Stung by the Ray

Sometimes when the cards are cut, you're just doomed. You're destined to get involved, and no way are you going to win the pot. Such is poker, and sometimes such is life. You just make the best decisions you can and play the next hand.

It was my first lap in a $30-$60 limit hold'em game and I looked down to see the K Q in second position. I hadn't played in a while, and my confidence in my feel was not as high as it is when I have been playing regularly. That is why I find that hours played deeper in my sessions are more profitable than the first hour of my sessions. Of course, that declines as I mentally tire.

A loose-passive tourist limped in up front, and I limped behind him. Ray, a local pro whom I have been playing against ever since I arrived in Vegas in the early '80s, raised behind me, folding everyone behind him except the big blind. We all took the flop off four-handed.

The flop came K Q 4, giving me top two pair, a favorable flop for my holding - or so I thought! I thought about how to maximize my potential winnings. Ray almost surely would bet a strong flop like that after raising preflop. I checked, looking to have Ray bet and hopefully trap one or both of the other players into calling multiple bets on the flop. It partially worked. Ray did bet, but the other two opponents folded. I check-raised. Good. Ray three-bet me. Good? Bad? Probably good, I thought.

I thought about how to play my hand moving forward. Ray's an incredibly disciplined guy in his 70s, in impeccable shape for his age both physically and mentally. He plays very solidly and also can be creative at times. He also reads hands well and reacts to his reads. I decided that I wanted to trap him, misrepresent my hand and see if I could get some extra value out of it. I thought he held A-A or A-K, with the small possibility of Q-Q. I thought he probably would execute a trap play if he held K-K.

Assuming that I was correct on my read, I was 14-1 to have the best hand (14 combinations of A-A and A-K versus one combination of Q-Q), and I also thought he would raise me on the turn, thinking he had the best hand, if I flat-called the flop bet and led on the turn.

I flat-called the flop and led on the turn when the 5 hit. The play worked to perfection. Ray raised, and I three-bet. I started thinking things might not be working to perfection when Ray four-bet me. I thought about what he might be thinking.

Ray's very solid and respects my play. Just as I was trying to read him, he was trying to read me, and he would actualize his thoughts. He had to consider that I might have 4-4 or K-Q. His raise signified that he could beat those hands. Could he think I was messing around? I thought he might, as I had played my hand in an unusual manner. Could he hold the same hand? I thought there might be some chance of that. Could Ray be four-betting with the intention of checking the river if he didn't improve? There was some chance of that. I called the fourth bet!

The river was the 8. I checked, and to my dismay, Ray bet again. That removed the possibility that he was raising as a play to check the river if he didn't improve. I didn't like my hand much. Could he have K-Q? I really didn't think so! But it was tough to put him on a set when I held K-Q. There were four combinations of K-Q, but there was only one combination each of K-K and Q-Q. I made a crying call, hoping to be shown K-Q, but not thinking it was likely.

Ray turned over K-K; I'd been drawing practically dead the whole time and put in a bunch of bets on top of it. I replayed my thoughts and actions. They seemed sound until I was four-bet on the turn, but I question paying off from there.

I thought I was going to be smart and tricky and be the trapper, but instead I ended up being trapped, and not feeling too smart. The fact that I played my hand in an unconventional manner induced me to pay off, because I was unsure of what Ray thought. Had I played it conventionally, would I have paid off? I probably would have, but I wouldn't have lost as much. Should I have not played it in an unconventional manner? Ray's hand range was such that in identical scenarios, I would be a big favorite to hold the best hand and get maximum value. That said, this scenario will never present itself in exactly the same way again.

I often hear players moan about how they ran bad, got unlucky, and were coolered by the deck. They fail to understand that none of that matters. It's your job to play your hand the best that you can, given the data available at the point of decision. That's your only job. Sometimes you're just wrong. Sometimes the deck will just stick it to you. And sometimes you will get lucky, as the deck will deliver a miracle card. It's all irrelevant. Just keep doing your job, getting your bets in as best you can.
In the long run, the deck will break even, but I can assure you that the chips won't!

Roy Cooke has played winning professional poker since 1972, and has been a Card Player columnist since 1992. He serves as a freelance consultant to the I-poker industry and has a successful Las Vegas real estate brokerage. His longtime collaborator, John Bond, is a freelance writer in South Florida. Their sixth poker book, How to Play Like a Poker Pro, will be released by ConJelCo in October. Their websites are www.johnbondwriting.com and www.roycooke.com. Please see Roy's real estate ad on this page.