It was a trip to Shreveport, La. that got this blog started. After playing a few rounds of poker I decided that, even if no one ever reads it, I would start a journal on interesting hands, and the thoughts on the play.
This day I was just intending to pass through and maybe play poker for an hour or two before heading out of town. I walked up to the Horseshoe poker room and looked at the screen. The no limit games all had waiting lists, but the 4-8 limit had an open seat, so I took it.
Mine was the last seat open at the table, and was two to the left of the dealer. As I sat for my first hand, the little old frail man to my right had the big blind, so I was first to act. My first card was a deuce, so I never even payed much attention to the second card and tossed em. Guy two to my left raised to 8 and took down the pot uncontested.
So at this point I knew nothing about the table, except that I was now the big blind. The cards come and as I am still adjusting my chip stack for my $100 standard buy-in I look down to find the King of clubs and 7 of diamonds. Not great, but a typical big blind hand.
After the player to my left folds, the raiser from the last hand calls. A couple of folds then four callers and the small blind completes his bet. I check to the $28 pot.
Then comes the flop. 7 7 7. I flop the nuts, no one knows anything about me and the pot is nice. Without much thought I check as betting here would likely reveal I had the 7.
The same guy who started the action preflop bets. This time three players follow and I can't believe how lucky this is. But all the action made sense. I figure the first guy probably had ace with low kicker or a small pair. If he had anything stronger he would have raised preflop. I figure after that the next couple of players probably had similar hands and even if someone had a stronger hand, the way the pot was being built there was no need to raise yet.
But I still can't believe how lucky I am when I call making the pot $48.
On the turn, the only card I don't want to see is an Ace. In the small chance someone was slow playing pocket aces, and they got A A on the turn/river, then I would be screwed and not even bad beat eligible as my 7 would be the only hole card I was playing (both of your dealt cards have to play to be eligible for bad beat).
No worries, the next card was a J.
Again the first guy bets $8. Two callers and a fold and a $72 pot to me. Now I ask myself do I make it 80 or 88?
I go for the raise, hoping maybe they will think the J hit me. And if they don't maybe someone else hit the J, both likely scenarios. The first guy gets a disgusted look, but calls. the other two realize they are beat and fold and the pot in $96.
The last card was inconsequential as I lead out again and get a disgusted call, taking down the $112 pre-rake pot.
I still wonder what would have happened had I just made it 80.
Id still be first to act, if i check, I figure the initial guy would have still likely led out to make it 88. I'd have to assume that the other two guys would very likely know they are beat, but the pot odds would be overwhelming. Assuming just one called, it would have been 96 when i raised to make it 112. if just one called i earn an extra 8.
But if he checks too? the action gets checked around, and I collect an $80 pot instead of $112.
And if I lead out? The other two still likely know I slowed played the 7, the one guy calls, but I still get two folds. for a 96 pot.
In either case, I sat there wondering, how wrong is it to get up and leave the table after just one hand?
I stayed and cashed in over $300 for a little over an hour worth of poker.
But its also likely that
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