Things are drying up a bit in my small circle of poker games, so I decided to take a little drive to a nearby local charity room. This place is pretty small, mostly locals and middle aged to older gentlemen, with some young kids here and there. The play was so much softer than I’m used to. Everyone was limping, and many people would call opening raises without very good cards. Basically, if you had a big poker hand, it got paid off.
The poker tournament started with 40 players, 8000 in chips with 20 minute blinds beginning at 100/100.
80 Bbs is pretty reasonable, and it makes people call a few extra hundred away without thinking too hard on if it’s worth it. In these beginning stages I took them all to value town. In the big blind I had 7,10 off and the flopped top two pair 4-way. I checked in 2nd position and inevitably, someone bet at it. I smooth called. Turn blanked and I bet and got called and I bet again on the river and it got folded to me. If a face card came out, I was sure to make even more money.
A few rounds later, 100/200 blinds, I have q,10 in the BB and flop top pair on a q,j,4 rainbow board. I follow the 1st player with a check and we see a turn, which looks like a blank. He comes out for 500 and I raise it to 1500; he calls. The river is another blank and he checks and I bet 1000, about 1/4 of the pot. He calls with a weak jack for 2nd pair.
I made a standard raise with kk, flopped a safe 10 high board against one player, and I decided to continue bet. Unfortunately he folded, so I may have lost value there. Basically, against weak opponents, it makes sense just to play straight forward poker. Don’t limp too much, save your money for getting paid off with hands.
I varied from this and lost a bunch of chips limping with q,10 diamonds and the flop was 9,4,4. Everyone checked and in last position I bet outthe pot, and the big blind flat called me. This told me instantly that he flopped trips. I picked up a straight draw on the turn with a jack, he check, I followed. The river came a 7, he checked and I checked. Of course he was slow to show his cards, I announced q high, he still didn’t show, I tabled my hand, and he showed a full house for 4,7. So, the guy missed out on getting any value whatsoever on his hand by checking to me and hoping I continued with
