This morning I opened up Ignition Poker’s Zone (i.e., fast fold) games and quickly joined a $1/2 NL table. I get to seeing a lot of hands quickly, and like an occasional short burst of poker when nobody’s looking.
In a couple of minutes, I had won two small pots to build my $200 buy-in to $211, and already felt guilty for not spending this time preparing for a non-poker business conference call starting soon. As I was clicking the ‘sit out next hand’ button, however, the next hand started. And I was under-the-gun… with pocket aces. Rockets. Bullets. American Airlines. Alan Alda. The pre-flop nuts!
A few days ago in the same Zone game, I had clicked the ‘sit out next big blind’ button rather than sitting out immediately. In that game, before my next big blind arrived I got pocket aces and lost nearly half my stack when the villain turned a flush after getting all-in on the flop. I had gotten my chips in as a 66% favorite… yada yada yada… variance is a bitch.
Anyway, that recent experience made me want to try something different this time. So I simply jammed all-in, right away. Yep… open jam for 105 BBs UTG with pocket aces at a 6-max table. You won’t read that in any best-selling poker strategy books! Most likely, I’ll win the blinds, quit the table up $14 and get some legit work done.
But the timer ticks of a few seconds and then – to my surprise and delight – the next player (who has me well covered) calls.
After the other players fold, the hands are revealed. To my further surprise and delight, the villain shows J3s. A jack comes on the flop my surprise and delight is interrupted by flashbacks to poker scenes that are none of your dreams and all of your nightmares. #TheyAlwaysGetThere, amiright?
Not this time! AA holds for a full double up. Don’t you love games of skill?
As Robin might say, “Holy Giveaways, Batman!”
End of story. Back to work.
Loved the classic pic for the post!
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