PEACHFRONT SPEAKS

bitter much? or it doesn't take a genius to play pocket 3s

2009-02-16 - 3:43 p.m.

Here's a humor hand from $15/30. I usually sit in the 4 or 5 seats, where a petite woman with short arms on a short body can get the chips into the pot without breaking the dealer's back and also have some decent visibility. However, we had a live one in the 8 seat, so I changed seats so that I could always act immediately after him. When he was racking up to leave, I then requested his seat so that I could start the process of scooting back over in the direction of the middle of the table. A new guy at the table didn't hear me ask and said that he was sitting there and even called the floor over because he was so convinced it was "his" seat. Maybe I should have given it to the guy if he felt that strongly about it but, without even thinking, I just reminded the dealer that I had requested the seat some time ago. And she said, "Oh yeah, now I remember," and the floor gave me the seat, and we were all left somewhat deeply embittered that the B. is too cheap to invest in "seat change" buttons.

Be that as it may, here comes the hand. I'm on the cut-off. Reasonably decent hijack open raises. I have two black 3s. In a majority of situations, it's a clear fold. However, the button is going to fold, and I think I can get the pot heads up in a situation where the flop will make the hand very easy to play. So I 3 bet. Button folds, blinds fold, HJ calls. 7-2/3 small bets in the pot.

Flop is A45, rainbow.

I have 6 outs. There's a reasonably good chance that HJ holds an A and will pay me off if my card drops off on the turn. So when he donks, I call.

Flop is a 3 of diamonds. Tee hee. The only holding I now fear is A2 which I am not even sure is within his opening range from the hijack. He bets. I raise. He calls.

River is whatever, a blank. He checks, I bet, he calls. My set of 3s is good.

Someone then mumbles, "She three-bet with pocket 3s," which is the whole point of the variation play, to give an appearance of action.

Bitter guy who thinks I cheated him out of the magic seat mumbles back, "Hey, it doesn't take a genuis to play pocket 3s and hit trips."

I probably should have pretended I didn't hear, but I'm afraid that I cracked up laughing.

And here's a second variation play from the same table. I limp in with 88 UTG. Good young TAG raises from cut-off, same reasonably good player from the last hands cold calls (one of his leaks is cold-calling too much), fishy big blind calls. Back to me, and I feel it's time for a limp/re-raise because the two good players "know" what it means, and the fishy will pay me off with very little if I'm ahead of his random blind hand. Call, call, call. 12-2/3 small bets.

Flop is KK4.

This is my perfect opportunity to take it down right now. Fish checks, I bet, all fold, and I scoop a nice pot. The other three players amuse themselves by trying to decide if I won with pocket aces or quad kings.

© 2009 by elaine radford

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