[SpaceMonkey]

Perhaps this is more "story" themed, but it could also continue the discussion of small/middle pocket pairs in NLHE ring games. Maybe even evolve into another discussion. Then again, maybe this is just a standard line. Regardless, I hope it's enjoyable.

Start of the hand will be in the second post. Sorry for the wordiness of this preamble.

President's Day at Foxwoods. I go down in the morning with a buddy of mine, and later on a couple more buddies meet up with us. We get there around 8:30am, and both of us end up opening a new 1/2 NL table. A few hours later I get back from a restroom run, and one of my buddies is now seated to my left (in the 8 seat).

Buy in for this game is capped at only $100, so its not the greatest, but I tend to do well, though I do usually play the 2/5 instead. No rake, but $5 time charge per half hour. This day my initial buy in doesn't get cracked, but my stack does fluctuate between 60-150.

An orbit or two before the 88 hand, I'm down to about 60, and pick up QQ and double up through the 2 seat (quite a character nicknamed the BEE KEEPER). Three hands after that, I pick up QQ again, and double up through a horrible LAG on a luck streak with a stack of 1000. So I'm up to 336 when the hand starts. I haven't shown down too many hands, and most of the players are new to the table when the hand below starts.

A few words about the BEE KEEPER. He was wearing an old postal hat/safari hat and some Oakleys. Plus he had a fanny pack with sections for a stack of red chips and white chips. At one point he asked permission of the dealer to buy 10-20 whites from another player with red chips off the table, to keep the white chips in his fanny pack. He explained: "I use these other chips to tip with, that way my stack in play isn't affected". At one point he also ordered some food for lunch, which took quite a while to come. From the time he ordered the food, he opted to sit out until the food came. Mind you, he stayed at the table, and paid out his $5/half hour, but wouldn't play a hand. It took over an hour for the food to come, so he paid 2-3 time fees during that time. My theory was he didn't want to get his hands dirty from the cards and chips. I think I was right, as after his meal, he used two Fresh Naps and gave his hands a very thorough scrubbing.

BEE KEEPER played fairly tight. But he would make big plays in big pots every now and again. One hand I open raised to 10 in MP with the hammer, my buddy called, as did the SB and the BEE KEEPER in the BB. Flop came Axx and it was checked around. Turn is a 7, 1 check, I bet out 25, my buddy calls, SB folds, BEE KEEPER raises to 105. We both fold. My buddy asks me what I had, and laughs but doesn't believe me when I tell him. But the BK did this a couple more times, and always scooped the pot when this happend. On to the hand (finally!):

[SpaceMonkey]

BEE KEEPER is SB ($330)
MP has ~90
Hero has 336
Button has ~80

Hero has 8 8 in MP.
2 folds, 1 limp, hero calls, 3 folds, button raises to 12, BEE KEEPER calls, 1 fold, MP calls, hero calls.

Flop ($50) J 8 6
2 checks, hero checks, Button bets 25, BEE KEEPER raises to 75, MP calls, hero ... ?

Now I was thinking about betting after the 2 checks, but I saw that the Button was going to bet, and from my read preflop and now, I put him on AA/KK. So I let him bet. Also, when action was back on me, I saw Button was ready to throw his remaining 50 into the pot.

To be fair, Button preflop raise could have been 17 not 12. I don't really remember, but also it wouldn't have altered any of the action.

[Nugzy]

So......what happened?!?!?

[SpaceMonkey]

I'll post flop and turn action a little later. I just want to see what other people suggest doing here. Smooth call, min/small re-raise or a push?

[Nugzy]

So what about this BEE KEEPER? What was said when he wanted to buy chips for his fanny pack? If Im understanding this correctly, did he have lets say $380 on the table, and wanted to pull cash or chips from his pocket, and buy more white chips to use as tips? Are you even allowed to do that? I would think if you are in a $100 max buyin game, if you are over $100 you cant buy any chips. Or did he use red chips from his stack to buy white chips for tips?

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Nugzy

So what about this BEE KEEPER? What was said when he wanted to buy chips for his fanny pack? If Im understanding this correctly, did he have lets say $380 on the table, and wanted to pull cash or chips from his pocket, and buy more white chips to use as tips? Are you even allowed to do that? I would think if you are in a $100 max buyin game, if you are over $100 you cant buy any chips. Or did he use red chips from his stack to buy white chips for tips?

Yeah, I didn't explain that too clearly. He wasn't putting more money on the table. What happened was two people paid their time charge in white chips. He took 2 red chips out of his fanny pack, and asked to buy those whites, and would keep those off the table.

Once in while I'll see a player pay the time charge out of his pocket rather than out of his stack. Some dealers don't allow that. I've never seen a floor ruling on it.

He was quite the character.

[Vitesse304]

smooth call.

he's probably playing AJ or a big pair.

Your trips are likely good, but if he does have trip J's, just rebuy...it's a cash game!

[Ramstone]

I'm in the push camp. All the moneys going in anyway.

This b-keepers a hoot. I'll have to look for him next time.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Push it. Push it real good! It's a pretty safe flop, but no need to let a straight draw develop or anything like that.

[gwilkx]

sounds like there's about $225 in the pot and it's $75 to you. so if you push and take the pot down now, you'll have about $560 in your stack.

BK's raise to $75 isn't all that scary, since he's basically putting the other 2 people all-in.

If BK has JJ you're going to lose all of your chips, and you're going to end up seeing the river against MP and (likely) button as well.

I think this flop is about as good as it gets for middle set. I don't mind keeping BK around for one more card.

I probably make it $150 to go.

gw-

(hey - that was my 300th post!)