Gut

Posted by wynn on Dec 15, 2009 in Great Reads, Table Talk | 0 comments

I am on a break outside the casino last night when a player at the table hunts me down.

This solid player approaches me, shakes my hand, and says, “I just want to shake your hand, Sir. The way you gutted that player was just beautiful. You made it an art. I really enjoyed watching you work.”

I simply smiled and said thank you. How gratifying is that?!?

I am in the big blind when everyone limps in.

The flop comes 10-8-8. I bet out $15 into the $20 pot, hoping to represent the 10.

Everyone folds around to the button, who calls.

The player on the button has played every pot for three hours.

His chips are in the rack. This is his last hand.

For three hours, I watched him play rags and generally get lucky on the river.

The turn is a 5.

I bet $50.

He calls.

At this point, I put him on either a 10 or a hand like K-8 or J-8.

The river card is a 3.

I bet $50.

My opponent raises me to $100.

I don’t put him on pocket 3s for a full house. It is possible, but I don’t think he would chase the small pair down to the river.

I don’t put him on pocket 5s either. He surely would have raised me on the turn with a full house based on how he has played for three hours.

Pocket 10s is ruled out. He would have raised on the button with so many limpers in the pot.

I am confident I have the best hand. I don’t want to scare him off either with an all-in bet, so I re-raise $100.

He insta-raises me another $100.

I pause a few moments, then announce another $100 raise.

My opponent is confused. He studies the board and figures he is good before pushing his last $100 into the pot.

He quickly turns over K-8.

“Boat”, is all I say, then I show my 8-5 clubs.

My gut told me the full house on the turn was good.

My opponent just sat there in disbelief with an empty rack.

And I raked the biggest pot of the night.