One of the worst mistakes you can make is to underestimate your opponents. A highly respected professional once said that even the worst players pick up their share of aces. Those words are so, so true, and on that note I will discuss today’s hand of the week.

I was playing at my local $1-$2 no limit game when the following hand came up. I was in the Big Blind and saw the Js-Ks. The under the gun player, a rather loose player, raised to $12 and was called by 3 other players including the small blind. With these odds, I decided to pay and see the flop.

The flop came down 3d-3c-Kc giving me 2 pair with decent kicker. The Small Blind checked and I made a pot sized bet of $60 to see where I was. The initial raiser quickly folded and a player in middle position, probably the weakest player at the table thought for a minute and called. Everyone else folded and heads up, there was $180 in the pot. In my mind, I believed this player was on a flush draw and I also felt it was quite unlikely that he held a 3.

The turn came and is was the Qd. Without hesitation, I pushed $100 into the middle hoping to just take the hand right there. The player thought for quite some time and asked “Do you really have a 3?” This comment confused me somewhat and made me believe that he was not on a flush draw but also had a King as well. Of course I looked straight ahead, saying nothing. Eventually, he called and there was $380 in the pot.

The river came and brought the 7s eliminating all straight and flush possibilities. In this spot, I knew I couldn’t show weakness and risk being pushed off a hand, so I decided to throw my remaining $120 in the pot. The weak player immediately called and we turned our cards over. Can you believe he had pocket Aces? This player made an absolutely horrible decision preflop by not re-raising and allowing the 5 players to see the flop, but he ended up getting paid up to the tune of $620. I was completely dumbfounded as were the other players at the table. No one could believe he had aces and not once forced the issue.

While I may term his decisions preflop as being wrong, I can’t fault him after the flop. He led me to believe I had the best hand and took all my money as a result. Though I suspect he wasn’t very confident with his hand.

I definitely feel however as though I played this hand rather poorly as acting first, I could have checked one of the streets and see where I stood instead of the other way around. Lesson learned.

Until next time, may the chips fall your way.

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