Guess Complaining Works . . .

The session started off looking like it was going to be more of the same.  Cold decks and suckouts galore.  Eventually things turned around, particularly when the game got short handed which is my specialty.  But first things first.

I played a very interesting hand against Armor32, that I posted about here.  I opened with AQo in fairly early position and then David T cold called me in the cutoff and then Armor called in the big blind.  The flop came 66T two diamonds and Armor donked.  This is an extremely peculiar bet, and is both out of tempo and out of character for Armor.  If he did indeed have a big hand, I think it's still better to check/raise and he gets the cutoff trapped in for at least one bet, but by betting if I raise, he loses the cutoff from the hand.  So in my mind his range is very polarized to weak T's, big combo draws 87dd, 98dd, 97dd,  or a made monster 76s, 65s, 64s, or 66.  So I call, David T calls in the cutoff and we see a turn, which is an off suit queen.  Armor bets again. 

Now, I have a real decision to make here.  I can raise and try and blow David T out of the hand, but I am going to get 3-bet here a lot in my opinion by both made hands that I beat, made hands that crush me, and huge draws of Armor.  Given the combined range of hands that beat me plus hands that have huge draws, I'd rather just call and let Armor barrel through.  I should be ahead of David T here, as he doesn't have many sixes in his pre flop range other than 66 exactly, and shouldn't really have a ten here either with the flop action.  He could easily have a queen, but if he does, it's going to be KQ or QJ here every time, which I am clearly crushing.  The one hand that I am a little worried about is KQdd, which would give David T, top pair good kicker and second nut flush draw, and with me just calling both flop and turn, my hand is clearly under represented.

So I call, then the hand gets interesting.  David T now springs in a raise.  As soon as that happens I narrow David T's hand to almost exactly KQdd.  I was planning on 3-betting David T if Armor called or folded.  However Armor now 3-bets, and I have to fold.  David T calls, the river comes a black ace, Armor bets, and David T folds.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Armor had QT, that I have beat on the river, but can't handle the pressure on the turn.  If I raise the turn, unless it somehow gets capped backed to me, I am going to see the river and a showdown.  Now if Armor actually did have 66, he misplayed the turn, as he only get 4 big bets on the turn and river combined.  If he just calls the raise, I am going to call too, and then he can donk the river again, and get at least 5 or 6 or more big bets on the river.  Plus I'm sure Armor's range analysis of both David T's and my hand at game time speed is fairly accurate, and I did agonize over the turn fold, but eventually made it.

Later on Helen continues to run like a god against me.  Just a small smattering of hands.  I cap 99, when she light 3-bet with KTo.  Don't worry flop comes 9QJ with a flush draw, that doesn't get there and I don't fill up.  She played it perfectly post flop and got 5 big bets out of me on the turn and river.  Then I 3-bet her late position open with 77, while she has 87s.  Flop comes A45, and she check calls.  Turn is a 6 and she check raises me.  River is an A, just to insure that I pay off, since now I can beat a counterfeited two pair of 54, 65, and 64.

After this hand, I have to buy more chips and then I am finally allowed to start winning.  As the table got shorter, I kept applying more and more pressure both pre flop and post flop, and kept winning hand after hand. 

I finally got to be on the good side of a cold deck.  I opened with QQ and got called by the big blind with Q5s.  Flop comes QT8 rainbow.  I got check/raised and 3-bet the flop.  Turn comes a 5, I get check/raised-4bet and I just called and J9 is certainly in the big blind's range.  River comes another 5, and I get to raise/4bet and drag a monster.

Bout time, variance runs the other way in my opinion.