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Friday 4th April 2008
Welcome to Hold or Fold - The UK's only Poker E-Letter dedicated
to helping YOU become a better player!
In this week's E-Letter -
*Little pairs - that's what
- Little Pairs
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Hiya there and how have you been this week??
Well I have to report that things are getting a little better for
me - I haven't completely turned the corner yet but I'm confident
that the tide will change very soon - I came 25th out of 2,495 players
in a H.O.R.S.E. freeroll and came 3rd out of a 65-man Double Shootout
-
So nothing big - but nothing bad either....
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Little pairs - that's what - Little Pairs
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For this week's hand - I've gone back a month or so to the Poker
Den Cash Games that were being shown on telly - I was going to write
about a fabulous hand that was on the Premier League shown last
week but unfortunately - I think there was a power cut and my video
player reset itself - so when I went to play it back today - all
I got was some cookery programme from BBC2 !!
So - what is this week's hand all about??
Little pairs - that's what - Little Pairs.
They can be so seductive - you pick up a pair of 6's or 7's and
you think - I've already got a pair - so if another one comes on
the Flop - wa hay - I'm in there !!
I think I wrote a few weeks ago that the best feeling in playing
poker - even more than picking up a pair of aces - is to Flop small
Trips - You've limped in with a pair of 5's and another one comes
on the Flop - Fabulous feeling...
Doubly fabulous if there's also an Ace on the Flop - you can feel
those chips already in your stack !
Well spare a thought for Neil Channing as you read this one...
As I said - It's the 24 hour Cash Poker Game - It's very near the
end of the night and there are just 5 players left at the table.
There have been two straddle-bets...
Phil Curtis is first to act and he picks up 7S & 7D.
 
He limps in and action moves to Neil Channing who picks up 4S &
4C -
 
He limps in too.
Jesse May and Andy 'Greekfish' are commentating and just previous
to this hand - Phil Curtis had just lost a big pot.
Andy: "Well Curtis is still $24,000 up and one double-up
is £48,000 up and all of a sudden - he's a happy boy."
Jesse May: "We haven't had that elusive 6-figure pot -
"
Andy: "Well there was more chance that this would have
happened earlier on - but come a 4-7 then it may be out !! ... Well
it won't be because Curtis hasn't got quite enough."
Andrew Feldman is next to act and he picks up 6D & 2D -
 
he thinks about it for a moment but with two limpers already in
- he wisely folds.
Kirk Morrison was the first straddle-bet and he calls with JD &
2C
 
Then it's Robert Williamson III and he checks with QH & 10H.
 
I've been hooked on the American version of 'Who's Line is it Anyway?"
and I'm absolutely convinced that Robert Williamson III is a dead
ringer for Greg Proops - not only do they look alike - but they
sound alike too !
Anyways - back to the table...
There is $850 in the pot and the Flop comes down: QD 7C & 4H !!
 
Andy Greekfish: "Would you believe it?? Unbelievable !!"
Jesse: "Channing's going to go broke !!"
Andy: "I don't believe that - that is a cold deck!"
Neil Channing is first to act and he puts in $600
Kirk Morrison quickly folds.
Robert W3 calls.
Andy: "Just imagine if a Queen comes now - No it can't."
Phil Curtis also just calls and so there is now $2,650 in the pot
and remember -
this is real dollars not tournament dollars.
Jesse whispers: "Channing's going to lose $35K
here."
The Turn comes down: 8D
Andy: "I was half-expecting to see a queen there."
The camera is on Neil Channing who is happily chatting away to
Phil Curtis: "This is where you can start shipping the £9,000
now. I don't care if it's me or Robert."
Andy: "Now can he put someone on 5-6 and slow this down??"
Neil thinks about it for a minute or so and then bets out $1,600.
Andy: "Woah - we can categorically say that he's definitely
getting raised here."
Robert W3 just calls.
Jesse: "Well there's a possible straight out there."
Andy: "And he (Phil) HAS to raise now - Curtis MUST raise.
He's going to make a decent raise as well because there's a Flush
draw out there, possible straight draw...."
Phil announces: "Raise - 4 more !"
Andy: "That's a small raise - that's a 'please call me'
raise."
Neil had been sitting back in his chair with his elbow on the table
and his head in his hand - and he suddenly sits right up - has a
stretch and considers the table - as if seriously for the first
time.
Robert W3: "This is where he starts shipping the $9,000 now
!"
Neil: "This is where we ship it to him !! "
Andy: "You can hear it in his voice - he's going
to come over the top!"
Neil has now put his hands on the top of his head as if he's being
arrested - but he's eyeing up Phil's chips to see how much he has
left...
I'm sure at this point Neil feels he has the best hand and it's
just a question of how much he can get from the other players...
Neil sighs: "Jeez - how much is it??"
Jesse: "He knows that Curtis is not a move maker and he
knows that Curtis is playing tight."
Neil looks at the table again and now I think he thinks that maybe
he doesn't have the best hand... he's not sure... He decides to
call the bet so there is now $15,450 in the pot.
Robert is next to go - He decides that a pair of Queens is not enough
and he wisely folds.
Andy: "Oh Dear - this isn't going to be such a big pot
as we thought it would be."
Jesse laughs: "Don't be so sure."
Andy: "Well I don't think it is - I think they're both
terrified - I think if it pairs the board now like an eight or a
queen - then we're definitely all-in I feel - they're both scared
of a straight or a flush."
The River comes down: AS
Andy: "Well that's no help. Let's see what Channing is
going to come out and do."
Neil checks.
Andy: "Curtis KNOWS he's winning now - 100% How much can
he get paid he's thinking - $10,000??"
Jesse: "This could be the coldest deck we've seen all
night long."
Andy: "If he bets $10,000 - there's every chance Channing
might come over the top."
Phil thinks about it for a moment and then bets out $6,000 Neil
is totally relieved at the small amount and instantly calls.
Andy: "Oh - very small."
They both turn over their cards and they see what the other had.
Andy: "Phil just wanted paying - he didn't put Neil on
such a big hand."
Neil says: "Well I was thinking about the Queen..."
Phil: "It kind of slowed us down. If it comes a complete
blank on the Turn then it goes in doesn't it."
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Post Mortem
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As it turned out - the Flop and Turn were quite 'fluid' as Howard
Lederer calls it.
There was a possible straight and a flush-draw and so Trips didn't
seem quite as good as if it had been a 'non-fluid' board.
It is definitely a big consideration when making bets - like Phil
said - if it had been a complete blank on the Turn then they would
both have been all-in - but because the 8 made a possible straight
- then they both had to consider the possibility of the other player
having the better hand.
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By the way - Did you know that it has been one year since I started
these e-letters?? So I would just like to say thank you to the 1,000+
readers of my weekly missive and say that your support is very much
appreciated.
I hope to continue providing fascinating hands for you and me to
mull over each week. Well I hope you have a good week - may the
cards be with you and I'll see you again next Friday.
All the best
Meg Arana
Hold or Fold
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