Sick, sick, sick... and fevers

I didn't play Leo's last night as there was only 20 odd runners last week after all so decided to venture east to Manchester G to play the £30 second chance event.

I started off pretty quiet for an hour with JJ in the bb as my only decent hand and there had been 6 limpers so decided to raise large so that I dont get 6 callers.

Anyway, the blinds were 25/50 with 5000 starting chips so I raised to 500 hoping for only 1 caller or to just take the limps out of position and I slightly misunderestimated the players as all 6 people called!

Anyway, with a KQ flop that ended my interest in that hand.

Just before the end of the send level a new player arrived from the higher stakes cash table he had been playing whilst waiting for a seat and I got QQ in seat 7.

The blinds were 50/100 now and I raised to 500 as there had already been 2 limps. The new player called on the button as did the 2 limpers and the flop came down A 9 3 rainbow. The first 2 players checked as did I and the button fires out 1400 into the 2000 pot with 2600 behind.

The first 2 limpers folded so it was left to me and, knowing that the other guy could play I was pretty sure this guy could easily be betting to take this orphan pot down using his position.

So I looked him over and asked him how much he had left and when he told me he put his chips towards the line as if to say I'mm calling if you raise which I've often found to be untrue when people do that.

Coupled with the fact that when he answered me there was a very distinct swallow and his voice was very muted I felt 85% sure he didn't have the ace and said "go on then" whilst puitting my 5000 chip into the pot meaning to put him all in.

I realised straight away that this could only be a call and so took my chips out without asking and just placed the 1400 in.

Then when the turn blanked I threw in the 5000 chip and sure enough he folded.

It is not often that I get a tell like that and act on it and I have felt I was ahead a few times but bottled the call in situations like that only to be shown the bluff so I've decided to follow my read from now on and I'm really pleased it worked out last night.

I showed him the QQ after he mucked and said "I was ahead wasn't I" to which he replied "I put you on something like that!"

Anyway, the rest of the night didn't go too well as my wife phoned with 40 players left cos she had been throwing up all night and was really bad so I ended up having to go home leading me to throw in a bluff reraise with 94o that was called by Billy Ngo with QT who told me that he was behind but wanted to gamble. I told him he might not be and promptly saw a 4 and 9 hit the flop and turn but a 7d river gave him the flush which didn't really bother me as I would have had to keep doing that till I went out or won the tournament in record time and record numbers of outdraws!