Whining about every WCOOP I play is getting old, so I’ll just say that this was a pretty standard limit tournament in that I played for hours and didn’t come close to winning anything. At least it was fun and interesting though because it was Stud/8, which is one of my favorite games. Here’s a cool hand I played against party animal and Mathematics of Poker author Bill Chen:
PokerStars Game #20434591501: Tournament #200800021, $500+$30 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Limit – Level VI (200/400) – 2008/09/15 17:29:56 ET
Table ‘200800021 20’ 8-max
Seat 1: Tulkaz (6061 in chips)
Seat 2: suspender (2222 in chips)
Seat 3: Bill Chen (8508 in chips)
Seat 4: **SHARX** (5134 in chips)
Seat 5: foucault82 (6384 in chips)
Seat 6: Quackers (6171 in chips)
Seat 7: Ulett_23 (13192 in chips)
Seat 8: traction1 (2721 in chips)
Tulkaz: posts the ante 20
suspender: posts the ante 20
Bill Chen: posts the ante 20
**SHARX**: posts the ante 20
foucault82: posts the ante 20
Quackers: posts the ante 20
Ulett_23: posts the ante 20
traction1: posts the ante 20
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to Tulkaz [8h]
Dealt to suspender [2h]
Dealt to Bill Chen [Kh]
Dealt to **SHARX** [9d]
Dealt to foucault82 [Ah Td 2d]
Dealt to Quackers [5h]
Dealt to Ulett_23 [8s]
Dealt to traction1 [Qh]
foucault82: brings in for 60
Quackers: folds
Ulett_23: folds
traction1: folds
Tulkaz: folds
suspender: folds
Bill Chen: raises 140 to 200
**SHARX**: folds
foucault82: calls 140
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Bill Chen [Kh] [5s]
Dealt to foucault82 [Ah Td 2d] [Ad]
foucault82: checks
Bill Chen: checks
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Bill Chen [Kh 5s] [7c]
Dealt to foucault82 [Ah Td 2d Ad] [Th]
foucault82: checks
Bill Chen: checks
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Bill Chen [Kh 5s 7c] [Ks]
Dealt to foucault82 [Ah Td 2d Ad Th] [8c]
Bill Chen: bets 400
foucault82: raises 400 to 800
Bill Chen: calls 400
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to foucault82 [Ah Td 2d Ad Th 8c] [As]
Bill Chen: checks
foucault82: bets 400
Bill Chen: calls 400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
foucault82: shows [Ah Td 2d Ad Th 8c As] (HI: a full house, Aces full of Tens)
Bill Chen mucked [3d 3h Kh 5s 7c Ks Ts]
Bill of course was the rare opponent who actually understands Stud/8 and isn’t going to play like a complete monkey, so I have to play this hand quite differently from the way I would against 90% of the field.
3rd street is kind of close, I actually think raising might be better. Bill’s range is fairly wide there given that there’s only a 9 and a deuce showing behind him. I’m definitely not giving him credit for a pair of K’s, so my A-high may well be best plus I’ve got two to a flush and two to a good low.
I know that the A is going to slow him down on 4th. If he has K’s, he isn’t going to be them, and if I lead out, he’ll probably fold his air and even fold K’s if not immediately than on 5th street. This is one big difference from the majority of the field, who would never consider folding a pair of Kings, even though doing so in such a spot is very basic Stud/8 strategy.
If I hadn’t made two pair on 5th, I would have led out, but I thought at this point he could very well be drawing dead. Against a thinking opponent, you need to use some deception, and I wanted to rep a low hand since I figured him for high anything. In retrospect, he could actually have four to a low at this point, so maybe leading out is better.
But 6th came perfectly, allowing me to rep a low and giving him a second best hand to pay me off.
OK one quick whine. On my bustout hand, I started with three to a low straight flush, which is one of the best possible starting hands. On 4th I had four to a straight, on 5th I had four to a flush, four to a straight, and four to a low, and on 7th… I still had four to a flush, four to a straight, and four to a low.