So if you read my last post.. this next hand happened the following week. First some set up.. The hand was being discussed quite a bit, so 72 was def on peoples minds.

I got 72 in the BB. UTG raises to $15. This is a new player to the group but I have figured him out a bit. He loves to slow play his big hands. I have seen him limp in any position with AA, KK, AK, to which several people chastise him for not protecting his hand (he lost AA to 8T when he didnt raise pre-flop). So now his raise lets me know he has a big hand. 2 people call and I ask him, do you have AA again? He says yes. Then he says, "nah.. I only have 1 Ace". the way he said it, i beleived him. He has AK, AQ, AJ and maybe AT. I decide to just call and see the flop.

Flop is 972 and I check. He bets $20 into a pot of $62, smells weak to me! I know he could have AA, though I just don't think he does. I decide to call and make sure the turn isn't a scare card for me before deciding what to do.

Turn is a T, mayyyybe could have hit him, but I really think he has 2 big cards. I check. If he checks, I know my 7 is good, but he goes all in for $82. I think for a bit, and someone says "hes all-in, you can show" which is how we play.. so i turn over my cards and everyone stars laughing.

The last thing I thought of was.. if he had AA, no way he goes all in here, he would make a value bet and try to get me to committ more $$. The all-in looks to me like a bluff and he is trying to scare me away. Its $82 to me to win $184, but! its actually $82 to win $219 with 9 players each paying me $5 each. I am getting almost 3-1 and I think I am ahead. If he does have AT or AA (or KK, QQ, JJ) i still have a few outs. I call and he turns over AJ. :-)

Just to be safe, we run it 3 times and he doesn't hit any. Another big pot for me cuase of 72. :-)

And the kicker???? Poor sap has to reach in his pocket to get me his $5, LOL!!

We added the "72 (seven duece)" to our home game the same way they do on HSP, except we only pay $5 (2/5 game). We have seen our fair share or winners and losers, but I have been waiting patiently to make this play. Let me start by saying that all the 72s that have won, were on big pre-flop raises or big flop bets/raises. So....

I get dealt AA in the SB (BINGO!) and knew immediately what I was going to do, as I have been waiting for months to make this play. UTG limps in, as do 4 others putting the pot at $32. I raise to $45, UTG folds and next person who had limped eyes me funny. I KNOW he thiks I have 72, which is why i raised the way I did, just to make it look that way. He calls as does 1 other. Now.. this guy that called me loves to play back at me, cause I have pulled some big bluffs on him and shown it. Plus, he has adopted a new style of being very aggressive, betting at everything to test you, but he doesn't know when to back off (does it get any better than this??)

The flop comes 944 rainbow (sweeet!). I decide that there is no that either of these guys calls pre-flop with a 4 in their hand (34, 45 or A4 suited) and if they did, well heres my money....

The pot is $167 and I bet $130, he thinks and thinks and thinks. He asks me if I have 72 and i purposely hold my breath and freeze perfectly still (i know he read Navarros book on tells...) Finally someone calls time, and he goes all in for $533 total. The other player folds, I insta-call and turn over my AA and he shows AK. Ship it!! But a King on the turn gives him 2 outs and just to cover my ass... we run it 3 times and he misses, now SHIP IT!

No one had made this play which is why it worked so well. Everyone couldn't beleive I had AA nor put me anywhere near that hand. I love the way 72 can change a game.


One more.. separate post..

Can someone help me figure this out?

What are the odds of getting the same 2 cards, 3 hands in a row (6 handed), no suits?

I just got
9cQd
9cQd
9cQh

on PS.com.

Thanks!

I don't claim to be the best player, but I am def. top 2-3 at my home game, i win consistantly there. We have a WSOP pool going, each week we start with a $150 tourny, with 2-$100RB during the 1st 3 levels (10min). We take $600 out each week and by next May we will have enough to send 2 to the WSOP plus $2K travel, plus some $$ for 3-5th. I am currently in 1st and have cashed in the tourny 8 times (2-1st, 3-2nd, 3-3rd) for 62%. Not bad at all.

Then we go to a $1/$2 game with a $200 max, then $2/$5 at 10pm with a $400 max. There can easily be $5K in play, not bad for a small home game. The other night, this hand came up:
Late night action, 3-handed I have a little over $1000 in front of me

Here is the deal.. I have an incredibly loose/crazy/bluffer image with this group. I play a lot of garbage for cheap and when I hit..… I also raise with garbage and throw out either a check-raise with or bet out, but then show my hands. Of course I get paid alot when I have a big hand cause they just assume I am playing crap again. I know this group well now and have a good read on most.

In the BB looked down at KK. UTG makes it $12 ( back to $1/$2), SB folds and I make it $30. He smooth calls. I know this player well and he is the other top player in the group (7 cahses at 54%)

Flop is 9 high with 2 spades. I think for a few and bet $45, he thinks for a while and goes all-in for almost $400.


So.. back to the hand. I know he thinks I am f’n around again and he has a real hand. I know, cause he always thinks too long with a big hand, going over how he should play it. When he is drawing or bluffing, he acts quickly.

When he went all-in I insta-called and he turned over QQ and I dragged a pot of over $800.

Needless to say.. it was the last hand of the night.

Off to Vegas this weekend to play in a RollingStone Celeb/Pro tourny at the Hard Rock, will let ya know how it goes!

Playing Full Tilt FTOPS #6, $200 short handed. Made some great bluffs, got some great cards.. had great table image, allowed me to steal a ton. 2,555 entered, top 306 make the money.
I have $19K chips and am about 140th with just over 400+ left.
While in the SB, I have raised the BB 3 or 4 times out of 6-7 times, but had big hands everytime. AT, AK, AK, QQ. So I am sure he is getting annoyed. He has me covered and has $27K chips.

So... I get QQ in the SB and everyone folds around to me (blinds are 250/500) so I make it 1,800 (wanted to go a little bigger than 3x raise to maybe have him think I am stealing, and he will re-raise me with a worse hand)

He just calls.

Full Tilt Poker Game #2442987436: FTOPS Event #6 (17563285), Table 180 - 250/500 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:07:51 ET - 2025/05/17
Seat 1: Rip_AKo (4,610)
Seat 2: sb129397 (19,239)
Seat 3: Rossoblu (9,802)
Seat 4: Podiman (19,068)
Seat 5: TheStein (27,219)
Seat 6: optimistprime (3,346)
Rip_AKo antes 50
sb129397 antes 50
Rossoblu antes 50
Podiman antes 50
TheStein antes 50
optimistprime antes 50
Podiman posts the small blind of 250
TheStein posts the big blind of 500
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Podiman [Qd Qc]
optimistprime folds
Rip_AKo folds
sb129397 folds
Rossoblu folds
Podiman raises to 1,800
TheStein calls 1,300

At this point, I know I have the best hand, but praying no A or K on the flop. As long as there is no A or K, I am pushing. So the flop comes...


*** FLOP *** [Tc 5h Qh]

FLOPPED TOP SET!!!! I decide to wait about 10 seconds and check. I know there are 2 hearts but, he is pretty agressive and I think he will fire and I can check-raise him and get some extra $$$.

Podiman checks
TheStein bets 2,200
Podiman raises to 5,200
TheStein has 15 seconds left to act

Worked exactly as I planned it. But then he takes a long time to decide what to do... What could he have? Does he think I am on a total bluff and can steal?



TheStein raises to 25,369, and is all in
Podiman calls 12,018, and is all in
TheStein shows [5c 5s]
Podiman shows [Qd Qc]
Uncalled bet of 8,151 returned to TheStein

Can it get any better than this??? Set over Set! This will take me to $38K and up to about 25th place.



*** TURN *** [Tc 5h Qh] [Ah]

Yeah, bring it!




*** RIVER *** [Tc 5h Qh Ah] [5d]
TheStein shows four of a kind, Fives
Podiman shows a full house, Queens full of Fives
TheStein wins the pot (38,336) with four of a kind, Fives
Podiman: OMG
Podiman stands up

So sick... Was 4% to win on the flop and 2.2% on the turn to hit his one outer.
I hate online poker. And you thought I was emailing you a good hand huh?

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 38,336 | Rake 0
Board: [Tc 5h Qh Ah 5d]
Seat 1: Rip_AKo folded before the Flop
Seat 2: sb129397 folded before the Flop
Seat 3: Rossoblu (button) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: Podiman (small blind) showed [Qd Qc] and lost with a full house, Queens full of Fives
Seat 5: TheStein (big blind) showed [5c 5s] and won (38,336) with four of a kind, Fives
Seat 6: optimistprime folded before the flop

I'm going to jump out the window now. See ya later!