Donkey Crossfire

Having lots of fun at the micro stakes capped no limit cash tables this week. Here's a "monster" pot that I won.

First, some history. SB, to my left at the table, is running 65/17. He's playing 2/3 of the time. When it's his turn to act, he bets pot. Every time. If someone has already bet, then he raises - almost every time. He's winning lots of little uncontested pots, and a few big ones.

CO is a very similar player - he's running 58/15, and is also aggressive. CO has lost several pots to SB lately, and appears to me to be on a tilt-revenge fest.

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, $7.50 Betting Cap, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: $7.98
UTG: $32.27
MP: $24.23
CO: $14.31
Hero (BTN): $40.27
SB: $41.91

Pre-Flop: 4 4 dealt to Hero (BTN)

UTG folds, MP calls $0.25, CO calls $0.25, Hero calls $0.25, SB raises to $1.75, 2 folds, CO calls $1.50, Hero calls $1.50

I follow the CO limper on the button with a pocket pair. SB raises, which is nothing new. He is raising 17% of hands. CO calls. Normally, I would throw away a baby pair in a capped game like this, as the stacks aren't nearly big enough to call for set value. There is also 0% chance of ending up with a small pot, as both of these players bet the pot (or even slightly higher) on every street. I decide to give this one a shot and call, though, since both of these players are horri-bad.

Flop: ($5.75) K 8 4 (3 Players)

SB bets $4.50
CO raises to $5.75, and is capped

We're all in before the betting action even gets to me. I have a set. Uh, ok, I call.

BTN calls $5.75, and is capped
SB calls $1.25, and is capped

Turn: ($5.75) 9 (3 Players)
River: ($5.75) 8 (3 Players)

Results: $5.75 Pot ($1.15 Rake)

CO showed 8 J (three of a kind, Eights) and LOST (-$1.75 NET)
Hero showed 4 4 (a full house, Fours full of Eights) and WON $21.85 (+$20.10 NET)
SB showed 2 2 (two pair, Eights and Twos) and LOST (-$1.75 NET)

I flinched when the 8 came on the river, but then I remembered that this gave me a full house, which still beat trip eights. Whew. Note how SB bet pot instantly, committing himself with these tiny stack sizes, on a pair of deuces. Also note how CO instantly shoved over him with second pair. That's the effect a maniac has on the table.


Here's another hand I played against the maniac.

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, $7.50 Betting Cap, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

SB: $16.83
BB: $13.57
UTG: $18.58
MP: $40.01
Hero (CO): $24.32
BTN: $27.53

Pre-Flop: K K dealt to Hero (CO)
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.75, BTN raises to $2.60, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.85

I call the 3-bet instead of shoving, because his usual move is to bet the pot no matter what comes. And I will call, even if an ace flops.

Flop: ($5.55) T 7 9 (2 Players)
Hero checks
BTN bets $4.90, and is capped
Hero calls $4.90, and is capped

Turn: ($5.55) T (2 Players)
River: ($5.55) 2 (2 Players)

Results: $5.55 Pot ($0.76 Rake)

Hero showed K K (two pair, Kings and Tens) and WON $14.59 (+$11.99 NET)
BTN showed 6 A (a pair of Tens) and LOST (-$2.60 NET)

Unfortunately, the maniac forces you to have a hand in order to beat him, but if you do get a hand, they often hand over all their chips to you.

This was a great session. The pocket 4s hand above was a 3x-er (three times the cap), and I also won the amount of the cap 3 additional times. I was never "stacked" in this game - I once laid down pocket nines on the turn to the maniac (probably should have called) - this cost me about half the cap, 3.25. This was the largest loss of the session.

I'm loving this capped game. I hope the pickens are as good in slightly higher blind levels.