Here are a few hands that I played online at PokerStars or Full Tilt in the past week.
8h-8d; PL Hold'em Multi Table Tournament (MTT): I made the final table of a tournament hosted by PokerStars' Wil Wheaton. I thought it was a Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) event, but I inadvertently signed up for a Pot-Limit Hold'em event instead. I gutted it out and made the final table along with Wil. With four players left, I was second in chips with less than 4K separating first from fourth place. Blinds were $300- $600 and I found 8d-8d in the small blind. Jeciimd raised on the button to $1,800. I re-raised to $6,000.
Carneggy in the big blind moved all in for $11,575. Jeciimd folded and I went into the tank. It was only $5,575 more to call with $19,000 in the pot. I was ahead against any baby pair and big, unpaired cards too, but I was totally screwed if he had a pair of 9s or higher. Carneggy flipped over Ah-Qd and the board bricked out for him as my 8-8 won a race. I took over the chiplead with three players left.
Qs-10d; PL Hold'em MTT: Same tournament: I was heads up against hacker59, who had me outchipped 38K to 14K. Blinds were $400-$800 and I found Qs-10d in the big blind. Hacker59 raised to $2,400 and I called. The flop was Ad-10h-2d. I flopped second pair and check-called a $3,200 bet. The turn was Qh. With two flush draws on the board I wanted to check-raise my two pair. That didn't happen because hacker69 checked behind me. The river was a Jd which filled in a flush and gave the board a possible straight. I checked the river along with hacker59. He turned over Kc-8c for a Broadway Straight. I typed in the chat, "I played that poorly." I should have jammed on the turn instead of trying for a fancy-play check-raise. Hacker59 most likely would have folded and the stacks would have been about 30K to 20K. I was crippled after that bad decision and busted out in second place a couple of hands later.
Ks-Kc; $2-$4 NL Hold'em: My brother had been crushing the $2-$4 NL tables on Full Tilt and told me to check out the fishy action. I sat down at the same table as my friend Otis. I posted a blind at the cutoff and found Ks-Kc for my first hand. A player in middle position with a $195 stack raised to $16. I reraised to $40. Everyone else folded and he called. The flop was Qs-4s-3s. He checked and I bet $86 - roughly the size of the pot. He check-raised me all in. I put him on a set of Queens or the Ace of spades. I had him covered and since it was only $70 more for me to call... I did. He showed Qh-Qd for the set. The turn was a Jack of spades, giving me a flush. The board did not pair on the river and I scooped a pot close to $400. I left three hands later after a quick hit-and-run.
2h-2c; $5-$10 Limit Hold'em: I had 2h-2c in a four way pot that was capped preflop. I flopped a set on a board of 5d-4s-2s. Small blind bet out, Player A called, and I raised. The button folded and the small blind three-bet. Player A called and I capped it with a raise. The turn was 4d. The small blind bet and Player A called. I raised and both players called. The river was Qs and both players checked-called my bet. My full house won as the small blind showed Js-Jc and Player A had 3d-3h. I won a $212 pot with pocket deuces. Quack, quack!
Paul McGuire aka Dr. Pauly - World Series of Poker Reporter - Poker Blog
