Poker Articles

Winning Occasionally Means Not Losing So Much
By Al Spath

On a recent trip to Atlantic City, I had the pleasure of checking out the much-improved Hilton Casino poker room, adeptly managed by Thom "TK" Krauss. It is a classy throw-back room with a picture window (something you will never find in other casinos), looking out on the bustling AC city life.

Tournaments are held at various times of the day (some to accommodate the bus loads of poker players, a great number being seniors), who frequent this Atlantic City haunt. One surprising aspect of the tournament promotion scheme included several "no juice" events, wherein all the entry money was returned in the form of payouts; the house took nada. It should be noted that this particular card room also seems to reward its patrons with generous comps ($2 an hour while at ½ NL tables), and other perks after extended play. Just ask to see what you qualify for besides a spectacular Sunday through Thursday room rate.

The bad beat jackpot was over $70k; however, no one took it down during my stay (but it was not for the lack of trying). As is often the case, aces full of jacks beaten by 4 of a kind or better, providing both cards in your hand play, was the established rule. Ironically, at another AC casino earlier that week, two "friends" (so the story goes); were in a hand together and checked down what appeared to be a winning jackpot hand. Come to find out they broke another established rule, "$20 must be in the pot." From what I heard, there were some pretty ticked off locals who would have received a nice size table share if only the two players would have played the hand properly. Oh well, you can't account for dumb luck or dumb mistakes, can you?

Speaking of mistakes, I'd like to share with you the "hand" of my trip. I was relaxing the last evening, after sharing a birthday dinner with some friends at the Borgota buffet. I was a bit uncomfortable from the massive dinner and didn't feel my brain was functioning in tip top order for a higher game, so I decided to play a bit of 1-2 NL at the Hilton, in hopes that I or another unsuspecting player, might fall into a jackpot situation. Now that would really cap off 3 great days!

Back to the main hand I want to share with you. We were mostly playing 9 or 10 handed at a loose-aggressive table. Seat two played any connectors, gappers, or suited cards: a local, with a stack of $155. Seat 7 (down from Schenectady on a semi-annual poker bus trip with 20 other poker players) was new, and had played 5 out of 5 hands dealt since he sat down, caught a flush with any two suited in one hand, bet an AK hard in another hand, and seemed like an action player who has about $475 in stack. NOTE: He and a friend had been playing 20/40 limit at Taj most of day and bragged about scoring big. Money to burn! Oh, and while he was in a tournament just 20 minutes earlier, his friend busted him out on 3rd hand, AQ vs AJ, he had the AQ, AJ on flop.

I'm in the big blind (my stack is $420ish), and I'm dealt Qc Jc, and seat 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and I see the flop. $13 in the pot I believe, sb folded.

Flop is Q Q A.

I check and checked all around (surprise-surprise).

Turn is a 9. I check again; seat 2 bets $7; seat 7 makes it $17, and I then make it $50.

Seat 2 soundly declares all-in before I finish counting my money into the pot. Seat 7 says, "I raise whatever he has, and $200 more." I am still not finished stacking my red 5's into a stack of 10 for my bet. Bang-Bang!

Wow, I sit back and the wheels are turning.

Here are your questions:

What did I do? What do you think they potentially had? What was the outcome?

Yikes, what's a fella supposed to think/do? What you would do? You can't go back and play it differently from the start; you have to decide what to do after the 5th raise on the turn.

The outcome:

I knew I was beaten; I did not know "for sure" by which one of my opponents and did not want to push the rest of my chips for a Bronze Medal (finishing third). So I folded.

Seat 2 - Pocket Aces (flopped the house)

Seat 7 - Pocket Nines (made the house on the turn)

Wait for it: not a Queen on the river (whew), but it was a Jack.

Seat 2 and I would have lost to the initial all-in bettor from Seat 2; however, I would have filled at the end and taken money from Seat 7.

Now, would or could you have called after those raises on the turn?

I couldn't in good conscience for all my chips knowing one or both had a made hand but if you could have; major props to you!

A final note: After that massive dinner it was this hand that quickly brought my brain back to "tip top" order!

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About the Author:
Al Spath is the "Dean" at PokerSchoolOnline, and has authored: the "Poker Journal." In addition to having one place for all your poker records you'll get advice and tips on reading hands, playing live, reading tells and so much more (www.alspath.com). Al's poker expertise coupled with his insight and ability to communicate effectively to both large and smaller sized audiences, make him an ideal speaker for any company, convention, college, or organizational group venue.

Comments to: AlSpath@pokerschoolonline.com

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