Hook, line, and sinker!

How to catch a fish…

A couple of week ago we were all at jT’s for our weekly home game. It was half way through the night and I was bleeding chips, we all started with 30,000 and I was down to 15,000.

Chris ‘The Fish’ was dominating; he had generated a massive chip lead and started knocking people out of the game at will. The blinds were 400/800, I am the small blind and ‘The fish’ is the big blind, two people call, in my hand I have King and 5 of Clubs, so I call. The flop is the 10, Jack, and 8 of clubs. I have flopped the King high flush. Everyone checks and I bet the blind (800). Everyone folds apart from The Fish who, as always, loves chasing a draw. At this stage I have him chasing a possible straight, or he is 4 to the flush. The turn card is the 2 of Hearts, we both check.

The last card is the Ace of Clubs, which gives me the nut flush, and if my instincts are correct, ‘The Fish’ will either have a flush or a straight (10 – Ace). I gesture to move all in by placing my right hand on my chips and move them forward slightly, I then quickly pause before they cross the line and say: “I think you have the flush or the straight.” After 10 seconds I push all in, ‘The Fish’ thinks I have two pair, so if he has a straight or a flush, he thinks he has me beat. He calls, before I reveal my cards, I said the following:

“I flopped the King high flush, which turned into the nut flush on the river.” I turn over my cards and his jaw hit the floor. ‘The Fish’ turns his over, and he had the 6 high flush. He doubles me up, and within three hands; ‘The Fish’ is knocked out of the game.

The Lesson
More often then not, a fish will always take the bait with a little bit of misdirection. But beware of ‘The Fish’, he has a powerful bite.