Coinflips, suckouts & Donkey plays

So I'm still trying to build this blog from the ground up, and since i don't have any readers yet, I feel like i'm wasting time... but as 'they' say: a journey of a thousand miles begins w/ just one step...

who the hell are 'they' anyway?

So here are the latest sob-stories about getting my money in good and still losing:

I'm in the top 5 in chips w/ just 24 players left... top 18 places pay. I get KK in late position and get one caller @ 4 times the BB... a pair of eights hits on the flop, and wouldn't you know, my caller was in there w/ A8std... i just couldn't get away from those Kings w/ his value bet on the river. 2 hands later, I get KK again, and i'm still steaming about my previous loss. So i go all in for 10k+... This time i get called by JJ and after much deliberation, TT calls for about half his stack. Wouldn't you know the Ten hits on the flop. I'm out in 24th place.

Last night i decided to try out one of these $2 satellites to a $33 dollar satellite. I play really well, and get some great cards, and actually finish at the top of the 30 players that get seats to the tier 2. Too bad that doesn't net me any extra chips for the next tourney.

The $33 tourney commences, and i decide to play real tight like to start out w/. I'm playing almost no hands, but when i get 9/Tstd in late position, i decide to call a raise of 3x the BB. 3 of us go to the flop, which comes down 7,8,J rainbow. I have flopped the nuts. (for now)... naturally, i do what any good poker player would, and i check it to the original raiser who happens to be on the button...

He leads out w/ a pot sized bet, which our other opponent quickly raises. At this point i'm thinking someone has a high pair, or AK... or someone has flopped a set. No matter what they're holding, I know i have the nuts, so I push. They both call and the cards are turned over. It's trips vs. QQ vs. the J high str8. I'm thinking that as long as the board doesn't pair, i'm golden. The board doesn't pair, the 3rd Q doesn't come. Instead it goes 9 on the turn, K on the river, and Donk #1 (who got check raised by TWO opponents and still called) hits the K high str8 on the river w/ his runner runner donkeyfishfest.

Which brings me to the main point here. We talk a lot about knowing where you are in a hand, paying attention to check raises (that usually means you're BEHIND!) and the 'levels of thinking' in terms of 'what am i holding, what is he holding, what does he think i'm holding, what does he think i think he's holding'... Good poker players THINK before they act... or so i've heard.

The down side of playing against one dimensional Donkeys is that they don't think about these things. They see a board that's J high, and automatically ASSume that they're Qs are good no matter what. But the question is, how many times do they have to lose w/ those pocket pairs before they stop auto calling their chips away. (or in this case, sucking out)

Then you have the donks who's only move is the all in button. Afraid you're behind in the hand? PUSH! Nevermind the fact that the only hand that calls you is the one that beats you.

I'm playing K7c in the BB, where it's only another BB to join the party. The flop comes down w/ two clubs, so i call the original raiser's continuation bet. The turn is a 7, so i now have a pair and a flush draw. The original raiser immediately pushes, so i'm left to decide whether to call another 10K w/ one over card, a pair and a flush draw. What would you do?

I deliberate for about 35 seconds and finally make the call. I'm thinking that a 7, a K, or a club is going to win me this hand. But when my opponent turns over pocket 6s, i realize that i'm a 95% favorite to win. Only a 6 on the river will save him. So i wonder... why would you push if your continuation bet got smooth called? Wouldn't that at least have you wondering if your pocket pair was good? Maybe it was just naked aggression. Maybe he was psychic. cause you know i wouldn't be telling you this story right now if he hadn't caught his two outer on the river.

Btw: you may not know this, but A5o is a dog when it flops two pair against K4o... just thought you ought to know. He hit the 4 outer on the turn for the wheel, and of course i didn't hit my 4 outer on the river... that would have just been too much.

It's the same old story that we all love to tell. Get our money in w/ the best hand, and get called by some donk, who then hits one of the only 2, 4, or 5 cards that can possibly win it for him/her. I'm still learning to deal w/ these beats w/ a smile.

I haven't quite gotten there yet...