An important part of any fixed limit game, where multiway pots are more common, is maximizing your equity by driving out other players. This is particularly true in split pot games, where you can dramatically increase your equity if you becomethe only player with a shot at one half of the pot. The converter wasn’t working with these, for some reason, but here are two pots I played where this came up. This was a $15/$30 game with a $3 ante. The FTP games use larger than average antes, so it’s correct to play more hands on 3rd street than you would on Poker Stars.
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to destiny7 [5c]
Dealt to WARDROPS [2h]
Dealt to urbandb888 [4h 5s] [7s]
Dealt to defyodds [2c]
Dealt to raiseme555 [6c]
defyodds brings in for $5
raiseme555 calls $5
destiny7 folds
WARDROPS calls $5
urbandb888 completes it to $15
defyodds folds
raiseme555 raises to $30
WARDROPS calls $25
urbandb888 raises to $45
raiseme555 calls $15
WARDROPS calls $15
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [2h] [3c]
Dealt to urbandb888 [4h 5s 7s] [Qs]
Dealt to raiseme555 [6c] [Th]
urbandb888 bets $15
raiseme555 calls $15
WARDROPS raises to $30
urbandb888 raises to $45
raiseme555 calls $30
WARDROPS raises to $46, and is all in
urbandb888 calls $1
raiseme555 calls $1
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [2h 3c] [7d]
Dealt to urbandb888 [4h 5s 7s Qs] [9s]
Dealt to raiseme555 [6c Th] [Jc]
urbandb888 bets $30
raiseme555 calls $30
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [2h 3c 7d] [6d]
Dealt to urbandb888 [4h 5s 7s Qs 9s] [Jh]
Dealt to raiseme555 [6c Th Jc] [Ks]
raiseme555 checks
urbandb888 bets $30
raiseme555 folds
urbandb888 shows [4h 5s 7s Qs 9s Jh]
WARDROPS shows [6h 5d 2h 3c 7d 6d]
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [6h 5d 2h 3c 7d 6d] [4c]
Dealt to urbandb888 [4h 5s 7s Qs 9s Jh] [Ah]
urbandb888 wins the side pot ($60)
urbandb888 shows [4h 5s 7s Qs 9s Jh Ah] Ace Queen high, for high
WARDROPS shows [6h 5d 2h 3c 7d 6d 4c] a straight, Seven high, for high and 6,5,4,3,2, for low
WARDROPS wins the high main pot ($145) with a straight, Seven high
WARDROPS wins the low main pot ($145) with 6,5,4,3,2
I’ve got a good multiway hand on 3rd, so once I’m sure I won’t lose any customers, I put in the 3rd bet. It looks like neither raiseme nor I caught well on 4th, and even though neither of us is likely to have a pair, we both figure to be ahead of WARDROPS for the high half of the pot. That means I have a lot to gain by driving raiseme out of the pot. I’m losing a percentage of each of these bets that go into the pot against WARDROPS, but knocking out raiseme earns me a percentage of the big pot we’ve built, so it’s well worth it. Turns out WARDROPS did have a pair and I miss everything, but I still gained a lot in equity by getting it heads up.
But equity doesn’t put food on the table, dammit! So here’s one where I did score half the pot as a result of a play like this:
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [5c]
Dealt to urbandb888 [Jh Th] [Kh]
Dealt to kawappa [Qd]
Dealt to raiseme555 [7c]
Dealt to lukekim [Jc]
WARDROPS brings in for $5
urbandb888 completes it to $15
kawappa calls $15
raiseme555 calls $15
lukekim folds
WARDROPS calls $10
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to WARDROPS [5c] [Js]
Dealt to urbandb888 [Jh Th Kh] [Ts]
Dealt to kawappa [Qd] [7d]
Dealt to raiseme555 [7c] [6s]
urbandb888 bets $15
kawappa calls $15
raiseme555 raises to $30
WARDROPS folds
urbandb888 raises to $45
kawappa folds
raiseme555 calls $15
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to urbandb888 [Jh Th Kh Ts] [2d]
Dealt to raiseme555 [7c 6s] [8d]
urbandb888 checks
raiseme555 bets $30
urbandb888 calls $30
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to urbandb888 [Jh Th Kh Ts 2d] [2h]
Dealt to raiseme555 [7c 6s 8d] [Qs]
urbandb888 checks
raiseme555 bets $30
urbandb888 calls $30
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to urbandb888 [Jh Th Kh Ts 2d 2h] [4c]
urbandb888 checks
raiseme555 checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
raiseme555 shows [Ad 7h 7c 6s 8d Qs 5s] a pair of Sevens, for high and 8,7,6,5,A, for low
urbandb888 shows [Jh Th Kh Ts 2d 2h 4c] two pair, Tens and Twos, for high
urbandb888 wins the high pot ($148.50) with two pair, Tens and Twos
raiseme555 wins the low pot ($148.50) with 8,7,6,5,A
I don’t usually play hands like this in Stud/8, and I’m not saying it was a good decision to do so here, but if you’re going to play them, you’ve got to 3-bet 4th in this spot. When kawappa calls 3rd, it’s very likely that he has a pair of Q’s. His second most likely holding is a diamond draw, which he obviously isn’t folding on 4th, but Q’s are more like and the value of knocking out Q’s is much greater than the equity I lose by raising into his 4-card flush that contains at least one overcard to my pair.
Now he ought to fold Q’s on 3rd when a K raises in front of him, but whatever, most players don’t. When I’ve continued to show strength and he’s got to call two bets cold on 4th, though, I expect him to come to his senses, and he does.