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cubbies760 · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: My fun with Mr. Fish (long)

Every 4th of July, we have a tradition of getting together at our family's cabin on Castle Rock Lake, about 30 miles north of Wisconsin Dells. It ends up being 5 couples, and a few kids, and we always have lots of fun over the 4 days. The guys always use the downtime between boating and swimming to play poker. It's usually a couple of casino runs, and lots of 5-handed SNGs for $10 or $20 per person where 1st place wins what the bottom (3) lost, and the runner-up breaking even. These usually end up being winning ventures for my brother and I, as the other (3) players aren't as good as we are. This weekend was no exception.

Friday night, we decided to go to the Casino. We are almost in the middle of (2) casinos, Ho-Chunk to the South, and Rainbow to the North. Each of them is about 45 minutes away. Since Ho-Chunk is near Wisconsin Dells (a huge tourist attraction), we decided to go to Rainbow Casino in Nekoosa, WI because it would be less crowded. I wasn't exactly thrilled about this, as I would probably only be playing poker. Rainbow's poker room is very small, with limited table/game selection. Oh well.

As we drove up there, I was commenting on the last time I was up there, and how loose the game was. I had sat in last time with about $150, and it was the smallest stack at the table. Every PF raise at the $1/$2 NL table was $15 to go, so I had to play good short stack poker to begin to build up my original $150. I ended up doing very well that time, while only playing a handful of hands. I was expecting the game to be similiar this time, and hopefully a similiar outcome.

As we walked into the casino, the other guys scattered to their games of choice, and I headed to the poker room. For some of you who have played there, you know that the poker room is a little corner that's barely bigger than a good-sized bedroom. There's room for (3) tables. I see that there's only one game going, and it's $1/$2 NL, exactly what I would be playing. I sat in with $150, which was actually one of the larger stacks there. They must not have been playing for very long.

I begin to start trying to figure out what I'm up against here, and quickly notice that everybody's limping in. Whenever there's a PF raise, it's $10 or $12 to go....otherwise it's (6) players limping in to see a flop. I decide that I'm gonna try to see alot of cheap flops, with just about ATC that may have some drawing potential. If I have premium hands, I'm making it $12 to go to thin out the field. There were a few really bad players who couldn't resist seeing a flop regardless of how much was raised.

I'll highlight the key hands that I remember, as I used this strategy.

Hand #1

I get 45s on the button, and everyone's in the hand except 1st position. I call, obv. The SB actually folds, which surprises me, but w/e. (7) players to the flop.

The flop is 367 with (2) clubs. I flop the nuts, but there's (6) other players, all with overcards and FDs. Surprisingly, it checks all the way around to me. I'm absolutely shocked at this, and start thinking about getting 3 or 4 callers if I make a decent sized bet. Then I'm hating my straight if a club hits. I decide to control the pot a bit, and make a smallish bet, knowing that I'll be able to get away from it if a third club hits. I bet $7 into a $15 pot, and (3) players call.

The turn is Kc, and I'm fully expecting to fold to pretty much any bet, and minimize my losses against such a loose-passive table, but it checks around to me again. Now I'm really stumped, but I check behind. I'm sure someone's either slowplaying a flush, or worried about a lesser flush.

The river is a blank, and it checks around to me AGAIN!!! Now I think I'm leading, but prepared to consider folding if I get c/raised. I bet $20, and (2) players call. I reluctantly show my straight, as both players shake their heads as they muck. Wow.

Hand #2

A few hands later, I get KK in MP, and there are (2) EP limpers. I make my standard $12 to go raise, and the SB calls (EP limpers fold).

The flop comes A34 rainbow, and the SB (who hasn't played any hands yet) bets pot. I insta-fold.

Hand #3

One orbit later, I get KK again, but on the button. A couple limpers are in and I pop it to $12. I get only (1) caller, and he's in LP. He's so far the absolute worst player I've ever encountered (more about Mr. Fish later).

The flop comes KQJ with (2) diamonds, and I'm not exactly thrilled with this flop. He checks, and I bet $20 into a $28 pot, and he calls. The turn was a blank club, and he checks again. Now I want to take it down now....I feel he's drawing. I bet $50, and he calls. Confused

I still think I'm in great shape, but please don't be a diamond/paint on the river....hehe. The river is a Q, and I feel much better. Now I want to get some value, as I don't think he has much. I bet $35 on the river, and he insta-calls.

He says, "You got the straight?"

I reply, "No".

He looks relieved as he flips up Q9. Now I'm a bit pissed that I hadn't bet more on the river, but I just didn't figure him to be playing middle pair w/ a gutshot so badly.

When I showed my boat, he goes, "WOW....nh".

Hand #4

I have AA in the BB, quite the dream scenario. MP makes it $10, and the SB re-raises to $35. I re-raise to $60, and original MP raiser calls. I'm drooling, lol. It gets back to the SB, who starts messing around with his stack, which was about the same as mine, $275. He shoves, and I insta-call, hoping the the MP raiser just forfeits his $60 and gets out of the way. He looks like he's in agony, as he looks down at his remaining $70.

He ends up folding as he says, "Geez, I can't believe I'm folding this". I saw his bottom card as he mucked, and it was either an 8 or a 9. 88/99 shouldn't even be in for the $60, and I make a note of that for later.

SB has AsAc, against my AdAh. I joke around with him about maybe we should just agree to chop it so someone doesn't get really upset as a 4 flush board. The dealer flops (3) hearts, and I'm thrilled, but the turn and river are both black to chop the pot. At least be split the original raiser's $60, though.

Hand #5

I limp in with the most of the rest of the table with 89s, and the flop hits me big, 998. I've already figured out up until this point that this table loves to call marginal bets with a piece of the board. I decide to play this slow and steady and try to get some value on each street. I bet $10 on the flop, and I think (4) players call. The turn is a K, and I bet $15, and get (2) callers. The river is an Ace, and I think I can get payed off here. I bet $35, and Mr. Fish insta-shoves for about $100 more. I think for a minute, but decide that he's too horrible to warrant any respect from me. I call, and he shows AK as if he has the nuts.

As I expose my hand, he says, "UGGGHHHHH, I knew you had trips!!!" I'm just sitting there wondering why he raised me when he knew I had trips, and also wondering if he had noticed that it wasn't trips, but rather, a Full House. I chuckle inside, as he reloads for the 2nd time.

Hand #6

This hand I don't remember the exact action, but it's really irrelevent to the point. I know I had TJos, and I had limped in and called a very small bet on a 9xx flop flop against a few opponents. The turn brought an 8, and now I'm a bit intrigued at this draw that I have. There's a board full of rags, and I've got possibly (2) live overcards, and an OESD. Mr. Fish reaches for a single $5 chip and extends his arm out toward the pot, and then to my surprise comes back for $15 more, and announces, "I'll bet $20".

I'm absolutely stunned at how deliberate this string bet was, and immediately asked the dealer if she's gonna allow him to come back for more chips when it was entirely clear that his original intention was to bet $5. She was obviously new, and didn't know what to do. The floor was called over, and I explained what happened, and she ruled that the bet was to be $5. Good, now I'll chase my straight, lol.

The river was a 7, and I'm prepared to punish Mr. Fish for his string bet. He glares right over at me, as he announces a $20 bet. I sat there for a minute acting like I was puzzled, and then raised it up to $50. He did his usual insta-call, and started whining about the $5 bet being allowed. I actually didn't have to say a thing, as a couple of the other players at the table bjtched him out for the string bet. Punishing him was fun, indeed.

Hand #7

It's getting late, and I've already turned my original $150 into about $700. I had announced to a couple of the players that I was chatty with that this was my last orbit, and that I was getting tired. My final hand was A3d, and Mr. Fish had raised $5 PF. I had to call just for the chance to knock him down some more. The flop was (2) diamonds, and I check/called for $10.

The turn was a blank, and I donkeyishly check/called $15, knowing that Mr. Fish's $150 behind was quite possibly getting in if I hit my flush.

The river was a blank, and I checked again. He bet $50, which I really thought was a 3rd shell attempt. He had usually kept his bets rather small when he had good hands, so that he could get some sort of payoff.

I insta-shoved, and he threw his cards into the muck in disgust. I had to show him my busted FD as I stood up. I left with about $800 a few hours after walking in with $150.

'Twas fun, indeed.

Loopholes202 · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

Congratulation on your good day, it was rather fun to read too, but why did you punish Mr. Fish so much Sad

Meanie.

st6truckie · Message Board Junkie Joined: 28 Dec 2007 Posts: 2018

Well played cubbies, taking advantage of that poor fish, how could you Laughing

GoldenDomer9 · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:20 pm Post subject:

I only read' til hand 3, where you apparently weren't happy with a KQJ flop holding KK? WTF?

entilt · Three of a Kind Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 77

cubbies760 · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject:

cubbies760 · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject:

Loopholes202 · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:16 am Post subject:

FatesDarkHand · High Card Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 11

Haha! very nice game.

Reading that has spured me into visiting my casino!

Well played too!

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