It's really cool that you found my journal. I think it's interesting,
since online poker is such a detached thing, for someone I've played
online to actually come and find my journal. I presume you found it
by googling for your username.
It's also very interesting to me that you are such a thoughtful player.
I had you totally pegged wrong; I thought you were a hyperaggressive
without warrant, but obviously you are pretty thoughtful player. It's
a good lesson for me: don't make snap assessments of players based on
only a few observations. I invite you to continue reading and
commenting on other parts of my journal.
My criticism is not to say I've never called with a small suited ace
from early position, but that I think it was a bad call in that game.
There was a good amount of raising there preflop, and I would have
felt that limping from early position would likely yield a raise.
Even if the guy ahead of you is making some bad plays, you have to
worry about a good number of people behind you, even 7-handed.
But, assuming I'd seen the flop and called the raise from the big blind
for odds to see if I could outflop, I think I'd fold that holding on
the flop. The only hand you're beating that you can possibly put me
on is AK suited, given my past play in that game; I do recall I was
playing quite tight in that game.
I see why you considered the raise, because it would slow me down if I
did only have top pair and you might catch a free river card if I just
call and check the turn. However, I think it's difficult to consider
the remaining aces your outs, because AQ or AA is such a
possibilities. Plus, with most holdings, I am going to three-bet you
on the flop, as I did. You realistically have three outs, I think:
the remaining fives and the running flush draw (using the "running
flush draw is an extra out" rule of thumb.
Also, in this situation, you have a player behind you. I honestly
don't remember what kind of player this was -- I vaguely remember him
as a calling station. So, in some sense, you might have implied odds
to call me in that situation, since you had 1-to-9.5 direct pot
odds and the 1-to-10.5 if the guy behind you calls. The problem with
the raise is that it reopens the betting and allows me to three-bet.
The calling play seems a bit weak, but given that it might induce a
call behind you (while he did call two bets cold, you can't be sure he
would).
I now actually don't think I played the hand perfectly. I think that
given your aggression that particular day, I might have gotten a bet
from you on the flop, and I could have check-raised. We might have
gotten a cap on the flop. Of course, the 5 would still have
devastated me, but I would have gotten more bets in when I was
winning.
Re: That's what I thought
It's really cool that you found my journal. I think it's interesting, since online poker is such a detached thing, for someone I've played online to actually come and find my journal. I presume you found it by googling for your username.
It's also very interesting to me that you are such a thoughtful player. I had you totally pegged wrong; I thought you were a hyperaggressive without warrant, but obviously you are pretty thoughtful player. It's a good lesson for me: don't make snap assessments of players based on only a few observations. I invite you to continue reading and commenting on other parts of my journal.
My criticism is not to say I've never called with a small suited ace from early position, but that I think it was a bad call in that game. There was a good amount of raising there preflop, and I would have felt that limping from early position would likely yield a raise. Even if the guy ahead of you is making some bad plays, you have to worry about a good number of people behind you, even 7-handed.
But, assuming I'd seen the flop and called the raise from the big blind for odds to see if I could outflop, I think I'd fold that holding on the flop. The only hand you're beating that you can possibly put me on is AK suited, given my past play in that game; I do recall I was playing quite tight in that game.
I see why you considered the raise, because it would slow me down if I did only have top pair and you might catch a free river card if I just call and check the turn. However, I think it's difficult to consider the remaining aces your outs, because AQ or AA is such a possibilities. Plus, with most holdings, I am going to three-bet you on the flop, as I did. You realistically have three outs, I think: the remaining fives and the running flush draw (using the "running flush draw is an extra out" rule of thumb.
Also, in this situation, you have a player behind you. I honestly don't remember what kind of player this was -- I vaguely remember him as a calling station. So, in some sense, you might have implied odds to call me in that situation, since you had 1-to-9.5 direct pot odds and the 1-to-10.5 if the guy behind you calls. The problem with the raise is that it reopens the betting and allows me to three-bet. The calling play seems a bit weak, but given that it might induce a call behind you (while he did call two bets cold, you can't be sure he would).
I now actually don't think I played the hand perfectly. I think that given your aggression that particular day, I might have gotten a bet from you on the flop, and I could have check-raised. We might have gotten a cap on the flop. Of course, the 5 would still have devastated me, but I would have gotten more bets in when I was winning.