Subject: Reno Hilton World Poker Challenge - Day 16 From: greatbrit Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker Date: Mon, Jan 21, 2002 1:47 AM Message-ID: <3C4BE3C6.67905E79@pacbell.net> Today was the 1K no limit holdem, I think they had a small turnout of 33 or so and it was won by my nemesis Kheim Nguyen giving him back to back first place finishes, pretty impressive. Also today was the $225 limit holdem with a nice turnout of 102. I played great today but it all went wrong. I won with a set early on and had about 1400 (started with 1000), then a big hand came up where I was in the BB with AQ. A maniac limped in and a solid player raised, I called, maniac called. Flop was AQ7, I checked, maniac bet, solidguy raised, I called, maniac called. Turn 2, I checked, maniac bet, solid guy raised, I called, maniac raised, solid guy raised, I folded, I had to be up against at least one set. Maniac and solidguy went at it again on the turn and river, solidguy getting busted out with AQ, maniac had a real hand this time, 77. That hand cost me a lot of chips and I was now down to 700. Then a little later I raised with AK, maniac called and bet out the Qxx three suited flop, I folded, more chips gone. Soon I was down to 400 and had now seen that maniac guy would raise with junk and would bluff any flop, I was beginning to regret my AK laydown. He raised again, folded to me with Q7o in the BB. If someone ever asked you 'should I ever play Q7o', you'd probably answer, 'duh!', but maybe the real answer is 'it depends'. Knowing exactly how maniac guy would play the hand gives me a big advantage, if I hit the flop I could double up, if I missed I could bluff check-raise and get him out (someone stop me, I'm beginning to sound like Roy Cooke). The flop was J74, I checked, he bet as expected, I raised, he called. Perfect turn card J and second heart, I'm either totally dead or now I have him, I bet, he called. River 9, I am totally pot committed now and throw in my last half a bet, he calls, T9s, he was going for a gut shot with the board paired and two flush cards showing (not his flush cards), IGHN. I think I played it right, but I'm willing to listen to reason if you are now going 'duh!'. OK, quiz time, this is one of those lateral thinking puzzles; board is 226,9,6 rainbow. Player raised pre-flop with AQo and I called in the BB with KJs. I check-called the flop, we both checked the turn, I (semi) bluff bet the river with my KJ, he called with his AQ and I scooped the pot, what happened? If you want to guess, don't read on until you've thought about it.... Yes, the pot was awarded correctly... . . . Clue? OK... . He was in seat 10.... . . . . . got it? . . . . He didn't have any cards! He hadn't been protecting his hand (with a chip on the cards), the dealer had irretrievably mucked them on the flop and neither of us had noticed. I gave him back his last bet, he continued to fail to protect his cards for the rest of his stay. Tonight a bunch of us went to see Gosford Park, an excellent film, but I was the only one who knew what anyone was saying. When we left Linda Johnson was playing Amarillo Slim in a heads up limit Omaha hi/lo (they had rented a dealer and were playing for winner take all cash), I don't know how it ended, wish I'd been able to watch some more of the two foxes going at it. Tomorrow's main event is the 1K limit Omaha hi/lo, I'll be playing the 2pm $225 no limit holdem, I'd better not say I'm going to win it, just in case... Paul