The Benefits of Note Taking

One of the luxuries of online poker is that ability to take notes on players during an actual game. When I take notes, I'm generally looking for the players who are playing tight and the player who are playing a little reckless.

In this SNG I found a player who had a tendency to overbet when he was trying to protect his hand. I'm talking huge overbets.

If you want to see what I mean, here's my animated hand history of this player in action and what it took to take him down - Taking Notes Animated Hand History for PXF subscribers.

onehandgrab first bet 900 chips to win a 60 pot. Later he bets 300 into a 100 chip pot. Players like this don't like to allow other to draw out on them. Playing scared they overbet the pot.

My note on this player is "overbets. Wait for a strong hand to trap this player."

So I was waiting for a strong hand and it came. I was dealt pocket kings in late position with the blinds at 25/50. My fish limps in early position. I decide to play his game and overbet the pot to get everyone to fold. I bet 300 which is more than a pot size bet. The blinds fold to onehandgrab and he does what I hope and calls my hand. The flop comes rags 10 high. I check to represent an AK, AQ, or AT. Onehandgrab then shoves all in to protect his hand. I immediately call and he flips over the QT for top pair.

Trap is sprung and the fish is reeled in.

Here's the final hand history -

FullTiltPoker Game #3969708836: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (30191439), Table 1 - 25/50 - No Limit Hold'em - 1:50:04 ET - 2007/10/26
Seat 1: aztec420 (4,670)
Seat 2: heavenlyluck (715)
Seat 3: onehandgrab (1,170)
Seat 5: socrate25 (3,361)
Seat 6: 00deadmoney00 (864)
Seat 7: Humble Guy (1,550)
Seat 9: franco_lou (1,170)
Humble Guy posts the small blind of 25
franco_lou posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Humble Guy [Kc Kd]
aztec420 calls 50
heavenlyluck has 15 seconds left to act
heavenlyluck folds
onehandgrab calls 50
socrate25 folds
00deadmoney00 folds
Humble Guy raises to 300
franco_lou has 15 seconds left to act
franco_lou folds
aztec420 has 15 seconds left to act
aztec420 folds
onehandgrab calls 250
*** FLOP *** [Tc 9h 5c]
Humble Guy checks
onehandgrab bets 870, and is all in
Humble Guy calls 870
onehandgrab shows [Th Qd]
Humble Guy shows [Kc Kd]
*** TURN *** [Tc 9h 5c] [8h]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 9h 5c 8h] [Kh]
onehandgrab shows a pair of Tens
Humble Guy shows three of a kind, Kings
Humble Guy wins the pot (2,440) with three of a kind, Kings
onehandgrab stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,440 | Rake 0
Board: [Tc 9h 5c 8h Kh]
Seat 1: aztec420 folded before the Flop
Seat 2: heavenlyluck didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: onehandgrab showed [Th Qd] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 5: socrate25 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: 00deadmoney00 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: Humble Guy (small blind) showed [Kc Kd] and won (2,440) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 9: franco_lou (big blind) folded before the Flop

Unfortunately, I bubbled in this tournament. I was short stacked. I shove all-in with Queens and I'm called with 7's. A seven on the flop does me in.