The boys would be so proud of me for making a fantastic move with my super laser reading skeels

The scene: $400min / $1000 max NL, $5-$10 blinds. I'm in the 3 seat, a somewhat tight player that I've played against quite a bit (and I know i'm better than) is in the 8 seat, UTG - thus the button is in the 5. UTG raises it 6x BB to $30. Calling Station in the 1s does his job and calls. I look down at KQo, and toss my $30 in.

Flop comes down QJT, 2 hearts. UTG checks (odd, he knows what a continuation bet is but ok), CS checks, I like my hand and bet $75 (3/4 pot). UTG raises $100 to $175. I get a confused look and call. AQ? AJ? Well, I don't have a heart, but I have a good draw, so I call.

Turn is the 8h - 3 hearts now, plus the 1 card (9) to a straight. UTG bets $150.

$150?? WTF? This could be either an 'I'm strong, so please come over the top of me' bet, since it's less than his $175 flop bet, or more likely it could be a 'Crap, I hate this card but I raised the flop and now I need to put something in' bet. He's borderline good enough to do either bet, though I lean towards the latter.

I do a little talking and then a light goes on in my head as I spot a clear as daylight tell. He doesn't want me to call. I want to verify this, and actually say this, in an amused tone of voice, "You really don't want me to call!" The tell just gets clearer.

I smile sweetly and look at him, saying, "I'm all in." Yes, boys and girls, I actually pulled the trigger; something that's hard for me to do. He looks startled, and says "How much do you have?"

This is a pointless question, as I'm sitting with at least $1000 and he's sitting there with less than $500 in his hand - I assume he wants to pick up some information, too. Little does he know my KQo has now turned into the KhQh. I confidently cut down my stack and say, "Oh, about $1200."

He hems and haws and haws and hems, and finally picks up his hand to show to his neighbor, and at this point I know I'm taking the pot down. He says to no one in particular, "What an AWFUL turn card!" and flips over the Ad As as he folds. "If I had the Ah, I would have called!"

Yes, but you and I both knew you didn't have it. SHIP IT!

To add insult to injury, I just drop a $1 chip on my cards and pass them to the dealer and rake the pot, instead of showing the bluff as my friend Sam suggested. I often show my hands when I have them beat, so the fact that I didn't show them is a 90% positive admission I didn't have him beat, but he couldn't be sure.

Plus, I can't absolutely wreck the idea that the girl doesn't bluff!



Sadly, some other things happened on Sunday morning that make me think it's time for a break from poker and when i come back to move my play across the pond to Resorts on a more permanent basis. We'll see what happens.