Better To Be Lucky Then Good

I was done playing after the beating I took in the afternoon. Or so I thought. I came into the office here to make a phone call and decided that, while I was sitting here, and since it's now around 9:30 Central time, I'd take a look and see if the fish were sufficiently drunk. More out of morbid curiosity then anything else.

I sit down and I'm in early position one off of the Big Blind. I don't have a lot of time to play so I just throw down the .50 for the first hand, which comes to me JTs. I check, two callers after me and a raise from middle position. Both blinds call the raise as well as the two previous callers and myself. 6 people to see the flop, and 6 big bets in the pot already.

Flop comes 8c, 7s, Jc. I hit top pair with the backdoor flush draw and a belly buster straight draw.. The blinds check it to me and I bet. All 6 call! This could be interesting...

Turn comes a 9s. So now, I've managed to nail the straight, with 4 to the flush and a straight flush draw! Rock on! Blinds check it to me again and I bet. Guy to my left raises! My mind starts turning over what he might have... QT? Spade flush draw? Two pair? I know nothing about anyone at this table, as this is my first hand. Anyway, it folds to the preflop raiser who calls, then it folds to me and I flat call it, afraid of the QT possibility. 3 to the river and the pot now 15 big bets!

River comes a 2s. Boom. I caught the runner-runner flush. It's certainly not the nuts, but I'm too distracted by the phone to worry about it, and the pot odds more then justify betting with the potential winner. I bet out and am raised again by the boy to my left. Now I'm pretty much SURE he has to have the QT, and if so, there's no way he has the nut flush. The middle position guy finally folds out and I make it three bets, which raiser calls. I turn over the flush and he mucks his QTo for the straight, and I rake in a 20BB pot, instantly feeling better about being me.

Next hand I put up the big blind and I'm dealt QQ. The ladies make me nervous, especially in multiway pots, which this one certainly became. 5 callers and the small blind calls to me. I check it and we're 6 to the flop in typical .50/1 style.

Flop comes Kd, 5d, Qc, giving me the set of ladies, but putting up a possible diamond flush draw. Time to make 'em pay for it. Small blind checks to me and I bet out. Everyone but the small blind calls it and now we're 5 with 5.5 big bets in the pot.

Turn is a Jh. Uh oh. Possible straight board out there also, but since there was no raise, I'm figuring my set was good on the flop. I bet out, and am immediately raised. Hmmmm. Now I'm thinking I might not be the best at the moment, however everyone cold calls the two bets! Now I've certainly got the pot odds to keep going, so I call down the extra bet and see a river.

Oh, that Old Man River. So why not sail down it in your new boat? Yes, folks, the river comes a Jd. Boom! I've got queens full, there is a potential set of jacks out there, anyone drawing to the diamond flush just made it. The only think I'm worried about is a pair of jacks, and since there was no pre-flop raises, I'm discounting that possibility. I bet. The raiser on the turn calls, as does the guy to his left. Middle position raises! The late middle position cold calls and the late position guy folds. I make it 3 bets and get called down 3 ways!

At the showdown, early position turns over a J4c for the three of a kind hooks. So, this guy hung on through a flop that completely missed him, then cold calls two bets with a pair of jacks! I love it!

Early middle position turns over T9o for the K high straight he caught on the turn.

Under The Gun turns over a ATo for the ace high straight, caught on the turn.

I turn over my ladies for the boat and rake a 26.5 BB pot!

Twilight Zone indeed!

So now I'm up $35 in two hands. The phone call ends, and I get ready to mine some more gold but I don't get anything really to work with. The only other hand worth playing, and I admit this is even thin, was when I got A3d under the gun. I figured I'd see the flop for cheap, and when it came with 2 diamonds, I sort of had to see it though. The flush never came, and I didn't pair the ace, so that was a $3 hit. I left shortly there after, recovering $30.75 of my earlier loss, and feeling MUCH better.