By lakong on May 15th, 2009 (more posts by author)

I was invited to a home game up in the Valley last night. The lineup was made up of some great guys, all of whom are highly successful internet founders. One guy founded pricegrabber, another ifilm. Great group. The quality of the poker was typical for a home game. The bet sizing was all over the place. Sometimes guys would be $20 into a $150 pot and other times go all in for $2000 into a $200 pot! Some of the players were fairly competent, but the drugs and drinks brought the quality of play down a few notches.

The game was NL, $2/4 with a $300 buy-in. You could buy back in for any amount, so after a few hours most stacks were in the $1000+ range. We also had a $20 per man 2-7 prop bet going on -- if you win with 2-7 you win $20 from each player.

I was up a few hundred from the game and won't go into many hands, but three were worth noting.

Hand 1:

I have AQ on button -- effective stacks about $800. $20 raise from mid-position player, I make it $75 and BB calls. Flop comes 88Tr. Checked to me, I make it $150, both call. 5 on turn, check all around. T on river, so board is now 88TT5. BB makes it $150. Second player takes a bit of time and calls. I contemplate fold or call. Ending up calling and everyone was pretty impressed when I split the pot with the 2nd player who also had AQ. First guy had 77. I think I really missed an opportunity to push the river. The 2nd player was very, very likely to have an A and almost certainly didn't have me beat. If he has an 8 he definitely leads flop or turn or perhaps check raises. If he has a T he certainly raises river. The blind could have had a T, but likely bets the turn or bets much more on river.

Hand 2:

Mid position player opens for $50 late in night. I tell him that he 100% has 72 and he starts laughing and it's clear I'm right. I call with 8To. Button calls too. Flop comes QT5 all spades, I do not have a spade.

72 guy plays with chips and contemplates bet. I tell him that I'll call anything. He says 'what if I push?' and I tell him I'm not sure, but maybe I don't call a push. He checks, I check, button makes it $100, we both call.

Turn offsuit 3. 72 guy pushes, he has me covered, I have $1200. Hmmm. I really don't feel I can even consider calling with the button still in the hand so I fold. Button folds two red kinds. 72 guy turns over his 72. Interesting. Not sure what I do if I was the only one left in the hand. I would have hoped I could call it.

Hand 3:

Just to show you the kind of game this was... MP makes it $20, I make it $75 with QQ. LP makes it $200. Folded to me and I go all-in for $300 more. LP calls with AT! My hand holds.