10/20 NL Shot

So I fired up SpadeEye this afternoon and scanned both Party and Full Tilt as I usually do before I play. Between the two sites, from 2/4 through to 5/10, there were maybe only 7 fish total (35+ VPIP with a low preflop raise), a very low number indeed (and this was despite me having 80% coverage on Party and about 65% on Full Tilt). So I joined 5 or so wait lists and spent the first fifteen minutes playing just one table, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for other seats to free up. Eventually, I got a bit impatient so I decided to scan the 10/20 tables to see if there were any fish lurking. I didn’t really expect to see anything as I had never actually datamined 10/20, so any stats that I did have would have to have come from some mid-stake player taking a shot. As it turned out, lo and behold, there it was, a fishy-looking player playing 61/27/1. At this point, I opened up the table and had a look; a seat was free two to his left. If I wanted, I could have position on him. Frankly though, I didn’t know whether to take the seat or not. On the one hand, this was by far the weakest player in my scans thus far. On the other, I would have to play 10/20, a level that I had never played before and one that I was not at all rolled for. So I sat there wondering what to do and of course the seat gets taken by another player. In some ways, I was relieved at this outcome as the choice was out of my hands now; after all, I couldn’t take the seat if I wanted to! But a part of me knew that this was a golden chance to take a shot at 10/20. So I joined the wait list and watched the table carefully, trying to learn as much as I could about all the players at the table before a seat re-opened. A seat did eventually open and it actually turned out to be the same one. A sign, perhaps?

Anyway, here’s my first hand, and my very first hand at 10/20 ever, dealt A3c in the big blind.

Party Poker, $10/$20 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter


Hero (BB): $2,000

UTG: $2,961.50

MP: $1,227

CO: $5,561

BTN: $2,542.22

SB: $5,950

Pre-Flop: A 3 dealt to Hero (BB)

3 folds, BTN raises to $70, SB calls $60, Hero calls $50

Flop: ($210) 2 5 6 (3 Players)

SB checks, Hero checks, BTN bets $207, SB folds, Hero raises to $650, BTN raises to $2,472.22 and is All-In, Hero calls $1,280 and is All-In

Turn: ($4,070) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)


River: ($4,070) K (2 Players - 1 is All-In)


Results: $4,070 Pot ($545.22 Rake)
Hero showed A 3 and LOST (-$2,000 NET)
BTN showed 7 7and WON $3,524.78 (+$1,524.78 NET)

Stacked first hand…what a start!

I contemplate leaving but play on as it becomes pretty apparent that this is a very weak table for 10/20. The player seated directly to my left is playing something like 52/28/3 while the player two to my left is playing 32/9/1. The three weaker players are seeing just about every flop so I figure that all I need to do is to hit a big hand and get paid off. Then, after about 20 minutes, this hand comes up…

Party Poker, $10/$20 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter


Hero (MP): $2,000

CO: $2,763

BTN: $1,897.08

SB: $5,531

BB: $4,615.22

UTG: $6,305

Pre-Flop: 5 6 dealt to Hero (MP)

UTG folds, Hero raises to $70, CO calls $70, 2 folds, BB calls $50

Flop: ($220) 6 6 3 (3 Players)

BB checks, Hero bets $160, CO calls $160, BB calls $160

Turn: ($700) J (3 Players)

BB checks, Hero bets $525, CO calls $525, BB calls $525

River: ($2,275) 5 (3 Players)
BB bets $600, Hero raises to $1,245 and is All-In, CO calls $1,245, BB folds

Results: $5,365 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed 5 6 and WON $5,362 (+$3,362 NET)
CO showed K 6and LOST (-$2,000 NET)

Ship the $5,400 pot!!! Yes, I know, I got very lucky, but man, 5K! Are you for real!? I remember when I first started playing poker I used to get a real thrill from winning pots, from making big bluffs, from being all-in. It’s natural that these feelings should grow duller as you play more but today I felt them again and I have to say that I loved it. I think it really reminded me of why I began playing this game and why I still play it.

Anyway, here’s how I finished up for the day. Not bad for 70 minutes work!