Raise on the Blind (cash)

BAD BEAT

I've read that if you're going to play on the small blind, you might as well put in a raise. It accomplishes two things: 1) get other players out of the hand who might be ahead and 2) confuses players who decide to stay in. In this case, I think the small blind just got lucky, but there was enough money in the pot that it may have been correct for him to call on the turn. Unfortunately for the 44 set, he lured the small blind in on the flop by not raising and went all-in on the turn. Limit can definitely be frustrating.

Amazing and Ridiculous Runner Runner (tourney)

BAD BEAT

97%. 97%! That's what kind of a favorite I was on the flop. I flopped a set against Q9s and thought it was over. I even switched over to a different window to read some news article. Then I saw a window pop-up saying I was eliminated from the tournament. It turned out to be another runner runner gut-shot straight. Lady Luck never ceases to amaze me.

Then again, this is no high stakes poker tournament so maybe that's why opponent called me.

Getting Better At Laying Down (cash)

LAYDOWN

I almost started kicking myself when the hand ended and the players started showing their hands. I thought I had laid down the best hand. But I hadn't.

Although I flopped a straight, it was the dummy end (the lower part of the straight). But a flopped straight is still a straight, even if it's on the dummy end. However, there was also a possible flush since the board was full of clubs. And when the player to my right raised on a flush board, I was very close to throwing my hand away. In fact, I called for time even though the hand replayer doesn't show this. I figured I would go ahead and call and see what happened to the action behind me.

The person to my left thought for a second, then re-raised. Then it came back to my right and the player re-raised. It was just one big bet (or two small bets) to me, but since I already felt like folding in the first place, I went with my gut and folded. It turned out to be a good fold after all.

Three Lessons in One Session (cash)

Here are three hands from a session I had playing two tables at once. Even though it's slightly harder to go on tilt when you're on multiple tables, it can easily still happen. One thing is certain - it's a lot easier to go on tilt when you're losing on both tables. I was a little worried that I would lose big, but a nice run at the end of the session helped me from going broke on both tables.

In this first hand, I've seen and played enough hands to know when aces aren't good enough.



In the second hand, I flopped a straight and made a mistake on the river when I raised. I knew I was in trouble when I was popped right back. It's what I get for being greedy, but I still hate it when you're drawing dead from the get go.



I was in great shape on the last hand, but a lucky river card left me broke. I was kind of lucky I didn't have more money on the table because I probably would have bet the river, been raised, and would have called. Only a queen would help my opponent and Lady Lucky gave her love to him. He was a 9% dog on the turn.

Two Cracked Hands (cash)

BAD BEAT

I hate getting such nice hands cracked, but that's just part of the game. When it happens during the same session, it really hurts and you have to be careful about going on tilt. I've realized that when you play on multiple tables, it's a little harder to obsess because there's another hand already waiting for you. It's not any less painful, it's just a little easier to get over. Luckily for me, there were two nut flush draws that completed and that made me feel a whole lot better.

Ridiculous Runner Runner (tourney)

GOOD BEAT

Another perfect example of how the big stack has some kind of strange advantage in these PokerStars tourneys. Here I'm dominated with a seemingly safe flop for my opponent. However, when it flopped, I actually said to myself, "here it comes, the big stack advantage, watch the runner runner flush." Sure enough, it came, even though I was just a 13% dog on the flop. Something is wrong with this picture.

Turned Set Saves Me (cash)

GOOD BEAT

One of the things I've learned in limit poker is that there is some potential in some cases to call a flop bet even though you may be beat. I felt that I was already behind when the big blind raised and bet on the flop. Since I had position and a backdoor straight draw, I thought it may be worth it to call. I got lucky and Lady Luck blessed me with a set.

Multi-table Madness (cash)

BAD BEAT

Just a few hands that really frustrated me during my nearly four hour session. But looking at the percentages, they weren't really that bad.

82% favorite on turn


76% pre-flop favorite. 67% favorite on flop.


92% favorite on the flop.


72% favorite pre-flop.

One of the Most Ridiculous Runner Runners (cash)

BAD BEAT

I had a hand in a sit-n-go tourney in Vegas once that was about as awful as this, although in Vegas, I just flopped two pair. Here, I flop a straight with someone on the button hanging onto the low pair on the board. I was astonished to see that I was a 96% favorite on the flop. It's almost as good as it gets. Even getting two pair on the turn didn't help my opponent much because I was still a 91% favorite. Lady Luck, how cruel can you be?