Game Flow

’m posting three hands tonight, all of them against the same Villain. I’d just stacked him for the second time, and after that he bought in for just 30 BB’s, won a sizable pot, and then started donking a lot of flops. In the first two, I made some biggish folds on the river. Despite that, or in fact because of it, I think that I ought to have folded the third as well. I’ll talk about why when we get to it:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Hero ($3484)
BB ($455.25)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 7s, Kh.
Hero raises to $20, BB calls $10.

Flop: ($40) 2d, 3d, Kd (2 players)
BB bets $30, Hero calls $30.

Turn: ($100) Qh (2 players)
BB bets $80, Hero calls $80.

River: ($260) Qc (2 players)
BB bets $325.25 (All-In), Hero folds.

Final Pot: $585.25

Results in white below:

BB doesn’t show.

Outcome: BB wins $585.25.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Hero ($3373.50)
BB ($564.75)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Jh, 3d.
Hero raises to $20, BB calls $10.

Flop: ($40) 8s, Jc, 6s (2 players)
BB bets $30, Hero calls $30.

Turn: ($100) Td (2 players)
BB bets $80, Hero calls $80.

River: ($260) As (2 players)
BB bets $220, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $480

Results in white below:

BB doesn’t show.

Outcome: BB wins $480.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10 BB (2 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

Hero ($3273)
BB ($664.25)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 3d, As.
Hero raises to $20, BB calls $10.

Flop: ($40) 7s, 6s, 8h (2 players)
BB bets $30, Hero calls $30.

Turn: ($100) Ah (2 players)
BB bets $80, Hero calls $80.

River: ($260) Ad (2 players)
BB bets $220, Hero calls $220.

Final Pot: $700

Results in white below:

BB has 9c Th (straight, ten high).

Hero has 3d As (three of a kind, aces).

Outcome: BB wins $700.

Of the three hands, this is the spot where it is by far the hardest for Villain to represent a legitimate hand. Only a really big hand like a flopped straight or set or a really unlikely hand like rivered trips could go three barrels for value here. Any two pair he flopped is now counterfeited. Plus it’s pretty obvious I have at least a pair, and every draw missed. In theory, he ought to bluff in “obviously” bad spots so that I can’t make hero folds like this. In practice, after I’ve folded twice in similar spots very recently, I think it’s unlikely he bluffs here. And despite having trips, I don’t beat anything he’s value betting. I told myself I’d fold if he shoved, but when he didn’t shove, I tilt-called him. Pwned.

It’s cool, though. A few hands later, I got it in with middle pair and a flush draw on the turn against his top pair and spiked to bust him for the third and final time.