Posted by Junelli 8:01 AM
“Two $12,000 Pots”

I will never forget last Saturday. Morris, McAndrew and I watched the TX-OU game in the Sportsbook at the Wynn. I didn’t get there in time to bet on Texas, but I did place a $200 bet Texas to cover the second half. The line was -6.5 and it seemed like a lock since things were going our way. Towards the end of the game we headed over to the Wynn Poker room to play cards. McAndrew sat down in the $15-$30 Limit game (where he made $1,200 the night before), and I went back to the high limit section to the $5-$10 NL game.

The day started much like the night before. I had a cold seat and couldn’t seem to win anything. I was down pretty big and had my last $400 in front of me. If you’ve ever played in that game, you’ll know that $400 is nothing. You might as well have a target on your back. It’s the equivalent to playing with only $20 in a $1-$2 game. To put it in perspective, the guy on my right had $6,000 in chips while I had $400. But I didn’t want to cash out, because there was almost no chance of making back that kind of money in a smaller game (give my time frame). I buckle down, play tight, and wait for my hand.

Playing tight in this type of game is not just recommended, it’s required. You cannot play marginal hands, because they will almost always be beaten even when you hit them. Or worse, you won’t be able continue in the hand when you miss.

I played on Saturday for about 13 hours, and I learned more in that game than I have in the past 2 years. It was a great experience playing at that level for as long as I did. It was a drastically different game than the normal games in Houston. There are very few showdowns, and it’s all about betting. During the first 4 hours on Saturday, I only reached one showdown. I also noticed how much slower the game is. Players actually take their time and think about their decisions before acting. It not just automatic call/fold.

I played exceptionally well, and was able win some good sized pots. I was also able to execute a few well-timed bluffs in position against continuation bets. Once I got some chips I went from playing tight-passive to playing tight-aggressive.

By midnight my chip stack had grown from $400 to $5,500. I wasn’t the chip leader at the table, but I was pretty close. I had made friends with many of the players and was enjoying the game.

At 1am a seat opened up and a guy named Dimitri moved over from the must-move table. Dimitri sat down with almost $20,000. His chips were placed on the table 10 minutes before he sat down, giving us all a chance to discuss him. The kids to my left had just played with him at the other table and told me to “get ready, because this guy’s a maniac. He’ll push it like you wouldn’t believe.” Apparently he was some rich, drunk, tourist who was a terrible card player but who loved to chip-whip everyone at the table. I was told he constantly bluffed, always chased, and would never fold.

Although it was obvious Dimitri was there to lose, he was still a very dangerous player. I actually contemplate cashing out. I’d sure like to book a nice profit and leave the game a winner. However, I have a lot of money in front of me ($5,500) and can’t be pushed around too easily. Also, I know that if I get a monster hand, I stand to make a fortune on the night. Finally, I have lots of experience playing with people like Dimitri, and I feel I have a pretty good idea how to beat them. My strategy is to see flops as cheaply as possible, wait for a big hand, and then push. I don’t respect his raises as much, but will lay down marginal hands.

On the very first hand, Dimitri raises to $300 in the dark! He gets 1 caller who has to fold when he makes it $700 on the flop. These were much bigger bets than the table had been making all night. He saw every flop for an hour, and almost always raised it $100-$150.

On a later hand, he smooth called a re-raise of $150 before the flop, smooth called $200 on the flop and another $300 on the turn. On the river he led out for $2,500 and when the other player mucked, he showed a bluff with 82o. He picked up lots of pots by pushing people out, but gave up money on the showdown with shockingly bad hands. He would fold occasionally. I waited in the weeds.

Pot # 1 for $12,000:

At 3am I am dealt KQo on the button. He makes his standard raise of $150. I smooth call along with 2 other people. 4 of us see a flop of QJ9 rainbow. The first two players check and Dimitri leads out for $1,500. I am almost certain my hand is good. I hold top pair with a King kicker and a gutshot straight draw. Against any other player, this is an automatic fold. However against Dimitri I have other considerations. I decide to push and see what happens. “I’m all-in for $5,500.”

Dimitri instantly grabs a tall stack of black chips and his thick wad of $100 bills. But then he hits the brakes and starts to think about it. He is scratching his head and announces that I “must have AA.” I try not to let him see how scared I am. A month ago I wrote about playing my largest pot in New Orleans (for $4,400). This pot was about to be almost 3 times as big!!

I state, “I don’t have AA. I can beat AA.” He tells me he doesn’t believe me and decides to call just to see what I have. “I’ll pay to see it.”

He turns over JK for middle pair. WooWoo!! I’m way ahead of him. His King is dead (because I hold one too), and he only has 2 outs to win, and another 4 outs to tie (a ten would give us both a straight). The turn is a blank, but the river is a Ten. We chop the pot. I am shaking from being so nervous and will gladly take a chop. I was so scared that I don’t think I really realized how far ahead I was.

“Good hand. Now you know I’ll look you up.”

Pot #2 for $12,000:

Before I can even stop shaking, and no more than 15 minutes later, I’m dealt AA on the button. “This is it,” I tell myself. Dimitri raises to $150. When the action gets to me, I re-raise it to $400. It’s actually funny how fast everyone else folds. It’s like they know what’s coming. The other players are experienced professionals, and they’re running for shelter like a tornado is about to touchdown!

Dimitri smooth calls the $400, and the two of us are heads up again. The flop is AQT, giving me a top set of Aces, and the second best hand possible (behind KJ). Dimitri acts first and leads out for $2,000! Holy shit. What’s going on here? Think about my situation. I have over $5,000 in front of me, and someone just bet $2,000 into me when I’m holding a set of Aces. If you can’t play this hand, what can you play? The bettor is an absolute maniac who will put his money in with anything, and has bluffed about 75% of the hands he’s been involved in. I feel almost 100% certain that he doesn’t have KJ because, even he would’ve slowplayed or bet a little softer (remember I had reraised him preflop). It seems clear to me that he’s either bluffing, or has caught a smaller hand which I dominate. If he has an Ace, or even two pair, he’s virtually drawing dead.

While I think about my action, a crowd gathers around the table. He announces that he has KK, and that if I have an Ace, he’s going to win when a Jack comes. I ask him if he really has KK, and he says yes. Of course I don’t believe him, but it doesn’t matter, because I can beat the shit out of KK.

I was waiting to hit a monster hand against him, and this was it. If you can’t push with a set of Aces, then what can you push with? And I’m 99.99% sure I’m way ahead.

“I’m all-in for $5,500.”

He instantly calls, and turns over K2o. No pair and only a gutshot draw to the straight. He has only 4 outs and I am approximately an 88% favorite to win the hand.

The turn is a Jack and he catches his straight. The crowd around the table screams in disbelief. The river is a 4 and Dimitri wins a $12,000 pot and I lose my entire stack that took 13 hours to build. My stomach dropped, and I almost vomited on the table. Surely I’m just in a bad dream and this didn’t just happen. Everything seemed to slow down and I didn’t really hear any noise at all. I sat in disbelief and stared at the table for what seemed like an eternity. A complete asshole just caught a 4 outer to win $12,000.

To make it worse, minutes earlier he had caught a 4 outer against me to chop a $12,000 pot.

I should’ve left that room with $20,000 profit. Instead I left broke and in shock.

3 Comment(s):

Posted by  Johnnymac, at 10:03 AM, October 12, 2005  

I almost vomited reading it. I certainly wasn't playing for those stakes(not even close), but given my experiences last month, I would say that Vegas hasn't been kind to IAG lately.

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Posted by  Tenacious, at 10:39 AM, October 12, 2005  

To me, the best part about your story is that you had confidence playing with that caliber of players. Part of me wishes you'd have reloaded $10K and gone after that Dimitri guy with vengence in mind. Was he Russian?

Go 'Stros!

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Posted by  Johnnymac, at 2:12 PM, October 12, 2005  

He certainly wasn't stallin'

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