button in SafariJonathan Little Flops Trips, But the Board Runs Out Poorly
This hand comes from a $5,000 Main Event I played recently. It's early in the tournament, with the blinds 100/200 with a 25 ante.
A tight-aggressive player opened from under the gun to 550, a 50-year-old guy in middle position called, then it folded to me in the cutoff where I had A♥Q♣ and called. The big blind called as well, so there were four of us in the hand when the flop came Q♥Q♠J♠, giving me trip queens.
It folded around to me, and in the video below I talk about what each of the players checking before me probably says about their hands. With just over 2,500 in the pot, I bet 1,500, and only the 50-year-old guy in middle position called. Again, I talk about what his call might mean and how it narrows his range.
The turn was the K♣, and after my opponent checked I bet 2,200 (about 40 percent of the pot) and he called, making the pot almost 10,000. The river then brought the 9♥, making for a poorly-run out board for me. See what happened and hear how I discuss both my play and that of my opponent:
It is important to understand that you will not always win with your normally-premium hands. When that happens, remain calm and continue playing your best poker. Do not let the common short-term fluctuations of the game bother you.
Jonathan Little is a professional poker player and author with over $6,300,000 in live tournament earnings. He writes a weekly educational blog and hosts a podcast at JonathanLittlePoker.com. You can follow him on Twitter @JonathanLittle.
