PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $1,500
PokerNoob (BB): $1,500
Dealt to: JackJoker
I raise pretty liberally on the button HU. Anything I would call with I raise with, and HU Q9 is a callable hand, so I raise.
Pre-flop:
JackJoker raises to $65, PokerNoob calls $45,
Flop:($140) (2 Players)
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $70, PokerNoob calls $70,
PokerNoob checks,
Being the first hand I read little into his call. He checks, I c-bet, he calls. Standard.
JackJoker bets $70, PokerNoob calls $70,
Turn: ($280) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker checks,
PokerNoob checks,
I hit a pair on the turn and he checks. Now that I have a hand, I don’t want to turn second pair into a bluff, so I check behind and keep the pot small.
JackJoker checks,
River: ($280) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $150, PokerNoob calls $150,
He checks again. In general, when someone checks three times and I have second pair it means I have the best hand here. The easy thing to do is check behind, but this is the first hand and I don’t want to set that tone. If he folds he doesn’t know what I raised with, but I think there’s a chance he calls me down with any pair, so I bet. He calls with a pair of 5s.
JackJoker bets $150, PokerNoob calls $150,
Results:
JackJoker Showed
PokerNoob ,
JackJoker wins $570
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $1,765
PokerNoob (BB): $1,235
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
Again, playable hand on the button = raise, so I do, he calls.
JackJoker raises to $65, PokerNoob calls $45,
Flop:($140) (2 Players)
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $75, PokerNoob calls $75,
I flop a pair. This is like the third hand so could he flat me pre-flop with an ace? Of course, but second pair HU is too good to check, so I bet, and he calls.
JackJoker bets $75, PokerNoob calls $75,
Turn: ($290) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker checks,
The turn is fairly harmless, and he checks. If I had the best hand on the flop I likely still do. However, it puts another heart on the board and I don’t want to reopen the betting to a semi-bluff with a draw that I would have trouble calling. Also, by checking I keep the pot small and give myself an easy call on the river if he leads. I check.
JackJoker checks,
River: ($290) (2 Players) PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $150, PokerNoob calls $150,
Bingo. I’m 99.9% to have the best hand here (in HU math, that is). As is his pattern so far, he checks, and of course I have to value bet. He calls with bottom pair on the flop – I was winning the whole way.
JackJoker bets $150, PokerNoob calls $150,
Results:
JackJoker Showed
PokerNoob ,
JackJoker wins $580
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (CO): $2,055
PokerNoob (Button): $945
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
PokerNoob calls $10,
JackJoker checks,
In the BB he limps and I’m happy to take a free flop with a junk hand.
JackJoker checks,
Flop:($40) (2 Players)
JackJoker checks,
PokerNoob checks,
With bottom pair out of position I’m content to check-fold here, but he checks behind.
PokerNoob checks,
Turn: ($40) (2 Players) 
JackJoker bets $40, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $40,
This is a reasonably safe card for me and he’s shown no interest in the pot – I bet, he folds. Next hand.
JackJoker bets $40, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $40,
Results:
JackJoker wins $40
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $2,075
PokerNoob (BB): $925
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
Playable button hand = raise. He calls.
JackJoker raises to $65, PokerNoob calls $45,
Flop:($140) (2 Players)
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker checks,
I love this flop. However, I see little reason to bet it. I’m in position, and I’ve been betting a lot. If he did flat me with an ace I’m walking into a trap and can’t continue with a beautiful draw if I get raised, so I check.
JackJoker checks,
Turn: ($140) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker checks,
When he checks here this is a marginal spot. At this point he almost certainly does not have an ace, but I’m still playing 8-high with outs to play the board (!) so I check behind.
JackJoker checks,
River: ($140) (2 Players) PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $70, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $70,
Bingo again. Better to be lucky than good. If he’s cagey enough to check a king on the river I’ll concede the check-raise. I bet even though I have little idea what he’s holding here. No matter, he folds.
JackJoker bets $70, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $70,
Results:
JackJoker wins $130
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (CO): $2,140
PokerNoob (Button): $860
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
PokerNoob raises to $40,
JackJoker calls $20,
This was his first raise on the button. It’s too small for me to fold even a junk hand, and I don’t want to encourage him to do what he should be doing, which is raising the button more often. I call.
JackJoker calls $20,
Flop:($90) (2 Players)
JackJoker checks, PokerNoob bets $60, (1 folds), PokerNoob returns $60,
Whiff. Check-fold time. I defended my blind which was all I planned to accomplish. Next hand.
Results:
PokerNoob wins $80
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $2,100
PokerNoob (BB): $900
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
This is a little out of line. A suited king is marginal even for me, but by now I know this is a weak player, I’m in position, and I have him well covered. I raise.
JackJoker raises to $65, PokerNoob calls $45,
Flop:($140) (2 Players)
PokerNoob bets $40, (1 folds), PokerNoob returns $40,
Results:
PokerNoob wins $130
Whiff, he bets, I fold. No reason to be stubborn here – I got caught.
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (CO): $2,035
PokerNoob (Button): $965
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
PokerNoob calls $10,
JackJoker raises to $80, PokerNoob calls $60,
What do you know? I get a real hand. He limps in as per normal, I raise, he calls.
JackJoker raises to $80, PokerNoob calls $60,
Flop:($180) (2 Players)
JackJoker bets $90, PokerNoob calls $90,
This is a pretty safe flop for me – only a random queen beats me and HU I’m not going to assume he has one (I'm not assuming a flush when playing HU, especially if I have one of the suit). His range is pretty much anything the way this match has been going. I bet, he calls.
JackJoker bets $90, PokerNoob calls $90,
Turn: ($360) (2 Players) 
JackJoker checks, PokerNoob checks,
I can make a case here for betting – there are two overs, but I likely still have the best hand. However, I decide to be cautious and slow down. I check, he checks behind.
JackJoker checks, PokerNoob checks,
River: ($360) (2 Players)
JackJoker checks, PokerNoob checks,
Now I almost certainly have the best hand. However, this is one of those spots where it’s obvious that there’s almost no value to betting. DUCY? The only hand he can reasonably have that I can get a call from is a pair of 6s, but even that is a stretch. He’s unlikely to have a jack and even less likely to have a queen, but he could easily have a random ten and make a crying call. Also, given how weak-tight he has played I can’t rule out 8s or 9s. However, there are plenty of hands he can have that he could try to bet the river with that I can beat! Ace-high is commonly bet in this spot after two checks and as long as it’s a reasonable river bet I will snap-call. In the end, it’s all moot – he checks behind and I take it down with 7s.
JackJoker checks, PokerNoob checks,
Results:
JackJoker Showed
PokerNoob ,
JackJoker wins $340
Once I see hisit turns out he has the only thing I might have gotten a small call from.
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $2,205
PokerNoob (BB): $795
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
Suited 2-gapper, he’s too bad for me to NOT raise, so I do, and he folds.
JackJoker raises to $65, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $45,
Results:
JackJoker wins $40
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (Button): $2,235
PokerNoob (BB): $765
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
Connecting cards? What do you think I’m doing? I raise, he calls.
JackJoker raises to $65, PokerNoob calls $45,
Flop:($140) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $70, PokerNoob raises to $140,
JackJoker calls $70,
Again, second pair heads-up is pretty good. He checks so I bet.
JackJoker bets $70, PokerNoob raises to $140,
Whoa! He check-raises - didn’t see that coming. Spunky all the sudden. I don’t quite know how to read this given it’s pretty much his first act of aggression, but it’s a min-raise, and I have a pair, so I can’t fold. His most likely hand is a pair of jacks here. I’m confident in what he has and what I need to win, and the raise is small so I call.
JackJoker calls $70,
Turn: ($420) (2 Players) 
PokerNoob checks,
JackJoker bets $200, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $200,
Queen-ball and he checks. Hmmm, what could he possibly have? I missed my trips and two-pair draw but his check tells me his jacks are shrinking. I bet the scare card and I bet small enough that if he check-shoves me I can confidently fold my third-pair. But he does what I want, which is fold. Sadly, this is one of the few times I actually had to think much in this match.
JackJoker bets $200, (1 folds), JackJoker returns $200,
Results:
JackJoker wins $410
PokerStars, $10/20 NO Limit Texas Holdem Tournament, 2 Players
Board:
JackJoker (CO): $2,440
PokerNoob (Button): $560
Dealt to: JackJoker
Pre-flop:
PokerNoob calls $10,
JackJoker raises to $80, PokerNoob calls $60,
Wow, this guy has to be pretty tired of me by now. He’s almost broke and has won just three hands in the 11 that were dealt. And the news for him gets worse – I have a real hand again. Obviously I raise his limp.
JackJoker raises to $80, PokerNoob calls $60,
Flop:($180) (2 Players)
JackJoker bets $80,
PokerNoob raises to $480 and is all-in,
JackJoker calls $400,
Nut flush draw, and ace high – I bet half the pot.
JackJoker bets $80,
PokerNoob raises to $480 and is all-in,
He quickly shoves and given what he has left, and my great draw, it’s an easy call.
JackJoker calls $400,
Turn: ($1,140) (2 Players)
River: ($1,140) (2 Players)
He actually turns over a real hand – pair with an OE straight draw. But as the cards lie, it’s actually a coin flip with my two overs and flush draw. I spike the flush on the turn to have him drawing dead, and to add insult to injury, he hits his useless straight on the river.
Results:
JackJoker Showed
PokerNoob Showed
JackJoker wins $1,120
JackJoker Showed
