Can you fold a set?

Wow! Another great night of poker. I found this new place that I call Sheldon's place. I have played there 3 times and have won each time. I have won over $950 this month alone there. Mostly from this guy named Ed. He is a very solid player ( a dealer too, I think..), but really wants to crack my ass. That is a big mistake, you should never take poker personally.. Not sure why anyone would want to try and take me down, but you can certainly try. You better be able to beat a set.. Since I don't put my money in the pot unless I have a set or better.

Now for the poker story: I buy in for $200. At this game they have a $130 button bonus. If you are the first 8-10 people to play, Sheldon will give out $130 for free. He deals everyone 5 cards and each Ace gets $25 and the best 5 card hand gets $30. I won the best 5 card hand with a pair of 10s. So I start with $230. I am the 2nd big stack, everyone else buys for between $80-180 except for Ed who gets $500 in chips. I don't see Ed actually buy in, so I think he has house credit as a dealer.

The game starts out slow and everyone seems to be playing tight. Standard raises are $7-$12.. I finally get my hand. Pocket Jacks. I am fairly early in position so I raise to $15. Ed in the big blind calls and someone in early position who limped in calls $15. The flop is J83, with 2 hearts. I hit top set! No real straight draw but there is a potential flush draw. The two callers check to me. I bet $35, not expecting to get paid off, since there is no over card. Ed thinks about it and calls. The other guy thinks really long. He start counting out $100. He pretends like he is going to push all in. I am thinking, do it fool, I flopped the nuts! He eventually decided to fold. I put Ed on a flush draw. The turn is the 10 of hearts, now there are 3 hearts. Ed bets $95. Damm, I put him on the flush, but I instant call with top set showing no fear. The river is another 10, giving me Jacks full of 10s. Ed quickly checks and I push all-in for $140. Ed looks shocked and thinks for a while. He wonders what I instant called him on the turn.. He eventually calls my bet and pays me off. I say do you have a flush? He rolls over A6 of hearts, the nuts on the turn! I show my boat and he starts steaming.. Calling me a donkie for calling $95 on the turn. I had 10 outs. Who could fold top set? Ed should never have called my $15 pre-flop raise with A6 suited. Yes, he had the nuts, but I had the best hand starting, on the flop. He took over on the turn, and now expects me to fold top set. Forget that.. I am tight, but not that tight.. Now I am up over $580 in less then 1 hr of play.

The Classic Hold'em Showdown: I continue to play tight. Getting no cards for 40 minutes. Then I pickup pocket Aces under the gun. I think, dam I hate when that happens (a big hand under the gun...). Now many people will just limp in and hope someone raises behind them. I think that is a bad play and my best advice for most players is to never slow play a big hand unless you got quads or unless you can fold Aces. So I raise $20, which is the biggest pre-flop raises all night. I expect everyone to just fold to me, the tightest player at the table, ha ha... The guy next to me calls! The guy after him calls.?.. Everyone else folds.. a guy near me says how do you get all that action after not playing a hand for an hour. I say, "I don't know, I guess I got no respect.. I will have to teach them a lesson.." The flop is 57Q. I am first to act and bet $50. The guy next pushes all in, raises to $110. The last guy asks, "Do you have AQ?" He looks over at me and says I must have Aces or Kings. He throws his hand over showing AQ, and says "he will call.." (pointing to me...) Which I do... The other guy had pocket kings and I take him out.. I am up over $750 now and have only been playing for just 2 hrs, that is $275/hr, just sick... The guys say that I will be having a thousand dollar night. I think to my self, I am just happy to take what I have now.. Anyways, I owe them some play, so play till closing 2:50am.. some guy slowed played pocket Aces when I had AK and hit a King on the flop.. I walk out with $600, happy with my night, but still wishing I would have quit at $750.... Anyways, I had fun.

I treated myself to some PF Changs. I read some good reviews about them. I tried there Orange Peel beef, it was pretty good. It was the first time that I was there. It was a pretty nice place, I will have to go back and try a few other dishes.

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