Playing in a $1/$2 at the Venetian I raised a couple of limpers to $12. I got some callers behind and a few in front… “Nine players to the flop” says the dealer. Oh great, unless I flop a set, I won’t be happy against 8 other players. The flop comes down 782 with two diamonds; I suppose it could be worse… but with only $200 behind in a $100 pot, any good draw will be priced in if I bet.

It checks around to me, and after much deliberation, I decided to check. I didn’t need to play a pot this big for stacks with one pair and such a big draw. The check allows some pot control, prices out draws if the turn misses, and may get a bad bet or even a bad call if I bet the turn… Checking, I felt, was the best play here.

The button (a terrible player who overvalues his hands) bets all in for $54. “I’m calling that,” I thought. Then the big blind went all in for about $150… “I may have to call that,” but it won’t be an easy call. But this was also a bad player. At this level, I think that the action dictates a call, along with my read on the players. But when a limper, a girl and a solid player, goes all in for her $200, I have to reevaluate. I suppose she could be the one with the strait flush draw, but my read said she has one pair beat.

It is hard to lay down Kings (and I did have the King of diamonds) here; but isn’t that why I checked, in case I got check raised by a solid player? So, I lost $12 in this pot… better than $200. When the cards turned over, the button had J8 for top pair, the big blind had eights with a ten kicker and the limper had 78 for top two pair. Clearly, this was another good lay down.

Unfortunately, the turn was another deuce, which would have given me the best hand. Also, unfortunately the river was a ten, giving the pot to the worst hand when the money went in. The important thing to learn is when to lay down the over pair. “All in, All in, All in” is usually a good indication that one pair is no good. This is also why good players never suck out and get lucky, we fold before that.

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