Session #34 - My friend. Mine enemy.

A couple hours mid-day Saturday at the weekend $1/$2 no-limit hold 'em game at the clubhouse. I started off on the downslope with the bottom being $160 in the red before I hit a couple of key hands. One was going up against an average player sitting in seat one on the button and I'm under-the-gun with A-5 suited. The flop comes down 5-5-7 and I bet out for $8 and he raises to $20. I push all-in for a further $120 and he hesitates before saying "alright" in a kind of resigned way and calls. Someone says "Let's see who has the better kicker" and he turns over 9-5 and I'm way in front. The turn seals the deal with an ace but the river gives him the teaser boat with another nine.

The wise-ass in seat ten remarks that it would have given me a real heart murmur if the nine had come on the turn first. Haha.

The other hand to talk about was the same buddy who was sitting to my right the other day is in the same seat again. The nuances of the hand are moot to my point but basically, I made a midpair on the flop and he made a pair of kings. He tried to "be a friend" and suggestively checked letting me know that he had kings and was willing to check the hand down. I don't like that play and I'll explain why in a second, but first to finish the hand talk, I bet out $8 and he rolled his eyes and raised me to $16 and I called. The turn made me two pair and I raised his bet and he frustratingly threw his hand away, with body language indicating he was frustrated I didn't check the hand down.

Now here's some of the reasons for doing what I did:

• By betting out on the flop and calling his bet, I confused him as to what I had and set him up for a larger bet should I hit my hand. Because of his play, I knew he had Kx (either QK or AK).


• I don't sit at a poker table to have a good time with my friends. I come to make money. Having fun is a by-product of the game, and admittedly, one I enjoy very much, but money comes first.


• I don't like to raise, re-raise and then check a hand down. It might show collusion to the other players. Not something I take part in, but I don't like that play as it isn't game ethical and could lead to worse things at the table.


• I value all the friends I have made playing poker. With that being said, when we sit down at the table, all bets are off. Poker is the focus. I don't expect anyone to "take it easy" on me, and nobody better expect it from me either.

Session Total = +$99.

Live MTD earnings are +$484 CAN.
Live YTD earnings are -$451 CAN.

Online MTD earnings are +$21 US.
Online YTD earnings are +$386 US.