Commerce Casino 5/10 NLHE (9-handed)

Cobalt $550
BB $500

Cobalt is UTG w/ T T . BB is loose and bad (he make plays a lot of long-shots for incorrect odds based on "feelings"), but we're on "friendly" terms. He's very talkative, and his stack has been swinging pretty wildly. I've been playing at the table for about an hour, and I'd announced to him that this was my last hand.

Pre-flop:
Cobalt raises to $35, 4 folds, CO calls, 2 folds, BB calls

Flop ($110): 7 3 3 (3 players)
BB bets $45, Cobalt raises to $185, 1 fold, BB calls

Turn ($480): A (2 players)
BB checks, Cobalt checks

River ($480): 4 (2 players)
BB checks, Cobalt checks

Final Pot: $480


Here's the problem with this hand...I'd seen him donkbet his draws like this previously. On the turn, as I was pondering whether to put him all-in, he started talking about how he definitely had me beat and how he was satisfied with what was in the pot and was content to check it down. Now normally this is a ploy that opponents would pull with a draw or a weak hand...the problem was that it seemed sincere...he really was giving off the vibe that he had me beat and that he was willing to check the hand down. How much should I let that affect my play?

I would have checked it down under exactly the circumstances you describe.

What happened to the $40 bucks?

Frankly, I don't even see a need to raise the flop.

I'd probably check it down.

One time I had been sitting at a table for a few hours with an absolutely awful player. He was very nice and talkative though (as he should have been, he'd taken about 350BB's off me) and we had sorta become friends. I was down big due to losing to his flushdraw once and set over set, and he was up big from those hands and a couple others he'd lucked out on against other opponents.

He said he was leaving before his next BB. So on what would be his last hand, I flopped a full house on a board of QJJ with QQ. Anyway, after a couple raises back and forth he jammed for like 2.5x the pot. I was on my way to clicking call when he said "If I were you I'd fold." So of course this made me think he had QJ (before I figured he just had like JT or AJ), but I started to type real quick and before I could finish what was going to be "I just can't give you credit for it" he typed "hint: pp." So I folded. What the hell. He showed his JJ and said "I figured I'd won enough off you tonight"

How nice of him. =/

Awful fold.

I knew someone was going to say that. But trust me, he has JJ there evvvverrry time.

To clarify (as to not hijack this thread, my point was to sorta add to it), he had indicated his hand a few times in chat. If it hadn't been helping me, I would have reported him. But this guy knew the game, and had been trying to save his opponents all night. I searched and he was playing 3 tables, and was up big on one of the others as well. The time he stacked me with set over set he tried to save me, but I called because I had a set.

I understand your view as I thought about it for a while afterwards. But I think that the times he doesn't have quads comes nowhere near the times he does.

No one's ever tried to save me. I've had a few "sorrys" and "that was horribles" but never any "don't call, I have quadses."

Fix-ed.

I think you play the hand fine. Donk slayer brings up a good point regarding the flop raise as it will likely put you to a tough decision if he was to push over the top of you. Rest of the hand seems pretty standard and as far as his words go, well that is nothing we can really help you with as alot of what goes into reads has to do with his body language more than his exact words so thats a decision you need to make on your own.

Looks fine to me. You have an overcard and a possible flush on the board. I would be happy to check it down.

After he flipped up the 97o, I berated myself for being "duped" and not pushing the turn. I know that he probably wouldn't have called, but I still think it's the correct play there. Several people chided him for not pushing the scary river.

Donks talking about having a hand is usually just another bluff. I'd ignore it, go off your other reads and make him pay to continue. Listening and taking it to heart simply gives them a weapon to use against you.

If heads up and a donk leads with a check on the flop or turn, I'd bet.

That would be pretty terrible considering the guy led for 45 into 110.

As is this hands pretty tough but I think i'd bet this turn.


Why are the stacks so short though? Live i'd expect to see people with stacks of 3-4k rather then this.

Looks fine. You made a read that he was being genuine on the turn and went with it. It's not like he's got a lot of outs anyway. The only thing I'd do differently is jack it up a little more preflop, maybe to $50 since the table has reason to give you light action knowing it's your last hand.

At Commerce, the max buy-in for the 5/10 NL game is $400...which is pretty ridiculous.

Why do places do this? So absurd. Only NL place near me has 2/5 game with max buy of $200. Sure after awhile people can get some big stacks, but that just means that if I show up fairly late in the evening, I buy in $200 and there's 2 guys on the table with $2500.

Someone suggested to me that it was so that people wouldn't go broke as fast.

I've also heard this. Casinos want to promote action, and smaller stacks promote action while also protecting the weaker players. The deeper the stacks are the more skill that's involved - shallow stacks reduce the edge which better players have. Casinos don't want games to dry up, after all.

These stacks here, though, are unorthodox and absurdly shallow.