Dakota Kid Presents - Deadwood Nuts

Correct Decisions in a $5 - $50 Game

By
Mike Randall

      Saving money by making the correct play is important in any poker game. This is especially important in spread limit games as well as no limit games. I have been playing in a $5 - $50 spread limit game here in Deadwood and will share with you a few hands that involved some important decisions both pre flop and post flop.

MISPLAYED HAND PREFLOP

      In this hand I was sitting in the ten seat in the big blind and the button player straddled for $15. In Deadwood they allow bind straddles from any position with last action going to the straddle unless it is raised twice before action gets back to the player who straddled. It appeared that all players had folded, I looked down to see pocket eights and called the additional $10. The action then was on the button who had straddled who then raised the maximum bet of $50. Now I took stalk of the situation. I observed that this player had only a little more that one max bet left and that I had about the same or a few more chips than he did. I also theorized that his straddle was an indication of frustration and a desire to change his luck. When I smooth called he took the opportunity to try to take the pot away from me with a big bet probably holding over cards. I decided to play this hand tournament style and re-raise his bet in an effort to get most of our chips in the pot before the flop. This would take away the power of a big bet from him if a face card comes on the flop. Even if the face card doesn�t hit his hand he will have position on me and can bluff with the max bet.

      Then the unexpected occurred, the one seat called the $100 bet. I had not noticed him quietly call the first bet. In retrospect I might have made the same bet anyway because I would expect that player to have limped in with a weak hand. The action then was back on the button. He re-raised all in for less than half the bet which closed the betting action for that round.

      The flop brought a 10, 9, and 6. I had $30 left, about the same as the one seat. It looked like I could have the best hand so I bet and he called. To my surprise he turned over pocket queens. He had me drawing to six outs, four 7s for the strait or two 8s for a set. I got lucky on the river and hit a 7 for the strait.

      This hand might have turned out differently if the one seat would have played his queens more aggressively. If he would have made a pre flop raise I would have been aware that he had a strong hand and would not have re-raised the blind straddle raise. I then would have checked the flop and he would have had a full $50 to bet forcing me to make a hard decision. Knowing that I was probably beat I would in most cases have not drawn to the gut shot for the max bet.

      Why didn�t he raise with the queens? Some times when players are running badly they loose that aggressive edge and make bad decisions. To remain focused and continue to play your same game under adversity is an important goal to strive for.

SLOW PLAYING - AA

      In the following hand I choose not to be aggressive with pocket aces for different reasons. Even though I chose not to be aggressive with my aces it is a different situation than the previous hand where the player did not raise the blinds with his queens and in this situation there was a substantial raise establishing strength in the hands in play. In this hand I was in middle position and the game had been some what tight. An early position player opened the betting with $25. In this position if there are loose players behind me that will call with bad hands then I will raise with the pocket aces. Because the game was tight at the time I decided to be deceptive with the strength of my hand and smooth called. A late position player also called and we saw the flop queen high rainbow.

      The first player again bet $25. The flop looks favorable to my hand, now it is time to get aggressive and I raise $50. I am hoping to have trapped the bettor with a holding like AQ and will also force the third player out of the pot. The play worked with the third player folding and the first player calling. I continued betting the turn and river confident that I have the best hand. I was very much surprised as he was when we turned our hands over and we both had pocket aces to split the pot. He said he feared that I had smooth called with pocket queens and had hit a set on the flop.

      Slow playing pocket aces can be a dangerous thing to do. If you do, pick the situation carefully and don�t do it often.

LAYING DOWN BIG SLICK

      Big Slick, ace king, can be a strong hand at times and in this next hand would at first appear to be a very strong hand indeed. In this hand I was in the big blind with big slick. Three players limped in and when the action got back to me I checked.

      I often see players bet in this situation. I don�t like to raise from the big blind with face cards, even big slick, even though I might have the best hand. If any of the players call one of two things can happen if you don�t hit the flop. When you miss the flop you more than likely will have to check. Someone with a small pocket pair will know that they may have you beat and bet. Even if you bet after a flop with no face card they may put you on AK and call with there pair. If they don�t have you beat they my still bet if last to act and bluff you out of the hand.

      In this case after checking the big blind option I hit the flop with a K, 8, and 7 with two to a flush. I lead out with a $25 bet feeling like I had the best hand and wanted the other players to pay a big price to draw to the strait or flush. I was surprised when the player to act raised $50 and the next two players called. It appeared to me that the first player had made a hand the next two were drawing to a hand.

      In a limit game I might re-raise in this situation to test the strength of my opponent�s hand. After all he may have put me on a king with no kicker because of being in the blind and raised with a holding like KQ. Then if he plays back at me I can still lay the hand down on the turn and save the next two bets. But this is big bet poker, this could get very expensive before it�s over if I make the wrong decision so I took my time to weigh my options carefully. The player making the raise is a very solid player who is aggressive with good hands. I didn�t think he would re-raise with two other players left to act without being able to beat a single pair so believing I was beat I laid the hand down. A king came on the river without making a flush and no one called the last bet. There was some decision after the hand about what the winner was holding. After a bit he told me I was wrong about what kind of full house he had. He said he had limped in with 87 of diamonds and hit two pair and turned the full house.

      This illustrates how important it is to have observed what kind of player you are up against, weather from having played with them before or from how they have played during the current session.