Dead Money Poker Satellite Final Table (kind of...) part 5
Okay... didn't wrap this up, so let's fast forward the No Limit Texas Hold'em poker action to the final table and some heads up play. As the dust settled my chip stack and Keenan the kid from New York were the last two still alive. Keenan had established himself as a solid poker player with a good head on his shoulders and an eye for the game. Perhaps he was a little too much of an online player because he had some tells that were pretty straight forward.
For example, many players even those trying to maintain a poker face do that little opposite expression we all did as kids playing poker for the first time and Keenan was no different. This is slightly different than the micro-expression, which is when a player can't help but hide his delight or displeasure with his hole cards for a micro-second a tool authorities utilize to determine if a person is lying or not because even the best liars can't help themselves from leaking out a tiny moment of genuine reaction but it's kind of along the same lines.
At some point of playing live poker (again, usually as children) we'd frown and furrow like bad actors when we'd see a favorable hand, and smile when we'd see a terrible one. Some players I notice do that for a split second almost like a reverse micro-expression, catch themselves and stop the behavior. Keenan would look at his hand, a beat would pass, and then he'd either frown for a moment or kinda smile. I noticed when he'd fold to raises after the little grin that perhaps this tell was worth paying attention to... it was.
So when heads up action began I felt I had an edge on him. He didn't do this every time he looked at his hand but he did it enough during the game that I was able to fold some hands I wouldn't normally. Kind of weird that a poker player would start to act and then stifle himself and you could use the whole strong is weak and weak is strong line of thinking successfully, but this was a case where that was true. Considering Keenan is a guy who likes to play online poker you'd think his tells would be more transparent rather than cloaked in a little bit of misdirection.
With the blinds not really putting either one of us in danger, but me with a substantial chip lead, we took little stabs at each other. I felt like Keenan (who I hope is reading this and takes my observations as helpful advice and not criticism) didn't raise nearly enough when he was the button. The power of position is worth pumping the pot a little bit. I also felt like he fell in to a bit of an A... B... C... style. Granted my chip stack curtailed his aggression a little bit as he had a finite amount of bullets to fire at me but I started to bet when he checked and fold when he'd raise.
Almost a level into things I looked down at A2. Now, I forget the action whether I was on the button or in the big blind. I feel like I acted first on most streets so I suspect I was the big blind (if we were doing things correctly). I must have checked the flop.
I know I checked the turn. And then he raised the river. I shoved he called and I had him gobsmacked. Ya'll probably want to know the cards.
Okay the flop came A9A. Turn was an A. River was a deuce.
You can see why I was check happy. As the river was about to come I was praying for a low card and certainly didn't expect a deuce would help me.
When Keenan bet I thought he was just posturing. So, I tried to figure out if there was anyway I could get a lesser hand to call me as I held most of the cards that matched the board. I said, "So what you are saying is a King is no good?" I tried to do my Mickey Rourke impression and get my Oscar award winning acting on... I don't know if it worked and later found out it wasn't necessary.
After I shoved and he insta-called I was elated and quickly told him I had quads. Wow. Not many times do I think I will win a tournament with quad aces. Would be nice if it was every tournament but unlikely.
Keenan showed 7-2. Hard for him to give me credit for an Ace or a 9 for that matter. Too many aces out there for me to have the case ace, and if I had a nine I probably would have bet it somewhere. Thus, to him his full house with his 2 had to be good. He confided had I bet it on any street he was folding until he hit the river 2. So I got lucky. It is certainly a memorable hand (though can't be that memorable if I don't recall whether I was the Big Blind or not). He also said my Hollywooding was irrelevant.
For example, many players even those trying to maintain a poker face do that little opposite expression we all did as kids playing poker for the first time and Keenan was no different. This is slightly different than the micro-expression, which is when a player can't help but hide his delight or displeasure with his hole cards for a micro-second a tool authorities utilize to determine if a person is lying or not because even the best liars can't help themselves from leaking out a tiny moment of genuine reaction but it's kind of along the same lines.
At some point of playing live poker (again, usually as children) we'd frown and furrow like bad actors when we'd see a favorable hand, and smile when we'd see a terrible one. Some players I notice do that for a split second almost like a reverse micro-expression, catch themselves and stop the behavior. Keenan would look at his hand, a beat would pass, and then he'd either frown for a moment or kinda smile. I noticed when he'd fold to raises after the little grin that perhaps this tell was worth paying attention to... it was.
So when heads up action began I felt I had an edge on him. He didn't do this every time he looked at his hand but he did it enough during the game that I was able to fold some hands I wouldn't normally. Kind of weird that a poker player would start to act and then stifle himself and you could use the whole strong is weak and weak is strong line of thinking successfully, but this was a case where that was true. Considering Keenan is a guy who likes to play online poker you'd think his tells would be more transparent rather than cloaked in a little bit of misdirection.
With the blinds not really putting either one of us in danger, but me with a substantial chip lead, we took little stabs at each other. I felt like Keenan (who I hope is reading this and takes my observations as helpful advice and not criticism) didn't raise nearly enough when he was the button. The power of position is worth pumping the pot a little bit. I also felt like he fell in to a bit of an A... B... C... style. Granted my chip stack curtailed his aggression a little bit as he had a finite amount of bullets to fire at me but I started to bet when he checked and fold when he'd raise.
Almost a level into things I looked down at A2. Now, I forget the action whether I was on the button or in the big blind. I feel like I acted first on most streets so I suspect I was the big blind (if we were doing things correctly). I must have checked the flop.
I know I checked the turn. And then he raised the river. I shoved he called and I had him gobsmacked. Ya'll probably want to know the cards.
Okay the flop came A9A. Turn was an A. River was a deuce.
You can see why I was check happy. As the river was about to come I was praying for a low card and certainly didn't expect a deuce would help me.
When Keenan bet I thought he was just posturing. So, I tried to figure out if there was anyway I could get a lesser hand to call me as I held most of the cards that matched the board. I said, "So what you are saying is a King is no good?" I tried to do my Mickey Rourke impression and get my Oscar award winning acting on... I don't know if it worked and later found out it wasn't necessary.
After I shoved and he insta-called I was elated and quickly told him I had quads. Wow. Not many times do I think I will win a tournament with quad aces. Would be nice if it was every tournament but unlikely.
Keenan showed 7-2. Hard for him to give me credit for an Ace or a 9 for that matter. Too many aces out there for me to have the case ace, and if I had a nine I probably would have bet it somewhere. Thus, to him his full house with his 2 had to be good. He confided had I bet it on any street he was folding until he hit the river 2. So I got lucky. It is certainly a memorable hand (though can't be that memorable if I don't recall whether I was the Big Blind or not). He also said my Hollywooding was irrelevant.
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