Cappelletti in Amsterdam

After a morning of seeing beautiful tulips in Kuchenhof, Netherlands, and an afternoon stroll through the Dam (a shopping area where you can buy anything), I played in a no-limit hold'em tournament at the Holland Casino, which was conveniently located across the street from our Marriott Hotel.

Actually, I played in the tournament only briefly. I managed to get all in before the flop with pocket queens (a sequel to my pocket queens disasters in London in the last issue), only to lose to A-Q when an ace came. So, I stood up and looked around to check out the other action.

There were two 10-20 Euro limit hold'em games going, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a 1,000 Euro buy-in pot-limit Omaha game with two 10 Euro blinds that had an open seat. As of Jan. 1, 2002, the Euro replaced the local currency of many European countries. One Euro is currently worth slightly less than one U.S. dollar (about 95 cents).

The first hand I played voluntarily was a medium wrap, 9-8-7-5. From late position, having about 950 Euros in chips, I called 30 Euros in five-way action. The flop came 9 6 3. The good news was that I had 17 outstanding cards that would make a straight. The bad news was that only eight of them (nondiamond tens, fives, and fours) would give me the nuts.

The first blind led at the 160 Euro pot with a 120 Euro bet. There were two folds and one call to me. What would you do with my hand?

If you choose to get involved with a hand like this, it is usually best to make a big raise and acquire the vigorish of everyone folding, as well as the increased likelihood of a non-nut straight holding up against fewer players. So, I raised the pot, which required 640 Euros (120 call plus 520 raise).

Note that this is not the type of drawing hand with which to sit back, since many of your hits would potentially be second-best hands. The main strength of this hand is that with two cards yet to come, it makes a straight more than 60 percent of the time; and even a non-nut straight is usually good enough to beat only one opponent (unless he had a big wrap, in which case the pair of nines might be significant). I was quite content when they both folded.

On my blind, I invested 20 extra Euros with two pair, sevens and sixes, double-suited. However, note that this is certainly not a good hand in pot-limit, as you will seldom make the nuts. Most frequently, you will end up with a second-best hand (which might be tempting).

Sure enough, I got sucked in when the flop, 7-4-2, gave me top set. So, I bet the 150 Euro pot and got two callers. The turn card was a (straight-making) 5. I called a 150 Euro bet (probably a straight), hoping the board would pair. But even if the board paired, giving me top full boat, I would have to be a bit wary of the rare quads. Well, the board did not pair, and a straight won the pot.

Shortly thereafter I was in middle position and picked up A-10 suited with J-8. The player in front of me made it 20, which was called around by five players to the second blind, who made it 80 to go. Five players called, making the pot more than 400 Euros before the flop.

The flop came with a king and 10-7 suited (not my suit), giving me a two-way straight draw (a queen or a 9). The blind who had raised before the flop, a fairly conservative player, bet 300. I had about 1,100 Euros left with three players acting after me. What would you do with my hand?

One way to go broke quickly in pot-limit is to call big-money bets with straight draws when flushes and full boats are lurking. And if I called this bet, one of the players acting after me might make a big raise. Would I really want to put all of my money in on a draw that, even if it hit, might lose on the river to a flush or full house? Although I would have liked my draw for 100 (so that I could get all or most of my chips in the pot if I hit on the turn), I folded for 300. Two other players called in this lively game, but neither called the 1,000 Euro bet when the board paired on the turn.

On the button, I called a 30-to-go bet with K-K-8-6 with one king suited. With 160 Euros in the pot and five-way action, the flop came K-J suited and a 7, and it was checked around to me. How much would you bet?

If you wanted players in the pot, you would make a small bet. But I wanted players out, so I bet the pot and got one caller. The turn card was an 8, which made a straight for a 10-9 in the hand. My opponent checked to me. With 480 now in the pot and about 1,500 in front of you, what would you do now?

I had the wrong amount of chips. If I had had about 500 in chips, I would have happily pushed in the 480. But, having about 1,500, if I pushed in 480 and he either raised 1,000 now or bet 1,000 after a scary river card hit, I would have a big problem. A key pot-limit principle is to avoid creating a monster ("a big pot can be a big trap") when you would rather face a small-pot problem situation.

So, I checked. The river card was a slightly scary offsuit 5 (making two more possible straights). My opponent bet 300. Note that if I had bet several hundred or more on the previous round and he was now shoving 1,000 at me – how would I like it? But for 300, I happily played policeman with my top set, as I might have induced a bluff attempt. However, he had had the big wrap all along (Q-10-9)!

I lost about half of my winnings in the last blind hand that I played. I defended my blind for 30 extra with 7-6-6-5. In three-way action, the flop came Q-6-3 (I had middle set and a straight draw). I checked to the raiser, and he bet 70. The other player folded. Would you raise now or wait?

I called. A 9 came on the turn. I checked, and he bet 120. I raised the pot – roughly 500 – and he called. The river card was another 9. He bet 500. Would you call? He bluffed frequently, so I called. He had started with Q-10-9-8 and hit runner-runner nines to make a higher full house. Unlucky? Yes. But maybe I should have check-raised the pot after the flop, when he had a mere pair of queens.