Difficult week coming to a close....

It looks like I will be recording a losing week...Partly due to an amazing outdraw in a particular hand (as discussed below) and a session of simply playing very poorly.

Tuesday night, I was a couple hours into a session at The Vic and was up around £90/£100. I commenced my session around midnight, so pretty late into an evening, and when I joined the game the table was deep stacked (all the players had a lot of chips).

There was a couple of players at the table I didn't recognise, and the rest were solid regulars. One particular player who I had not played with before seemed to have a very competent loose aggressive style and was sitting with over 6 buy ins (+£1000). However he was acting a complete prick (just stuck in my mind what a cunt this guy was!).

He had been raising very frequently, and seemed to want to see flops -so was willing to weather raises and often even re raises.

In this particular hand, he was in early position and opened with a bet £15 to play. Directly to his left (a seat I had moved to around a hour into my session after recognising the need to have position on this guy) I picked up AA.

Now, I could smooth call £15. Which is a sizable bet and hope I end up heads up to the flop. Where I suspect there will be a pot sized continuation bet fired, at which point I would make a decision on either raising or slow playing depending on the texture of the flop.

But I was in early position with several players let to act behind me, I didn't want to take any chances of more players calling (or calling cheaply). Also from this LAG player's tendencies I knew he would at least call my raise to see the flop, if not even re raise me.

So I made it a total of £55 to play. I had one caller (a solid regular mega deep stacked) before it folded around to the initial raiser. He insta-called.

OK...before we continue let me tell you what they called with. The solid regular called with JJ. The LAG player called with AJ. Can I ask to be in better shape against two opponents going to the flop? I doubt it. Between them they have ONE out. The case jack, or runner runner runner runner cards to complete a straight.

I am actually a 84% favourite going to the flop. There is around £170 in the pot, and I have around £200 left. My opponents have me covered.

Flop comes down 10 9 8. Weeeeeee! Fucking great. This is quite possibly the ugliest possible flop for me. However only QJ would be a made hand which would resist a pre flop raise of £55 (or at least I hope!).

The LAG player is first to act. He bets out £200! Now I have a decision to make, and take some time to process the information at hand.

I have a player to act behind me. I think my raise pre flop has defined his range of hands to AK, QQ, KK (very unlikely as I would of been re raised pre flop) or JJ. I dont see this guy (knowing him through hours of play) to set mine low pockets pairs for a raise of that size.

So I decide not to worry about his hand (if he hit his set...well I get stacked...if he had JJ -which he did then I am still in decent shape).

I began to consider the LAG player's range. QJ very possible, but would he over bet the pot in that manner with the nuts? Maybe. If he put me on a big pocket pair (as any competent player would after my raise), then maybe by betting out like he did may make me discredit him for the nuts (QJ). I just didn't have enough playing time with this player to conclude either way his ability or level of thinking.

QQ is very likely too. Once the flop is clear of an ace and king then he is pushing to protect. This is likely. If he was aware of his image, and more importantly our perception of his image then he would understand I would raise his bet pre flop with AK (maybe even AQ).

But anyway, I don't put him on a straight. I decide he has either QQ or a hand with a J. 10 J suited very likely. Up and down straight draw with top pair, good enough to bet out? Possibly. I wasn't that far out with my read of the situation (as I stated earlier he was holding AJ).

So I call and am all in. The pot is £570. So when the solid regular insta-calls with JJ, with his relative straight draw with an over pair (which I would of thought the guy would of figured no good if unimproved), I fear the worse.

Actually, even after this flop I am still in good shape. 62%. I don't mind getting my money in against two opponents with that value!

The solid regular thinks he is getting the right value to make this call. However the way I see it, because they would be chopping if they made their straight the value is not quite there. But there is no way a deep deep stacked player will lay down JJ in that spot.

Turn card 7. BOOOOM! Aces cracked.

They chop it up. I muck my aces without showing. Re load and wait for the next hand.

Well....I feel better getting that off my chest.

I am out to complete my Friday session. So will report further on my end of week tomorrow.

Yigit out.........................