A Session Against CTS

So I was having another really good day yesterday and was up about 4K when I saw CTS sit down at one of the 5/10 tables. Since I was running well and it’s not every day you decline a wait list seat to see Cole sit down instead I decided to rejoin that table’s waiting list as well as the other three tables that Cole was sitting on. I knew that playing Cole probably wasn’t the best idea in terms of short-term EV but I felt that, since Cole was almost certainly recording a video, I might get some nice feedback on my play which would make it somewhat worthwhile in the long run (much the same reason that I sat down in Eric Liu’s video earlier in the year). I also think that testing yourself every now and then by playing against a top pro (as well as the four other regs who want to challenge him) isn’t that bad an idea and is an opportunity worth taking.

Anyway, in the hour or so that I play at Cole’s tables I proceed to get stacked by him not once, not twice, but three times…

The first was the worst and happened just a few orbits into the session. I definitely think I should have folded to Cole’s 4-bet as he’s not going to be opening too light with the shortstack in the big blind to begin with and he’s certainly not 4-betting air versus an unknown (which I was) immediately.

No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($200)

UTG ($1015)

MP ($391)

CO ($180)

Cole South ($1092)

Hero (SB) ($1005)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 8, 8

3 folds, Cole South raises $35, Hero raises $120, 1 fold, Cole South raises $235, Hero raises $880 (All-In), Cole South calls $735

Flop: ($2020) 4, 9, 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($2020) 10 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($2020) 7 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $2020

Cole South had J, J (one pair, Jacks).

Hero had 8, 8 (one pair, eights).

Outcome: Button won $2017

The second hand was really standard. I had QQ in the big blind and Cole had AK in the small blind. Not much is ever happening here other than us getting our stacks in preflop. I lose the race.

No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($185)

MP ($1000)

CO ($356)

Button ($180)

Cole South ($2159)

Hero (BB) ($1000)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, Q

4 folds, Cole South raises $25, Hero raises $90, Cole South raises $230, Hero raises $900 (All-In), Cole South calls $740

Flop: ($2000) J, 10, 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($2000) 8 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($2000) 2 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $2000

Cole South had A, K (flush, King high).

Hero had Q, Q (one pair, Queens).

Outcome: Cole South won $1997

In the third hand we’re 170bb deep and I proceed to run KK into AA for the fifth time this week. Cole opened UTG, I flatted in MP, and a player on the button squeezed. Since I had no previous hands on this player I was pretty sure he was taking a shot at 5/10 and was simply excited to be playing with Cole. Indeed he kept asking CTS whether he was recording a video and his stats so far suggested that he was probably a bit fishy. So I was obviously really happy with this squeeze and expected Cole to fold and me to get it in against the button in great shape. When its folded back to Cole however he proceeds to 4-bet which I guess should set off alarm bells but I have KK so I don’t really think twice before 5-betting. The button folds and Cole ships it in and straight away I realise I’m pretty much stuffed. I type ‘man…’ in the chatbox and think about tanking as I think this is genuinely a spot where I’m up against KK+ only. But then I realise that a) I’m probably not going to fold this anyway and b) if I tank and call and end up being ahead I’m going to look like a tool in the video so I make the call in pretty quick time. He does show AA and I can’t suck out. I think if we were a bit deeper, maybe 250bb and definitely 300bb I could find a fold here. I’d probably tank and tank and tank and eventually time out muttering how sick it was. But I don’t think I can ever really fold Kings v Cole for 170bbs.

No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($4839.50)

Button ($1007)

SB ($2745)

BB ($1067)

Cole South ($2316)

Hero (MP) ($1702)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, K

Cole South raises $35, Hero calls $35, 1 fold, Button raises $147, 2 folds, Cole South raises $255, Hero raises $631, 1 fold, Cole South raises $2026 (All-In), Hero calls $1036 (All-In)

Flop: ($3566) 4, 5, 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($3566) J (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($3566) 4 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $3566

Cole South had A, A (two pair, Aces and fours).

Results in white below:

Cole South had A, A (two pair, Aces and fours).

Hero had K, K (two pair, Kings and fours).

Outcome: Cole South won $4177

By the time I quit I actually managed to recoup my losses which was really nice. I won a race versus a reg (AK v QQ), stacked one of the fishier players after he cold-called a 3-bet from the small blind and I flopped trips with 75s, and generally managed to chip up nicely from people trying to make moves for the video when I held the virtual nuts. Overall I finished up $4,800 yesterday which was a really nice result for me, especially after my big $8000 day the day before. Let’s just hope the good luck continues (i.e. I keep hitting loads of sets but I stop running kings into aces and my sets start to hold up versus draws)!

Here’s my graph for the last week, by far my best week ever.