Bad Beat Bleat
Whine Whine WhineEverybody who plays poker has a bad beat story to tell. I've only been playing for a few months and I have several. I suppose I could have played this one a little differently, though.
I was sitting in the big blind with 3ª/3¨. It was early in the game and nearly everyone called me to see the flop. I made a small raise to clear out a few of them.
The flop came Jª/9©/J§. Since the small blind folded, I was first to act and checked. When the two remaining players checked behind me, the turn came 3§. I had thought about betting no matter what came off the deck and forcing everyone to fold was since the flop was checked; but the turn gave me a full house and I suddenly didn't want to drive out my potential customers. I checked the turn with the intention of check-raising, but it was checked again behind me.
The river was J¨. Uh oh. Instead of having threes full and the third best hand (behind quads/jacks full and nines full), I now had jacks full of threes and many possible ways to be beat (to wit: anyone holding the case jack, any of the three remaining nines or any pocket pair bigger than threes).
I made a hefty bet and the player behind me went all-in. I had him covered and it was only a small amount to call, so I did even though I was pretty sure I was had. I called and said "Show me a 9," and he showed 9¨ and claimed the pot. (I never did see his second hole card, so it is possible that he could have had me at the turn.)
I could have raised harder pre-flop, but I only had pocket threes and would have been out of position to anyone who called.
I could have — and probably should have — bet the turn, but unless he could put me on a jack (assuming he didn't hold one himself, which I doubt since he would have showed it at the end, or if he had two nines in the hole instead of just one), his two pair of jacks and nines would have been enough for him to call, anyway.
I definitely shouldn't have bet the river so hard. He was going to raise all-in or fold no matter what, and he obviously didn't fear that I had the last jack or a pocket pair bigger than nines. Betting smaller would have allowed me to get away from the hand when he raised me, though it would have been an awfully tough fold and I'm not very good at making tough folds (I've made exactly one in my entire career, folding a set when I read my opponent — correctly — for a flush).
I also lost half of a huge pot in our second game when my straight was counterfeited by a flush on the board. I wound up losing to that very player later on when I picked an inopportune time to bluff all-in.
Good God, if I get any whinier I'll sound like Phil Hellmuth. Better stop now.
(Though, you know, if it weren't for luck I guess I'd win every one.)
posted by Marsh @ 2:25 AM
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