Tommy Angelo
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Minimum Wager
tags: tommy angelo live poker bay area poker
When I play no-limit hold’em, sometimes I’m a minimum wager wagerer. And I don’t mean minimum wager wagerer as in “one who tries to bet the smallest amount that will get them to fold if they have nothing,” such as when the flop is A-A-6 rainbow and a bluffer bets half the pot or thereabouts. I’m talking here about minimum wager as in the absolute lowest legal limit. Sometimes I do it because I think it’s the best play and sometimes I do it because I’m a silly boy.
Last week I made three minimum wagers in one night, at The Venetian. The first two were about 20 minutes apart in a $2-5 blinds game.
Four players limped, including the small blind, and I checked in the big blind. The pot was $25. The flop was a scattered rainbow. I flopped no pair and no draw. The small blind lifted his hand to check, and I put my thunb on the trigger. As soon as his fingers hit the felt, I frisbeed a $5 chip from my stack. It landed without a bounce, just across the betting line. The script from this point typically takes one of two lines. If anyone raises, I’m out. If more than one person calls, I scrutinize them, and usually I come to the conclusion that they won’t call a big bet on the turn, because history has shown that usually they won’t. Sometimes I’ll get a feeling that a caller is sandbagging with a hand that can stand a big turn bet, such as an overpair or a set or top-pair-top-kicker, but that’s really rare, because 1) they usually don’t have a hand that good, and 2) if they do, they usually can’t stand to just call a one-chip flop bet. It’s an awkward spot for them, but not for me, because I’ve often been down this road less traveled.
Two players called the $5 bet and the small blind folded. So now the pot was $40, and I would be first to act on the turn. As soon as the turn card hit the table, I bet $50, using two backspun green chips. I mucked and tipped in one motion, a few milliseconds after the second guy folded.
So now I was well on my way to establishing my preferred image, which is WET (weird-tight).
One round and two hands later, I was on the button with pocket fives. Several players limped, I called, the small blind called, and the big blind checked. The pot was $30. The flop was K-T-5 twotone. The small blind bet $20, and everyone folded to me. We both had about $1,000. I thought he was more likely to have a draw than a pair/two-pair/set, but I wasn’t sure enough either way to make any big calls or big laydowns based on this inkling.
I made it $60. He called, and based on the way that he didn’t fold and didn’t raise, I became more sure that he was on a draw, but not super sure. The turn paired the king. I didn’t think this was the kind of player who would call a half-pot-or-bigger bet here with a draw (possibly drawing dead), and I didn’t think he’d be able to contain himself if he had three kings, so when he checked the turn, I was ready. I bet $5 into the $150 pot. There were a couple snickers from the other end of the table, which is a common play from the kibitzers on a hand like this. The small blind took a little while here, I think he was tempted to raise, but then he just called the $5. The river was an offsuit ace. That card made a straight if he had QJ, and it made top pair if he had the nut flush draw, and when he checked, I didn’t get any kind of read on whether he had anything or not, so I went ahead and slung a $100 chip out there in case he did. He folded right away.
Soon after that I moved to a $5-10 blinds game. I bought in for the minimum $400. There was no maximum buy-in. Two rounds later, there was one guy whose stack had gone from $6,000 to $2,000 while I watched. He was frustrated and tilty. During his downswing, which spanned five flops, he had shown two hands to his neighbor before folding while saying, “So you think I’m running good?” This made me think he actually had run good to get up to $6,000, and his neighbor must have said something like “You’re running good.”
On my next button, I made my stack $2,000. I start many tables this way, buying in small and then adding on later. When I have the small stack, I play very few hands, and when I have the tall stack, I play a few extra pots against certain players. I don’t know what sort of image this rates to generate. What would you think?
The tilty guy opened for $40 UTG. Folded to me on the button. I had 86o. I called and both blinds folded. Headsup. We both had $2,000. This was the first hand of the session that I called preflop. (I had reraised preflop a couple times when my stack was $400, and everyone folded.)
The flop was 9-7-5 with two hearts, giving me the okeydokes. My opponent bet $100 into the $95 pot. I made it $300. Right away he said “Call” destitutely, and then he put two $100 bills in. Would he call like that with just two overcards? I didn’t think so. Would he just call with an overpair? I didn’t think so. So I had to put him on a flush draw. I was ready to bail if a heart came and he acted weak and bet strong. The turn was an offsuit deuce. He checked. I bet $700. “Call,” he said right away. Then he put the money out. The river was an offsuit three. The instant it hit the table, he pulled his cards up off the table so that his neighbor could see them and said, “Is this what you call running good?” I didn’t think he had even ace-high. If I had to guess his exact cards I would say jack-ten of hearts. He checked. I bet $10.
published Jul 2, 2008 7:15pm by Tommy Angelo, Tommy Angelo
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- volition
- Deuce High
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45 posts
Joined 06/08
lol, nice article Tommy I found the last few sentences very entertaining
- Kirb
- Deuce High
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26 posts
Joined 02/08
fun story but these types of bets are really bad vs good players
- TheBeloved
- Deuce High
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54 posts
Joined 01/08
LOL, you're gonna get arrested for cruelty to donks !
- Nexus
- Deuce High
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92 posts
Joined 12/07
On my next button, I made my stack $2,000. I start many tables this way, buying in small and then adding on later. . When I have the small stack, I play very few hands, and when I have the tall stack, I play a few extra pots against certain players. I don’t know what sort of image this rates to generate. What would you think?
I'd probably think it was a)somebody not too serious who is down on their money and then decides to 'go for broke' - maybe a casino day tripper not really a poker player or b) somebody (higher stakes player?) that is running bad but and is perhaps not willing to gamble it up until they see the table texture or of course c) he's Tommy Angelo and I'm about to get owned. I'll be looking out for piano lesson hats from now on :).
- jgunnip
- Deuce High
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91 posts
Joined 01/08
Another gem from my favorite poker author. Thanks!
- BalugaWhale
- Deuce High
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52 posts
Joined 01/08
minbetting can be very, very good but not really in any of the examples you gave. i like the last one the best.
- Cblanks
- Pair of Deuces
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101 posts
Joined 03/08
I'd probably think it was a)somebody not too serious who is down on their money and then decides to 'go for broke' - maybe a casino day tripper not really a poker player or b) somebody (higher stakes player?) that is running bad but and is perhaps not willing to gamble it up until they see the table texture or of course c) he's Tommy Angelo and I'm about to get owned. I'll be looking out for piano lesson hats from now on :).
agreed
- Nebulosity
- Pair of Deuces
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104 posts
Joined 05/08
haha love the end, good job!
- hq7878
- Deuce High
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13 posts
Joined 01/08
Did he call on the river.........
- Tommy Angelo
- Deuce High
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57 posts
Joined 10/07
Did he call on the river.........
Yes he called me on the river. But I'd rather not say what he called me. :-)
- Cactus Jack
- Deuces Full
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513 posts
Joined 05/07
Yes he called me on the river. But I'd rather not say what he called me. :-)
Now that was funny.
- corsakh
- Deuce High
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57 posts
Joined 02/08
Yes he called me on the river. But I'd rather not say what he called me. :-)
Called you or called all in, or both? :)
- vtpokerleague
- Deuce High
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58 posts
Joined 05/08
Called you or called all in, or both? :)
I think he called Tommy a nasty name :)
- Fly.Bear
- Deuce High
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8 posts
Joined 01/08
are we ever gonna get results from this?
- Tommy Angelo
- Deuce High
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57 posts
Joined 10/07
are we ever gonna get results from this?
He called and I did not see his hand.
- Manchild
- Deuces Full
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859 posts
Joined 01/08
Tommy,
I was playing 2/5 tonight at the Venetian with a guy who was randomly making some minraises PF, and I assumed he was likely a donk, although he wasn't showing down such weird hands (Aside from the Qs5s hand with bottom pair + flush draw on which the action was very weird if I remember if correctly) only to have a friend of mine tell me after the session that it was you.
Nice Hand Sir
- tubasteve
- Quad Deuces
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1993 posts
Joined 11/07
Tommy,
I was playing 2/5 tonight at the Venetian with a guy who was randomly making some minraises PF, and I assumed he was likely a donk, although he wasn't showing down such weird hands (Aside from the Qs5s hand with bottom pair + flush draw on which the action was very weird if I remember if correctly) only to have a friend of mine tell me after the session that it was you.
Nice Hand Sir
i hate you.
- Tommy Angelo
- Deuce High
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57 posts
Joined 10/07
Tommy,
I was playing 2/5 tonight at the Venetian with a guy who was randomly making some minraises PF, and I assumed he was likely a donk, although he wasn't showing down such weird hands (Aside from the Qs5s hand with bottom pair + flush draw on which the action was very weird if I remember if correctly) only to have a friend of mine tell me after the session that it was you.
Nice Hand Sir
Thanks! What seat were you in?
Here's a replay of the hand you mentioned...
I woke up at 4 a.m. and I thought I heard a distant clickety clackety sound. What could it be? It sounded so familiar. Oh! Right! I'm in Vegas, and there's a poker game going on downstairs! I yogaed up and went on down. Seat open. I put about $270 in chips on the table that I had in my pocket. Folded a couple hands, the I got Q5 of spades in the big blind. Two players limped and the small blind called and I checked. The flop was 8-6-5 with two spades. The small blind checked. I bet $5. Two players called and the small blind folded. The turn was a red king. I bet $5, the player on my left made it $30, the other guy called, and I shoved. The guy on my left had KJ of spades and took forever to call. I took that opportunity to finish waking myself up. The other guy folded. The river was a blank. I showed, he showed, and I felt very good about my freako weirdy splashy introduction.
I think I played the hand terrible. What I should have done was hit a queen or a five on the river. It worked out though because soon a cup of coffee appeared in my drink holder and I was in poker nirvana.
Tommy
- Manchild
- Deuces Full
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859 posts
Joined 01/08
Thanks! What seat were you in?
Here's a replay of the hand you mentioned...
I woke up at 4 a.m. and I thought I heard a distant clickety clackety sound. What could it be? It sounded so familiar. Oh! Right! I'm in Vegas, and there's a poker game going on downstairs! I yogaed up and went on down. Seat open. I put about $270 in chips on the table that I had in my pocket. Folded a couple hands, the I got Q5 of spades in the big blind. Two players limped and the small blind called and I checked. The flop was 8-6-5 with two spades. The small blind checked. I bet $5. Two players called and the small blind folded. The turn was a red king. I bet $5, the player on my left made it $30, the other guy called, and I shoved. The guy on my left had KJ of spades and took forever to call. I took that opportunity to finish waking myself up. The other guy folded. The river was a blank. I showed, he showed, and I felt very good about my freako weirdy splashy introduction.
I think I played the hand terrible. What I should have done was hit a queen or a five on the river. It worked out though because soon a cup of coffee appeared in my drink holder and I was in poker nirvana.
Tommy
HAHAHA, when you sat down and pulled out the 270$ in chips from your pocket, I believe it was 2 100$ chips and then some 5$ chips I was just like 'wow this guy is gonna be a donk', you fooled me. I was in the 5 seat, (I believe once you moved seats you were 2 to my right, in the 3 seat). I had on a light colored polo. I was the one who made fun of Gene when you minraised PF and he min3bet you from the blinds after a few of us had called and you 4 bet to ~80 or 90 and thus we didn't see a flop.
- Aaron
- Tommy Angelo
- Deuce High
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57 posts
Joined 10/07
HAHAHA, when you sat down and pulled out the 270$ in chips from your pocket, I believe it was 2 100$ chips and then some 5$ chips I was just like 'wow this guy is gonna be a donk', you fooled me. I was in the 5 seat, (I believe once you moved seats you were 2 to my right, in the 3 seat). I had on a light colored polo. I was the one who made fun of Gene when you minraised PF and he min3bet you from the blinds after a few of us had called and you 4 bet to ~80 or 90 and thus we didn't see a flop.
- Aaron
Speaking of minraise PF followed by a min3bet PF, I had a chance to make one of the greatest plays of my life in that game, but I dropped the ball. When you guys were talking about all quitting together, I knew I was going to quit too, which changes the whole dynamic of just how goofy I'm willing to go for the sake of entertaining someone at the table I know (in this case, Gene) while at the same time inflicting neck damage on innocent sittersby by making their heads spin around a few times amidst cries of "Huh? What just happened?"
With Gene on the button, and me in EP, I opened for $10. Folding to Gene who made it $15. Folding to me, and this is where I choked. I do have an excuse I guess, as I was blinded by my actual cards (Ace-jack suited) and I simply forgot to keep all options in play, because if I had, I would have found the correct entertainment play here which would have been to fold.
Tommy
- Manchild
- Deuces Full
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859 posts
Joined 01/08
Speaking of minraise PF followed by a min3bet PF, I had a chance to make one of the greatest plays of my life in that game, but I dropped the ball. When you guys were talking about all quitting together, I knew I was going to quit too, which changes the whole dynamic of just how goofy I'm willing to go for the sake of entertaining someone at the table I know (in this case, Gene) while at the same time inflicting neck damage on innocent sittersby by making their heads spin around a few times amidst cries of "Huh? What just happened?"
With Gene on the button, and me in EP, I opened for $10. Folding to Gene who made it $15. Folding to me, and this is where I choked. I do have an excuse I guess, as I was blinded by my actual cards (Ace-jack suited) and I simply forgot to keep all options in play, because if I had, I would have found the correct entertainment play here which would have been to fold.
Tommy
Wow!
If you had folded it would have solidified in my mind (and likely everyone else's) that you were indeed a big fish.
Aaron