Merby

The only way you can win this hand is with a bet on the river. What's more, you have set this up to be a believable bet by your play on previous streets. That being said, you have said that you read the table to be a passive table: checking/calling top pair, etc. In this case, I would go with your read and back off: check/fold the river. I have two main reasons for this choice: 1) The villian has showed an interest in the hand and has already committed $4.50 of his original $16.50 stack. If you put him all-in on the river (and I don't recommend much less than this for a bet: must be at

Fire out a pot-sized bet.There's a good probability you're ahead: There was not aggression pre-flop No one raised you on the flop... they just called. Checked to you on turn.Note there are both straight draws and flush draws on the flop, so it's not surprising that people are calling (lots of draws...) MAKE THEM PAY to catch up.Sure, some one could be slow-playing a made straight... props to them for playing 79, but they would most likely make it known on the flop with the flush draw out there. A similar argument holds for any top pair/over pair/ two pair/ set... With all those draw possi

Actually, I love the play. Cherish the action you will get for the next while: if you switch back to playing solid, you can get a ton more money from the advertising investment... If the villian had more money too (eg. rebuy) you could also benefit from his massive tilt factor....I just hope he is not prone to fits of murderous rage.Cheers,Merby

Down your throat is not the right direction.

Congradulations soup!We have three things in common: 1) Our FCP handle is just our forum username with "fcp" on the end. --> "Merby" is only 5 letters (I can count!!!). The username for FCP poker is 6 letters minimum. I thought 'Merby1' was stupid - hence the 'fcp'.2) We both finished second in the same tournement one day apart: --> to do this, we both had commanding chip leads heads up (i.e. 4:1) which we managed to squander. I don't know about you, but I sure managed to donk it up pretty bad when heads-up (I am not at my best at 2 am). 3) We are both poker forum NUTS!!!! --> I

I just checked back...Last I saw you were hurting for chips at around $30,000 with six players left......Now I see you are chip leader with three players left!Take it down!Cheers,Merbyps. I 'm off to bed, so good luck...

Check these hands out.:The villian Definately needs to go on my buddy list.These hands were back-to-back; the first one netted me a nice pot that I had decided I wasn't going to win. I was going to fold to a bet but...Hand 1571718594, Started at 10/12/2005 2:18 AMTable 'Raqqa': $1-$1 No Limit HE (Real Money)Seat 1: gavin_cn ($91 in chips) Seat 2: acse46 ($126.50 in chips) Seat 3: G.warrior ($121 in chips) Seat 4: RyanJMiranda ($54 in chips) Seat 5: DynamiteFlop ($170.35 in chips) Seat 6: xxbrickxx x ($205 in chips) Seat 7: MerbyFCP ($260.40 in chips) Seat 8: DarthVader96 ($17.25 in chips) Sea

OUCH, just took a jit AK (soup) versus 79 (villian)Stay in there...

6 players left!Soup is in a solid second with $124,000 chips(Chip leader has $167,000 and third is at 70,000 chips)Take it down!Cheers,Merby

Good job man, Take it down.I will rail you until I go to bed (very shortly...)Cheers,Merby

Hey congrats!If I had FT on my computer, I'd rail you. Since I don't, you have to promise to win in a very boring manner (so I don't miss anything).Take it down.Cheers,Merby

I really don't like the check on the turn. I think you should lead into him with about $3 - 4 (around 3/4 pot). A check is just inviting him to bet, and you learn NOTHING about where he is in the hand (flushes will certainly bet here... but then again, a lot of players will bet here to represent the flush, since you checked).You have to make them think that the flush didn't scare you (even if it did...). In this situation, if he raises here, you are pretty certain to be beat (with the rare "crazy/tricky player exception). Your bet is still a value bet here, because a lot of worse hands w

I just witnessed my first open farrell!!I love this game.Hand 1571506300, Started at 10/12/2005 12:09 AMTable 'Raqqa': $1-$1 No Limit HE (Real Money)Seat 0: hollywood c ($104 in chips) Seat 1: arty027 ($124.30 in chips) Seat 2: ATrain06 ($41.20 in chips) Seat 3: Knight_Boat ($81.40 in chips) (on the button)Seat 4: jordanl80 ($99.60 in chips) Seat 5: DynamiteFlop ($172.10 in chips) Seat 7: MerbyFCP ($77.20 in chips) Seat 8: GiveMeThat_7 ($122.50 in chips) Seat 9: Pecwan ($40 in chips) *** Blind Bet Round *** : Dealt to MerbyFCP: 10hDealt to MerbyFCP: Jsjordanl80 : Post Blind ($0.50)DynamiteFlo

Well, I've gotta run...It's currently 3:00 am where I live (Vancouver) and I have to go... to work. Well, actually, I willl be working here at home, but since I've been up since ten this morning, it will make for a long day. I actually had just joined the tournement for a little break (aka. procrastination)... didn't think I would waste 4 hours procrastinating in the middle of the night... ugh!(Don't get me wrong, it was well worth it... I guess I'm just whining about not be able to have my cake and eat it too...)Cheers,Merby

I ask myself: When did starting become two words?

HEY ... More good news tonight!I just got promoted to Poker Forum NUT...It makes it all worthwhile.I would like to thank Fluffdog87 for starting the thread, and DrawingDeadInDM and especially Phillip_339 for maintaining conversation so that I could reach this mile stone. Oh, and I can't forget Daniel Negraneau for start ing this website. I also want to thank...<Music starts playing><I get escorted -- no dragged off stage, still clutching my Poker Forum Nut trophy>Cheers,Merby

Talk about self-destructing...I can play better than that...Oh well, 2nd is not bad.Thanks for railing guys, sorry I didn't take it down.Cheers,Merby

Darn... Just when I thought it would be a cake walk...

I love sliders... He goes all-in so often, all I had to do was wait for a hand.Cheers,Merby

Donked away a few chips in the past few hands...

I'm glad he knew to check it down with the all-in

...Pretty passive table...Cheers,Merby

2-7 offsuit UTG... doesn't get much better than that...

That was a stupid call on my part. Even though I knew he would go all-in with anything... it wasn't a good spot to risk chips...I should just keep focusing on picking up those small pots...Cheers,Merby

Damn, I keep forgetting to attach my sig.