Omens.. Do you listen to them ?

Shortstack

This is a hand that occured a few nights ago in a home game. Just wondering if anyone out there would have put the omens of this hand first and gone for it, or like me played the read ( an easy one at that - i'm not professing to be the best hand reader in the world!) and folded.

18 players, €600 for first, 7 left.
I have over 20k in chips. 144,00 in play.

UTG raise all in for 7700, blinds at 500/1000
'All in for 77' he announced.
Next two players folds.
I look at my cards.
Pocket Sevens......

He could have anything with the blinds reaching him next, so I go with the omens and call.

Next player folds.

Small blind ( chip leader ) raises all in !

Uh Oh !

Having played with neither player before, I had no real way to know what they were holding. They were both on the other table to me earlier, I gathered from early game banter etc that he knew what he wa doing, so I put him on a high pair stright away. I still hesitated for a while - calling 77 with 77 - has to be a winner !

In the end my poker sense kicked in and I folded.

Lo and behold it was QQ for the small blind and AK for the short stack, Flop came rag, rag , SEVEN. B*****X.

However, I stopped myself going on tilt and then cracked the chip leaders KK with pocket 10's - It was my destiny to take a lot of his chips coming from behind! Then I proceeded to bluff off all my chips when down to 3taking home 200 bucks. It was 4 in the morning and I had an hours drive home before work at 9! Thats my excuse anyway!

Iago

the force is strong in this one, but the faith is weak..


sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling, sometimes you have to play the odds

DeVore

I wouldnt flat call with wired 7's. Either you want to corner him by going all in (a dangerous move with many behind you to act) or fold.

At best you are risking 1/3rd of your stack on a race. He might have found pocket 3's or 6s or something but more likely he's got big cards and maybe a big pair.

I'd have folded 7's I think. Especially if I didnt have a read on the player from earlier play.

I dont listen to omens, nor always play my "favourite" hand or am superstitious (though I've been winning a lot since I put some volcano-rock from Pompei in my pocket last week. No I'm not joking! ).

DeV.

Samba

Gut feelings can be devastating in both ways, folding and calling.

I remember a home game i held months back and the two players before moved all in, i was holding 44 and i was seriously considering calling (I knew they were miles ahead but had a feeling i might hit a set)

After much thought, i did the right thing and folded and behold on the flop was a 4 looking up at me and just to add to insult that four decided to bring more company come the turn, yep would have had quads and a nice big stack of chips to go with it, thats poker

careca

Same thing happened to me in the fitz 50 game one friday night. I had pocket 2's and just knew the 2c would come out on the flop. I got in on the cheap. Out it came with a 3 and a Q. This guy bets big (had been slow playing pocket Q's) and of course I go all in . He couldn't get his chips in quick enough. And like you Samba, the 2c decided to bring his mate. 2 on the river for quads and out yer man goes. I'd say he was sick but to be fair to him he took it really well.

whiteshadow

one night on my way up to the freeroll in the fitz i go into the shop and get 20 silkcut red and a packet of extra chewing gums.. the bill was €6.66. then i went outside and etched into the cement was 666...wierd... within the first round (can't say for sure if it was the sixth hand) but i get dealt pocket sixes.. i go all in against AK and the flop came AKQ and another Ace on the turn.. ever since then... NO

Hectorjelly

Shortstack wrote:

Having played with neither player before, I had no real way to know what they were holding. They were both on the other table to me earlier, I gathered from early game banter etc that he knew what he wa doing, so I put him on a high pair stright away. I still hesitated for a while - calling 77 with 77 - has to be a winner !

This is called selective memory, you only remember this because a 7 came up. Had no 7 came up, your brain would of cheerfully discarded this hand into the same place that all the other hands go on. If however you believe in magic and superstition, then I apologise for hijacking this thread with a semblance of rationality.

DeVore

I believe in what SOME people might term "majic or superstition" but for very mundane reasons. If having a particular object on the table makes you feel more confident or better or "luckier" or you believe that having your red boxers shorts on will bring you good cards then it effects your demeanour and/our the way you compose yourself. It may even make you play a little looser if you are a tight player or vice versa. It can certainly make a difference if whatever it is is NOT there.

In that way it can certainly have an effect. I do not for any second believe that a lump of rock in my pocket is making me play better, bringing me better cards or has any effect on the random events of the universe but I'm not taking it out of my pocket! It reminds me of a good run of cards I've had (4 payoffs out of 5 tournies) and is mentally associated with how I felt at the time I guess.

DeV.

Hectorjelly

DeVore wrote:

I believe in what SOME people might term "majic or superstition"

<snip>

I do not for any second believe that a lump of rock in my pocket is making me play better,

So what you're saying is that you dont believe in magic or superstition. Comfort blankets are another issue all together!

Lafortezza

DeVore wrote:

If having a particular object on the table makes you feel more confident or better or "luckier" or you believe that having your red boxers shorts on will bring you good cards
DeV.

I remember a time when wearing your lucky red boxer shorts meant you had a feeling you were going to score on a night out. More pub less poker is the solution!