Stone Cold Blog

I was playing a small $2 tournament as I was in the process of multiskilling. I was in EP at a ten seater sit n’go with 7 players left and was at an inflection point of about 15 (had about 1580 in chips) with the blinds currently sitting on 50/100. I look down to find pocket Tens, lovely.

I elect for a five times big blind raise and get a caller immediately to my left. (he was similar in chips to myself). (The alarm bells should have started ringing at that point, however due to the multiskilling (phone call!) I wasn’t paying too much attention). Digressing slightly, I went for a 5xbb raise so that if I was to come into serious all in raising from elsewhere, such as a rock, then I could gracefully lay my TT down knowing that I would prob be in a coin flip at best or against a big pair at worst, whilst still making it enough to get only serious hands follow me rather than the pot being built up for value. Annnnyway, everyone else folds and it’s just the two of us to see the flop.

It’s a dream / nightmare flop for me as it comes 9 high and all rainbow. Naturally I stick my entire stack in, only to get called nanoseconds later by the guy who turns over Aces! – Ouch!.

Could this have been avoided? Well yes I think it could.

1. Best not to be on the phone when you are trying to play as simple logic tends to fail and more “gambling” notions come into play.

2. What kind of hand only ‘calls’ a 5x BB raise still in EP? Not many … and those are prob only AA or a gutsy KK – I really should have (and normally would have) seen this coming – However it has been a valuable reminder to me … and hopefully a reminder / lesson / piece of knowledge to you.

It was a random flop because if it was littered with over cards then it ‘might’ have slowed me down, however with an over pair I have to protect so it’s a tricky one.

So keep an eye out for those pesky callers

Cheers

Duff