I've just returned from a long weekend in Las Vegas. The trip wasn't really poker-related -- I was in town on other business. I did have the opportunity to play some poker, but I wasn't really in a poker mindset. Consequently, I stuck to the $1/$2 NL games (substantially lower than what I usually play), and played at some really small rooms on the mid-strip such as Imperial Palace, Harrah's, and Planet Hollywood.
I did have one truly extraordinary session at the Flamingo that's worth noting. I won more per hour and per big blind than I think I ever have before, and it was really two key hands that made it happen.
The instant I sat down at the table, with $300 in chips, I was dealt Ace/Jack offsuit. I was in late position (there was no blind posting for new players), and when it was folded to me I opened with a raise to $7. The only caller was the big blind, so it was heads-up to the flop.
The flop came Ace, Jack, Nine, so I had flopped two pair. My opponent checked, I bet about $20. It was an overbet to chase away the straight draws (there was no flush draw on the board). He raised me to around $75. Since I had just sat down on the table, I had no read on him. I was hoping he just had an Ace, although I suppose a set of nines was possible. But how can you get away from top two pair? I re-raised to $150, and he four-bet me all-in. I called. He had Ace/Nine, a lower two pair. The board bricked, and after one hand I had doubled up.
My very next hand was pocket Aces. I raised to $7 again and everybody folded, so I won $3 on that one.
The second key hand came near the end of the session. I was dealt the Ace/King of Clubs, again in late position. So beautiful! A loose kid on my right raised to $13 pre-flop. I called, as did the button, so it was three to the flop.
Ace, Queen, Nine rainbow came on the flop, so I had top pair with top kicker. The kid on my right checked, and I put out a bet of around $50 -- again, chasing away the straight drawers. The button called, the pre-flop raiser folded, and I was heads-up. I was hoping my opponent didn't have Ace/Queen! Maybe Ace with a worse kicker. Maybe even a straight draw paying a bad price. Regardless, even if I was ahead I would have to dodge possibly two cards that might pair my opponent.
The river was the Six of Diamonds. I thought, well, if I was ahead already, I probably still am. I bet $100, and my opponent just called again.
The turn was the Deuce of Spades. I put my opponent all-in -- around another $100 or so (I was the huge chip leader at the table had him, and everyone else, covered). He called. I rolled over my pair of Aces, surely losers at this point. He bellowed, "Nice River!" and showed his Queen/Five offsuit. Queen/Five!! He stomped away as the dealer pushed the pot to me. I turned to the guy next to me and said, "Nice river? What does he mean by that? The river didn't affect either of our hands." He said, "Well, that's just what losers say when they call off all their chips like that." I still think it's a weird thing to say in that circumstance.
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