Check-raise me baby one more time:

Having arrived in Melbourne very early in the morning, my room was not yet ready for check-in, so I decided to visit the poker room for a “test drive”. The highest cash game going was 10/20 limit, so I checked into that one. The table standard was pretty weak, but the following hand can only be described as absurd!

A local action play (LAP) raised to 20, I folded my xx, and the young inexperienced guy to my left, who had not raised all morning and only played like 2 hands in 1.5 hours (ROCK), re-raised to 30. A Vietnamese action player (VAP) capped the pot at 40 from the SB, then LAP reluctantly called, before ROCK immediately called. The flop came T63 rainbow, to which the VAP checked in the dark, (obviously this makes no sense if you just capped the pot pre-flop). The LAP checked as well, the ROCK bet 10, VAP then check-raised to 20, LAP folded, ROCK raised to 30 which VAP flat called. It was quite obvious already (even pre-flop) that ROCK had to hold AA or possibly KK. I couldn’t figure out though what VAP had. Before the turn came VAP checked again in the dark, turn came a 2 and the ROCK duly bet 20. To the excitement of the table and some railbirds who were over looking the action, VAP made ANOTHER check-raise move to 40! This time the ROCK smooth called. Could VAP hold a set of tens? Surely VAP must bet out now, right? Nope, he checked in the dark for the third time. The river is a J, which is very unlikely to help either of them. Now the rock (for absolutely no reason) bets 20 again, and before I finished thinking “there is no way VAP can check-raise him 3 times” he’d already done exactly that. The ROCK flat called, and proudly showed his AA. Meanwhile, VAP turned over 4, 5 off-suit for a turned nut straight and takes down a big, big pot. The table explodes in laughter and excitement as the young ROCK leaves the table red faced. Surely one of the cheekiest and weirdest hands I have seen 

AUS$500+60 No Limit Hold’em:

January 6th saw the opening event of the 2006 Aussie Millions. I was very eager to put my stamp on the tournament and so immediately did. I was the first player all-in in hand 1, the first player to bust someone in hand 2 and the first player to receive a 5 minute penalty in hand 3. How is that for a start?

A field of 415 players started with 3,000 chips and blinds of 25/50. As a player in EP (Early Position) had made it 150. I moved straight in from the SB with AK. Unusual but effective.
Next hand MP (Middle Position) limped 50, then called my button-raise to 200, the rest folded. As I held KK, a flop of T93 rainbow looked solid and as he checked, I bet 325 into a 475 pot. He check-raised me to 1,000 and while I was a little bit worried about him having flopped a set, I still moved all-in. He quickly called showing QTo and was totally shocked when I turned over KK. The question is; how can I possibly have less than QTo the way the betting went? The answer is; I simply can’t. My kings held up and I took the tournament lead. While the dealer was still shuffling, I grabbed my mobile to send a quick text message to my mate “Benno B”, who was playing at the other end of the poker room as we had exchanged a percentage. This resulted in a 5 minute penalty. Certainly the strictest rules I have ever encountered but fair enough, I guess.

I continued to build a stack, when at 100/200 a local grandma (lets call her ”LG”) open limped the button, SB folded, I held A5o in the BB and checked. The flop came 335 and I bet 400 into a 500 pot hoping to take it down, but LG flat called. The turn was another 3, giving me a full house, I bet 1.000, LG flat called again to my surprise. I was really not sure what LG could hold here? River was a 2, which seemed fair enough. I thought for a bit, then bet 500 hoping for a flat call from LG to see a cheap showdown. That surely did not work as LG then raised to 2,600 by throwing in all her chips, bar the green ones (25 denomination). I took all my time on this decision, as it was for most of my chips as well. I really couldn’t see how the river could have helped her. Could she have quad 3s? Could she have trap-limped AA or KK? For most of the hand, I feared she had a pocket pair like 66 or 88, but would she flat call twice then raise at the end? Had she chased her overcards? It all seemed so strange. I finally decided to call, mostly because of the pot odds, but I was also dying to see what she held. To my delight she turned over A2o and I was very glad that I did not lay that hand down.

The hand propelled me into the chip lead and after hitting a top of 14K chips, I still had 10K, when the following hand occurred. At 150/300 blinds, MP limped and I button-raised to 1.300 holding AJc. BB, who held a similar stack, thought for a bit then called while the limper folded. I loved a flop of J53 rainbow. BB checked and I bet 1.625 into a 3.050 pot. As there was no obvious draw out there and I held TPTK (Top Pair, Top Kicker), I felt that was an appropriate bet. I also hoped to get check-raised by the BB, who had check-raised another player earlier in a similar spot. To my surprise the BB flat called. That really stunned me, as I thought he would either fold or CR me. The turn was a 2 still total rainbow. BB moved in immediately. Again, this seemed very strange! How could this 2 have helped him? I also remembered the player from last year, and was sure he did not hold A4 or 46 for a straight. 22 (or 33 or 55) was possible but unlikely. I did not think he had QQ KK AA as I suppose he would have re-raised pre-flop. Again, a medium pair seemed most likely, less likely a KJ. I felt sure that I was in front and called, BB mumbled “good call” as he turned over 44. Hmm, I think he overplayed his 44 a bit too much (especially from out of position), pre-flop as well as on the flop, as well as on the turn. I am a 80/20 favourite here to take a massive tournament lead but a 6 arrives on the river giving him the straight. Yikes! “what a wasted chance yet again in a live tournament” I thought to myself, as I literarily stumbled out of the poker room. Well, it least it was only a smallish side event and there were plenty of more chances awaiting.

Other events at the Aussie Millions:

I did not play too many side events. In the team event, which I played with “Benno B”, I could not get anything going at all. The Main Event was also a bit of a disappointment. I drew a mightily tough table, but worked my way to reasonable stack, only to lose a big chunk with my sole pre-flop all-in of the day with AKs vs KK. So, I started the second day slightly below average, and struggled as I went totally card-dry. I eventually busted with KQ vs A9, which was once again my sole pre-flop all-in of that day. I was really happy with most of my plays but obviously not happy with the actual result.

So, the poker highlight of the trip was me reaching the semi-finals of the Speed Poker Event. The structure was absolutely perfect and I made full use of it. As the semi-final will also be televised - that’s a nice bit of exposure as well. I eventually busted with JJ vs Scott Fischmans KK.

Yet again, Melbourne proved to be a fantastic time. Outstanding hotel, a really nice group of people and the usual nice little extras provided by Betfair Poker, made this a trip to remember. I am already counting the days to Melbourne 2007…

See you at the tables,

Buzzer