Cash Games: Tourney Struggles

Sorry for the long delay, I have been slammed at work and haven't had time to write. That doesn't mean I haven't had time to play though. My tournament drought has hit a bit of a spell, which is not too surprising as I normally play big multitable tourney's and I have already had some good finishes. Law of averages and such.

Cash games have been a good focus of mine as I believe to be a pro you cannot just play tournaments. (you can, its just much more difficult) I think there is too much variation, too different, and much harder to grind. I moved up limits to .2/.5 no limit. So far so good with 500 hands I have a 14BB/100 hands and have made a couple of buy-ins. Especially considering my first session I fell down 3.00.

I did have a dream hand I played. I am in first position with 99- I limp in. The reason I limp in is that the table has been playing pretty tight and I had been raising a lot of pots. Limping stops me from committing a good bit of money, out of position, especially if I am re-raised.

And that is just what happens as a very tight player puts in a big raise one off. All folds around to me, and first thing I check...Can I win a big pot if I hit.
Check. He has almost equal number of chips to me. So my implied odds are worth a call, even if 7 out of 8 times I am going to muck-fold. I put this player on AA or KK-- nothing less.

Flop: 993 --

Flop Quads against a huge over pair. I check.

Player puts in a big bet -- I call, Turn: 4 - I check
Player puts in another nice size bet -- I call: River: 8

Now... I could risk checking one last time as this player might put me on JJ, QQ and try to get another bet out of me. I think either way I get his money, but that is a big gamble. I ask myself, if I bet the rest of my stack, can he fold. I start doing all the calculations, there is more money in the pot, then left in his stack, but its close. about 60/40. I just don't think he can lay down the aces.

I bet the last of his chips. He calls instantly and flips over AA -- Nice pot.

Its not often these things happen, flopping quads against pocket aces, but the good thing was how I played the hand from start to finish. Yes, the majority of the time all the money is going in the pot regardless post flop. The key to the whole hand is the limp in first position.

Lets say I raise 4x bb from first position. (.20 cents) I have been picking up blinds a lot, and the raise would have been a least that big. now, when I limped, the raiser raised 5xbb (.25 cents) so I think he at least doubles that. So now its 50 cents back to me... Which means I will have to commit .70 cents, (12% of my stack) out of position against a hand that I am sure I am beat with... Instead of committing .30 cents (5% of my stack) which makes it an easy call. Also, .50 cents is the Minimum he would re-raise me... It could very well have been .60 to a dollar. pricing me well out of a call.