Aggression and playing loony

Aggression wins bigger pots.

Case in point -- at a six-player $0.01/$0.02 no-limit table, I'm dealt A♥ K♣ under the gun. I raise to 6¢. A typical "I have a hand" bet is 8¢, so this might look a bit suspicous, but I want one or two callers.

The player to my left raises to 10¢, the next two players call, and the blinds fold. Back to me, I need some of these guys out of the pot, so I raise to 30¢. They all call, and four of us see the flop: 6♠ 7♥ 3♥

Time for the aggression.

First to act, I put in 30¢. I'm representing that I either hit a set, or have AA or KK. One player folds; the other two call. I really should have bet more, because anyone with two hearts is about 40% to make their flush, and the pot's giving them 5:1 to call the bet.

The turn is 3♣

Either I fold here, or I push. If I push, it's a complete bluff, representing that I had a set on the turn, and hit a boat or quad 3's on the turn. I've got the other two players outstacked, I think about it for a few seconds, then bet $2.69, which is exactly the size of the largest stack still in. I could have just gone all in, but by betting this amount, it's telling the other player "I see your stack size, and I'm calling you out."

They fold, and I take in a monster $2.13 pot (net +$1.43).

Playing loony wins, too

I'm dealt K♥ 2♣ in middle position. I limp in for 2¢, as do the seven other players who see the flop of

2♥ 7♣ K♣

Check, check, check, and the person to my right min-bets 2¢. I pop it up to 8¢, the two late position players fold, and the small blind goes all in for $2.33. It's folded back to me, and I go into the tank. The small blind had joined the table four hands ago, and won two of them on the flop, getting others to fold. He'd just seen me play the previous hand, where I took down a monster pot when I flopped a straight with my JTs, beating out AQs. I didn't know what to put him on, but figured he might have the hammer, or a couple of clubs, or a set.

I really discount that he's got a set of 2's or kings, because it's very rare that all four cards of a set would be in play this early. He's either got K7 or a set of sevens, which puts me way behind, or he's trying to protect Kx or AA, which puts me way ahead. I call.

He turns over J♠ 8♣. WTF what he thinking? Only runner-runner clubs, jacks, eights, or ten-nine can save him. When the turn is the 4♠, he's drawing dead. The queen on the river is irrelevant, and I take down the $4.82 pot (net +$2.27).