Playing with the family ...

My wife and kids enjoy playing, but only casually. So I thought I could take advantage of them. Hey, I can't help it, I have no shame. Actually we started a Family Poker Series a few months ago and are keeping standings throughout the year. My wife was leading heading into this event, but I know I will prevail over the long haul. If I can't beat her, what's the point?

When the weather is nice, and it was here this weekend, we play outside in the backyard. We started early and I streched out the levels and lowered the blinds hoping to play for a long time on such a beautiful summer night. We all started out with 1800 in chips and the blinds were only 1 and 2 to start.

About 10 hands into our little tournament, I look down at Js 6c in the big blind. My youngest son limped and my wife just calls in the small blind. I decide to raise it up to 12. My son is a calling station and my wife is crazy tight. I figured he'd call and she'd fold. Then I could out play him for a small pot. He called, no surprise. She did also, so I figured she probably had a strong hand.

The flop comes Jc 6s Ks. My wife checks, as usual. I bet 100 into the pot of 36. As tight as I play both online and in person, I have a rep with my family for trying to steal so I totally overbet the pot expecting them to think I had nothing. My son calls of course and she calls too. Interesting to say the least.

I catch gin on the turn when the 6h comes up. My wife leads out a bet of 50, which is strange, but I just made sixs full so I go over the top for 500 more. Again, they BOTH call.

I'm hoping for another spade because I'm pretty sure at least one of them, namely my wife, is chasing the flush.

The river is the Ace of hearts and now I'm only worried that they won't commit the rest of their chips, but to my surprise my goes all in. I did think about it for a minute, but I couldn't imagine that she had me beat. She'd have to have JJ, KK or AA. There was just no way! I call.

I can't believe it when I see her pocket rockets.



She only had two outs.

She thought she had the best hand the whole way. Argh!

I stared at the board for at least 5 minutes with no expression on my face.

As I stood up to walk to the cooler and drown my sorrows, I took one last look.



My son had King something and was crippled but not out. Bah.

Once again, I got to play dealer the rest of the tournament and I'm now third place in my own family poker series. D'oh!

Mook

"my wife is crazy tight."
"I figured she probably had a strong hand."

You mean, like: "She'd have to have JJ, KK or AA."

Personally I put her on kings when she made the weak lead (before the end of your story).

You make a good point ... when could I, if I could have, got away from this hand? I guess what I'm saying is where did I mess up?

Was I the only one slightly concerned at the thread title ?

1. Why are you raising your CALLING STATION son out of position w J6o?

2. Then I could out play him for a small pot.

This is the key. But then you:

3. bet 100 into the pot of 36.

How is this keeping the pot small? I understand that you now have a "big" hand, but what are you going to do when the third flush card drops? Call off your money hoping to fill up (four outs)?

4. The pot is now 336 when your wife bets 50 (danger will Robinson, passive player betting, beep beep beep!) into it and you then raise to 500 and...

5. they BOTH call.

Alarm bells should be going off here, at the very least...

lol, this is a real nice story bud, i hope your son wins the family series, then grows up and one day wins the world series................

family that plays together stays together

From my reads, I would have definitely put her on a 2c3h. But that's just me. Sometimes my reads work out, sometimes they really work out. That's why they call it poker, i guess...

Thank you for the feedback. This is a really helpful way to evaluate a hand like this. What I originally posted for entertainment value has turned into some very good lessons.

my family has a poker series and it is going great. my dad thinks he is "joe poker" and he gets put out quick most of the time. i think it is a fun excuse to get our family together, and there is lots of chatting and bonding. good luck in the future games of your series

It's getting harder to get everyone together as our boys get older, but it has definately brought us together.