5 of 14

Write now Article Tools

The Daytona Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room recently built a brand new structure just down the road from the old one. Gone is the old school track and seedy poker room. The new and improved complex now sits at the intersection of I-95 and I-4 and features more tables, a cleaner card room, a much nicer dog track, more simulcast screens and a considerably nicer bar and dining area.

On a recent trip to Daytona, I had some time to kill so I figured I'd pay the new poker room a visit, check out the surroundings and hopefully take down a big pot or two in the process. I've been having significantly better results at cash games than tournaments lately, so I opted for the $1-$2 no limit table. Besides, the only sit-n-go they offered at the time was a $120 buy-in, six person tournament with prize money for first place only. Not exactly the odds I was looking for.

I sat down at Table 3 where eight other players had already gathered with the largest stack to my immediate right. After watching a couple of hands, no player seemed ber-aggressive, although it was still way too early to get a definitive read on anybody.

About six hands in, I became the small blind. Five players ahead of me called. Since the person to my left hadn't made a move since I took my seat, I guessed he likely wouldn't raise from the big blind. For an extra dollar, I saw the flop with a J-5 off suit, a hand I obviously wouldn't play otherwise.

Now here comes the tricky part.

The flop came J-8-5 with two of the cards being clubs. As I was in the small blind and first to act, I fired away with what I felt was a reasonable value bet: six dollars. I didn't necessarily want to take down the pot right there, I just wanted to know what I was up against. Someone sitting on two clubs was likely to chase the flush, but probably not re-raise. And although two pair was a nice flop in that situation, it was still vulnerable to several hands, including an AJ, KJ, or Q-J if any one of those higher cards hit on fourth street or the river. Two players behind me called with neither raising. With this information, I put one of my opponents on top pair (or possibly a straight draw since I had one of the Jacks) and assumed the other one was waiting out the flush.

The next card was a three of clubs, so whoever was waiting on that club flush had my two pair dominated. To see which of them had made their flush, I put out another, minimal six dollar bet. The next bettor re-raised to fifteen dollars. The third player folded, leaving

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The best Texas holdem poker hands?
We want to hear your view. Write now!