Don't Shoot Back

A great quote from NCIS Los Angeles.  Deeks and his childhood ganster friend are talking and the buddy says, " Remember, don't shoot back", and Deeks replies, "Always shoot first".  I think this is excellent advice for poker players.  It is far better to be the aggressor than to be the caller.  I had an opportunity to put this into practice last night.  Tim, an aggressive player with weak cards raised in early position and I found myself with AK suited.  Normally I try to see a flop fairly cheap with this great drawing hand but figured that I probably had the better hand and wanted to see if I could isolate him, so I reraised, I think to $35 and got a hitchiker along who also was overplaying his hands and calling light.  The flop was wonderful rainbow ace high with no straight draws.  I bet $20 and they both called.  The turn and river did not complete any draws obvious, and paired 6's on the river.  I bet and "Neanderthal", as I will call the other player, called me with AJ.  Nice pot.

The Neanderthal and I played a couple of hands which I could not believe that he called me.  I had a straight draw, he bet I raised, and he called with bottom pair.  The turn brought 3 spades and paired his king (he was playing k/2 offsuit, lol).  He checked, I bet, he called.  A fourth spade hit the river and when he checked I fired again with no pair, no spade.  Like the donk he was, he called and took the pot.  Unbelievable that he could not lay that hand down.  He demonstrated many times that night that he would call to the river with bottom pair and won several nice pots, but eventually as he must when you play every single hand he went from big stack to felt several times, but always getting bailed out on 3 outer draws.  I was just waiting to get a big hand against him when this one came up.

TJ had entered the game from another table with $300 in chips and raised preflop with AQ.  Neanderthal and I plus probably another player or two called, me with A/10 suited.  The flop was the monster I had been waiting for :  A/A/10.  I checked, TJ fired $20 and the other guy and I called.  The turn was a small card and put two flush draws on board....awesome.  TJ bet $15, the other guy called and I check-raised to $35.  The river card paired the board with 8's which guaranteed a TJ call when I bet.  Nice pot, Sir!

Had a couple of nice suckouts, filled up against pocket Aces with my K/10, and also hit a straight against aces.  Lost a few close ones and ended up down $50 after being stuck over $300, so I considered it a moral victory if not a financial one.