More bluffing excitement

Red Rock 1/2 NL - Friday, April 12th

I can't help myself.  I just love playing a little crazy.

Hand 1 : Old guy limps.  I think these guys are just so freaking tight that unless they flop a monster, I should be able to take advantage of them a LOT of the time.  So I raise to $10 with 4-2 offsuit.  He calls.

Flop is 10-8-4 with 2 diamonds.  The old guy leads for $16.  This is a bluff about 0% of the time. At the same time, I seriously doubt he flopped a set.  Probably would check-raise or slowplay it.  2 pair makes no sense either, although I didn't really think it through at the time.  He can pretty easily have a 10, maybe even J-J, or 9-9.  I raise to $45, he calls.

I wasn't loving it at the time, but I think you pretty much need to expect that call 100% of the time, and it doesn't really mean anything.  I just don't think people are usually folding.  Probably they are going to call most of the time and re-evaluate on the turn.

Turn is a blank, 3.  He checks.  I bet 75 and he folds.

Hand 2 : 4 people limp.  I have A-K in the big blind and raise to $20.  One guy on the button calls.  Flop is 5-4-2 with 2 clubs.  I have a gutshot which is nice, but I figure he's calling me with a pair most of the time which is now an overpair.  I bet out $26, he calls.  Turn is a 2.  I decide to bet big again and fire out 75.  I figure with his call on the flop, he probably has a pair.  If he flopped a set, he will raise me now and I can fold.  But most pairs missed and a small-ish overpair (88, 99) is just going to be really uncomfortable calling.  He had about 200 or so left.  He folded.

Hand 3 : Not a bluffing hand, but a hand where I just sort of got screwed into getting all of the money in.  I have A-A under the gun and raise to $10.  Get 1 caller in middle position.  He has about $130.  Flop comes Q-8-7 with 2 clubs.  I bet out $13.  He raises to $30.

At this point I'm definitely not loving my hand, and I don't want to stack off with A-A against a set or whatever.  There is a flush draw out there, and straight draw, although then again a lot of people aren't semi-bluff raising in 1/2.  I decided to just call and see what happens on the turn.

Turn comes an 8.  I thought it was a good card at the time because he could have 2 pair counterfeited, but that's retarded because he would have to have Q-7, which is not happening.  Anyway, I check and he bets $45.  He has about $50 left.  I just figure I have under-repped my hand a bit and he could easily have a queen.  A-Q, K-Q, and so on.  So whatever, I just get it all in with him and he calls.  Turns out he had K-K and I get his chips.

Over the last week, I have been absolutely CRUSHING.  I'm up $1800 in the last 7 days.  Super sick run.  I'm going to give 2/5 a shot real soon.  I hope I win, because if I do, I'm in there.  No looking back.  If not, no big deal and I'll keep grinding 1/2.  But I really want to get back into 2/5.  :-)