11-27-05 [poker] - 2

11-27-05 [poker]

I hate how weakly I played this hand, but it's one of those special situations. This is a $30 three-table and we're near the bubble. I'm big stack by far, and I'm trying to avoid tangoing with the #2 stack who could hurt me. I want to get in battles with everyone else, who are all short stacks. In this hand I get in with the #2 stack and I play it like a pussy.

Seat 1: shescot43 (3380)
Seat 2: Jodantc (2420)
Seat 3: chukb (10930)
Seat 4: Piscato (5875)
Seat 5: cardiackid1 (3165)
Seat 6: semaj78 (2525)
Seat 10: terrpetz (1705)
Piscato  posts small blind (150)
cardiackid1  posts big blind (300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to chukb [ 8h, 8d ] 
semaj78 folds.
terrpetz folds.
shescot43 folds.
Jodantc folds.
chukb raises (900) to 900

	Standard 3x button raise with the 88

Piscato calls (750)

	The #2 stack calls me.  He's been reraising with very good hands, so I mostly rule those out.
	This is probably like KQ or Ax or a low pair or something like that.

cardiackid1 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** :  [ 5c, 9h, 2s ] 
Piscato bets (1200)
chukb calls (1200)

	He leads out half pot.  I think there's a very good chance I'm good.  A set would probably check.
	I'm basically ruling out overpairs because he's been reraising them.
	
** Dealing Turn ** :  [ 6d ] 
Piscato bets (3775)
Piscato is all-In.

	I'm almost certainly ahead.  His bet is less than pot size.  I think AK is possible.  A9 is the only
	hand I'm really worried about beating me.  I think hands like 77 are possible, as is A5.

If he was a good player, he'd know not to tangle with me unless he had a monster. He wouldn't want to go out on the bubble because he fucked around with the big stack. Of course if he was a really tricky pro, he might attack me just because I know that he shouldn't play with me without a monster, but we can safely rule that out. I think he was actually a moron not considering the bubble and the stacks, so all those considerations just don't apply to reading him.

In any case, I folded to get in a better situation later, which I got. I put him allin when I had two pair and he had one pair, of course the board later paired and he won with the higher kicker.