What the EFF is this??!?!?

Poker content??? are you kidding?

A quick impromptu game that came to life after 6 months of anticipation. I know, an oxymoron, but I use quick in the beginning of the sentence because only 2 were 100% pre game. I'm never 100% for any thing, so I put my availability at 80%. Which was quickly reduced to a realistic 65% by wheels rightly so.

But the stars aligned and I was actually there about an hour before anyone else.

9 folks showed up and blah blah blah, I left with 8 buyins. But as always towards the end of these things, the 4 or 5 of us left play omaha.

One particular hand was interesting. The only other player at the table that actually likes, and understands the game got heads up with me in a standard, normal hand.

I had 77xx he had Txxx

I was small he was big.

We limped to the flop of 6 8 Tr. I had no draw, and neither did he. But I checked, he potted, and I called. I called here because based on my experience with playing with him, I know he's not betting a made straight. and I know he's very unlikely to call a draw, rather opting for a re-pot to my lead out.

The turn brought a blank but also a second club. We both checked. This is where the range gets all mangled by each of us. Over pairs? Bluffs? all sorts of draws? In the least it makes this hand a little bit more uncertain for both of us.

The river comes a blank third club and I pot, which was a little more than a third of his stack. I did this for two reasons. One, he had been beaten up all night, and just got back to about even. Two, It's just about the only way I can win the hand with just a pair of 7's.

Now, this would be just plain dusting off, if in fact he walked into a flush. But I know that if he had a flush draw on the turn, especially a big one, he isn't checking. He would have bet. So I discount that. And if he actually flopped the joint, he would have been betting the whole way. Especially on the turn, so that turn check really gave me the abiltity to do this without any conncern. And I also assume that he's not going to call with an overpair, or maybe even two pair. Again, based on my experience of playing with him. He's usually a nut peddler, but he does mix it up a little with a bluff here and there. But checking the turn discounted that.

Here's the interesting part. He sits back in his chair, arms raised up over his head, and says... "If this was online, I would repot you". His point was that he didn't have enough in his holdings (only a pair of tens) to just call. But he also thought that it was best. But in Omaha, there is so much out there that kills him. The flush, the straight, and horseshit two pair I may have lucked into, ANY over pair I may be holding.

Now, we weren't playing for rent money, and I feel in games likes these, that the best part isn't winning the money. It's not a whole bunch. But I get the juice out of making the correct calls, bluffs, whatever, based on your reads or gut. This was his oppotunity to do so.

He folded and I took the hand down with the worst hand. But I don't want to focus on my play, I want to focus on his. We were heads up in a short handed game, so at what point does it become right to make a loose call there? Especially if you are almost sure you have it. Would a repot have even been right for him? Sure, in this istance I fold, but what if I actually had two pair or better?

Lets say I did have two pair and he does repot the river. I still call, even with the runner flush. Based on my knowledge of his game, there's no way he had the straight. So I still call in that instance.

But what is he really saying with the on-line statement? It's been stuck in my head for two days now. A stupid $50 pot and I can't get it out of my head. Why would repotting be better than just calling if you think you have the best of it? If you only have top pair, why repot into a hand that you think you already have won with a crappy holding? Of course repotting should tell me that he walked into a nut hand, or that he has a stronger holding than what I have, but I am not giving him credit for that if I do have a set, or two pair, or the straight based on what I wrote above.

Let me be clear, he wasn't postitive that he was best. HE just felt it. Feelings aren't always right, and he may have been committing the rest of his stack into my side of the table. SO why not just call? He didn't give himself the option of just calling. It was either fold or repot. With top pair.

I like this kid, and respect his game. Well, let's say I think he plays well. But why leave the option of calling out? Would it have been wrong BECAUSE I potted the river?

Any thoughts on this one junkies? *I'll give drizz a pass on this one because if it was him calling off the pot bet with top pair of tens, my cards would have magically turned into the nuts before I flipped them over :)