My first $100 razz pot

Maybe 10 or 12 days ago I came close to my first $100 razz pot. It totalled $102.75, but then PokerStars took out a $3 rake, and I was left with a $99.75 reward. Close but no cigar. I had to wait until today to get one officially, and it was well over that threshold--$130 after rake. Probably would have gone even higher if one of them hadn't been disconnected during the hand. (Highly suspicious of an intentional self-disconnect there, if you ask me--suspicious enough, in fact, that I reported it to Stars to see if the same player has a history of such conduct.)

I have to give credit for the assist to the player in Seat 6, whose name and avatar I have blotted out in the screen shot above, and whose name I have playfully changed in the hand history below. He helped me cap the multi-way betting all along, while the other players, without his raises, would have just called me. In fact, his play was sufficiently atrocious and suspicious that one of the losing participants accused us in the chat box, after the hand, of having colluded. He was dead serious. He might even report it to the site. I can certainly see, in retrospect, why an opponent would view this as a possible classic trapping play, in which he was the victim. I'm not worried about an investigation, though, since there were no such shenanigans--just a desperately hopeful player on a draw to what would have been a good hand, had he gotten there.

Nevertheless, his play--raising and reraising, when calling until he hit would have probably been smarter--was awful enough that I'm shielding his name both to spare him embarrassment and to help keep him my little donating secret! I will be looking him up when I'm online.


PokerStars Game #19465781008: Razz Limit ($2/$4) - 2008/08/08 - 18:43:00 (ET)
Table 'Montezuma III' 8-max
Seat 1: BTB13 ($80 in chips)
Seat 2: eyes101 ($43 in chips)
Seat 3: quickstudy ($54.75 in chips)
Seat 4: Rakewell1 ($106.50 in chips)
Seat 5: bonzai39 ($91 in chips)
Seat 6: DonatorToRakewell ($66.50 in chips)
Seat 7: eich ($74.75 in chips)
Seat 8: AcesUp_PI ($72.75 in chips)
BTB13: posts the ante $0.25
eyes101: posts the ante $0.25
quickstudy: posts the ante $0.25
Rakewell1: posts the ante $0.25
bonzai39: posts the ante $0.25
DonatorToRakewell: posts the ante $0.25
eich: posts the ante $0.25
AcesUp_PI: posts the ante $0.25
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to BTB13 [7c]
Dealt to eyes101 [9c]
Dealt to quickstudy [8s]
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5d 3h 4c]
Dealt to bonzai39 [Jc]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [Kc]
Dealt to eich [Kh]
Dealt to AcesUp_PI [9d]
eich: brings in for $1
AcesUp_PI: calls $1
BTB13: raises $1 to $2
eyes101: folds
quickstudy: calls $2
Rakewell1: raises $2 to $4
bonzai39: folds
DonatorToRakewell: raises $2 to $6
eich: folds
AcesUp_PI: calls $5
BTB13: calls $4
quickstudy: folds
Rakewell1: raises $2 to $8
Betting is capped
DonatorToRakewell: calls $2
AcesUp_PI: calls $2
BTB13: calls $2
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to BTB13 [7c] [Kd]
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5d 3h 4c] [2d]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [Kc] [4d]
Dealt to AcesUp_PI [9d] [5s]
Rakewell1: bets $2
DonatorToRakewell: raises $2 to $4
AcesUp_PI: calls $4
BTB13 has timed out while being disconnected
BTB13 is being treated as all-in
Rakewell1: raises $2 to $6
DonatorToRakewell: raises $2 to $8
Betting is capped
AcesUp_PI: calls $4
Rakewell1: calls $2
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to BTB13 [7c Kd] [6s]
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5d 3h 4c 2d] [3s]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [Kc 4d] [6h]
Dealt to AcesUp_PI [9d 5s] [3c]
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: raises $4 to $8
AcesUp_PI: raises $4 to $12
Rakewell1: raises $4 to $16
Betting is capped
DonatorToRakewell: calls $8
BTB13 is disconnected
AcesUp_PI: calls $4
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to BTB13 [7c Kd 6s] [Td]
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5d 3h 4c 2d 3s] [Ah]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [Kc 4d 6h] [Qc]
Dealt to AcesUp_PI [9d 5s 3c] [9h]
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: calls $4
AcesUp_PI: calls $4
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5d 3h 4c 2d 3s Ah] [7s]
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: calls $4
AcesUp_PI: calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Rakewell1: shows [5d 3h 4c 2d 3s Ah 7s] (Lo: 5,4,3,2,A)
DonatorToRakewell: mucks hand
AcesUp_PI: mucks hand
Rakewell1 collected $94 from side pot
BTB13: mucks hand
BTB13 is sitting out
Rakewell1 collected $36 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $133 Main pot $36. Side pot $94. Rake $3
Seat 1: BTB13 mucked [4s 2s 7c Kd 6s Td 6c]
Seat 2: eyes101 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 3: quickstudy folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 4: Rakewell1 showed [5d 3h 4c 2d 3s Ah 7s] and won ($130) with Lo: 5,4,3,2,A
Seat 5: bonzai39 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: DonatorToRakewell mucked [Ad 2c Kc 4d 6h Qc 8h]
Seat 7: eich folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 8: AcesUp_PI mucked [2h 7d 9d 5s 3c 9h Js]


The same player, just seven minutes later, made an even more desperate attempt to recoup his losses against me--at least, that seems the most likely interpretation of his bizarre actions in this hand:


PokerStars Game #19465944969: Razz Limit ($2/$4) - 2008/08/08 - 18:50:11 (ET)
Table 'Montezuma III' 8-max
Seat 2: eyes101 ($16.25 in chips)
Seat 3: quickstudy ($71.25 in chips)
Seat 4: Rakewell1 ($190.75 in chips)
Seat 5: bonzai39 ($86.25 in chips)
Seat 6: DonatorToRakewell ($34.50 in chips)
Seat 7: eich ($82.75 in chips)
Seat 8: AcesUp_PI ($31.75 in chips)
eyes101: posts the ante $0.25
quickstudy: posts the ante $0.25
Rakewell1: posts the ante $0.25
bonzai39: posts the ante $0.25
DonatorToRakewell: posts the ante $0.25
eich: posts the ante $0.25
AcesUp_PI: posts the ante $0.25
*** 3rd STREET ***
Dealt to eyes101 [Qh]
Dealt to quickstudy [8h]
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5h 3d 7s]
Dealt to bonzai39 [Jh]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [3h]
Dealt to eich [5d]
Dealt to AcesUp_PI [Ts]
eyes101: brings in for $1
quickstudy: folds
Rakewell1: raises $1 to $2
bonzai39: folds
DonatorToRakewell: raises $2 to $4
eich: folds
AcesUp_PI: folds
eyes101: folds
Rakewell1: raises $2 to $6
DonatorToRakewell: raises $2 to $8
Betting is capped
Rakewell1: calls $2
*** 4th STREET ***
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5h 3d 7s] [Ah]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [3h] [Kc]
Rakewell1: bets $2
DonatorToRakewell: calls $2
*** 5th STREET ***
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5h 3d 7s Ah] [9d]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [3h Kc] [3s]
quickstudy leaves the table
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: raises $4 to $8
Rakewell1: raises $4 to $12
DonatorToRakewell: raises $4 to $16
Betting is capped
Rakewell1: calls $4
*** 6th STREET ***
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5h 3d 7s Ah 9d] [4s]
Dealt to DonatorToRakewell [3h Kc 3s] [Kh]
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: calls $4
*** RIVER ***
Dealt to Rakewell1 [5h 3d 7s Ah 9d 4s] [4c]
Rakewell1: bets $4
DonatorToRakewell: calls $4
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Rakewell1: shows [5h 3d 7s Ah 9d 4s 4c] (Lo: 7,5,4,3,A)
DonatorToRakewell: mucks hand
Rakewell1 collected $68.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $70.75 Rake $2
Seat 2: eyes101 folded on the 3rd Street
Seat 3: quickstudy folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Rakewell1 showed [5h 3d 7s Ah 9d 4s 4c] and won ($68.75) with Lo: 7,5,4,3,A
Seat 5: bonzai39 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 6: DonatorToRakewell mucked [9h 2s 3h Kc 3s Kh Qs]
Seat 7: eich folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)
Seat 8: AcesUp_PI folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)


Note that he called on the river with a K-Q-9 low. The only way he could win at that point was if my three down cards were all pairs or at least no better than K-Q. But I had not even once played--let alone shown down--any starting hand that was not three unpaired cards 7 or lower (except in a couple of steals, which this obviously wasn't), so for him to think he might be good in this spot was, well, pretty freakin' desperate.

Between my own personal Donator, some other nice hands, and a series of hero calls on the river that nearly all proved to be correct, it turned out to be a +$186 razz day, in about three hours of play, again while I was doing other computer work and paying attention only when I had a playable hand.

Time now to go out into the world and see if I can find a comparable Donator in the casinos!

By the way, I really wish I knew of an online hand replayer for stud/razz hands. The only ones I know of work only for hold'em and/or Omaha hands. It would be much cooler to be able to embed an animation or direct you to a site to see the hand play out than posting these boring text-only hand histories. If any reader knows of a web site with a stud/razz hand replaying feature, please leave a comment about it.