You play 2-3 offsuit?

OK, so I've got a lot of "feedback" on my playing the "baby schroeck" when taking down the second game in our "monthly game." Apparantly peeps were shocked/outraged when I not only flipped over that two-three offsuit, but had willingly pushed allin on a bluff. That being said, while I will not attempt to "justify" this crazy move, I will in fact put it in the proper context and perhaps then it will make a bit more sense.

The main factor to keep in mind, is that this particular matchup pitted your hero versus arch-nemasis SuperDonk. Anything we do against one another usually ends up in both a battle of skill and a battle of ego.

When the heads up play began, I had about 80% of the chips in front of me. In the first game, the main event... I did not get the privledge of heads up play, as the second-third place finishers agreed to a split. That being said, I was slightly itching for some heads up action. I had pretty much handed SuperDonk a substantial amount of chips, bringing him back, uncontested to 45% of the chip count. I was both wanting to make it a game, and "tell a story" of sorts.

Heads up play, up to the 2-3 hand went pretty much like this. SuperDonk raises, Beer Guy folds. SuperDonk raises, Beer Guy folds... As I said, I was chipping him up and setting the context to "tell a story" in the process. My thoughts were that SD would quickly realize that raising preflop appeared profitable. Furthermore, based on my "story telling," he'd believe that I'd raise only with a quality hand. This in turn suggested he should raise with any two cards, giving him a wide hand range and that my hand range that I was playing would be very narrow, or predictable. That clues him in to raise/fold preflop. Believing that I incorrectly had "standards" with respect to starting hands dictates that he fold if he's on the more likely low range of starting hands if I reraise him, specifically reraising to allin.

That being said, in my mind... I'm chipping him up, which he is not aware of. I want to use this reraise move on a hand that I do not expect to win from. Ace-ten is positive EV heads up. I'm thinking why waste this move on a hand like ace ten... So, he raises preflop. I see the 2-3 and push allin, certain he will fold up shop. He makes the call with QJ offsuit, in his words "believing he had the better preflop hand." If he in fact did believe this, he made a great read. Additionally, if he made any read at all, he's further ahead than he was a few short months ago.

On a slightly related topic, he and I were discussing the infamous knockout of all things donk with my four five suited. The fact is, when I pushed allin, I could have told everyone that I had a straight, and was holding 4-5 of hearts. Not a soul at the table would have ever believed me. In fact, I probably could have shown everyone my cards, and they'd have all somehow believed it was one of those "elaborate jedi mind tricks" I was pulling... and I likely really had queens or something.

On a CheckRayz note, free poker tournament at Noble Poker tonight. $100 freeroll prize pool for the noble tournament. Additionally, $5+.50, $100 added poker tournament at Noble tommorrow. Don't miss out on playing in the best and tightest private poker tour on the net.

Mike



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