POKER HAND #37

GAME TONIGHT: I sat in a no-limit game for two hours tonight.

My first big hand was the A-A. I went all-in (surprise!) and got called by someone with the A-5. He complained that that was a weird play with Aces. I complained that was a weird play with the A-5.

That gave me a few chips. I wasn't really feeling it though.

I mixed it up and got a little loose, but didn't get any kind of a rush going.

One key hand that would have made or broken me was this one: I picked up the 9-9 under the gun and made it $5 to go. Standard preflop raise. I got called in two places, and was put between them. They were both very loose players so this was not the best spot for me to begin with. Flop came down 10s-3h-3s. The small blind immmediately went all-in.

That put me in the tank. He had just lost $60, and was probably on tilt. Nevertheless, he had me covered. If he had a 3, I was dead. If he had a 10, I was also dead.

I considered a flush draw, which is the only other probable hand. It's just that I raised preflop...He could have the A-3 or the A-10. Both hands had me at hello.

I folded rather quickly. He showed me the 7s-4s. Even more of a maniac that I thought.

If I knew what he had, I would have still perhaps folded. He was putting my entire stack in jeopardy, which is always a nice play.

Overall, I played rather tight. I busted the late great Scott Goldberg with the K-K.

A typically tight Alex Carnevale play usually consists of throwing away top pair. The flop came down 7-6-3. I had the J-7 of diamonds (I had limped with it to see a flop.) Even thought this was a great flop for me, this tight player named Jeff bet out and I had to give him credit for something. It was a sizable bet, but with more players left to act, I quickly folded. The most likely hand he has is the A-7. If he has it, I'm twisting in the wind. I don't see how he could bet a 7 with a lower kicker into me like that. Worst case scenario, he has the 7-6 and I'm hurting just the same.

So I laid it down.