A friend of mine was at my table recently to my immediate right. After he raised pre-flop and got no action, he whispers to me, “Sammy, I got dum-dums.”
“Dum-dums? What the fuck are dum-dums?”
He shows A-A.
I never laughed so hard!
Very true, pocket aces are indeed dum-dums.
Casinos have a universal rule against string bets in cash games. A string bet happens under two conditions.
The most frequent version is when someone does not announce raise or the bet amount, but silently pushes chips in with two or more motions.
When this happens, either the first stack of chips or a minimum bet is all that gets in the pot.
The other style of string bet is when someone says “I see your bet and raise you”. You hear this in the movies and see it in home games all the time.
Hell, I saw it twice within 10 minutes at the casino recently. Here is what happened:
Some ex-military guy says “I call your bet and raise you $100.” I was not in the hand and the dealer let it go. After the hand, I told the dealer that was a verbal string bet. He agreed in retrospect.
Two hands later we have a new dealer. I flop quad 4s with one person behind me. He is also an ex-military guy. Long story short, we get down to the river and my opponent made his hand: nut flush.
I bet and he says “I call your bet and raise you all-in.”
Before I could say “call”, the dealer tells him it was a string bet.
That cost me a bunch of money.
In a casino cash game, poker players need to speak before they act physically. The only words to be spoken are “call”, “raise”, and “fold”. If you are betting or raising, declare the amount before acting.
My session yesterday can be best described as a rough ride.
Here is a breakdown on how it went:
No playable hands for the first three hours.
I should have gone home.
Got 10-10 back-to-back and both held up. Sitting on $150 profit.
I should have gone home.
Went to men’s room. An elderly gentleman in the handicap stall yelled out to me to help him wipe his ass and get him back in his wheelchair. I declined. I am convinced this kicked off a chain of bad karma events.
I should have gone home.
Next hand is A-K. I flop top two pair and am last to act against a crazy Asian player. He bet and I raised him hard on every street. He had a straight draw with Q-10 and hit the miracle Jack on the river. One-third of my stack is gone.
I should have gone home.
The very next hand is 10-9 suited. Again, I am last to act. I flop two pair. A young gun keeps betting into me. I keep raising him. He goes runner-runner for a straight. Two-thirds of my stack is gone.
I should have gone home.
After two consecutive bad beats, I am frustrated and decide to push it with K-9 off. I never play K-9 anything.
The big blind calls a big bet pre-flop. She is a new player at the table. I flop top two pair. She bets and I raise hard. This happens on each street. I am pot committed and all-in on the river. She spikes an ace on fifth street and shows A-9 for a better two pair. All of my stack is gone.
I finally went home.
I am in three-way action on the button with J-8 diamonds.
Normally, I would not play J-8 anything, but I am on the button against two players I know I can outplay with the right flop.
First to act is a young kid that can’t be more than a few hours older than the mandatory 21 to get in the casino. He has a deer-in-the-headlights look.
Next to act is a young female rounder that I know will give me respect.
I put Mr. 21 on a big hand like K-K or Q-Q.
Ms. Rounder has a hand like a weak ace in the blind.
The flop comes J-8-4. All hearts.
I flopped top two pair, but I know it won’t be any good by fifth street if another heart hits the board.
Mr. 21 bets the pot and Ms. Rounder raises.
With two players in the hand, it would be bad etiquette for me to talk. Here is what ran through my head:
Best case scenario is I have three jacks and three eights left in the deck to beat a flush. I am a 60% dog on the turn and an 88% dog on the river.
Worst case scenario, Mr. 21 flopped a set of jacks and I am drawing dead.
Neither player has a flush yet, but Ms. Rounder most likely has the ace of hearts. If Mr. 21 is holding a red wired hand, they each have 7 outs to hit the flush.
If I am ahead right now with top two pair, they each have roughly a 30% chance of hitting a flush on the turn and 15% on the river.
If the kid has a hand like K-K or Q-Q, he has two more outs to make a winning hand.
I am clearly ahead. The math says come over the top.
My gut says both players are now pot committed.
I only have $25 invested in the hand. Do I want to put another $200 in and risk getting drawn out on?
I fold.
Mr. 21 goes all-in and Ms. Rounder calls.
The turn card is another heart.
Mr. 21 shows two red kings. Ms. Rounder shows Ah-8c and rakes the pot.
I grin knowing my read was right on and the fold was the right decision.
Mr. 21 then goes on a rant about getting kings cracked. So, I tell him nothing matters until the flop and I laid down top two pair where they were both big underdogs to win the hand and that they both got lucky catching another heart.
Mr. 21 left the game and Ms. Rounder stayed out of my pots for the rest of the night.
Sometimes a big laydown that turns out to be the right decision earns respect at the table.
I have what some people call “a trick” that never fails to produce the results I want. I prefer to think of it as a way of helping those that need help. Let me explain:
A young gun at the table last night took a couple of bad beats and is visibly upset. He gets “tilty” and starts to drink shots.
He raises pre-flop to $25 and the action folds around to me. I am on the button with J-10 off.
The previous session, my reads were 100% on. This particular session, I am tired from no sleep and my game is off a bit. Frankly, I am not sure what he had, but I put him on Q-Q.
I call the bet knowing I can outplay him after the flop. He will be less likely to call a big bet if an ace or king hit. He already lost most of his stack and I am betting on him folding queens in frustration as opposed to calling off all his chips in frustration.
The flop comes 8h - 10h - 10c.
The young gun bets out $50.
I insta-raise him all-in.
The player is visibly confused and not sure what to do.
I show him the Jack of hearts, and I can see the wheels turning. He puts me either on a straight draw or a heart draw worst case and pocket jacks best case.
What he does not know is, unlike a majority of players, I usually do not put my money in on a draw after the flop. If I am drawing, I keep it cheap.
He calls the bet and I show trip 10s.
Fourth street and fifth street are blanks and he folds in frustration.
Instead of me getting a speech that usually comes with the pot in this situation, two other young guns gave him a speech on what I did and how he should have known my other card was a 10.
When I show one card during the action, the opposing player always makes the wrong decision. It never fails.
I am sitting on a big stack the other day with over 80% of the chips on the table when I get dealt K-K.
I raise to $25.
The action folds around to a woman who moves all-in on me for another $50.
I insta-call.
She shows 9-9 and is dominated.
The flop comes K-Q-10.
I have top set and she has a gut shot straight draw.
It is not the money at stake. I probably spent $75 already in tips for dealers and wait staff.
I typically take two or three bad beats a session.
For me, it is the emotional rollercoaster. I hate to lose, especially when I have the money in good.
The turn is a Jack. She hit the gutter.
I went from an 80% favorite to an 80% underdog with one card.
The river … a 10.
Winning in this game is never easy.
A few hands after the one I want to share today went down like this:
A player raises to $15 pre-flop and gets two callers.
The flop comes all clubs.
The first player checks and the second player bets the pot.
The original raiser comes over the top another $100.
The first player folds and the second player calls.
The turn pairs the board.
There is a $100 bet.
The original raiser two-bets and the bettor calls.
The river is a queen.
Both players end up all-in.
The first bettor flopped a flush.
The original raiser shows pocket queens for a runner-runner full house.
This donkey play happens more often than not where a player cannot lay down a big pair and outlucks the better hand on the flop.
Back up a few hands to one that I am in and not watching like the one described above.
I limped in with 5-6 clubs. A player to my left makes it $15 to go.
A calling station calls and the action folds around to me. I call.
The flop comes 10-8-2. All clubs.
The calling station checks.
I bet the pot hoping to take it down right now.
The original raiser to my left comes over the top for another $100.
The calling station folds.
I am faced with a tough decision, so I talk it through with the player hoping to get a read.
Here is what went down:
I tell the table, “Sorry guys, I need a minute. I need to think this through.”
The reason I am polite with the table is I don’t want someone calling the clock on me while I think out the hand.
Then, I look at the player and tell him straight up, “I flopped a flush. I don’t think you have a flush or you would not drive out the action. Why would you raise me with a flush? Besides, the odds of two players flopping a flush are so remote, you are going to have a tough time selling me that you have a flush too. But you just committed over a third of your stack on this hand.”
He is quiet.
I continue, “Do you have a set? I can beat a set. But you have two draws at pairing the board for a full house. That means you are a 28% favorite to hit it on the turn and 22% or so on the river.”
No response.
“You don’t have a set. I think you have a big pocket pair. Queens? If you have the queen of clubs, you are about 28% to win the hand on the turn and 14% on the river. If you don’t have the club, you have to hit runner-runner for a boat.”
Nothing.
“I cannot call. I either need to fold or come over the top and put you all-in. It is only about 25% of my stack to put you all-in.”
Still nothing.
“I think I have you crushed right now. You are way behind and I am getting two-to-one on my money as a three-to-one favorite to win the hand.”
Absolutely nothing.
I ask myself if my 6-high flush is a $350 hand. My hand is the best it will ever be right now. It can only get worse on fourth and fifth streets.
He potentially has 14 outs to my no outs.
If I just call and another club comes on the turn, what then? Does he it a better flush and I flush away $100?
If I just call and the board pairs on the turn, then he has 10 outs to my no outs to hit a full house and I hit the poor house.
“If I fold, will you show?”
He says “sure”.
I tell him I don’t want him sucking out.
I show him the flush, and he shows me two red queens.
I apologize to the table again for taking so much time and I congratulate the player on outplaying me.
He says, “I did not outplay you. Your read was spot-on and I just could not lay down queens.”
I agonized over that hand for hours. I still don’t know if I made the right decision or not.
When the runner-runner suckout happened a few hands later with the same flop scenario, Mr. Queens and I just looked at each other and smiled.
I am playing a $1-$2 game yesterday in seat 3 and get dealt A-A.
After seat 1 raises to $15 with J-J, I re-raise to $50.
Seat 5 behind me re-raises me by going all-in for another $200.
Everyone folds around to me.
I know this player has K-K. Yet, I get the sinking feeling that he will spike a set if I call.
But how can I fold knowing he is dominated?
I call and say “Your kings are way behind”.
He shows pocket kings.
Before the flop I make a comment that K-K is a $30 hand not a $300 hand.
“Well, I did not know what you had. We have not played together before.”
Exactly. It is tough to put me on a hand. But how about some respect?
He outlucked me on the flop with K-4-2.
I lost the hand and alot of chips.
So, I sell him a steaming tilt story that was convincing. He really thinks I am after him.
I told that story so I can tell you this one:
Seat 1 and 2 leave the game.
As you already know, seats 9 and 2 are my favorite.
Mr. Kings moves to seat 1!
I am thinking, that is the worst poker move one could make. Losing position to me.
Perfect.
I slide over to seat 2 so I can quietly jaw on him a bit until I get a hand that cracks his.
A half hour later, I get my shot.
Mr. Kings gets A-A and raises to $20. He probably wants some action, but he seriously under-valued the hand.
I will call any two cards if the pre-flop bet by him is anything less than $50.
I have 9-3 offsuit. And call.
Questionable call, but I know I can outplay him after the flop. To me, the cards did not matter.
Miracle flop of Js-9s-9c.
He bets the pot.
I reraise 3x his bet.
He freezes.
After about 30 seconds of him contemplating what to do with his A-A, I pull a trick out of my hat.
I offer to show him one card.
He eagerly agrees.
I show the 3 of spades.
He puts me on a spade draw or maybe pocket threes.
Mr. Kings says, “I am …”
And I say, “Call!” before he could mutter “all-in”.
He then looks at me and says, “your other card is a 9.”
I cracked the aces and we got back to where we started.
And, I may have earned some respect as well.
Players say I am dangerous in a full game. It is hard to read me or put me on a hand.
If I am dangerous at a full table, then I am lethal heads up.
I was in a cash game recently and took a bad beat on the river after moving all-in on the turn as a 98% favorite to win the hand.
The other player felt bad (his first mistake) and offered to play me heads up in a freezeout (his second mistake). In other words, winner take all.
I agreed.
Here is what happened next:
Hand #1: I raise and he folds. I take down the blinds.
Hand #2: He raises and I fold. He takes down the blinds and we are back to even.
Hand #3: I get dealt pocket 7s and raise. He calls the raise with A-10. The flop comes A-10-7 rainbow. I bet. He reraises me. I push all-in. He calls. The turn is another 7 for quads.
I offered to go again, but the player shook his head, chuckled, and said no way.
We all make mistakes.
It is very rare for me to mis-read my hand or mis-read the board.
Late last night around last call, I made a huge mistake that I hope I don’t make again for a while. Here is what when down:
I limp in on the button with 4-5d.
A new player at the table is in the big blind and makes it $12 to go.
Action folds around to me and I call. Small suited connectors are not a typical raising hand for me, but it felt right.
The flop comes 8-2-5. All clubs.
My opponent bets out $25.
My read is he has a marginal hand and no clubs.
I call.
For whatever reason, I thought the 8 was a 6, making me open ended.
The turn is 7s.
My opponent checks.
I bet out $50 with what I thought was a straight.
I get a call.
The river is Qd.
My opponent checks again.
I bet out $100.
He min raises me making it $200 to go.
I call.
As I am pushing the stack of red chips out to complete the bet, I turn my cards over and say “I have a straight”.
My head is down the whole time.
My opponent apparently flashes 8-9 and tosses the cards into the muck.
The dealer does not see the 8 because she is studying the board, searching for a straight.
She then says, “Sammy, you don’t have a straight. You have 5 high.”
I am in disbelief and immediately scan the board.
Exhausted from playing 8 hours on no sleep, I start to count it out:
2. 3. 4. 5. 7?
“What happened to the 6? Where did the 8 come from? I could swear it was a 6?!?”
My opponent says he mucked an 8 for two pair. And another player at the table, a straight up guy that has been at the table with me for several hours, says he saw the 8.
Floor is called to the table.
I am feeling like an idiot for mis-reading the board.
My chip stack has been growing all night. I am only 30 minutes away from leaving the game and am faced with losing a $575 pot.
I know the floor person. It is always a good idea to be friends with floor management in situations like this.
I offer for us to pull back the river bet.
“Sammy. Can I please make a floor decision?” is the statement from floor.
Shit. I think I am sunk. I just know they are going to pull an 8 out of the muck and ship the pot to my opponent.
Floor makes the final decision: a mucked hand is a mucked hand. Ship the pot to Sammy.
Really?
Proper decision under the rules, but still …
This could have gone the other way. Worse yet, what if the hand was not mucked? I could have just made what I feel is an expensive mistake.
I offer again to pull back the river bet.
Floor says no. But, if I want to chop the pot, then chop the pot.
I felt it was good karma to chop the pot. So, we chopped it up.
My opponent was grateful for the compassion.
I was simply grateful to get my chips back.
