Quads

Last night I again played at the Wynn and had an enjoyable evening. There were two interesting hands that I thought I would share with you. The first of which happened in the middle of my session in a no limit holdem game which was playing fairly tight. I was about even for the day and was struggling a little, running cold and unable to get into a good situation. One of the games regulars who plays a little loose aggressive, but is fairly solid raises 5 big blinds UTG + 1 and receives one caller in mid position. The action comes around to me and I look down at AK in the big blind and decide to raise. The blinds in this game are relatively small $5-10, but several of us are sitting fairly deep with 500-1000 big blinds. It is an unlimited buy in game which I like. I raise $250, making it $300 to go. The original raiser looks like he wants to re-pop me but smooth calls, as does the mid position player. The flop comes 3 3 3, and I check. The original raiser bets $1,000 and the mid position player calls slowly, I fold so fast my cards actually create a breeze in the room. The turn brings the K and I, for just an instant wish I was still in the hand, but when the original raiser wastes no time in moving all in for about $5,000, and was snap called, I am glad to be a spectator. The river was a blank, and K K and 6 3 were tabled in order. Wow is all I can say, he played 6 3 and got the miracle flop. I believe, but I'm sure I'll get an email correcting me that to flop quads for either card in your hand is about 7,500 to 1, but to flop it and get someone's whole stack is even tougher. One of the worst coolers I have seen in a long time. Unless you can put the other guy on a 3, there is nothing you can do.

Some good news is that just when I was about to quit for the night, a player sat down that I have played before and is solid and a pretty nice guy. On his first hand, which he posts in mid position with, he raises about 12 big blinds. Now he is a very aggressive player and I look down at K 3 and decide to call and see a flop. I had just gone on a little rush and thought he might have wanted to show a big bluff on his first hand to create action, and I would either out play or out flop him. Well as providence would have it the flop comes K K 5, and I open with a slightly more than pot sized bet. He calls pretty quickly and before I begin to see monsters in the closet and the possibility of him having a better king than me, which is pretty much any king, another king falls on the turn. I again quickly open with a pot sized bet and he calls. I can't even tell you what comes on the river, but I did stare at it for a little while trying to feign weakness, and then bet enough to put him all in. He goes into the tank and starts to ask me some questions, to which I begin to respond. He says he knows that I am capable of firing three shells in an attempt to bluff. He finally calls and makes my day. What amazes me is that he in fact had two aces. It was pretty much all he could have, and what amazes me about that is how he sits right down and that's his first hand. No question I was a major league luck box, but what really made the hand for me was the fact that he was so upset about the possibility that I was going to outplay him that he paid me off. I have to say that I did not think he was that strong and took the flop with him with a very inferior hand because I wanted to outplay him. I am sure I will be playing with him quite a bit over the next few weeks and he will have an opportunity to seek revenge. I have to say he was a complete gentleman and I hope he made a comeback after I left.

My closing thought for the day is just remember, pocket aces is really just one pair, although I admit it's a pretty pair, it is still only one pair. Pre flop I will of course put all my money in with it, but after the flop, no matter how innocent it looks, buyer beware.

For more information on Roy Winston, you can visit his website: www.oraclepoker.net or send him an email: [email protected]