and to think I was kicking myself in the ass for folding afterwards, thinking I was ahead, "I can dodge bullets baby!"

Wait I still came in fourth... I'm the worst poker player ever...

PokerStars Game #3166148511: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/11/26 - 17:55:04 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (5840 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (5205 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (4335 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (5620 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts small blind 200
pngn: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ah Ks]
gangly joker: raises 1200 to 1600
mervhage: raises 4215 to 5815 and is all-in
fishinghooks: folds
pngn: folds
gangly joker said, "crap, but I have to do it"
gangly joker: calls 3995 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [2h 3s 7c]
*** TURN *** [2h 3s 7c] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [2h 3s 7c 4h] [2c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
gangly joker: shows [Jh Js] (two pair, Jacks and Deuces)
mervhage: shows [Td Tc] (two pair, Tens and Deuces)
gangly joker collected 11890 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 11890 | Rake 0
Board [2h 3s 7c 4h 2c]
Seat 1: mervhage (button) showed [Td Tc] and lost with two pair, Tens and Deuces
Seat 3: fishinghooks (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: pngn (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: gangly joker showed [Jh Js] and won (11890) with two pair, Jacks and Deuces

So I saved your ass and it cost me the $$$

[mervhage]

This tourney was rigged.

Poker Stars has it out for me, they love fucking with me on hands like these .

[miamipuck]

Here are some hands that I thought were interesting, for various reasons. These are not converted and thus not replayer compatible. Comments welcome.

Hand #3 : Calling an all-in with suited big cards - the 40/60 race

*********** # 171 **************
PokerStars Game #3165989603: Tournament #15558977, Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2005/11/26 - 17:37:33 (ET)
Table '15558977 1' Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mervhage (8915 in chips)
Seat 2: Miamipuck (1570 in chips)
Seat 3: fishinghooks (3410 in chips)
Seat 5: The Amoeba (3105 in chips)
Seat 6: pngn (2810 in chips)
Seat 7: gangly joker (1190 in chips)
mervhage: posts the ante 25
Miamipuck: posts the ante 25
fishinghooks: posts the ante 25
The Amoeba: posts the ante 25
pngn: posts the ante 25
gangly joker: posts the ante 25
mervhage: posts small blind 100
Miamipuck: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to fishinghooks [Ks Ts]
fishinghooks: raises 300 to 500
The Amoeba: folds
pngn: folds
gangly joker: folds
mervhage: folds
Miamipuck: raises 1045 to 1545 and is all-in
fishinghooks: calls 1045
*** FLOP *** [5h Th 8s]
*** TURN *** [5h Th 8s] [2c]
*** RIVER *** [5h Th 8s 2c] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Miamipuck: shows [As Qc] (high card Ace)
fishinghooks: shows [Ks Ts] (a pair of Tens)
fishinghooks collected 3340 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3340 | Rake 0
Board [5h Th 8s 2c 4s]
Seat 1: mervhage (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: Miamipuck (big blind) showed [As Qc] and lost with high card Ace
Seat 3: fishinghooks showed [Ks Ts] and won (3340) with a pair of Tens
Seat 5: The Amoeba folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: pngn folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: gangly joker (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Easy Fold.

[mattaca]

Hand 1: Have to make a pot sized bet here on the flop. At least make it incorrect for your opponent to draw. And then with 2-pair on the turn, a bigger bet is in order.

Hand 2: With your chip stack I don't mind the call at all. I'm reminded of that Gigabet post a while back.

Hand 3: Thats a tough call.

Hand 4: I like the push on this one. The big stack could be raising marginal hands at this point.

Hand 5: This is an easy fold into the money. One of us was basically going out on that hand, so no need to risk it.

[caffiend]

Hand 1: Have to make a pot sized bet here on the flop. At least make it incorrect for your opponent to draw. And then with 2-pair on the turn, a bigger bet is in order.

Draw at what? The only reasonable draw is 52, and he's an aggressive blind stealer so you know he's raising that preflop 100% of the time. In fact, on the turn I think you can give him 52s, AA-QQ. Cut out QQ and 52s as they're preflop raises and you're way ahead of any reasonable hand.

[mattaca]

Hand 1: Have to make a pot sized bet here on the flop. At least make it incorrect for your opponent to draw. And then with 2-pair on the turn, a bigger bet is in order.

Draw at what? The only reasonable draw is 52, and he's an aggressive blind stealer so you know he's raising that preflop 100% of the time. In fact, on the turn I think you can give him 52s, AA-QQ. Cut out QQ and 52s as they're preflop raises and you're way ahead of any reasonable hand.

I have to disagree. Even aggressive blind stealers are not always looking to raise 52s. It actually doesn't make much sense to raise it with that hand for the amount of chips in the blinds. Why couldn't he hold 65s/65o? Maybe even A2 or A5 but my guess is a raise would come there.

I also would not even come close to thinking he's holding AA-QQ. Limping in and he's begging to get them cracked. A raise with those hands from there makes more sense. And he's not calling down to the river with AA, he's re-rasing the flop or turn.

The reason behind protecting your hand by betting the pot is that you hold TP with an avg kicker. A good hand but easily beatable. I'm looking to take down the pot right there as I'm not looking to be drawn out upon.

[caffiend]

It makes more sense to raise 52s than AA. The only value in the first one is in stealing the blinds, the second will often get a good flop and let you extract more chips from someone willing to bet top pair. 65s is possible, but also a raise preflop.

Offsuit and gutshot straight draws are eliminated by the call on the flop. Inside draws because you're willing to take a lousy price, offsuit because you're definately not getting the odds to call a turn bet nor the right price to go card by card. So if he's trying to pick up outs what can he be fishing for? The backdoor flush certainly, and maybe but not likely an ace. Of course, once you have two pair an ace falling off is no big deal. So the ace with an inside straight draw possibility is mooted by the turn card even if you did give it to him.

So the only real questionable call is the crying call on the river when he's likely, but not guarenteed to have the flush. So how capable is Merv of making an all-in bluff there? Who knows? Obviously calling says you think he might be capable of the bluff about one time in three. That, and the doubt over his hole cards make it an acceptable call, even if obviously the wrong one.

Eventually you need to extract extra chips from hands, not just win as many pots as you can. This is a relatively safe place to do that, because in all likelyhood he's sandbagging a monster, some small ratty two pair, etc or fishing for something. and even given the actual hand, which is probably the best draw he can hope to have he's below 35% to win, and only sightly better on the flop.