My first AA23... very special

[Kuso]

I was fairly card dead all day... my good PF hands whiffed on the flop, and my drawing hands got priced out of the pot. I was ready to call it a day as all of the tables were tight except this one, and I had no desire to play only one good table. It was my next to last hand, and I get my first ever AA23.

Oh, did I also mention that it was my first time sitting at a $200 table?

Anyway, here is how the hand played out. Comments?

$200 PL Omaha Hi/Lo
Seat 9 is the button
Total number of players : 9
Seat 1: Ellicious ( $191 )
Seat 2: alkicker ( $454.13 )
Seat 3: LOOSE_VGINA ( $370.78 )
Seat 4: Hero ( $199 )
Seat 6: Tindio ( $215.26 )
Seat 7: rosie_b ( $164.06 )
Seat 8: adbynot ( $193 )
Seat 9: THEPOUNDER1 ( $295.93 )
Seat 10: MRBIG1294 ( $158.25 )
MRBIG1294 posts small blind [$1].
Ellicious posts big blind [$2].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Ad Ah 2c 3d ]
alkicker calls [$2].
MrsChow has joined the table.
Hero raises [$9].
Tindio folds.
rosie_b folds.
adbynot folds.
THEPOUNDER1 folds.
MRBIG1294 folds.
Ellicious folds.
alkicker calls [$7].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qd, 8h, Jh ]
alkicker checks.
Hero bets [$19.95].
alkicker calls [$19.95].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 4d ]
alkicker checks.
Hero bets [$57.90].
alkicker calls [$57.90].
** Dealing River ** [ 9d ]
alkicker checks.
Hero bets [$100].
alkicker calls [$100].
Hero shows [ Ad, Ah, 2c, 3d ] a flush, ace high.
alkicker doesn't show [ As, Jd, 8s, Qs ] two pairs, queens and jacks.
Hero wins $373.70 from the main pot with a flush, ace high.
There was no qualifying low hand.


I feel a bit silly for not pushing on the river or betting a little less... I didn't realize that I would only have $20 left. I was hoping to make it a small enough number that he would call -- $90 probably would have been better. Anyway, I'm happy.

[Felonius_Monk]

[GooperMC]

[briachek]

I agree with goop. Check behind on the turn. take the free card for the flush.

[Kuso]

Thanks for the analyses.

I should tell you a little more about what I was thinking. First, I had no read on this guy -- no PTO stats and no other read. I had no idea that he would call me down with the kind of hand that he had. Looking at his stats now after a bit of datamining, he turned out to be a bit of a calling station -- specifically, he was SL preflop and he rarely folded on the turn and river.

Once the turn card hit, I figured that I was in the range of where Goopers twodimes numbers put me -- 40% to 60%. I had lots of outs for the low, the flush, and a ragged high (e.g., set, 2pr, etc.). He didn't bet out, which was really rare for this game, so I had to assume that he didn't really like his hand too much. As such, my pot equity plus fold equity that I thought I had (but really didn't) seemed to make the turn bet a reasonable one. I was willing to go to the felt even if he CRed me on the turn. In fact, I thought there was a good chance that this would happen.

Anyway, had I known that he was unlikely to fold, I definitely agree that taking a card would have been right.

Also, Gooper, I wouldn't really call the 200 tables "moving up" from the 100s -- at least not when there is a lot of table selection. The quality of play (or lack, thereof) strikes me as very similar to the 100s. I was sitting at this table simply because it was the loosest one of the 100s and 200s. For some reason, I have become somewhat numb to the betting amounts, and I am able to just focus on my game. If you have a chance, I encourage you to do some 200 datamining. You'll find that a lot of the players are the same as the 100s (both good and bad players), and there are plenty of people who have no problem dumping a stack with 2pr on a flush board.

[Felonius_Monk]

I'd say villain's flop check-call looks like either a straight draw around the QJ (for which you may well hold blockers) or as flush draw in hearts, both of which you're well ahead of so making him pay is a good idea. I think if he had two pair and was so unsure of it he check-called the flop, another bullet on the turn probably has significant fold equity against the average opponent at this level. Also, given his passivity, it's really hard to imagine he has a hand that has you much worse than a 40-45% dog. I'd say the turn bet is more or less a value bet - against villain's likely range here you likely have more than 50% equity, as well as position, plus the added bonus of some fold equity (given that you didn't realise he was a total calling station), so I still like it.

[GooperMC]

[Kuso]

well, it's clear that it was a marginal play... i don't think either line can safely be called "wrong" given the circumstances. any lost potential EV is miminal given the lack of info.

anyway, i am 200+ ptobb/100 at the $200 plo8 tables, and i'm thinking that it's sustainable.

[Kuso]

btw, thanks for your input.

[Felonius_Monk]

[GooperMC]