Bad Beat # 2

It is getting kind of late, and I am down to a chip stack of $34 in a 1/2 game of NL Hold'em. I am dealt K J off suit, in position 10. There is a raise to $12 and three callers before me, I fold. Then four more people call. The flop is 9, 10, Q, so I would have made my straight. The turn is a Q, a player bets $40, and everyone folds. Did he make a full house, or would my straight have been the winner. I'll never know, but I have a feeling I would have been good, provided the board didn't pair on the river, or if a third Queen had not hit. This just goes to show how my luck was running that night. Every time I folded my hand I would have hit hard, every time I played, nothing! Why am I telling you this, because it brings me to this hand. Before I folded the K J, I showed the dealer, so when the board would have flopped me the straight, he said, "What are you doing... waiting to get sucked out on with pocket Aces or Kings?" The very next hand I was dealt pocket Kings. I raised it to $12 to go. I had six callers. I was trying to build the pot a little, but I didn't want seven players. The flop was the 5 of clubs, and the 8 and 10 of spades. I pushed all in with my huge chip stack of $22. Three players folded, and three called, bringing the pot to a total of $172. I showed the dealer my pocket Kings, and he laughed. The turn was the 10 of hearts. The other players all checked. The river was the 7 of spades. Now I figured I was beat. Someone had to have a ten, or a flush, possibly even the straight flush. Player # 7, who I should mention had sucked out on me seven times the first time I played with him, and is the same player who sucked out on me in Bad Beat # 1, bets $75 and the other two players fold. Does he flip over the ten, NO! Does he flip over the spades for the flush, NO! Instead he flips over a 4 and a 6 off suit, making his gut shot straight! DIRTY!!! All I can say is, you can PLAY SMART, but you still have to GET LUCKY!

Bad Beat # 1

So I arrive at the game and I have to wait for a seat. No big deal, I like to watch and get a read on my future opponents. The game is 1/2 NL Texas Hold'em. Seat # 8 is getting drawn out on every hand he plays. Great flop for this player, and then the turn or the river destroys his hand. Even if he pushes, someone calls. Seat # 4 announces that she is leaving in 45 minutes, so I start to anticipate playing! Seat # 4 is getting great cards, and they are holding up, and she is taking down some huge pots. If her hand isn't so great on the flop, well the turn or the river make it the best. I am excited to take this seat. Finally, she stands up, and I sit down, but just as the dealer is about to deal me in, the player in seat # 8 says that he wants a seat change as his seat is so unlucky. So he moves to seat # 4, and I get seat # 8. As I pass him to change seats, I say, "Now don't get mad when I take all of your money, you wanted the seat change..." He laughs and says, "No way that seat is so unlucky tonight."
The dealer deals the cards I look down to find pocket Aces! I raise to $15, and get four callers before seat # 4 raises it up to $40. Everyone folds to me, and I push all in for a total of $120. Everyone folds to seat # 4, who gets all flustered, and says, "I should fold... will you show me one card..." I say, " sure, pick either one.." I flip over the card he chooses, it is an Ace. He deliberates for about five more minutes, then says, " I am a donkey for making this call, but I call." He flips over pocket Queens. Now I was happy he called because the odds were in my favor, but I would have been happy to take the pot down right there as it already had $223 in it. The flop was 10, 10, 3 . Good so far. The turn was an 8. I know you can guess what the river card was, that's right one of his two outers, a Queen. Turns out seat # 8 was cursed, but it just goes to show you have to PLAY SMART and GET LUCKY!

Good times at the Bike!

Lucky Draw # 1

Unfortunately, I am down to a chip stack of $15 in a 1/2 NL Game of Texas Hold'em. I am in middle position. I look down at my hole cards to see the Ace and two of diamonds. I push all in and get two callers. The flop is the four of clubs, five of clubs, and the King of diamonds. Now I have a gut-shot straight draw, a back door flush draw, and one overcard. Both players check and the next card is another four, the four of hearts. One of the players bets, maybe he has a four giving im trips or the flush draw. The other player calls. The river is the three of spades, making my straight! One guy shows his ten and King of clubs, missing his flush draw, after having made top pair on the flop. The other player still in the hand shows his King of spades and Queen of hearts for a pair of Kings with a better kicker to take down the side pot. I take down the main pot, which goes to show you have to PLAY SMART and GET LUCKY!