In the Sunday tournament at the Gold Strike Casino, I was sitting to the left of an older guy (maybe around 60ish) who was a yapper. Nice enough, but constant yap. After about two hours, he had about 70% of his starting stack.
A player from early position raised to five times the big blind. The yapper checked his hole cards and held them so I accidentally saw them: ♠A ♣J. He called, and I remember thinking, "Uh oh."
The big blind also called and the flop was dealt: A-x-x. I don't remember the low ones, but there were no straights or flushes on the board. It checked to the yapper and he made a big bet. The big blind called and the original raiser folded.
The turn was another low card. The big blind checked and the yapper made another big bet. The big blind now re-raised all in and the yapper called. He looked slightly surprised when the big blind turned over A-Q.
"Good luck everybody," he said as he headed for the rail after the river card was not a jack.
How many mistakes did the yapper make? Well, I don't have 30 minutes to go over all of them, but needless to say this was a clinic in how not to play tournament poker.
I have to say he did one thing right: He took his beat down with good spirits.
The other two players in this deal weren't exactly pristine. Do you see the mistakes they made?
For one, the early position raise to 5X. What could he have? For such a big raise in early position, and then to fold down to an ace on the flop, the only thing that even makes a little sense is QQ or KK. But if he was dicking around with KQ, 88, 99, or something goofy like that, he should have been mindful of his position and played the hand a little more conventionally.
ReplyDeleteAlso I don't like the AQ check-calling the turn and check-shoving the riv, unless Yappy had a rep as a better/bluffer.
Also also, I'd like to have seen the shove come on the flop - that low card on the turn along with the Ace could have made four to a straight.
Plus I hate yappers.
ReplyDeleteearly position raise to 5x screams !JACKS! "no ace on flop, no ace on flop!" Alot of times you can call that raise with any two and bet out to any over cards and get !JACKS! to fold. AQ guy I agree w/Gary
ReplyDeleteI agree that early position had JJ - KK. They're probably steamed that an Ace came on the flop.
ReplyDeleteFor the Yapper, with that short of a stack, he really shouldn't have been calling anything, especially not with position. It's fold or all-in time.
I agree with Gary and RedX about AQ guy.
Well? How'd we do?
ReplyDeleteYour guys were on the right track, imo. The big blind guy played his hand like it was the nuts. Instead, he ought to be happy to win a big pot instead of going broke when or if the yapper actually had something. The original raiser bet too much giving away his hand. I put him on 9-9 or 10-10 or even a smaller pair.
ReplyDelete