Playing with Mr. Store Keeper

The other week, I was in Atlantic City playing some low stakes Limit Holdem. The table that I was at had a pretty standard lineup for the lower limits. There really was only one player that played with any type of aggression, but he tended to get scared on the turn if someone stuck around. Otherwise, you had your typical lineup of low limit grinders and recreational players.

I started out playing somewhat tight while seeing how players were playing and also waiting for my run of 9-2 offsuit to stop. In one particular hand, I was dealt the Q-6 of on the button. Literally every player but the UTG player limped in ahead of me. I figured, sure, why not, and I threw in a call as well.

The flop fell Kc-9c-2h and action was checked to a guy in middle position. This fellow was probably in his late 50′s and looked like he might be a small business owner, maybe something along the lines of a local mom and pop grocery store. He bets out and his neighbor made the call. Action was folded around to me, and I made the call as well. Everyone else folded.

The turn fell the 6d and I now had a pair and a flush draw. Mr. store keeper bet out and was called by both his neighbor and by me. In my head I was thinking to myself “Ace of clubs on the river please.” Sure enough, the ace of clubs fell on the river. Now I was hoping for a third bet. Mr. Store Keeper bet out as expected, but his neighbor raised. I then gave him a quick look of “What?” That was actually my thought on the matter. Did he hit a lower flush? If so, party for me.

Now I was in a bit of a quandary. Do I three-bet here and risk maybe losing Mr. Store Keeper, or do I call and risk him just calling as well. I figured Mr. Store Keeper with something like K-Q and the river to scare him off. As a result, I three bet. He then caps the betting, to which I’m doing the happy dance in my head. His neighbor calls and we find out what happened.

Mr. Store Keeper turned over As-Qs for top pair only. His neighbor turned over 8-4 of clubs for a lower flush. I turned over the nuts and was pushed the pot. The players at my end of the table were congratulating me about a nice pot. Mr. Store Keeper then starts bemoaning his bad luck and tries to complain about my playing of Q-6 suited.

Let’s look at the hand from my point of view. I was on the button with Q-6 suited. Clearly a junk hand. However, look at the action ahead of me. UTG folded and then five people ahead of me made the call. At this point there 5.5 small bets in the pot. It costs me 1 bet to call. Odds are that the blind will limp in, so in effect, I am getting 6 to 1 on my money.

On the flop, I have a flush draw. With the other two players betting, I am getting 11 to 1 on my call. I am clearly in this pot to the river at this point. The turn gave me a pair with my draw, increasing my outs to win by five. (Actually, it was four outs in reality due to the one player holding a Queen, but I did not know this.)

I don’t care what hand I am playing, but in many cases, I will play nearly any hand when I am getting 6 to 1 on my money. When I am 11 to 1 with a draw or a pair, guess what, I am staying in. Had the flop missed me entirely, I would have been out on the flop, but for 6 to 1, I was seeing the flop.

Limit Holdem is mainly about math. My call only has to work one time in six to make a profit in the hand I was playing and the circumstances that presented themselves. This is one time where I used pot odds to justify a call and then to play to the river. It paid off this time. Of course, players like Mr. Store Keeper don’t know this and just look at the fact I played Q-6 suited and hit. Good. Keep doing that sir. I’m happy to take nice pots.

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