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Skilful
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A longish but easy journey I'm here at Aspers! Got to love that Docklands Light Railway!

A short walk out of the station and there's only one building in my sights:- 

It's Super 88 today and I'm looking to take this down.

I stroll in past the roulette tables, dodging the chips flying through the air as the guy that just hit his 'lucky' 21 (for the first time in 200 spins!) lands back down on the floor.

I buy in and am escorted to my seat, just in time... play is about ready to start.

I sit down, in a great mood happy to be playing and soaking up the atmosphere.

“Hello gentlemen! Good luck” I announce.

I don't know what it is with poker but it always brings out that decent civilised side when we talk, why is that?

"Nice Hand sir."

"Hello Gentleman."

"Unlucky sir."

Sometimes I feel like I'm straight out of a Victorian novel. But it's worth it. That touch of class with the table banter. Nice. 

Well...

At least that's what me and the ONE other person on the whole table that akknowledged I even exist thinks.

I glance around at the other seven empty faces as the the words "shuffle up and deal" echo around the 100+ tables.

Middle position squints over his pitch black "tinted" glasses and just about manages to read his cards, casually making it 3bbs.

It folds to me.

On the button

with 8♦8♣.

I call.

 

Flop comes 8♥9♥A♠

I feel my heart starting to race and try to act normal, I do my best to look slightly bored as I glance over to my opponent in Middle position.

"ALL IN" he says. 


I better get this right. My whole tournament life might be on the line.

Let's analyse the hand: -

 

                                        (expand for full screen)

 

I make a super disciplined fold and inwardly give myself a high five for being such a pro.

There will be better spots over the next couple of days, I'm certain of it.

 

#Aspers88 

Hey Skilful, really nice post! Like it a lot ;) adding the right hashtag #Aspers88 

Hey, thanks very much Ina! and thank you for fixing my hastag!!

cat face is amazing.... " really man u did it?" wottalol

@Alessio Bianchi haha yeah i thought that little cat summed up our reaction on the flop

Just fixed the pot odds in the video, i forgot to subtract villians ante from his stack pf, made no difference to the decision but took me hours... plus side i have learnt a fair bit about video editing today lol

theres no way that hes shoving KQs QJs etc and why did you ignore him having two pair with hands like a9s A8s and 89s which are all far more likely to be shoved that KQs

 

 

I'm perfectly happy with my ranging. If you don't like my ranges, make your own post. :)

Good luck Gerry 

 

Thanks Michael!

I think its a fold, he played that hand very weird. He could a have a top set or middle set and i think straight flush, flush and straight draw their. The way of thinking picking up a better spot and get to know your opponent more is a good strategy, you have a lot of room to play more hands than to risk it to a coinflip. Good explanation of your analysis.

Thanks mstroflimitation! appreciate the support. If I had been faced with this hand a year ago I would have called it. It's only the last year or so I've come to realise the nuances in these kind of spots, mostly thanks to being exposed to the thinking of a friend / coach! I'm now more conservative in these kind of spots. Have a great weekend!

very good anlysis ! 

Thanks Core!

You had alot  of time to think about it and what I  can say is that everything  you have done regarding this promotion is amazing. Everything is spot on. Tell me something though. You do not have these tools at the table and you do not have as much time to work all of that out. Can you tell me when you read the promotion. What was ur gut instinct before research. Thanks 

Thanks @Mark Duguid  my gut instinct was fold, and ONLY because I have been in this spot and really got it drilled into me by my coach in the last few weeks, in less extreme examples (without a set but with hands I figured to be in front of villians value range) I used to always discount the equity the draws have in my mind.

My thought process use to be: I have likely the best hand here. He either has a worse hand or he's drawing so I'm getting it in.

Now I think what combined equity does his drawing range and his value range have vs my hand. So if I had answered this competition a month ago, my gut instinct would have probabally been different.

Thanks for your reply and best of luck 

Thanks, you too Mark