Funny line

If Triple Draw is the new drug on Stars, then the NL version must be a baseball-sized rock of crack. It's a hoot to play, but you know it's really not good for you. I've stuck to limit the last week or so after watching several NL sessions turn into train wrecks. The limit games have mostly been good, although I got stuck a bunch (for me) last night before making a minor save. (And I've run into some bloggerly brethen testing the TD waters, including Princess, waffles, and Milwaukee's Best. )

Limit dictates that you pound the pot with premium draws preflop, slow down after the first draw if you don't make a hand or a solid 1-draw and occasionally attempt trickery after the second draw or on the end based on position and whatever info (betting pattern, number of cards drawn) your opponents are giving you. Losing sessions lately have been a mattter of watching those premium draws refuse to fill. Donkitude is a contributing factor as well, but I've mostly reigned that in as my comfort level with TD increases.

In a fit of madness, I jumped into a .25/.50 NL game today and decided to try a new approach. For example, instead of standing pat after being dealt 2-4-6-7-8 (which I would quickly do in limit), I decided to break 8s for the implied odds of making an even better hand. Rough and even perfect 8s (2-3-4-5-8) have not treated me kindly in NL. They are not the kinds of hands I care to invest alot of money in.

The NL session started poorly. I put $8 into a wheel (2-3-4-7) draw that I folded after the second draw to a big bet. I donked off a little more calling at the end with a sketchy 8. And then I doubled up a short stack when the donkette called off her last $9 to my bluff at the end while holding a queen. (I refuse to give her credit for making a brilliant call. I had raised "preflop" and had drawn only 1 the entire way. She drew 2 on the third draw.)

The hot grease of tilt sizzling in my brain pain, I reloaded for another $25 and waited. Then this hand occurred with Ms. Queen:

PokerStars Game #7777814981: Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball No Limit ($0.25/$0.50)
Table 'Leukothea III' 6-max
Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: puffcloud ($27.50 in chips)
Seat 2: Vlyrr ($48.25 in chips)
Seat 3: hacker59 ($48.20 in chips)
Seat 4: whoz yadaddy ($50.30 in chips)
Seat 6: Francesa ($28.90 in chips)
hacker59: posts small blind $0.25
whoz yadaddy: posts big blind $0.50
*** DEALING HANDS ***
Dealt to hacker59 [8s 3h 7d 4s 5h]
Francesa: calls $0.50
puffcloud: folds
Vlyrr: calls $0.50
hacker59: calls $0.25
whoz yadaddy: checks

Is this a weak play? Maybe. I probably should try to thin the field. But I've already decided to break the 8, the strength of my hand is well-hidden and if I don't hit, I can get out cheaply. If I do hit, I've got tremendous implied odds to trap.

*** FIRST DRAW ***
hacker59: discards 1 card [8s]
Dealt to hacker59 [3h 7d 4s 5h] [2c]

Whoot!

whoz yadaddy: discards 2 cards
Francesa: discards 2 cards
Vlyrr: discards 3 cards
hacker59: bets $1.50

Got to bet something here. If I check, standing pat will look especially fishy.

whoz yadaddy: folds
Francesa: calls $1.50
Vlyrr: folds
*** SECOND DRAW ***
hacker59: stands pat on [3h 7d 4s 5h 2c]
Francesa: discards 1 card
hacker59: checks
Francesa: checks

I desperately want her to have a free card and make some kind of hand.

*** THIRD DRAW ***
hacker59: stands pat on [3h 7d 4s 5h 2c]
Francesa: discards 1 card
hacker59: bets $4.50

A pot-sized bet that I'm hoping smells like an 8 or even a 9.

Francesa: raises $22.40 to $26.90 and is all-in
hacker59: calls $22.40

I couldn't get the money in fast enough.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Francesa: shows [7c 4c 6h 3d 2s] (Lo: 7,6,4,3,2)
hacker59: shows [2c 3h 7d 4s 5h] (Lo: 7,5,4,3,2)
hacker59 collected $56.80 from pot

I would have played this hand much differently in limit --raising preflop and leading the entire way. Yeah, I hit the lottery after the first draw. But I think the slightly unorthodox line I took gave me the best chance to get all of her money.