What's the Deal: Poker Raids

Dealt by Tim Bangs

Everywhere I look (and I mean anywhere), all I read about are how our heroes, the boys in blue, are making another HUGE poker bust.  The articles typically go like this: 

"And today, ten undercover agents helped to stop an illegal gambling ring in the downtown area.  Taken from the scene were clay poker chips, three decks of cards, and $100.  Police consider this sting as a tremendous step in helping to stop the city's increasing gambling problem.  Eight individuals were arrested, including the cleaning lady."

Sh!t Happens

Chops here.

You’re about equi-short-stacked with another person at the table.  Six rounders are left in this 9-person one table tournament. You’re the big blind. The small blind limps in. You look and see a beauty—pocket Kings.

You raise about 4x the blind and are called.

Flop comes up A-10-x. The small blind bets into you, it’s half of your remaining stack. You decide he doesn’t have the ace or a set, and push your remaining chips all in.

This hand happened to me last night in our weekly Wicked Chops Poker game.

Stuck in the Middle: Advice from Gordon

Chops here.

Phil Gordon is now contributing columns to ESPN.com.

The Stone Mountain native usually backs up his articles with good stats, and I found this article particularly relevant, as I've encountered a similar scenario (being caught in the middle of raisers & callers as short stack with a good speculative hand) a couple of times in our recent Wicked Chops Poker games.  Enjoy.