Laying Down Big Hands - Part II

This column could easily turn into a four-part series if I went through all of the big hands I mucked in this tournament. Inasmuch as I have a lot to write about, I'm going to skip the three times I laid down pocket jacks preflop and go on to the three times I passed on pocket queens.

The last two were very late in the tourney, and I had them both in late position, which makes them big laydowns, indeed. The funny thing is, they were both against the same player, Mark Muchnik. I've played with Mark for more than 10 years, and while it doesn't add up to a ton of hours, it's enough for me to pretty well know how he thinks and plays.

Mark is a talented, well-seasoned hold'em player who plays a fair number of no-limit hold'em tournaments, though usually not with buy-ins this high. This tells me a few things: One, he takes this money very seriously, and two, I know that while he is trying to win, he's probably more preoccupied with moving up in spots. In a tournament like this, the difference between 18th and 17th is around $10,000, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Mark and I were both around average in chips, which is very relevant here. If he were short, he might be taking a stand with any pair or A-Q. If he had a ton of chips or if I were short, he may be pushing me around a little. But with both of us about average, I know he's not in there screwing around. One misstep, and he's out, and he knows that I'm playing solid poker.

The first time, I was two off the button when I picked up two queens. I hadn't played a hand in a long time, and neither had Mark. I opened for three times the big blind (as I normally do) and Mark tripled that. Now, he knows that I haven't played a hand in a while, and he knows that I know that he hasn't played a hand in a long time. And he knows that I know that he knows all of this. Know what I mean?

No? I'm not sure I do, either. What I did know is what my stomach told me when he reraised me, which was, "Find a bucket, quick!" It was just one of those spots where it was obvious to me that my hand was no good. I showed him my two queens and mucked them, and being the gentleman that he is, Mark showed me two aces.

Now, about a half an hour later, a similar situation arose. Everyone mucked to me, and I found the same two queens, but this time I was on the button. I raised a little more than three times the big blind. I sometimes raise a little more or a little less in this situation, as it tends to confuse people.

Anyway, after the small blind passed, Mark (who was in the big blind) reraised me again; this time, all in, as he had just lost a pot. I had Mark covered, but if he beat me, I'd go from average to crippled. Now, normally I would almost never pass pocket queens in this spot. There are just too many legit hands with which players will reraise, not to mention the illegitimate ones.

The fact that the reraiser had just lost a hand is even more of a reason for me to call here, as he may be on tilt. I know, however, that Mark has a pretty even temperament when it comes to poker, and I think that he, like me, knowing that he is most likely going to be called in this spot, will have a big hand. This was a real big laydown, as jacks, tens, nines, eights, and probably A-Q are all legitimate reraising hands in this position, but again, my gut said my queens were no good.

I started laughing as I mucked them, and he asked if I had the queens again. I told him I did, and he told me that I'd made another good laydown as he flashed me his pocket kings before mucking them. Mark played great and finished 17th, two spots below me.

So far, if you noticed, all of my laydowns have been good. I wish I could say they all were, but I laid down the best hand in the biggest pot of the tournament (up to that point, anyway). It was against Raymond Davis, a very colorful player.

Let's back up a few hands to set the stage. There was a player who was playing every hand to the end and was running over the table. He was an obvious amateur with Lady Luck on his shoulder. I almost started to say that she fell off his shoulder in this hand, but how he lost his chips wasn't her fault.

A hand between Raymond and him came down with minimal betting until there was a four-card straight on the board. The amateur bet about 3,000, Raymond raised 80,000 more all in, and the amateur called with something stupid like two pair. Raymond showed him the nut straight and became one of the chip leaders.

A little while after that, a guy was moved to our table with a mountain of chips. He slow-played pocket aces against me and I flopped three jacks and doubled through him. Now, I was one of the chip leaders.

Two hands later, Raymond raises from first position, but only a little more than double the big blind. I was on the button with my usual pocket queens. This would usually warrant a reraise, but I didn't, for many reasons. One, he did raise from the one hole. Two, his small raise could mean aces. Three, Raymond gets very creative throughout hands, and I didn't want to run him off. And four, I didn't want to force out the guy I'd just beat, as he was in the small blind and I knew that he was itching to play.

So, considering all of this, I smooth-called, and my friend who doubled me up joined us, as I thought he might. The flop comes 10-7-3 with two hearts. I was happy with this. Raymond bets out 4,500, a little less than the pot. Now, again, I have the same decision, raise or smooth-call. All the same reasons apply, so again, I just call.

To my astonishment, the third player immediately says, "All in." With no more hesitation than the third player, Raymond asks, "How much?" and then immediately says "I call" when the answer is 96,000!

96,000? Into a pot of less than 20,000? Well, I know he's steaming, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have flopped a set or two ragged pair. And even if we completely took him out of the equation, I still have Raymond to deal with. What could he have to call so quickly?

Of all of the overpairs, I could beat only jacks. He could have flopped a set and was just trying to keep me in. He could have a flush draw, in which case he would probably have a gutshot or an overcard to go with it, making him almost even money, or two overcards, making him a favorite. J-10 or Q-10 suited are possible, but I thought he would have just limped with those hands. A-10? That's a distinct possibility, as it would explain the small raise.

When I count my chips, I realize that I have another decision to deal with. If I just call, I'll have around 60,000 left. Now, Raymond would probably put me on a flush draw and move in on the turn, barring the appearance of a third heart. But, if I move in here, Raymond may lay down two kings, fearing that I have a set … hmm.

Ahhh! Raymond lay down two kings? It'll never happen. I studied here for more than a minute (an eternity for me). I figure one of them for a flush draw, and I may or may not have the other beat. If I do have the best hand and it holds up, I'm the chip leader at the end of day three with about 450,000. If I'm wrong and I'm beat or if Raymond draws out, I'm out of the tournament. If I just pass, I'm still in the top 15 percent or so in chips.

That swung my decision, and I mucked. I almost threw up when the third player turned over 6-5 offsuit for a lone gutshot-straight draw, and Raymond proudly turned over A-10 offsuit.

I later heard Raymond say that he thought I played my hand badly. Hmm, let's see: He had top pair with an ace kicker, and I had an overpair. Neither one of us was going to lay the hand down against the other.

It was like an act of the poker gods. I was about to break Raymond, and the poker gods just happened to notice: "Oh, no! It's too late to alter the cards. What can we do to save our man Raymond? We'll wait till after the flop and have this guy check-raise all in with a gutshot, so that Todd can't overcall."

I get sick just thinking about this. Why didn't I just move in? If I had just played the hand the way 99 percent of players would have played it, I'd have been the huge chip leader at the end of the day. Then again, if I had played like 99 percent of players, I'd have been out of the tournament already.