On Wednesday nights I play a $15 tournament with some buddies of mine. I’ve been doing it for about two years now. We’re not in it for the money — we’re either playing for fun or just to improve our skills — so I strongly doubt I got hustled. But this was a very unnerving situation, to say the least, and I’d like to know how to handle it in case it comes up in a more “serious” tourney.
The tourney started at about 10:15 or so, but because of a prior committment I didn’t get there until about 10:30. This isn’t too unusual, so I get a stack, and post/fold until I show up. Standard.
Anyway, I get there late, and find out I’ve basically missed a whole round. The hand that just finished was my button, so my first hand being officially dealt in had me sitting in the cutoff. The cards are dealt and I look down and see Ac/10d. One player limps to me. He’s our version of Gus Hansen, known to play lots of pots and try to hit bad hands for cheap. He limps in for 50 and I raise to 400 (we all start with 3000).
Right after I raise, I notice that one of my cards, the Ace, has a small (maybe 1/8- to 1/4-inch) slice near the corner. I inform our host that we’ll need a deck change. After calling my raise, my opponent in the hand, in a joking tone, says, “oh, that’s the, uhhhhh, Ace of Clubs, right?”
He said this jokingly. However, I haven’t been present for the entire tournament up until now, so it’s possible that he had that card on a previous hand. But I can’t imagine somebody angle-shooting in a $15 tournament, and specifically in the earliest stages, where the payoff of knowing one marked card in the deck may or may not be worth any money at all. I’ve never known this guy to be shady. And furthermore, he’s not an idiot — if he knew that the card I held was the Ac and intended on using that knowledge against me, I can’t imagine him just blurting it out like that.
What’s my play? Am I allowed to declare a misdeal at this point? Whether it’s a coincidence or an angle-shot, should I reveal my hand and just declare it dead? Would this award him the pot?
Posted by Mike as Poker at 1:19 PM PDT
6 Comments »
It’s been so long since I wrote anything here I’m beginning to feel a bit guilty. So here’s a bit of fodder for the grist mill–something to distract you between moments spent furiously clicking refresh on Tao of Poker for WSOP ME updates. This entry in the Action’s On You series is a bit different. You’ll see how so with the question at the end.
The situation:
You’ve just recently sat down in an online no-limit game. You don’t have much of a feel for anyone else, nor do they have a feel for you. You’re in the big blind. The other relevant players are the small blind, a player in MP, and a player in LP.
The action:
Preflop: MP and LP limp, the small blind completes, and you check in the big blind with 6c - 10h.
The flop: 6s 10c 6d
You have flopped a boat from the big blind. You have the deck crippled. The small blind checks, you check, MP checks, LP bets half the pot. Everyone, somewhat surprisingly, calls.
The turn: 3h
The turn is worthless (you were hoping for a card likely to help one or more of your opponents). The small blind checks, you check, MP checks, and now, LP checks. Guess he was just on a steal.
The river: Qc
The small blind checks, you bet just under half the pot. You’re representing that the queen helped you, or that you’re trying to pick up an abandoned pot. Regardless, it’s seemingly the only hope you have of getting more money in the pot.
To your vast delight, MP now raises the pot! LP folds, the small blind folds, you push all-in, and MP calls.
Up go the cards: You show down your 6s full, your opponent turns up Ah-6h for trip 6s, Ace kicker. He loses, you rake in the pot.
Yes, yes, I know. I just gave away the entire resolution to the hand. But I still have a challenging and interesting question for you:
The question:
How should MP have played his hand? Was there any way he could have avoided doubling me up? How would you have played MP’s hand? Leave your answers/ideas/thoughts in the comments.
As always, be sure to formulate your answer prior to reading the comments–wouldn’t want to give anything away.
Update: My own answer to the question is now in the comments.
Posted by Beck as Poker, Poker Strategy at 2:44 PM PDT
15 Comments »
Judging from the large number of people who are discovering this poker blog while looking for information on the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, I am not the only one who is closely following the poker action online.
With only 45 players remaining in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, I bet the players can smell with $12 million dollars for first place. For the best (semi) live updates on the 2006 WSOP Main Event, check out Pauly and TeamBlog of PokerStars.
Posted by Jaxia as Poker, Tournament Poker, WSOP at 11:17 AM PDT
No Comments »
Last November, Beck posted a “little puff piece” (his words) in which, amongst other things, he was at a Stud table where another player had a seven-card straight flush. According to him, it was a hand he’d “never seen before and most likely will never see again.”
I came very close to proving him wrong. Caught this at a cheapo Razz table on Absolute:
Unfortunately, my opponent called a raise with a K up, called another bet on 4th, called again with two paint cards on 5th when I made the steel wheel, then folded on 6th just so I couldn’t catch the six of spades on 7th. Punk.
Posted by Mike as Poker at 12:59 PM PDT
3 Comments »
