Kings!!!

Last night I played a live tournament with I think around 54 entrants. I was seated at a very passive table which I liked because I am not a passive player. I am not a big believer of limping unless I have a very marginal hand in late position and I just want to see a flop. Usually I am raising or folding. Anyways second hand in I get Pocket 4s UTG. I really hate small pocket pairs and especially being first to act. I thought whatever blinds were cheap enough so I limped with the thought any raise and I am folding. 5 limpers behind me. Told you it was passive. Flop comes 10,6,3. Not a horrible flop but not great either. I check, guy next to me min bets and everyone calls. Action back to me. I was thinking of folding but thought whatever its cheap enough. Turn is a 7. I check and everybody checks. Geez what is this?? River brings a lovely 4. I now have trips but also with 5 other people in the pot and with a straight possibility I am not loving my hand. Guy who was in the BB bets but its only twice the Min so I thought whatever I called as did one other guy. My trip 4's were good. So I take down a decent pot. That hand played weird though.

I then preceded to get Ace Jack 3 times in the several hands and with me raising I took two of those hands preflop and also got a couple limpers off their hands. So I was slowly building my stack. Definitely the chip leader at my table. The third time I got Ace Jack I raised preflop got one caller. Flop comes KQ4. HMM. I did a continuation bet and the old guy folded. Not sure what he had but probably Ace something.

I was sailing along when I got 10,3 clubs in the BB. Blinds were now at 400/800. Two limpers to me I checked. Flop comes AAQ with 2 clubs. I hollywood it a bit studying the flop and decide to check. One guy bets out 1200, other guy folds and trying to show confidence in my flush draw I come along. Turn is a 10. Okay card but not if he has a Queen. I make eye contact and smile and then I check. Reading his look he has me on an Ace. Too funny so he checks too. River is 5 of diamonds. I bet and he disgustedly throws his hand away and comments you had trips right. I just smiled.

We were down to 22 players when I got dealt Pocket Kings in early position. Blinds were now 500/1000. I raised it to 3500 and surprisingly two very tight players (both the blinds) called. Flop comes J 8 4. Rainbow. SB checks. BB goes all in. BB is an older guy who plays pretty tight. Action is on me. I have him covered but not by much. What does he have?? Ace Jack?? Pocket Queens?? Aces?? In the back of my mind I think did he really hit Trip jacks. I decide to call. SB takes a long time and decides to fold. We flip and yep he had pocket Jacks and hit his trips. I am severely crippled. SB said he had pocket 6's.

Very next hand I get pocket 2's and with the blinds coming I go all in which only covers the BB. 5 Callers. Flop comes 10,3,5. Checked all around, Turn is a 6, Check check. River is a 7. Everybody checks. Somebody caught their 7 on the river and my night is over.

I am not sure if I could have folded the Kings but I did consider that he had the pocket Jacks and should have gone with my gut feeling. Tough to fold though. That's twice in the past 3 weeks were Kings did me in on a relatively safe board. Both times guys caught their trips. it's one of those times where you just got to shake it off and look forward to the next game..........