WBCOOP - Event 2 - NL Hold Em

Well the self fulfilling prophecy of my leg one being my best performance of the series (despite knowing nothing about Omaha) I didn't fair very well in event 2. I started well enough building my stack from 2500 to about 3900 in the first two levels, and even got to play on the table next to Micheal (4 king hell blog) .. which was all very friendly. Then the hand of my demise came pretty quickly.

In 2nd position I had JJ so raised it to 3xBB to 180 chips, all folded to the button (who had already been pretty active, and I had took a pot away from him on the river earlier, so I wasn't too worried about his re raise) who made it 400. Every one else folded and I called the extra 220, essentially playing my JJ for the set or see what happens after the flop if I could keep the pot small.

The flop came JT4 all clubs (or something like that). As previously before stated I didn't want to get too active unless I hit my set, which I did do, but the clubs were not nice. I still wanted to keep this pot small until I had a bit more information on the turn. If no clubs show I get busy. I check and the opponent bets $550 or so. I flat call.

The turn is a K spades. I checked to him again, why? I wanted to see what size of bet he put in on the turn, if it was small I flat call (perhaps he has a monster let him drag the chips out of me), if it is pot size I detect no flush and re raise all in.

He virtually pot bet and I re raised all in another 2000 or so for him to call. Call he did holding KK for a higher set.

I see no way of getting away from this unless the turn had come a club. To add insult to injury the river paired the board so I would have had a full house by then and he would have beaten me with a better full house.

Not sure if I played this well, but other options were:

1. Fold pre flop - surely not!
2. Re- raise pre flop - he calls, the hand plays out the same; he re-raises and I can't fold - we get it all in, same result.
3. All in on flop - he may possibly have folded. Would you believe I had hit the flush or drawing to the nut flush with the Ace (he had the K clubs) with a bet like that holding overpair KK? He could worry about the Ace of Clubs - perhaps an all in would have saved me.
4. If the pot had been kept small because of flush fears then the river would have sealed my fate ... think its just one of those hands.

Anyway .. still good fun, and a bit more learnt (I didn't even think he could have had KK or AA).

300 ish out of 550 ish

Until next time.

Keep it tight