Wildest Cash Game I’ve Ever Played

Saturday night in Vegas is the best time to play cash. The vast majority of players (at least at the low stakes) seem to be there for a bit of gamble and showmanship before heading out to the club or dinner. Last Saturday night though was in a league of its own.

It didn’t take me long to realize that it was a great table, even for my high Saturday night standards. The first hand I witnessed involved a guy in the big blind calling a raise to $25 (at 1/3 stakes) with King-four off suit, flopping trips, and getting it in.

A few hands later, the button somehow managed to raise to $30 before the UTG player had even folded. Knowing the button’s action would have to stay the same if I called, I was in the hijack with JJ, and the super loose-passive K4o guy was in the big blind. I was about $160 deep with the button—who had already proved was raising wide (and to high amounts like this raise with a weaker range). I was 100 blinds deep with the big blind, and felt confident he would call the $30 raise with a large range.

So, I began my plan. I limped, the button had to raise to $30, the big blind called (as expected), and I shoved JJ for $294 over a pot of $67. As expected, the button folded. The big blind tanked. Given his image, I thought I would get called by a huge range that I was beating, roughly 77+, ATo+ (a range I would have 60% equity against). I was happily surprised to be called by Ace-Five offsuit and hold. :)

Later on, villain (though perhaps he was actually my hero) from the last hand straddled UTG. There was a call, I called on the cutoff with 44, and the big blind folded. The flop was a thing of beauty: Qh 4c 3c. The straddle bet $30, the other player went all in for $450, and having both covered, I called. The straddler folded.

At this point, I figured I was likely up against something like a queen with a flush draw, as the player had been relatively tight. When the potential flush draw hit on the turn as we were all-in, my fears were assuaged once the player said something like, “Well, I guess you’ve got me outkicked.” I insta-flipped my set and took down a nice pot!

With others at the table constantly rebuying for ½ stacks, the table made for an interesting dynamic. With players that are loose-passive and calling stations, getting max value from good hands is often key, and there were many preflop decisions due to the short effective stack size.

When the A5o guy straddled, it was folded to me in the CO with KK, and I decided to take advantage of his inability to fold to a raise on his straddle, and I made it $45. He called, but unfortunately, he managed to fold to my c-bet on a dry jack-high board.

It was my most profitable low-stakes cash session to date, and the wildest one.