Playing poker at Pokerstars once again. This $2-4 table has a 45% Flops seen percentage so that's good but I have no line on most of the players and the one guy I do recognize is a good regular aggressive poker player. In one go-around I haven't seen any fishy play yet. Another regular just sat down - BAD. May switch tables if I don't see some fishy play here.

Update: Switched to $3-6 after seeing only good hands shown down and no fishy play. Plus this table has a 50% flops seen percentage - very good if it holds up.

WHEW! Won a big hand, the first I was involved in. Called down a bluff with a mediocre high hand after raising with [2c Ac Kh Ad] preflop over an UTG limper. Flop came [Jd 5d Kd], not the greatest to say the least. SB (who completed to the raise) checked, UTG bet, I called for the backdoor low basically with a pair. I would have bet if checked to me since I had the ace of diamonds. SB called also.

Turn brought the 7s for a board of [Jd 5d Kd] [7s] so I had my low draw. UTG bet out again, both me and SB called again.

River came the [Jd 5d Kd 7s] [Ks] giving me trip kings but no low. SB checked, UTG bets VERY QUICKLY again. I thought for a moment that to bet into two players on the river showed some strength. But I called with trips getting about 9-1 on the call. SB folds. TRIPS WERE GOOD! UTG had [9h Th 9s Jc] a stone bluff all the way.

Oddly enough his NAME gave me extra reason to call. 'downwitstars' - I figured a losing player. I'd have to call a good player down there also. I was fortunate to catch the king on the river as it would have been difficult for me to call with one pair if say a ten hit the river.

Also interesting to note, and I've used this play fairly often, would have been for UTG to CHECK the turn knowing that one or both other players in the hand would be calling that turn bet regardless with the low draw. If the river comes high THEN you bet - if a low card comes on the river you give up the bluff and you've saved yourself the turn bet. Also it perhaps looks a bit more convincing.

Also of note is that I managed to make the calls in this hand even with a weak hand. I'm pretty sure that's a LARGE leak in my poker game - FOLDING too often to bets and always assuming they have the nuts when they bet. Poker players love to bluff!