You Have a Pair? Really?

I don't really have a whole lot to write about, but hopefully this will turn out to be entertaining enough. I realize a lot of my posts lately have been bad beat stories, but there are a couple of good reasons for that:

1. It's therapeutic for me to write them down.
2. They really have been happening a ton.
3. They are often hilarious.

First for an example of (3). I raise with JTs after a limper or two with an extra blind posted and get a 5 way pot. MG, an older Chinese man whom I struggle not to strangle on a daily basis has posted between the button and small blind. MG table and seat changes more than any other human on planet Earth, and is also in the running for a lifetime achievement award for requesting new setups. His English is poor, which I've realized in the re-telling of this story makes it hard to get right, but here goes the flop:

T73cc

I don't have any clubs, but top pair is a good start. I bet and collect 3 calls, including MG. The turn is scary

T73-7

I bet again though, and get a vibe that MG wants to check raise but restrains himself. At this point it's worth noting that MG thinks I'm completely insane, as do a lot of weak tight players. He just assumes that I barrel every board relentlessly, hoping everyone folds. Truth be told that's a terrifying turn card, and for me to bet it into 3 people I have to have something pretty tasty. We're heads up now to the river

T73-7-3

Wow. So basically at this point MG has one of a 3 things:

1. A missed flush draw that won't give me a bet.
2. A full house.
3. A ten, which may or may not have a kicker that beats mine.

Of these options the most likely seem to be either (1) or (2), with the full house being 3s full of 7s. He checks and I think for a minute then declare:

"I can't bet that river MG. Check" (the "check" is because of the aforementioned English deficiency).

MG: "I have a full house." He proudly turns over 63o, for the rivered 2 outter. I am proud of myself for saving the bet, but still a little frustrated.

Jesse: "Nice river there MG. What is that, two outs? Yup...two" but I don't turn over my cards, as I don't have to do so. MG is clearly confused.

MG: "What? You have a pair? Really?" He was proud because he figured he'd flopped the best hand and I'd just been barreling off again with Ace-high. The table gets a good laugh (again, it doesn't seem that funny when I write it now, but trust me, it was) and one player chimes in:

"No, he just bet the whole way with nothing....it's like it never even occurred to him that you might have a pair!" I flash the ten while mucking and say "No MG, no pair here....you had me the whole way"

This next hand was one of those moments after which all I could do was scratch my head and wonder. A very fat man was sitting in seat 5, with me in seat 6, and Igor in seat 9. I raised the fat man's limp preflop with AKo and Igor called in one of the blinds. The fat man called and we saw a flop of:

942r

They both checked to me and I bet. Igor went all in for 5 chips (he still has two cards, is basically what this means) and the fat man just called. The turn paired the 9 and the fat man donked after being informed that Igor was all in (a fact that he apparently missed on the flop). I was obviously confused, but having no pair was left with no choice but to muck. The river bricked off and Igor showed A8o. Upon my request the dealer killed and then showed the fat man's hand of...QJo, for no pair, no draw, queen-high. Igor stacked up 30 chips that should have been mine, and the fat man was genuinely confused as to why I was upset (as an aside, the next day I walked into the casino and he was STILL THERE, in the same seat. I texted Hank saying "that dude is close to 20 hours" and not 3 hands later he vanished).

Moving right along, I took a few standard beats during a 40/80 shot. First I flop top two pair (aces and queens) and get it capped 3-ways on the flop. The turn bricks off, but I get check/raised on the river king by, what else, Jack-Ten for the nut straight. Two plus two dogma is clear on this subject; somebody usually has Jack-Ten. No biggie. The next hand, however, was one I was quite proud of.

I raise AA and get a 5-way pot. Remember this is 40/80, in theory where people know something about what they are doing. The flop comes down:

TT8

And I'm already getting nervous. There is a flush draw, and I bet, but when Carlos and Yelena both call (neither was in the blind...both cold-called the bet in late position preflop) I resolve for once not to over-play aces. The turn helps me slow down:

TT8-Q

And I just check. That's right, with aces I just check the turn without getting raised on the flop. Carlos bets and Yelena pauses....then calls. I call, which was my plan the whole time.

TT8-Q-9

Just wow, this is how I run. I check and Carlos bets. Yelena calls again and I fold my hand. Both of them show JTs and the dealer chops up my money for them to split.

The list goes on an on (these beats occurred over two days), but only two more stand out. Again at 40/80, and this time I 3-bet JJ in the big blind. A laggy guy (who caps it) and a fish both come along (in MP and the SB) and I flop and open ended royal flush draw (TQK all diamonds). To make a long story short the laggy guy had 99 and the fish had KJ, and I lost the minimum on the hand.

And in closing, back at 20/40 I 3-bet a guy with KK, bet/3-bet his check/raise on the flop of J42, then collected a call from him and one other player on the turn 2, and couldn't avoid paying him off when he check/raised the river 8, even though I called his pocket 8s. The pot was just too big, aided by Big Al calling all 9 bets on the way to showdown (3 cold preflop, 2 cold then 1 more on the flop, 1 on the turn, and 1 on the river....twice....the second time as an overcall....just wow).

So that's been my last few days. I'm going to LA tomorrow and will be playing at Commerce on Friday. Feel free to say hello; I'll be the one stuck 4 racks in the 20 game :)