An Interesting Hand of Limit Poker....

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An Interesting Hand of Limit Poker....

I have been playing mostly limit poker at the $15-$30 tables at the Oaks. Yesterday, the traffic was so bad, I decided to forget the bridge and head north to Casino 101.

The highest level at limit hold'em at the Oaks is $4-$8 with a half-kill. After $15-$30, it was like playing for pennies.

Probably the most important thing at any limit hold'em cash game is to figure out how the table plays. That is, is it one where a lot of players enter pre-flop or not. If they do, it means you have to adjust your starting hand selection. High cards go down in value and suited cards go up in value.

For example, a hand like K-J is a loser, while K-J can be a big winner. A hand like pocket Aces is going to lose a lot more often as well, since so many players will see the flop.

The Interesting Hand

It is a half-kill hand....so the level is $6-$12. I am in the big blind for $4.

One player raises to $12 pre-flop and 6 players call. I peek at my cards and find a monster...6c and 2c. I call.

The flop is 2d-4c-7c.

I bet out, the pre-flop raiser makes it two bets, I make it three bets and he caps.
Oh, there are three other players who call all these raises. It is now 5 handed.

Turn is a 5c. I have my flush and the inside straight flush draw.

I bet out again, and the same raising war happens. The betting is capped on the turn. Believe it or not, there are 4 players in the hand to see the river.

The river is a 10h. I bet and get called in three places.

My flush wins.

If this raising happened at the $15-$30 game, I would probably have lost to a bigger or nut flush.

What did the other players have?

The pre-flop raisers had pocket Aces (neither a club). He actually thought he was going to win the hand on the river!

Another player had a set on the flop and never once raised.

Another player said he needed my 6 of clubs to make a straight flush. And he said, he had the 3 of clubs which would make my straight flush. What did he have?

It was far and away the biggest pot of the night while I was in the game.