Playing 0.5 / $1.0 tables on PokerStars. Long time experienced poker player from Russia. I'm in the big blind and the aggressive TAP to my right in the small blind makes it $3 to play. Now, this guy doesn't know his own patterns. He raises 2.5BB normally. So this is suspicious. Looks like he wants me to play "I'm new to value town." What a fool. I may not have much money but I do know how to play. I look down at a weak hand.
I have
T♦
♦
♦T
|
7♦
♦
♦7
|
I know he's got a monster so if he is foolish I'm going to get him to pay off. I've got 80 and he's 100 blinds deep. I call. Flop comes down:
9♦
♦
♦9
|
8♦
♦
♦8
|
2♣
♣
♣2
|
Ok, this is a good straight and flush board so a good board to call at least one bet. Maybe even a straight flush. Of course, he has a monster and leads out for $6. Looks like Aces or Kings. Turn card is the joint.
9♦
♦
♦9
|
8♦
♦
♦8
|
2♣
♣
♣2
|
Q♦
♦
♦Q
|
I hope he's assuming I'm an idiot. He bets again, about $10 and now I insta-reraise him all in. He doesn't think about it, calls immediately and probably because he thought I had AQ or KQ, and also because he has the Ace of diamonds I guess he had a faint hope of a higher flush. Maybe because I had just lost a big pot to a lucky player he thought I was weaker than I was. Not sure , who can say. Well, he sees the bad news and I take down the pot.
As Phil Ivey once said, and it's very true, any player is dangerous. Assuming you are better than they are is a recipe for disaster.
