This was a pretty volatile week in poker. I played 3 games. I played some 10/20 NL holdem early in the week. I learned a valuable lesson about the game (and player) I was in. I had about $1000 in front of me. One player in mid position, makes it $150 to go (standard preflop raise). I smooth call with KK, figuring we will be heads up and he will put me on a weak hand. Well, like 5 other people call!! Board is ugly, with two spades. Action is checked around to me - I put all in. Get one caller, on a flush draw, who didn't have pot odds. Of course turn is a spade. Bye Bye bank roll. The lesson is, if there are super loose players at the table, you better raise, unless you really want 4 or 5 people in the pot when you have a premium pocket pair.
I played mid-week. 2/5 game. I was sorta half playing, half-writing on a book I am working on. This game runs several nights a week, with Wednesday being the tightest of the 3 nights. I grinded out about $500, but also won some extra by betting $100 on each flop, red or black. I left before the game broke up - I heard that I should have stayed.
I played some at the end of the week. Same 2/5 game. I was reminded of a super valuable lesson - never, ever muck your cards if the other guy doesn't show his. I had QJ of diamonds. One guy made it $20 to go, I called and another guy called. Both of these guys are tight, one is very good. Flop is rags, with two diamonds. The opener made it $60 or so to go, turns out he had KK. I pushed all in with my flush draw. I had both of them covered - so the bet was around $350 or so. The one guy thinks for a while and calls. The guy with the KK folds, which was a bad move. Next two cards are rags. No flush. After the river, neither me nor the other guy wants to show our cards. I figure I am beat, so I push my cards towards the muck. He doesn't show. I know something is up, so I turn my cards over, before they get mucked. Turns out he had two small diamonds and an open-ended straight flush draw. He also missed and I won with a queen high. Had my cards hit the muck, he would have won by default. The lesson is, if you are the bettor, show your cards no matter what.
I lost a big hand that night too. Flopped top set, but got run down by a straight. I should have respected the board better and made an overbet to "perhaps" keep the player from drawing at me.
