Target Acquistion: Cash Games

So you have a few minutes to play some poker, and you'd really like to make some money for your effort. I stink at cash games so I stick to the .10/.25 rooms until I know what the heck I'm doing.

Tonight I found a room where 50% or so of the players were seeing the flop on average. Loose. Very nice. The average pot was $2.35. Let's see. 4.5 players per flop means at least $1.00 in the pot post flop. And they can only get another $1.35 in there on average? Passive. Nice as well.

Loose + Passive =

Sweet.

Room name? Apple. Appropos.

There's a big stack in the room with about $40, but after I watched a few hands I concluded he was no Huck or Fornelli to say the least. He probably saw a lot of flops and got lucky.

First hand? AKo. Nice. Shorty with $4.50 puts in $2.00 pre-flop. Very cool. What does that mean folks? She has JJ or QQ. How do I know that? Well she wouldn't have been quite as happy about TT I imagine, and if she had rockets or kings she woulda min raised or some other goofy move. I decide to put her all in so I raise $9. Everything folds to her. And she folds her pocket JJ (after consulting with her husband she adds). I say "lol" and move on. She made the wrong decision, I get $2, life moves on.

Next hand, I get 4 4. Premium. Husband consulter raises to $2 (anyone want to put her on a hand? It's tough I know). Flop comes with Q x x. I. Somebody with a short stack goes all in with JQ, husband consulting girl calls with, drum roll please, QQ (nice), and I call with my MONSTER 4 4. Ok, so the total damage to my stack is $7.50 or so. I consider it an investment. I reload so I can get Big Boy's stack now that he knows I'm an idiot.

After a few hands, including a nice longball bluff, I'm dealt A T o, I raise $.75. And the following madness ensues.

Seat 1: Target ($42.55)
Seat 7: Virge ($28.70)

DrawChaser calls $0.50
Target calls $0.50
SittinHigh calls $0.50
*** FLOP *** [As Ts 8d]
Virge has 15 seconds left to act Took me a second to think about this. I want him to reraise me cuz he'll do that because he sees me with pp4, but I also want to a) pump up the pot and drive out the flush draw. Alas, I have a goal, Target. If he's on a flush draw then God bless him. I'll get him next hand if he hits.
Virge bets $1.55 Sounds about right.

DrawChaser has 15 seconds left to act I know he's on some kinda draw. Not flush because that's always instacall, must be some wierd str8 draw. Something tells me he's not calculating his outs and odds. (note that the names have been changed to protect the innocent)

DrawChaser calls $1.55 He said later he was chasing a double gotshot. Bless his heart.

Target raises to $6 I knew it! Ok, so he has an ace, better yet. He has Aces AND eights. How do I know? I don't know. It just feels right.

Virge raises to $27.95, and is all in I almost second guessed myself with "what if he has trips?" But no, I'm trusting my reads, remember?

DrawChaser has 15 seconds left to act
DrawChaser folds After some tough soul searching he decides his double gutshot isn't worth his buy-in.

Target calls $21.95 Yeah baby.
Virge shows [Tc Ah]
Target shows [8s Ad] Dead man's hand. Knew it.

Begin Rabbit Trail.

That makes two times I've called this hand spot on. First time was in a live game preflop with some guys standard raise. Wierd right? No. It's his favorite hand and I was watching him when he peaked at his cards. What did I have? Same hand. Got a lot of money in the pot on the flop. On the turn I told him "Your Aces and Eights aren't going to to win" and he folded. Pwned.

End Rabbit trail.

*** TURN *** [As Ts 8d] [2c]
*** RIVER *** [As Ts 8d 2c] [5d] Wow. No suckout.
Virge shows two pair, Aces and Tens
Target shows two pair, Aces and Eights
Virge wins the pot ($57.55) Pwned.

20 minutes. $20.50 profit. I am now profitable for A.D. 2006. Rock on.

ATo may become my new favorite hand. Profit for the week on this hand? ~$55

Now, for the screenshot: