What games to play?

Texas Hold 'em has become the most popular poker game by a wide margin, mainly due to CHris Moneymaker's win of the 2003 WSOP Main Event. In playing Hold 'em there are to different versions to play, limit, (LHE) where the bets are a set amount at various points in each hand. The more popular version is No-Limit Hold 'em (NLHE) which allows you to bet any amount you wish up to the amount of money you have in front of you.



As I started playing playing online, I usually played tournament NLHE or cash games LHE. Now 99.9% of my Hold'em play is NLHE cash and tournaments. It's a very simple game but because you never know what your opponent holds, and for the good players, your opponent doesn't know what you hold, it provides many complexities that takes thousands upon thousands of hands played to understand.


FullTiltPoker Game #3155308957: Table Singing View - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 22:09:29 ET - 2007/08/04
Seat 1: LivinOffaU ($112)
Seat 2: Bobz2433 ($101.15)
Seat 3: red309 ($54)
Seat 4: GREATMAN222 ($155.15)
Seat 5: hammering ($173.60)
Seat 6: birdiemachine ($97.90)
Seat 7: norajean ($61)
Seat 8: dan13057 ($20.60)
Seat 9: iuorbust ($48.95)
iuorbust posts the small blind of $0.50
LivinOffaU posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to birdiemachine [4d 3d]
Bobz2433 raises to $3
red309 folds
GREATMAN222 folds
hammering folds
birdiemachine calls $3
norajean folds
dan13057 calls $3
iuorbust calls $2.50
LivinOffaU calls $2
*** FLOP *** [4s Qd 4c]
uorbust checks
LivinOffaU has 15 seconds left to act
LivinOffaU checks
Bobz2433 bets $11
birdiemachine raises to $22
dan13057 folds
iuorbust folds
LivinOffaU has 15 seconds left to act
LivinOffaU folds
Bobz2433 calls $11
*** TURN ***
[4s Qd 4c] [Ts]
Bobz2433 checks
birdiemachine bets $35
Bobz2433 raises to $76.15, and is all in
birdiemachine calls $37.90, and is all in
Bobz2433 shows [Qc Ac]
birdiemachine shows [4d 3d]
Uncalled bet of $3.25 returned to Bobz2433
*** RIVER ***
[4s Qd 4c Ts] [7d]
Bobz2433 shows two pair, Queens and Fours
birdiemachine shows three of a kind, Fours
birdiemachine wins the pot ($201.80) with three of a kind, Fours
** SUMMARY ***Total pot $204.80 Rake $3
Board: [4s Qd 4c Ts 7d]
Seat 1: LivinOffaU (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: Bobz2433 showed [Qc Ac] and lost with two pair, Queens and Fours
Seat 3: red309 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: GREATMAN222 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: hammering didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: birdiemachine showed [4d 3d] and won ($201.80) with three of a kind, Fours
Seat 7: norajean didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: dan13057 (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 9: iuorbust (small blind) folded on the Flop


Any two cards can win in this game as you can see with the hand history listed above. The small or minimum raise I made after the flop was to help make sure we got all our money in before the river. Most players will overplay top pair with a good or even the best kicker. Because I know that, 43 suited becomes a more valuable hand. I know players are willing to ignore what I may have and pay me off with less than premium holdings.


FullTiltPoker Game #3068434958: Table Grand Hills - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:30:29 ET - 2007/07/26
Seat 1: flyinghighxxx ($20.70)
Seat 2: birdiemachine ($103.70)
Seat 3: tommy_spun26 ($31.55)
Seat 4: pokebob ($115.25)
Seat 5: theax123 ($192.70)
Seat 6: tcyr19 ($148.25)
Seat 7: sniperpro ($17)
Seat 8: Run You Over 22 ($97.65)
Seat 9: JaRoJr ($100), is sitting out
tommy_spun26 posts the small blind of $0.50
pokebob posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to birdiemachine [7h 5h]
theax123 folds
tcyr19 folds
sniperpro folds
Run You Over 22 folds
flyinghighxxx folds
birdiemachine raises to $3
tommy_spun26 has 15 seconds left to act
tommy_spun26 calls $2.50
pokebob calls $2
*** FLOP *** [6h Th 4h]
tommy_spun26 checks
pokebob bets $8
birdiemachine calls $8
tommy_spun26 folds
*** TURN *** [6h Th 4h] [9s]
pokebob bets $15
birdiemachine raises to $92.70, and is all in
pokebob folds
Uncalled bet of $77.70 returned to birdiemachine
birdiemachine mucks
birdiemachine wins the pot ($52.25)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $55 Rake $2.75
Board: [6h Th 4h 9s]
Seat 1: flyinghighxxx didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: birdiemachine (button) collected ($52.25), mucked
Seat 3: tommy_spun26 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 4: pokebob (big blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 5: theax123 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: tcyr19 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: sniperpro didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: Run You Over 22 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: JaRoJr is sitting out

See you soon!

Birdiemachine