Triple Draw Lowball

With the popularity of hold 'em these days, it is hard to imagine that people actually play other varieties of poker. Obviously, all of the easy money is in no limit hold 'em these days, but I like some variety in my poker playing. I've always made it a point to try and make myself a well rounded poker player and competent in all poker disciplines. It is usually pretty easy to get into a pot limit omaha, omaha 8/b or a stud game. Razz and stud 8/b are harder to find--I usually play those games exclusively online. I know triple draw lowball (both 2-7 and A-5) is spread on one of the big online sites. However, I don't have any money on that site.

I was determined to take a shot at a triple draw lowball tournament. In my opinion, only good poker players will try their hand at draw poker. It is "old school" in the sense that you heavily rely on your reading of other players. I don't know why I wanted to play this tournament. I guess I was just up for the challenge of playing against a talented field of players. I had played a few triple draw hands in my home game and even a few online for play money, but had never played this game in a real casino. I played this tournament the day after I fumbled around in the H.O.S.E. event. I guess I wanted some redemption after making a few mistakes in that tournament.

I got off to a bit of a slow start and didn't pick up any big hands. I quickly learned how valuable position is in this game. My first big confrontation was in a 3 way pot with one player holding 2-3-4-6-8 who led after the third draw. The pot was raised, I called and the player with the 8 also called. I held 2-3-5-6-7, while the raiser held 2-3-4-6-7. Ouch. I kept my composure, but the cards were just not cooperating. I made a good read on a California area pro but couldn't make the overcall with my 9-6. The pro had a smooth 10 low and the caller had a 9-7.

When the cards are not cooperating, sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands and manufacture a win here and there. I certainly did that when I had position. I started bluffing a lot. I was standing pat and betting with nothing--just hoping that my opponents did not make their draw. I led out and bet after the third draw more often and was winning pots. I even led out with a pair of 3s after the third draw and got my opponent to fold his pair of 3s. While I really wanted to show that bluff, you can't afford to give any information away in a game like this. Before too long, I realized that we were down to the final 3 tables (18 players--draw poker is 6 handed) and I was sitting with an average stack. I was pleased with my little run to get back in this thing. I maintained my aggressiveness on the button (which meant standing pat and betting a lot of 10 lows) and did not allow myself to lost my average chip stack size.

I believe my patience paid off as we we got down to 10 players pretty quickly. By the time we were 8 handed, I had become short stacked. The tournament only paid out the top 6, so I had to decide if I was going to to go for the win or try and fold my way into the money--I went for the win. I put it all on the line with an 8 draw and I pulled out a 2 on the last draw to hit. I was still somewhat short after that, but I picked up a couple of pots to build my chips back up a bit. By the time we got to the final table, I was 4th in chips and felt confident in my game.

I went on a bit of a tear early on at the final table. I stood pat with a jack low while my opponent drew one card. He led out after the draw and I called him down with my jack. I was right--he made a pair of 3s and I took down a huge pot. If you didn't know a made jack against a 1 card draw is about even money. At that point I was the chip leader and carefully played the big stack. I attempted to knock out a local pro with a 10-9 after he kept drawing and he made a crying call with a 10-8 after the third draw. I knew my table image changed at that point as I couldn't turn over a hand that could beat a 10-8. I tightened up a bit as I had just doubled up a short stack and no longer held a huge chip lead. Eventually, we got to heads up between myself and the local pro. He had knocked out two players while I had done the same. However, he held a 3-2 chip lead over me and the blinds were high.

We traded pots back and forth for a while. After playing 10 hours, I figured heads up could last quite a long time. It didn't. About 5 hands into heads up play, I lost a big pot when I folded a made 9-7 after getting raised after the last draw. I went with my read that my opponent drew out. Maybe I should have called there, but I just felt as though I was beat. I was now down in chips about 3-1 and needed to get back in it. I had the button and raised after the first draw where we both drew one card. After the second draw, we both drew one again and I made the 8-5 low. The fifth nuts. We capped the betting after the second draw. I was somewhat worried that I was beat, but how do you break the nut 8 and draw to a 7? If my opponent has a 7, then I'm drawing to 3 outs. If he doesn't, my hand is good. I got my last bet in after we were both pat on the last draw. Of course, my opponent rolls over 2-3-4-6-7--the second nuts. I was out in second. While the money was nice, you are always disappointed when you get eliminated from the tournament--especially with a hand like that. While I don't have the bankroll to play in a triple draw cash game (you rarely find a low stakes game going), I'll definitely play more triple draw tournaments.

H.O.S.E.

I recently played in a HOSE tournament (limit hold 'em, omaha 8/b, stud and stud 8/b). While I didn't get too far in the tournament, I came to realize that you can not afford to make any mistakes in a mixed games tournament. Having not played much limit hold 'em, I failed to lead out with Ace high on a ragged flop and allowed my opponent to catch a pair on the river. I made up for most of those lost chips by making two full houses in the omaha 8/b round (although I got little action on them). Knowing that stud isn't my best game, I tried to stay out of marginal situations. I made one bad stud play where I got priced into a pot where I had a pair of Aces, straight and flush draw. I was up against a tricky player who was representing a straight. Of course, he could have easily held two pair also. I knew I had a better straight draw and I also had a flush draw too. There was also a chance that I could pair again and make a better two pair. I totally missed and had to fold on 7th street. After that, I was marginally short stacked.

I split two pots in stud 8 and picked up a few chips. Then we went back to hold 'em and I knew I had to acquire some chips at this level if I wanted any kind of decent shot of winning. I made it two bets to go with K-Q and after a ragged flop hit, there was a bet and a raise before action got to me. I had to fold. I finally picked up 10-10 and raise pre-flop again. I got only one caller and I was pot committed so I threw my last few chips in on a jack high flop. My opponent held Q-J and I was done. While I would have liked to last a bit longer in this tournament, I learned that even small mistakes are costly. I also learned that I could use some more work on my stud game. If anything, it was a learning experience that will make me a better player.

Sick. So Sick.

I was off to another good session of $1/$2 no limit hold 'em action when this interesting hand came up. I'll explain the action and then explain my reasons for playing the hand the way I did. To set up the situation, I along with a hyper aggressive player are the only two big stacks at the table. This player was already stuck about $300 for the day and I was up about $75. To the surprise of nobody, the hyper aggressive put on the $5 straddle. I'm in middle position and pick up Ac-Kc. I limp into the pot after two other players limped. Two more players limp behind me and the straddle raises to $15. After two folds, I reraised to $40. I got one caller along with the straddler. The flop came 10c-6c-3c. I led out and bet $40 after the hyper aggressive player checked to me. I got the other player to fold as the straddle just called. The turn brought the Qd. The straddler checked and I checked behind him. The river brought the 3s. The straddler led out with a bet of $100 and I called with my flush. The straddler turned over the Q-3 for a full house.

If all you knew about the situation was the betting that occurred, it would appear that I misplayed my hand. However, based on my assessment of the situation, I think I played my hand to perfection and just got an unfortunate river card. Allow me to explain. Standard poker theory says that you want to raise and reraise with a suited A-K. However with the straddle on in this situation, I was very confident that the hyper aggressive player would defend his straddle with a raise. This player was raising about 5 times every orbit and I wanted to trap him for a big pot. Of course, I got what I wanted when he raised to $15. This action would most likely get out the junk hands, but I wanted to get heads up so I reraised to $40. I certainly could have reraised more, but I wanted action from the aggressive player. I also wanted to be able to fold my hand if I got reraised. After all, aggressive players do pick up real hands from time to time also.

I didn't expected to get called by the third player. In fact, the straddler might not even call my raise if there was not another $40 in the pot. I was not too concerned with this player as he only had about $35 left in his stack after calling the $40. I put him on a medium pair or maybe A-K also. When I flopped my nut flush I led out and bet it. Normally, this is a good spot for a check, but I wanted to set up the trap for the hyper aggressive player. I only bet $40 for two reasons. First, I wanted to commit the other player to the pot as he was short stacked. Second, making a small bet of $40 into a pot that had more than $150 appears weak. I wanted my opponent to think that I was on just a draw to the flush and didn't have it made already. I got the third player out and after a call we were now heads up. I was not too concerned with the Q on the turn. After my opponent checked, I checked also as I wanted him to think that I was taking off the free card for my flush draw. Some might argue that I should bet big right there, but I didn't want to lose my opponent. As long as a club did not hit the river I knew he would bet.

Well, a club didn't come on the river. I hated to see the board paired. I now no longer held the nuts and had a big decision to make. I got the big bet I wanted. However, I know that this player will make that bet with any kind of hand. I was expecting that bet as long as that club didn't hit the river. He even started to speak and said that I should fold as I missed my flush. I know that people usually don't speak unless they are very comfortable with their hand, but this player talks all of the time and a little verbal jab on the river doesn't mean much. After he spoke about my possible missed flush, I put my opponent on a flush which I certainly had beat. However, with the board paired, I couldn't reraise him as a full house was also a likely holding as this player plays almost any two cards at any time. I called and lost the pot. I was proud of my ability to manipulate my opponent into making a bad read on me. To my opponents credit, his reasoning behind his betting makes sense based on the story I was selling. He'll defend his straddle with anything, so there is no surprise that he wants to thin the field with his Q-3. I made a weak bet on the flop and he flopped a pair. He figured he was ahead against my draw so he called. He checked with he made two pair on the turn. I'm assuming he was going to call any bet I made or even raise me. He led out with a boat with a bet that looked like he was trying to buy the pot. He had purchased more than his fair share of pots during that session and I'm stuck calling off a big river bet with a second best hand.

Sometimes players get lucky. I know I could have protected my hand and played it differently. However flopping the nut flush does not happen too often and I was trying to get maximum value out of the hand--I'm 97% to win on the flop and 90% on the turn. I'll take those odds everyday.

Home Game

Playing in a regular home game can be beneficial to one's poker development. By continually playing with the same players, you are forced to change your style of play as your opponents will easily be able to exploit any tendencies that you have. Of course, the social setting and being able to share a bad beat story or two also helps. A good home game can also serve as a forum to discuss how some hands might have been played differently. Everyone has a unique approach to the game of poker and I think that there is something that can be learned from everyone about how they play.

When you play with the same group over and over, your reads on what your opponent might have can sometime be extremely accurate. In one session, I called out the hand of my opponent twice. The easier one of the two was K-K. I flopped top pair and my opponent made top set on the turn and put in a big bet on the river after checking the turn. The other one was 6s-8s. Maybe it was a lucky guess, but I knew my two small pair was no good with the nut straight possibility out on the board. I pull off bluffs and play hands in a variety of different ways in my regular home game. I wouldn't even consider to try some of those moves in a cash game in a casino. Once, a player in the game commented, that I tend to make pot sized bets with hands like A-K when I miss on all streets. I got called down and lost a big pot once. However, I turned around and made the same big bets against that player with the nuts and got paid off. Had I been up against another player, I would have bet differently.

The point of this is that you can use a home game as a place to experiment with new plays and bluffs. Most likely, you are not paying for that much money, but it never hurts to win.