Punishing Limpers...

$2/$4 (9-handed)
*** HOLE CARDS ***
UTG ($1,101) - call
BLACKCHIPS ($408) raises to $22 from CO with (Js 8s) - (a double gapper with two SPADES from the CO, pretty much a no brainer raise!)
UTG - calls $22

*** FLOP *** (Qh Tc 9s) - (I fropped the second nuts, let's take this to valuetown!)
UTG - check
BLACKCHIPS - bet $46
UTG - call- (not exactly sure what he limped here, maybe JT?)

*** TURN *** (Qh Tc 9s) (6h) - (LOVING this turn card)
UTG - check
BLACKCHIPS - bet $118 - (no need to slowplay, gotta bet again)
UTG - calls $118 - (if he's check calling with JT, that's just terrible, could he have fropped the nuts with KJ?)

*** RIVER *** (Qh Tc 9s 6h) (8h) - (not the greatest river card, backdoor hearts got there, and and now we are chopping if he has any J)
UTG - check
BLACKCHIPS - bet $223.30 - (he has check called 2 streets, I'm fawking clueless as to his holdings...time to SHOVE. If he has KJ...so be it)
UTG - calls $223.30

*** SUMMARY ***
UTG - mucked (As Ad) - a pair of Aces - (WTF?!?!?!?)
BLACKCHIPS - wins the pot ($823.60) with a straight, Queen high

Obviously this game can be pretty easy when you flop the second nuts, but the focus here is not so much the end result, I wanted to hit on 2 things - the virrain's terrible pray and bet sizing.

Virrain's terrible pray - the AA UTG limp is fine. However, for whatever reason he decides to get super tricky and not re-raise me when I raise from the CO. WTF? Does he not know that I open roughly 143% of the time from the CO? Onto the frop, which is just GROSS for an overpair...and I don't blame him for not folding to my c-bet. However, as the hand progressed and he continued to check call, he never defined the strength of his hand. By the river, he could only beat a bruff and AQ, KQ, KK. I think for whatever reason he got so attached to holding the A of SPADES that he couldn't fold, ROR! Little did he know that I had TWO spades in my hand, and two is always better than one! PWND!

Bet sizing - the ability to extract MAX value in hands can be the difference between a winning/losing player. It goes without saying that the object of NLHE is to win the most MONIESSSS. That means winning big pots and getting as much your stack in the middle when you have the best of it. Could I have slowplayed the flop when I flopped gin? Sure, but there's NO WAY I would have been able to get my entire stack in the middle by the river without some weird overbet on the turn/river. I started with an effective 100bb stack (virrain had me covered) and by making two BIG bets (80%+ of pot) on the frop and turn, I left myself with a potish-sized bet river bet that he chose to donkishly call. If I had decided to check anyone of those streets, I LOSE the ENORMOUS value from missing the river bet of $223.30. Folks - get max value out of your big hands with proper bet sizing...it will help you sleep better at night.

BRACKCHIPS


He's pretty much gotta call the river...I mean you're also shoving 85o there rike every time...for varue!

BRUECHIPS