Warwick High Stakes Poker - Four

Warwick High Stakes Poker Episode Three

The game was on again! The fortnightly game was soon becoming my favourite game to take part, I stated last night I would be happy even if I go home broke (lose the money I came with, not literally!) as at least the money goes into a nice poker community and not to some muppets at Walsall or some online player I would never play with again.

In seat order the line up was, Jamie, Scott, James, Dhruv (me! I like seat 4!), Rob, Guv, Kader, Dave, Tom and Nick. On the way to Leamington, James asked me what the line was and I said this is the toughest line up so far!! So it was definitely going to be an interesting night ahead of us.

The game starts off nicely for me I pick up AQ 1st hand and get a call. Flop is Ace high and I get a call on the flop and a fold on the turn. Oh btw I brought in for £120. James and Nick bought in for £100 and the rest for the max of £150.

I picked up 99s in EP and Guv made a raise, he got a few callers and I called, Flop was two low cards and a Q. It checked round to Guv and he checked. Turn was another low card which gave me an open ended straight draw, so the cards must have been 678 (not sure in which order). I fire out at the pot, with at least ten outs, although there is a good chance I have the best hand here, the flush draw was out on the turn as well. Guv called and the rest folded. The river was a blank and I checked. Guv bet £20 and I called thinking he may have AK and it was about a half pot bet that I was happy to call. He flips over AAs….. hmmmmmmmmmmmm! I really do not like his play there. There is playing slow but against four other players is asking for trouble!

I started losing a bit of my stack by limping then calling raises. This was a tough game where limping was basically not allowed for about an hour. Kader and Jamie took some nice pots down by ‘punishing the limpers’, between them they were playing at least 80% of the pots! I then topped up another £80 and decided not to that anymore!!!

The first allin of the night came with Guv raised pre and Kader re raises. Guv calls and the flop is 7 high with 2 clubs. Guv checks and Kader bets, Guv calls and checks the turn which is another club and Kader moves in. Guv thinks for a while and folds QQs, while Kader claims he had AA with Ac, very believeable.

I took a nice multi way pot down with 97, there was a £2 straddle on. I was in the cutoff and called. Flop was Q9x and Kader lead out for £12, I felt there is a good chance he would bet the flop and shut down the rest of the way. Flash could as well and I called to take it away later as the pot was becoming quite health. Guv then also calles, I got a bit worried here wondering if Tom or Guv had something big. The turn is a blank and Guv Kader and Tom check to me, I fire out £30 and Guv and Kader quickly fold, Tom thinks for a lil while and folds.

I was not getting involved in many big pots but take pots like that down got me back to my £200 total buyin, which is always nice psychological. I then limp with 85 and call a raise from Dave, who has played about 2 hands in two hours. The flop was very sweet 585!!! Bingo Bango Bongo!!! I check and Dave fires out. The turn is the Ace clubs, which gives three clubs out there, which is the worse card in the deck for me, because if I was drawing I have hit, well I guess the 9 clubs would be worse but the Ace is not nice. I check and Dave checks right behind. The river I fire out £50 and Dave folds! Still a nice £65+ pot to take down.

Flash then decided to switch gears I started I re raise every time he entered the pot! The straddle made the game interesting but then Kader started making it £3 utg and wins a huge pot when he finds KKs and gets an allin vs AK.

I then lose a huge pot! I raise with AK and get a few callers, Flop is J x J. It checks round, turn is a Q and I bet out thinking my hand is probably good here. Kader calls and the rest folds, now me and Kader have not ever really tangled and I have no reason to believe he is making a move on me, also thinking he probably is not drawing. Therefore has a Q or maybe a J. The river is a sweet T, however the board is paired! I fire out £50 with £130ish back, Kader immediately asks me, how much I have left, And bets half my stack hmmmmmmm. Can a straight be good here? I’m sure online I call off and against a player I do not know well I call but I honestly feel Kader can only make this play with a full house, I put him on JT. I think for a lil bit and fold and he shows JJ for quads!! Nice hand Sir!!! I then try to annoy Kader saying if you shove I call, which probably was not the case!! Lol Sorry mate, just trying to wind you up a little bit!

I get a few more chips back by flopping a set of 44s against Dave. I check called the flop and bet the turn, which brought out the str8 and flush, but I was not sitting to deep. Dave then raised me and I instantly shoved allin, thinking he has the Ace of spades and maybe with a pair. He thinks for a while and lets the hand go.

Dave had done a lot of squeezing pre flop and when I found AK and raised and he re raised the shove was an easy move for me to make, especially as Dave was not too deep. He calls and shows KK, and I lose another big pot with AK.

Then the most interesting hand of the night took place. Flash makes a raise in late position. Jambon calls. Also on the side a bit of prop betting took place, with Guv who was now broke and out the game bet £20 on black and Kader took the bet. Scott and Jamie also had a bet on red or black. The flop was Ah Js 6s. Flash bet and Jamie shoved and Flash called (I think, basically they got it all in on the flop). This pot was at least £400 and guessing the hands was not easy. Jamie had Qs8s!!!! and Flash who made the CALL had middle Pair!!! These hands shocked the table, and Jamie was not happy to be called with middle pair as it was good! I think Jamie is going to post about this hand on his blog, check right hand side links section, Super Try Again Blog. In my opinion in think this was a tournament hand the way Tom played it out, I do not think you need to pick a spot like this in a cash especially the way he was playing, he was playing very well and I don’t remember him losing a big pot. Most people were shocked with the call but in my head I was just thinking, that’s Thomas Grundy!! He does not make his tournament winnings from not making marginal calls like that! Very well played sir! Although I don’t like the call even if he knows Jamie’s hand jus because why play a pot like that when your game was running soooo good. They end up chopping the pot and play for £100 on the side. Flashes hand holds!

Then I had to make a tough call. Tom raised and I called with 98. The flop was 7h 8c 9h. I check, Rob check and Tom bet out £32. Jamie then made it £100 total!!! I have about £190 in my stack. I have lost £10 in the call. Now its to work out whether I am willing to commit my whole stack. As calling is not an option. I looked over at Jamie and he looked like an irremovable object. I looked at Tom and he looked laid back and it was clear he was no longer interesting in the hand. I then looked at Rob who looked very interested. Jamie had me and Rob covered but I have Rob covered by about £120. I figured Jamie had a big draw and puts Tom on something like AJ or AQ and just c/betting the flop. I think for a while and did not appreciate everyone talking at the table, as it made it more difficult to think. I eventually shoved allin putting Jamie on a steal/ big draw. Rob called as well with KT, for an up and down, Flash folded and Jamie called with Ah8h for a pair and a flush draw! The pot was £350+ in the main and £220 on the side, which me and Jamie were in for. We went on our backs. The hands were shown and I asked Jamie if he wanted to take £100 back from our side pot. I didn’t want to reload, and I wanted some insurance by taking a £100 I could play with that stack (although it ended up being the last hand of the night! If I knew that I would have played for the whole pot) Anyway! The odds here are interesting, I have the best hand but in the 3 way pot Jamie is a 42% fav, im 35% and Rob is 25%. In the side pot between me and Jamie I am a 53% fav! The turn is a club! Which gave rob a flush draw, so I have half the deck to dodge! The river is another club and Rob scoops the main pot with a runner runner flush!!!!!

That was it! I was £75 down which was not too bad considering I got some pizza paid the dealer and had some fun! Also running into big hands did not help. What was really interesting was Kader, Dave and Tom were the only three up by more than a reasonable amount. I feel Kader and Jamie dictated the game a lot. Kader although had more influence because he was playing well and also hit the deck nicely! The two players with position to Kader was Dave and Tom!! So position was very important in my eyes in this game!! Which shows what kind of edge there is in this game in the long run!!!