Moving Target

Up $22 in my Thursday cash game. My big had was an ace-king on a dangerous AQT board. I bet and my opponent called. I was worried about a slowplayed two pair or set...

Until the turn, the jack of hearts. I now had the nut straight on a three flush board. I also had the king of hearts in my hand for the nut flush redraw. A sticky spot out of position- a strong hand that still might be in a world of hurt. I decided I needed to bet for value on all the two pairs and sets.

I took a moment and decided I could go broke here, as long as the board didn't pair on the river. I chopped my current $50 stack in half and bet $25 - knowing that the river $25 would be a relatively small bet, more likely to be called. I was called again.

Best possible river card- a nine of hearts gave me the nut flush. I feigned deep though for a long time, counted my chips out (I already knew how many there were), and put them in. Villain gave it a few second's thought and then called, with AK, but no flush.

Tough call to make on a 4-flush board, but I can see where he couldn't put me on a hand. I bet every round, and all three rounds my hand improved from top/top, to nut straight, to nut flush.

I lost some of that back later on a failed bluff attempt - a new player at our game is an overbetter - and it seems to me that his bigger bets are weaker hands. He raised up 2 limpers to $7 - I decided to reraise him to $20 from the blind without looking at my cards. It didn't work, he called the bet and we saw a flop.

I took the chance to take "another" (first) look at my cards - ten-six offsuit. Bleah. I hit the ten, but a king and a jack made the board too nasty to continue with my bluff. I check/folded.

I will get the overbetter - I just might have to have a hand to do it.