As I got very much response (via IM) to my first Poker-related post in this blog, and some thought I played bad, I want to review the two str8flush-situations.

Don't worry, I wont post every hand I play here in this blog now, but I will post some poker issues in the future. Maybe I'll fork a sub-blog, we'll see.

I like Heads-up games. You have to play very loose, and you have to fight.
Plus, I get bored after playing 8h in a big tournament; Heads-Up SNGs are kinda like a warp zone to the boss enemy in a tournament ;)

Basic HU strategie is for the most players to wait for a pair, an Ace or a King, and then go preflop All-in. Connectors, even suited ones, are generally considered as multiway-cards and therefore not good in the Heads-Up.

But they forget one thing: in HU, you cannot just wait for the best hand and then push it all in. Neighter can you go preflop All-In with any two cards. Your opponent will have advantage then - he can decide to fold when you are usually tight and you all of a sudden go all-in preflop, or he can just trap you and call you with any ace or pair when you go all-in every hand preflop.

What you need is a trap, you need to get your opponent to get his chips in when he is behind, no matter why he does it: make him try to steal the pot, make him believe he has the best hand, make him think you want to steal the pot, but make him get his chips in the mid and hold a well-hidden monster.

You see: even in Heads-Up suited connectors have perfect implied odds for this, and thats why i like them.

(of course, the statements above are only correct when your M is big enough and your Q is not too far away from 1 - and your opponent will allow that play style)

So, back to my hands.
Some said that I was just lucky with those, made a dumbass-call in the first one and got lucky hitting my outs, and flop a str8flush in the second is also pure luck and anyone would win a tournament when he flops a str8flush.
But you'll see that this is not true; in fact the first one was an easy nobrainer-call and the second was very tricky to play.

Start with the first one:

Seat 1: ch3ka (1160 in chips)
Seat 2: cwboys22 (1840 in chips)
ch3ka: posts small blind 10
cwboys22: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ch3ka [6d 7d]

hmm OK, 67s in the SB.. limp in? nooo, lets try a overraise this time.
We vary our play, We show aggression and can try to steal the pot on the flop with a contibet if we miss, we can just get the Blinds, or... if we are lucky we hit. The best condition for a trap on the flop or turn is when you already have something in the pot.
Plus you gain information when raising, as you'll see soon.

ch3ka: raises 140 to 160
cwboys22: calls 140

hmm he just calls it... that tells us that he does not have a high or mid-pair becuz he is one of the players that would probably go AI here if he holds >6-6.
Same is true for a strong Ace or a mid suited ace.
I put him on a weak Ace or a Picture.
If he wont hold at least one Picture he'd fold to that raise with no pair and raised with a pair.

*** FLOP *** [As 9d Td]
cwboys22: bets 1680 and is all-in

Shit. That is not what I wanted. I lost control. I have now only two options. call for the rest of my chips or fold, being crippled with 1000:2000 chips.
As I said, he might have the Ace.
But when he does, would he go all-in? only if he is afraid of the flush, means that his ace is not suited or not diamond (then he has no reason to be afraid of another diamond as he holds the Nut Flush draw).

He could also hold 2pair (A-9 would be in his range as discussed preflop), but this is irrelevant as I'd need a flush or a straight to break his Aces)

He does not have a set (see preflop discussion), but this is merely relevant too - only for the probability of getting my possible flush killed by a full house.

He could also hold J8 for the open-ended str8-draw and try a semibluff here.

So... eighter way... I'm behind.
What are my outs?
I need any diamond (9 outs) or any 8 or runner-runner.

makes 14 outs.
2 cards to come, no choice to be made after, its all or nothing.
My chance of hitting my outs is slightly over 50%. easy call when you consider that I eighter lose or virtually win by calling or have a big disadvantage by folding.

ch3ka: calls 1000 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [As 9d Td] [8d]
*** RIVER *** [As 9d Td 8d] [Jd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
cwboys22: shows [Ad 7c] (a flush, Ace high)
ch3ka: shows [6d 7d] (a straight flush, Seven to Jack)
ch3ka collected 2320 from pot

Yeah worked. Not the way I planned but worked.

Next game:
The first hand I must not explain I think, classic steal with board-backup, but I would have tried it with an unsuited board the same way.

A small chipadvantage is always a thing you want to have ;)

next Hand:

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to ch3ka [8s 7s]
poker2323: calls 10

In order to vary gameplay, and to see the flop cheap, I decided just to check.
Has also something to do with the position: In the BB you dont have that much need to gain Information, and when I simply check he cannot raise me: when I'm in the SB the BB could raise me eighter way, if I call or bet)

ch3ka: checks
*** FLOP *** [6s Ts 9s]

What a flop man! I hold the Nuts. The only three cards that can technically beat me (JsQs,QsKs,JsKs) are all one-outers. And he'd bet them befor the flop. I'd say this Pot is mine. But... look... he just called before the flop, and here in the flop is only crap... the best thing he could possibly have is a straight draw,flush draw, or a pair... plus: hold'em players always fear 3 same-suit-cards on the board.... If i bet now, I flopped the nuts and get only the blinds.. thats not what we want.

ch3ka: checks
poker2323: bets 40

Yeah! he bets! Lezz go all-in! well no, seriously not.
Well, it IS a potsize bet, but also only a 2BB-Bet.
He is obviously trying to gain information with this bet, especially wether i have a flush or a flush draw. This means he is probably on a Str8-Draw when he is afraid of the flush. With Top-Pair he would be more aggressive even on this flop, becuz he wants possible straight draws more expensive.
Well, he asked me with his bet: "do you have a flush or a flushdraw? or top-pair maybe? anything? would my later straight be good here or am I already beaten?"
Of course I answer his question: "no, i'm on a draw!" by just calling.

ch3ka: calls 40
*** TURN *** [6s Ts 9s] [Jh]

NIIIICE Card for me! If I was correct with my reading, there is a good chance that he holds the Jack (remember? I put him on a str8draw) or even made his straight, wich would be just perfect.
But if I bet here, would he call me? or even raise me? I dunno, maybe I was not right with my read?

ch3ka: checks
poker2323: bets 100

Perfect! he must have hit something! I pray for the str8...
Now what to do? If I only call again he might get suspicious...
Lets raise here. But how much?
This is a checkraise, normally a move where players become suspicious, but also a well-known stealer move. So I raise 300, making it look like stealing.

ch3ka: raises 300 to 400
poker2323: raises 960 to 1360 and is all-in

Yezz! trapped him! He must have got his str8 or he just hit the jack and tries to protect it against my "draw"... eighter way: worked!

ch3ka: calls 960
*** RIVER *** [6s Ts 9s Jh] [4h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
ch3ka: shows [8s 7s] (a straight flush, Six to Ten)
poker2323: shows [Js 8d] (a pair of Jacks)
ch3ka collected 2840 from pot

I'm not sayin that I played this one perfect (especially the check on the turn, I'm not really sure if this was the right move), but it worked.

Afterwards it's easy to tell, now we know all cards. If I knew that he only hit his jack I might have played different.
But now you see: It was not easy to play a monster when only the blinds are in the pot.