Party of Poker Fools!

Several times a week I sit down to enjoy some multi table tournaments at Party Poker, and have done reasonably well in the 10 to 30 entry fee range having reached 18 final tables just this last month. It does seem though, that even taken calculated, favorable risks, that the party poker donkeys insist on trying to outdraw a made hand. Suffice to say, it seems to happen more often than it should. Now don't get me wrong, if it wasn't for these players, there wouldn't be profitable poker. Having them draw out against you is, however painful, a step further towards your profitable play. In with the best, even dominating hands can get outdrawn, but it is entirely up to yourself to maintain composure and know that cooler heads prevail, and donkeys are just meant to keep the chips warm for their eventual return, whether this tournament or next.

Here is a recent example from a party poker hand history I selected to analyze. You can see the hand history using my bio link below.

At mid tournament I have about 12,500 chips with 2 or 3 others about the same and the rest between 3000 and 6000. Blinds are 150/300 and I am dealt QsQd with which I raise to 800 after UTG and the next player fold to me. DonkeyOne next to me calls my raise and it's passed around to the small blind (DonkeyTwo) who curiously reraises to 1150. I call with the concern of now seeing an ace or king on the flop, as does DonkeyOne.

Here is the flop: 4c 4h 6c. This is good for me as no over cards fell, and the low cards didn't concern me too much with the preflop raising. But DonkeyTwo comes out with a weak bet of 300 into the pot of now 4,000, so I reraise to 1500, thinking to take it down right there to cut of any flush draws.

DonkeyOne Calls! Wtf? He was loose before, but I didn't think he was stupid. The slightly more intelligent DonkeyTwo realizes he is beat and folds.

Here is the turn: 3h which I felt had to be a brick. So the board reads 4c 4h 6c 3h. I bet 1725 and DonkeyOne reraises me all in with another 1200 chips. I have to call figuring that maybe he was slow rolling aces here but as I later found out, he had 7s 3s and hit his 3 figuring he now had me. Yes, 7s.3s, one of the weakest hands to play, and he played it to aggressive preflop raising.

The cards turn over and I see his foolish hand knowing I am going to eliminate him, and become one of the tournaments chip leaders.

Here is the river. 5h. I didn't understand at first, but his foolish play had miraculously turned a straight and knocked off about 70% of my stack. When I got my wits about me, I continued to see DonkeyOne on an incredible run of luck, eventually becoming the tournament chip leader but not before staring poker death in the eyes several more times, only to come back with runner runner what seemed to be about ten times. For example, he later called an all in bet after the flop showed 3 overcards to his pocket 3's. His competitor showed QQ, and the turn and river brought DonkeyOne a set of quad threes!

I regrouped and finished in the money, carefully taking some chips back from DonkeyOne, but largely avoiding his unreal luck. He finished just a few places ahead of me, eventually running out luck. Had he had some judgement to back up his luck, he easily could have controlled the tournament through to the end. But alas, it is because of players like DonkeyOne and DonkeyTwo, that Party Poker is great place to play.

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