Earlier today I lost twice with pocket aces–$27 total. I’d forgotten the rule about top pair not being that great. This time I was determined not to let anyone limp in and decided to raise with rockets. Here’s how it went down:
SB ($90.70)
BB ($88.75)
UTG ($78.60)
Hero ($67.70)
MP1 ($53.70)
MP2 ($52.50)
MP3 ($122.35)
CO ($47.50)
Button ($47.25)
Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Ad, Ac.
UTG raises to $2, Hero raises to $6, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 calls $6, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls $5.50, BB folds, UTG calls $4.
Flop: ($25) 5c, 7h, Qc (4 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $6, MP3 calls $6, SB folds, UTG calls $6.
Turn: ($43) 4s (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $20, MP3 calls $20, UTG folds.
River: ($83) Qh (2 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets $35, Hero calls $35.
Final Pot: $153
Main Pot: $153, between Hero and MP3. > Pot won by Hero ($153).
Hero has Ad Ac (two pair, aces and queens).
MP3 has 8c Tc (one pair, queens).
Outcome: Hero wins $153.
Wow. I was sweating (well, okay, it’s really hot today). That second queen obviously gave me a big scare, and I probably nearly blew it by not betting, but when jerky in MP3 bet the rest of my stack, I decided that I needed to see just what he had. And I lucked out. Big time. Wow.
Turns out that I did play the hand more or less correctly up until the river, though. UTG later commented that he had had a queen. If I hadn’t raised pre-flop and bet half the pot on the turn, he wouldn’t have suspected me of having the better hand. Still, it would have been better to bet more than half the pot on the turn, since MP3 had 12 outs for his flush and gutshot straight draws. Half the pot gives him 3:1, which is better than the odds of making his hand.
At any rate, I was very happy to take MP3’s money.