Redirecting

Friday, January 06, 2006

More Double Reverse Psychology

H0nus reads my blog. We play a pretty good amount of poker together. I am the sensei, he is the grasshopper. Today, I had to re-enforce that fact, as he's been getting a little feisty with me at the table lately. Let me explain:

This afternoon, H0nus IM's me : "Going to the club? I'm gonna take the last seat." This is a debate we have every Friday, as the game is usually crowded. "I will hurt you," I threaten him, and then declare WAR on him, Hellmuth style.

I beat him to the game, secure the last seat, and have a huge hand in the first orbit: Mike X, who's a big time action player straddles, and I'm now UTG: JJ. I have $400. 1-2 blinds, $5 straddle. I limp, intending to evaluate my options, which I assume will include a limp-re-raise. Three limp behind me before the cutoff raises to $35. Perfect. Now Chris, on the button, re-raises to $65, and it's folded back to me. The initially raiser has about $145 total, and Chris has me covered. Wow - what a fantastic opportunity for a solid play right away! The only thing is, this game plays so wild sometimes, there is a very good chance I'm best. I decide that I haven't been at the table long enough to know if Chris is out of line, and I muck. The initial raiser gets all-in with his TT, and Chris turns over pocket Kings. Nice laydown KD.

The action players leave soon after, and we're suddenly 6-handed when H0nus arrives, and buys in for $300. In his first orbit, he limps in EP, there's one more limper, and I'm on the button with 5-5. I limp, and the blinds come along. 5 of us see the flop of:

3-5-6 with two clubs. Great - now I've flopped a set on a coordinated board in a $10 pot.

Joe, a tight player, bets out $10. H0nus raises to $30. I make it $75, and Joe folds. H0nus looks at me.

I'm downright hostile: "I'm going to take all of your chips." Without flinching.
"Easy call," Is his reply, as he stacks off $45 more.

The turn is the King of spades, and H0nus double clutches, before saying "I'll let you put me all in." "I put you all-in," is my instant reply. H0nus leans back and I don't think he can possibly call.

"You know you're not calling," I tell him, "Hurry up and muck."
"No, I have a hand," he says, and I know I'm best, and I probably have him in much worse shape than he even thinks.

I make a display out of my patented fish-finder: dropping two chips from 14 inches onto my cards as a pre-tip, as I slide them like I'm gonna pass them to Kenny the dealer.

H0nus stares at me, mystified. These are clearly the moves of a player who WANTS a call, but he knows I'm smarter than that.

"You can give 'em to me now, or you can give 'em to me later," I taunt, and stare at him with no expression. I don't think I've ever been this confrontational during a hand.

He stares at me some more. I smile. Finally, H0nus calls.

The river is a 6 of clubs, which is a great card for me, filling me up even though it completes the flush. My 5's full are good, as he had pocket 7's.

H0nus, a good sport about it, was left to marvel at the barrage of double-reverse-bluffs that I hammered him with in this hand. He was in a tough spot, as he knows that I know that he knows that blah blah blah blah blah...

until next time,
KD

3 comments:

The Bracelet said...

Don't think the fact that you linked to yourself went unnoticed.

Well played sir.

Kid Dynamite said...

I learned from the best Bob... Problem is, now that you've linked yourself in the COMMENTS, there's a picture of your huge hammer ;-)

I gave credit for pioneering the "self link" in my previous posts.

h0nus said...

No worries - it was a good play. I should have laid down on the turn...

But as it turned out: I only brought $500 with me. You took took $300 from me on the first hand and I leave with $1850 2 hours later.

p.s. Tell your wife to take it easy on the brutality: Ms. Dynamite Charged With Punching Officer