Why is it...

...that you sometimes get a hand and go "ooohh, that looks nice", although it may not be a good hand, "i'll play that". Then you see a raise and a reraise in front of you and you still want to play it. Now, in your mind, it has gone from a cute, speculative, "see a cheap flop" hand into a well disguised monster which, if you called the reraise would be so well disguised (as only a mentalist would play it in this situation) that given the 220 to 1 shot at the perfect flop - like 555 - your 75 of diamonds could crack someones big pocket pair.

Just busted from a low buy in tourney on pokerstars - a load of loose bastards - no raises were being respected. I find this a difficult situation in poker. Do you still make the raises anyway even though you'll get 11 callers (the table only seats 9 for Christs sake). Or do you limp more and hope to hit more flops. I remember when i first started playing Omaha i would lose so much money by raising pre flop - then i made a tonne back by limping and playing the flop better than most at the table.

Anyway - how i busted here was quite interesting.

I am in the sb and see about 5 limpers and have A10. I have just limped in this same spot with a decent hand last time so i decide to raise. I raise about 5x the bb and clear everyone except one who makes a simple call. I love this by the way. People go "erm, right its only 50 lets see a flop, oh! now its 5x that amount, well ok, if you say so" and pay up. Anyway the flop came down Ax5 with 2 spades. I know i have the best hand and hope he has a weaker A. I bet the pot and he flat calls, now i am sure he has a weak ace. The turn comes Q. I move all in and he instantly calls.

What has he got here ladies and gentlemen. Pocket Queens. Is the answer to this conundrum. Needless to say i didn't put him on this hand and the play is just ridiculous from start to finish.

Lets take a look at what happens inside his mind.

1) Ohhhh pocket queens in good position! Oh, there have been several limpers though. Shall i raise. Naah, they'll be alright, plus if i do everyine will know i have queens. No, i'll just call, just in case.
2) Someone out of position has raised strong - perfect time to reraise - actually, do you know what. I'm feeling frisky. I'll just call
3) Shit! thats not a nice flop look at that horrible overcard -and i know all too well most players love to play with an ace in hand
4) Oh my God he has bet the entire pot! - he's obviouly confident - does a Q beat an A again?? Oh God, Oh God? quick pass me SuperSystem - Shit! Whats that? Oh no! My time is running out. Fuck! Call. Oh Shit!
5) Oh! Cool! a Queen. Wow i hit a 2 outer! I really am a cunt.

Sometimes i despair i really do.

All is not lost though. I am taking a tip from UKGatsby's blog (see link right) and playing small mtt's. Played a dollar one today and cashed for 3 dollars. Fkin check the profit/ ROI stats on that badboy. Bring it on

By the way his blog is a good read as too is his associate Highstack (again see link). I am going out on a limb here but this may well be the funniest blog i have read so far. I am only a few months in but, its probably a northern thing, he is so rude and blunt, no messing straight to the point. Not only is it admirable but its often flipping from hillarity to tragedy from post to post.

Enjoy whatever it is you are doing (unless its murder- thats bad mmnnnooookkkayyy)and may you all win big. Yes big my friends, bigger than you ever dreamt of, so you can sack off these bull shit jobs and run, run naked like small children through fields of cash.