I’m in a 10 – 20 Hold’em Texas game. Player to my left in a notoriously loose player who loves raising and will never fold one hand. I’m on BB and he blind straddles 20. Player in the middle raises, everyone calls, and then the straddle makes in 30. Original caps it at 40 and there six players in Pre-flop. I’m BB and holding pocketQueens. Flop comes up 2-6-8. I check, Straddle raises, Raiser re-raises, everyone else calls, I three-bet, straddle caps at 40 and two players fold. 4 players to the turn. Turn card comes up 10. I bet again, straddle raises again, original raiser folds, so does the other player…and I raise again. Straddle re-raises.I call thinking that he’s made a set. River card comes a 2. I check, he bets. I call. He shows me 92o! I nearly blow a gasket! What happened here? Was I just unlucky, or was I up against some real pro?
Answer 1:
Well obviously you were unlucky at the end, although the middle position raiser may have had something like AK, in which case you are the very slight favorite (assuming Mr. Straddle has junk, which he has). Also, given the fact so many players saw the flop, your Queens aren’t in great shape for most of the hand, and so mentally your hopes shouldn’t have been over high. It hurts like hell to suffer beats like that, but you HAVE to be philosophical about it. It’s thanks to players like Mr. Straddle that competent players make their money – not from great play, but by playing solid poker of percentages. Going into River there are a mere 5 cards (2, 2, and 9, 9, 9) that can help Mr. Straddle and the other 39 help you. That’s wonderfully in your favor, especially when the pot is so huge. You’ll get him next time and next time and next time and next time and next time and next time and next time and next time and probably the time after that too…
Answer 2:
In this situation I feel the best thing to do is tell Mr. Straddle nice catch, wow what a huge pot, and hope he continues to play like that.
Answer 3:
Did you consider cutting him for high card before the hand? Sounds like he would have played the hand the same way without looking at his cards. Therefore :
[1] Yes, it was a bad beat given the last card but your only option was to have put him on two pair somewhere along the line which might have curbed some of your betting. (No too sure myself where I would have slowed down, if he was truly a loose player.)
[2] Tell the dealer to load them up again … if your bankroll survives, you’ll get plenty of shots at this guy.