Here's an example of a decent player, making a huge mistake. This is the stuff I'm talking about:

2/4 NL

I'm dealt [6d] in the BB. Bunch of limpers. I check. I have everyone covered.


FLOP $20


Everyone checks to the CO who bets $10. (he has $400.) The button calls (he also has $400.) I check-raise to $40. I figure those bets are pretty weak..and if I don't take it down; I still have a nut draw. Both players call the $30 raise.

TURN $140


I check. CO checks. Button bets $40. So it's $40 for me to call a $180 pot with the nut straight draw..sounds good to me! I call. CO calls.

RIVER $260


I check. CO bets $50. Button raises to $100. I fold (obviously.) CO calls and mucks a lower set of 7s. Button shows [9d] for middle set on the flop.


Think about the mistakes the button made with his monster. He won the hand...but he let me draw for free on the flop by not reraising me....then he only bet $40 on the turn giving me great pot odds. If I had hit my straight I probably would have had his stack.

The other thing is...if he had played the hand faster..not only would he get me out of the hand....but he would have gotten all of the CO's money if he put in a reraise on the flop or a much bigger turn bet. Hell, he could have even moved all-in on the river and still been called.

Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes.

Thanks, kenny. I guess, yeah, it's true, that's pretty lousy playing. I know with a set of 9s (or a set of 7s!) I would have bet way more on the turn. And of course I'm definitely re-raising your bet on the flop pretty big. So ... I'm at least a little better than at least a few of those folks playing up there. Thanks. (On the other hand, with a set of 7's I go broke here which the guy actually playing them didn't....)

I had a very similar hand this morning at $1/$2 NLH on UB. I raised in MP with J-10 and got 2 callers. Flop came 8-9-3 and I bet out. One caller. Turn blanked off and I bet again--still calling. River paired the 8 so I checked and my opponent checked behind me, showing A-A to take it down. The pot was big enough so that if I'd hit at any point in the hand I would have had his stack. A-A and he never bet or raised once...

Also, I don't know if it is just because of the time I'm playing, but the tables on UB seem really tight--significantly more than that $100 tables. That doesn't mean that they aren't still playing crappy cards--they have seemingly higher limping/raising requirements such that most pots are heads up or 3 way at most.