Saturday Poker at the Oaks: Doh!

Special $330 buy-in at Oaks.

Played well. Got some luck.

6-7 on the big blind. 5 callers.

Flop A-5-8. One player bet the pot of $600. The small blind called. I called. The turn was a 9...bingo. This time the guy bet $1,200. The small blind moved all in. I looked at the board a second time. Yeah, I have a straight. I moved all-in. The small blind had A-10.

I called a big cut-off raise on the small blind with A-J. Flop came J high. My opponent bet on flop, turn, and river. River completed both flush and straight. I called. He had pocket 5's.

I also slowed played top pairs with weak kicker three times, and someone always tried to steal the pot on the river. I called the river bet each time and won. I wanted to keep the pot small.

Another hand...player raised pre-flop to $1,900. Big blind $600. I called with pocket 10's. Flop came 5-3-2. He moved all-in. It would cost me $7,000. I thought a long while. He seemed to be trying very hard to get me to call, so I folded. He flipped over pocket Queens. Phew!!

Built up to $27,000..from $6,000.

After break, they moved an older guy to the table. He had more chips than me. But he was making all-in moves. One time he showed nothing when he had K-5. I figure I would trap him.

It was $400-$800, with $100 ante. I had K-J in middle position. Not a hand I want to go broke on. I raised to $2,100. Yes, this is a small ball bet size. Only the older guy in the big blind called.

Flop K-9-2. He checked and I checked. I knew he would bet big on the turn, so I would trap him and move all in.

The turn was a 4. He grabbed a bunch of chips and bet $7,000 into the pot of about $5,000. I moved all-in. He asked for a count. It would cost him $9,000 to call.

He called. He turned over K-Q. Doh!

Finished in 26th place.