Recently I was in a hand where my note said "Pumps draws on flop, slowplays top2+ until turn". I made a flush on the turn and this guy raised me on the river when the board paired. Well, he had raised flop, so I *knew* he could not have a set and thus could not have just filled up. I 3-bet the river confidently with my flush even though the board was paired. He had the trips, but no full house, as expected. This kind of note will also keep you from giving free cards. When I have an opponent who always slowplays monsters and always raises draws (this is an amazingly common and easily exploitable pattern), when I have a decent-but-not-great hand like top pair, top kicker, I can 3-bet the flop and lead the turn and know that I'm probably up against just a draw so there is no risk of a turn raise. When they raise the flop, but just call the flop 3-bet and turn lead, then you know they are probably drawing, so you can check-call if the draw comes in on the river and save yourself from being raised.

Do you have any idea what the above paragraph sounds like to someone (like myself!) who does not play cards at all, who does not know any of the poker rules, much less the vocabulary? "'Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gymbal in the wabe. All mimsy were the borogroves and the mome raths outgrabe..."

I am quite impressed with your accomplishments in this field, even if I don't understand it!

tanstaafl.