okada trip report

 Alright. So my last session was basically three sessions at once. It was late in the evening when I finally called for a taxi. Manila is experiencing a heat wave, and my air con is on the fritz, which makes sleep elusive but I managed to get in at least a solid six hours so I was pretty much good to go. On the way to the casino my cabby stopped for gas, so I grabbed a couple Ultra Monsters and we hit the road. 

The list for 25/50 was massive, so I decided to play some 50/100 while I waited. Sitting down with a meager 50 bb it didn't take long for me to get into the mix. I opened KQ, AT, and Q9s but whiffed the flop and check folded multiway every time. Then things got a little bit interesting.

After a straddle to 200, there was an open to 1000 and it folded around to me. I was playing 7500 after a few strategic topups and holding Ace King suited I put in a raise to 5200. 4200 more, a classy 420 joke that was lost on my oblivious opponents. My opponent went deep into the tank before folding. And all of a sudden we were in the black. I won another small pot, and then the following hand occurred.There was a limp, and an iso to 400, followed by a flat call. Folded to me, and I made it 1700 all day with two black kings (KK). It folds around to the opener. 

The opener had been playing pretty snug, either because he is a tight player or because he was engrossed in a conversation with the guy on his left. He definitely seemed like he knew what he was doing and certainly I wouldn't be going out of my way to play pots with him. The flat caller - a Euro reg - was another solid, dangerous player, one whom I have some history with. One hand I stacked him with 86cc after I flopped two pair in a three bet pot and he couldn't get away from his kings. In that hand - when we were more than 150 bbs deep - I check raised the flop and he came over the top.

Anyway, back to the hand. The opener goes deep in the tank and finally makes the call. The Euro reg calls quickly too! 5k in the middle and we haven't even seen the flop. As the dealer puts out the community cards my mind is racing. With not much left in my stack relative to the size of the pot, it is probably going in most of the time. I've got about 7k behind now, maybe 7500. Still enough that play is not automatic, but with such a low SPR the pressure to stack off is tremendous. But when I saw the flop, my concerns evaporated.

KJ5 two tone. Top fucking set, in a massive three way three bet pot, in a game where I'm taking a shot while I wait for my actual game at the lower limit. What a life. I take a moment to savour the sweetness of the situation, before firing out a 3500 c-bet. Some people would check here, since they have the deck crippled, and maybe that is the right play. But with so much in the middle, and such a powerful but vulnerable hand - and plenty of holdings that my opponents can give me action with - it doesn't even enter my mind. Both my opponents fold, and an orbit later when I'm now fifth on the 25/50 list with a bullet I decide to pick up.

The 25/50 session goes really well also. After a couple minor skirmishes that don't go my way, I pick up 88 and open to 150. I get three bet to 450 by a young Japanese kid. Japanese players tend to be very skillful. I guess it is cultural. Who knows. I was going to fold, but once the whale in the small blind takes two to the face, the situation changes dramatically. I decide to do the math.

It is 300 to me to win 450 + 450 + 150 + 50. 300 to win 1100. Just shy of 4:1. Here the rake is significant, as they would take 175 on a 1500 pot. So you could easily argue we are getting more like 300 to win 925. Not nearly as a attractive, although still 3:1.

Anyway, if we are getting 4:1 it is a clear call. We only need to win another 3.5:1 the times we hit (as we are 7.5:1 against improving to a set or better). 3.5 times 300 is 1050. If I call, the pot is going to be 1400. So all we have to do is average one more large bet. Even if villain has nothing there is a good chance we can win a c-bet, although three way maybe he would just check give up. But with these stacks if he flops one big pair, like TPTK or an  over pair, chances are we get his stack. And we have two opponents, either one of whom can stack off against us, or at least pay off a bet or two. We make the call.

The flop comes pretty dreamy, Q83. I check, the PFR bets 600, and the whale folds. There doesn't seem much downside to calling here, villain is unlikely to have more than two outs. If he has KK or AA we're getting stacks in either way. If he has AK, giving him a free card can only hurt him, aside from the risk of him turning a gutshot, checking it, and hitting it - quite the parlay. But if he pairs up he is getting stacked. And if he stays with just ace high I might win another bet. So I call. The turn is a jack, I check again, he bets a committing amount, and I check raise all in. He calls and I show him the bad news. He has AQ and is drawing dead.

About 40 minutes later the action dries up, and I decide to head home, victorious.