Being a Moron

Before I start this blog entry in ernest, I'll start with a little bragging about a lucky hand.

I called a mini-raise from the small blind with 9s 8s... On the flop, I was quite pleased to get all of my money in the middle with the nuts and have two callers. I was worried by the turn, which paired the board, but I noticed that I picked up a straight flush draw. I was laughing when the Qs came on the river, giving me the straight flush. I am sure that donkey#2 was quite shocked to see the main pot slide somewhere else when he held queens full. The amazing thing, thanks to donkey#1, is that donkey#2 actually made a small profit on this hand.

$50 NL Texas Hold'em - Thursday, June 15, 11:34:01 ET 2006
Table Table 108084 (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: jajjy1 ( $37.44 )
Seat 2: donkey3 ( $19.46 )
Seat 3: donkey2 ( $43.35 )
Seat 4: shooterm1a1 ( $49.73 )
Seat 6: donkey1 ( $57.60 )
Seat 5: frazwood ( $19.45 )
frazwood posts small blind [$0.25].
donkey1 posts big blind [$0.50].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to frazwood [ 9s 8s ]
jajjy1 folds.
donkey3 calls [$0.50].
donkey2 raises [$1].
shooterm1a1 folds.
frazwood calls [$0.75].
donkey1 calls [$0.50].
donkey3 calls [$0.50].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Td, Js, 7h ]
frazwood checks.
donkey1 checks.
donkey3 checks.
donkey2 bets [$3].
frazwood calls [$3].
donkey1 raises [$10].
donkey3 folds.
donkey2 calls [$7].
frazwood is all-In [$15.45]
donkey1 calls [$8.45].
ramridge2 calls [$8.45].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Ts ]
Philms83 bets [$23.90].
donkey2 is all-In [$23.90]
** Dealing River ** [ Qs ]
donkey1 shows [ 9d, Jd ] two pairs, jacks and tens.
donkey2 shows [ Qd, Qh ] a full house, Queens full of tens.
frazwood shows [ 9s, 8s ] a straight flush, queen high.
donkey2 wins $47.75 from side pot #1 with a full house, Queens full of tens.
frazwood wins $56.40 from the main pot with a straight flush, queen high.

And now... onto the actual blog entry...

I think a lot about poker. I'll play an interesting hand and I'll think about what was the correct way to play it, both with my cards as well as the cards of my opponent. I think considering both sides of a hand of poker is important to get better, because your profit in poker, over the long term, comes from repeatedly making better plays than your opponent.

Anyway, I was playing $1/$2 limit hold'em yesterday at Full Contact Poker. There was an early limper and the person to his immediate left raised. Two folks from late position also called, so I decided to call from the big blind with 7h 8h. The pot was going to be about $10 (assuming that the limper called minus the rake) and 10:1 is good pot odds for a drawing hand like 78s.

I then got lucky and I flopped trip sevens. Because there was a flush draw and I had four opponents in the hand, I bet it aggressively on the flop. I got raised by the original raiser, and I three-bet it when it came back around to me. Just the two of us saw the turn, which was a blank -- as was the river.

After the pot slid to me, my opponent (who held QQ) said, "Nice call with trash cards, moron." This is a thought that I would often have when I first starting playing poker seriously. I played tight-aggressive and I was exclusively playing premium hands. I didn't understand the value of drawing hands like suited connectors (or indeed, any two cards). I rarely play suited connectors when I'm playing limit hold'em, but a 10:1 price is simply too good to refuse.