Got Nuts?

I broke $500 about a week back and following my bankroll rules I moved up to the $20 level. However, I lost three in a row due to bad beats, putting a $60+ dent in my bankroll. So I moved back down to the $10 level. Then, the cards went dead on me and I struggled to get things moving. Last night I had a good run and was able to break the $500 mark again, and as a bonus, picked up a couple of stories to tell.

Quad Aces

During the first sit 'n go I checked the big blind with A-rag. The flop came AAA. I wasn't really sure how to react. Obviously I had flopped the nuts. The question wasn't whether I would continue with the hand, but instead, how to extract as much money as possible from my opponent.

We were about half-way through the tournament and I had noticed that my opponent was very aggressive. First to act, most people would check in this position, hoping their opponent will take a stab at the pot. However, due to the aggression of my opponent I decided to throw in a small bet in the hopes that he would raise me, interpreting my small bet as weakness or as a probing bet. I bet about 1/3rd the pot. To my delight he immediately pushed all-in. I typed in the browser, "Sorry dude," and then called his bet. That was sweet!

The Royal Flush

However, things continued to improve. How could things improve you might ask? I'll tell ya! During the third sit 'n go I was on the button with KQ spades. A middle position player raised 3x and the cut-off called. I called and the blinds folded giving me position.

The flop came 4c As Ts, a royal flush draw. The pre-flop raiser bet about half the pot and the cut-off seat folded. I immediately thought about the quad aces I had flopped earlier. Maybe this was going to be another big hand! At this point I was on a draw so I just smooth called. I had the "correct" odds to call, but it really wouldn't have mattered... I am drawing to a royal flush. I ain't goin' nowhere!

The turn brings another spade completing my ace-high nut flush. My opponent has a little over 500 chips left and I have him covered. He checks to me. I thought about pushing all in here, after all I have the best hand. However, I REALLY wanted to see the river card for a chance to make my royal flush. Also, by giving him a free card, maybe his hand will improve and I will get more action. So I just checked, also hoping he would translate that as weakness.

The river brings the golden card, the jack of spades, to complete my royal flush. YA BABY! My opponent had a little over 500 chips left. He checks to me. Typically at this point I would think about how to get the rest of his money in the pot. But strangely enough, that wasn't my primary concern. My goal at this point was to show down my hand. After all, if you don't get a chance to show your royal flush, did it really happen (you know, the tree in the woods thing!)? But there is no way I am going to check the absolute nuts on the river. So I decided to make a small bet and hope that he called.

I bet 200, just under half of his remaining chips. He thought for a few seconds and then pushed all in. YA BABY (again!)!! I insta-called and was able to show down my royal flush (and knock him out at the same time).

Here's a screen shot from Tournament Indicator, the poker calculator that I use while playing tournament poker online. Not that I needed a calculator for this hand, but it is an invaluable tool for making solid decisions during sit 'n go's.

That was the hand I needed to get things moving. I went on to cash in this one and the next two, finally breaking the $500 mark. I played two $20 games after this and cashed in one, adding about $10 in profit. So I finished the night at about $515 with a couple of good stories to tell. Tonight I will focus on the $20 tables. Maybe my run will continue and I can break $600? We'll see!