Today has started off very nicely with an overall 60 BB win at 12 while clearing some bonuses. I thought I would post a few hands for discussion as they serve well as examples of extracting the most money I believe possible. Every bet that you can get in limit holdem is very important because the difference in being a break even player and being a winning player is raiser thin.

Hand #1 Disguising your AA for value.

There are times when it is correct in my opinion NOT to cap the betting with AA. In this hand I raise one person from late position and the SB makes it 3 bets, the early position limper folds and it is up to me. In my opinion it is a far superior play to just call the 3 bet here as you are heads up. The SB has tipped his hand as being very strong while you could well hold a wide range of hands by just calling. A 4 bet here is stating I have AA or at worse KK and for that one extra small bet you lose the disguise factor that can well add up to extra bets along the way.

1/2 TexasHTGameTable (Limit) - Wed Nov 24 09:32:56 EST 2004
Table Call My Bluff (Real Money) -- Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: ME ( $320.25)
Seat 2: AZANSKY ( $46.5)
Seat 3: JungleNinja ( $66.75)
Seat 4: SuperMattM ( $25.75)
Seat 5: NRCCEMTP ( $63.25)
Seat 6: Dowbt ( $66)
Seat 7: ultras74 ( $44.5)
Seat 8: redcloud666 ( $90.75)
Seat 9: blue_ii ( $90.5)
Seat 10: BARBKA ( $43.5)
SuperMattM posts small blind (0.5)
NRCCEMTP posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ME [ Ah, As ]
Dowbt folds.
ultras74 calls (1)
redcloud666 folds.
blue_ii folds.
BARBKA folds.
luciacortez2 raises (2) to 2
AZANSKY folds.
JungleNinja folds.
SuperMattM raises (2.5) to 3
NRCCEMTP folds.
ultras74 folds.
ME calls (1)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 4c, Js, 8d ] Nice flop as it has no K or Q that would be potential trouble cards.


SuperMattM bets (1)
ME calls (1) No need to take control of the hand yet with that flop.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 5h ] rainbow now

SuperMattM bets (2)
ME raises (4) to 4 Now pop him for that extra Big Bet
SuperMattM calls (2)

** Dealing River ** : [ 3h ] that certainly didn't help him


SuperMattM bets (2) Here is where your disguise is paying even more dividends. After your turn raise he bets into you again with his overpair.

ME raises (4) to 4
SuperMattM calls (2) Another Big Bet gained.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $25 | Rake: $1
Board: [ 4c Js 8d 5h 3h ]
ME balance $333.25, bet $12, collected $25, net +$13 [ Ah As ] [ a pair of aces -- Ah,As,Js,8d,5h ]
AZANSKY balance $46.5, didn't bet (folded)
JungleNinja balance $66.75, didn't bet (folded)
SuperMattM balance $13.75, lost $12 [ Kh Kc ] [ a pair of kings -- Kh,Kc,Js,8d,5h ]
NRCCEMTP balance $62.25, lost $1 (folded)
Dowbt balance $66, didn't bet (folded)
ultras74 balance $43.5, lost $1 (folded)
redcloud666 balance $90.75, didn't bet (folded)
blue_ii balance $90.5, didn't bet (folded)
BARBKA balance $43.5, didn't bet (folded)


Hand #2 Raising out of position when you probably have the best hand to get it heads up

This hand I get to see a free flop from the BB with A8o against two very weak players, early position and late position limper. I wait until the turn to try a check raise here to drive out at least the EP player and get it heads up with a late position player that I think I have beat as I believe he would have raised with any big ace preflop or on the flop for that matter. I also don't put the EP on much after his check on the turn. His call on the flop suggest either a flush draw or perhaps some underpair to the Ace.

1/2 TexasHTGameTable (Limit) - Wed Nov 24 10:38:46 EST 2004
Table Call My Bluff (Real Money) -- Seat 9 is the button
Total number of players : 10
ME ( $316.75)
Seat 2: tiggeroni ( $110.25)
Seat 3: Logrebeast ( $89)
Seat 4: Keith ( $51.25)
Seat 5: hadzi ( $30)
Seat 6: EDSMGD ( $89)
Seat 7: caande ( $54.25)
Seat 8: IEBELTJE ( $86.5)
Seat 9: blue_ii ( $81.26)
Seat 10: EDDJU ( $126.5)
EDDJU posts small blind (0.5)
ME posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ME [ 8h, Ac ]
tiggeroni folds.
Logrebeast calls (1)
Keith folds.
EDSMGD folds.
caande folds.
IEBELTJE calls (1)
blue_ii folds.
EDDJU calls (0.5)
ME checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 4d, As, 7d ]
EDDJU checks.
ME checks.
Logrebeast bets (1)
IEBELTJE calls (1)
EDDJU folds.
ME calls (1) I only call here to see what the turn card is. I don't want to raise out of position at this point and be stuck with a decision if a diamond drop on the turn.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ Tc ] Not a bad card at all

ME checks. with the intention of raising

Logrebeast checks. Well he doesn't have an Ace

IEBELTJE bets (2) Could hold a wide variety of hands but I discount the Ace as I believe he would have raised at least on the flop to somewhat protect his hand.

ME raises (4) to 4 Well if I believe both don't have an Ace now is the time to charge to see the river and hopefully either take it down here or at least knocked one of them out of the hand.

Logrebeast folds. Good.

IEBELTJE calls (2) Another signal of weakness.

** Dealing River ** : [ 5c ] Not a great card for me as if he does hold a weak A then this is another card that could help him but I doubt it.

ME checks. I don't check because I believe I am beat but I check to let him have an opportunity to bluff his missed flush draw which turns out to cost me a bet because although he held the flush draw he caught a pair of 10 on turn and would have paid me off I am sure but I don't mind that too much as USUALLY the only time he calls or raises here you are beat but I believe a bet is pretty close as well given he could have a weaker A also.

IEBELTJE checks.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $14.25 | Rake: $0.75
Board: [ 4d As 7d Tc 5c ]
ME balance $325, bet $6, collected $14.25, net +$8.25 [ 8h Ac ] [ a pair of aces -- Ac,As,Tc,8h,7d ]
tiggeroni balance $110.25, didn't bet (folded)
Logrebeast balance $87, lost $2 (folded)
Keith balance $51.25, didn't bet (folded)
hadzi balance $30, sits out
EDSMGD balance $89, didn't bet (folded)
caande balance $54.25, didn't bet (folded)
IEBELTJE balance $80.5, lost $6 [ 3d Td ] [ a pair of tens -- As,Td,Tc,7d,5c ]
blue_ii balance $81.26, didn't bet (folded)
EDDJU balance $125.5, lost $1 (folded)

Hand #3 In trouble but making the most of it in the end

Sometimes you go from the outhouse to the penthouse. This hand I raise an EP limper in MP with AQo and only he calls.

1/2 TexasHTGameTable (Limit) - Wed Nov 24 10:33:45 EST 2004
Table Table 25519 (Real Money) -- Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: rottyrulz ( $63.25)
Seat 2: Pressto ( $35.5)
Seat 3: nychits ( $45)
Seat 4: frogbrt ( $94.75)
Seat 5: ME ( $302.75)
Seat 6: JJinKY ( $48)
Seat 7: Punkyfee85 ( $23.5)
Seat 8: holgerM ( $16)
Seat 9: CrazyCuban ( $56.5)
Seat 10: KGB_99 ( $42)
CrazyCuban posts small blind (0.5)
KGB_99 posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ME [ Qd, As ]
nychits: yea
Pressto calls (1)
nychits folds.
frogbrt folds.
ME raises (2) to 2
JJinKY folds.
Punkyfee85 folds.
holgerM folds.
CrazyCuban folds.
nychits: nah
KGB_99 folds.
Pressto calls (1)

** Dealing Flop ** : [ Ks, 6s, Th ] Not the best flop in the world but I have an over card a gut shot and a runner runner flush draw.

Pressto bets (1) Well not what I was hoping for. With 6.5 bets in the pot I choose to raise here in an attempt to see the turn and river for free if I don't imrove on the turn.

ME raises (2) to 2
Pressto calls (1) Good.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ Qh ]

Pressto bets (2) Bad. 11.5 in the pot

ME calls (2) I call getting 5.75 to 1. I believe he holds two pair here and doesn't have the straight as I believe he would have attempted a check raise here as well as would have riased preflop. His most likely holding is KQ I believe. If that is his holding I am getting the correct odds to draw as I have 7 clean outs 39:7 (5.57:1) and perhaps more if he has K10.

** Dealing River ** : [ Ah ] Well there is one of my outs I was counting on.

Pressto bets (2) here I just don't put him on the straight the way the hand went down as there is no hand in my opinion that he could have that includes a J that he would have bet into me on the turn. He possibly could have AJ and an outside chance of KJ but as I said earlier I don't believe this is his holding given his preflop and turn play.

ME raises (4) to 4 Given my read a raise is the correct play.

Pressto calls (2)

** Summary **
Main Pot: $20.5 | Rake: $1
Board: [ Ks 6s Th Qh Ah ]
rottyrulz balance $63.25, sits out
Pressto balance $25.5, lost $10 [ Qs Kd ] [ two pairs, kings and queens -- Ah,Kd,Ks,Qs,Qh ] Exactly what I put him on.


nychits balance $45, didn't bet (folded)
frogbrt balance $94.75, didn't bet (folded)
ME balance $313.25, bet $10, collected $20.5, net +$10.5 [ Qd As ] [ two pairs, aces and queens -- As,Ah,Ks,Qd,Qh ]
JJinKY balance $48, didn't bet (folded)
Punkyfee85 balance $23.5, didn't bet (folded)
holgerM balance $16, didn't bet (folded)
CrazyCuban balance $56, lost $0.5 (folded)
KGB_99 balance $41, lost $1 (folded)


This last hand in particular is one which takes some time in the pits to figure out fairly rapidly what the correct play is but one that is necessary if you want to be a top notch player. Those extra bets gained or saved is what limit holdem is all about. Good luck.