Why you shouldn't call with AXoSome jackass might raise you with the Hammer, then river you after you pair up. Of course in this case, that jackass was me.
I was playing a NLHE sit-n-go at Party, and an unfortunate early bad beat had me short-stacked at 370T with an average stack of maybe 1000T. There are 9 players at the table, and I get 2♥ 7♣ in 8th position (just to the right of the button). I’m feeling a bit punchy (I think I’m still jetlagged from my trip out West, and it suddenly got unbearably muggy here in NYC), and when I see UTG fold, 4 call (with 15T of his remaining 25T), and 6 call, I think to myself, “this is not a table of callers.” So I raise it 15T, just to see what happens.
BB and the other two call my raise, which puts 4 all-in (to my chagrin). The flop trickles down: 2♠ A♦ K♦. I’m last to act, and I’ve got my finger on the fold button. ‘cept they all check to me. Hmmm… I figure now I gotta bet, Except I also figure nobody’s buying this little bluff and I’m just sweetening the pot for somebody else. I bet 30T, way too little to be an effective bluff with over 100T in the pot, but they both fold anyway. Go figure.
So now I’m heads-up with lucky number 4, and a serious underdog to boot. Still, since this guy’s side pot is so small, I’ve already doubled my investment, and I’ve got a free ride to the river. The turn is a10♣, and there are so many ways he can beat me it would make me dizzy, except I have nothing to lose. I can’t wait to show my pathetic little hand.
The river is a 7♥. HAH! I come back from a 9-1 doghouse to beat poor number 4, who shows A♣ 6♥ before the trap door under his seat opens up.
That bonehead move netted me 95T (a 25% increase), and cemented my table image as a complete jackass.
Which really helped when I got red cowboys the very next time I was behind the button. Two callers before me (50T each), and I raise it to 225T. Button and BB fold, but SB, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum all call me, and the flop is a beautiful 3♣ 3♥ Q♣.
Sitting in last position, I watch and hope. SB checks, Tweedle Dee bets (50T), and Tweedle Dum calls. Smelling weakness (“. . . smells like victory"), I raise to 250T and—glory of glories—SB check-raises to 450T. I’ll bet anything he’s got Qx. Tweedle Dee goes all-in, raising the pot another 95T. This is too rich for Tweedle Dum, who leaves his 275T in the pot and goes back to sucking his thumb.
I go all-in, putting another 790T in the pot and praying SB doesn’t have Q3. SB thinks for a while, no doubt remembering THE HAMMER!!!, and wondering what kind of utter garbage I raised with this time. If he doesn’t have the 3, I might. In fact, for all he knows I might have been raising with 38o. Probably am. So he calls.
The turn, 4♦ could only help someone who plays hands like 72o, and that guy is sitting pretty with an overpair. The river (8♦) removes any flush possibilities and—again—probably helped me, if it helped anyone.
Sure enough, SB had AQo. Exactly the right hand in exactly the right position. For me, that is. SB is now short-stacked. Tweedle-Dee had tens (huh?) and is out of the game. And I am chip leader. Delicious.
Not too much later, having pushed a couple of my short-stacked brethren out the door, I find myself heads up. In the big blind I get dealt A♣ A♥. I can’t believe my luck when my opponent raises the small blind 450T to 600T, and I think . . . think . . . think . . . call. That’s right, I’m going to slowplay these babies.
The flop comes: 2♠ 2♥ Q♦. Hmmmm.... this looks familiar! He bets 300T, hopefully with Qx, and I call. The turn is a blank (6♥), and bets 300 again. I call, trembling with anticipation.
The river is a 6♦. Definitely NOT a blank. I put him on one face card, maybe a small pair. There’s a decent chance he has a 6 or a 2. I should have re-rasied him pre-flop, when I knew I had him dominated. Still, if he made his boat, he’ll go all in here, and I’ll fold.
He bets 300T. A-hah! No boat! I raise 700T to put him all-in, and he thinks. . . . thinks . . . thinks . . . and calls. Saliva rushes into my mouth, bringing with it the taste of victory. Then I realize the taste is a bitter one. He turns over A♠ 2♦ (a 15 to 1 underdog against AA), and I realize it is HIS victory I’m tasting. I’ve blown my commanding lead, and now we are about even chip-wise. Crap.
I am able to regain the lead, and on the last hand of the game I have 5925T and he has 2075. I am SB, and I call (300T) with 9♣ 5♣. (Hey, they’re suited!). The flop is 4♣ 9♠ 4♠, and suddenly my hand doesn’t look so bad. Of course, he could have anything. A 4, even.
He checks, though, and I bet 300T, immediately regretting not betting twice as much. He calls, and I know I’m going to have to pay to see the river. The turn is 9♦, and he checks. Could he be slowplaying fours? I figure he’s got a high card, and is figuring that I’ve got nothing, since I’m only betting the minimum, so I do it again: I bet 300. He calls.
The river is a 4♥. I type into the chat:
i got a boat!
I’m not kidding. And I’m certain he doesn’t have a 4. So I go all-in.
This clearly puzzles him, and I can see him wondering if I actually think I’ve won because there’s a full house on the board, or if I’m just trying to scare him off somehow. I know he has no choice but to call. Still, he thinks for a while before going all-in with 5♦ K♥, his fours full of nines getting clobbered by my nines full of fours.
Game, set, match. And I owe it all to the Hammer.
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