Sometimes Catching Cards Is Bad

Well, I accomplished 2 out of 3 of my Poker Night missions.

I won one game, which unfortunately was the first game -- our first games are usually the warm-up games where we only have the $5 buy-ins and many times are waiting for 1 or 2 more people to show up. So I ended winning just enough money to basically mean I was playing for free the whole night if I didn't win another.

I didn't win another.

Catching the cards you want is sometimes the worst thing that can happen. My worst play of the night was after I was dealt queen/ace offsuit, and jack, jack, 10 hit on the flop, meaning I was a king away from a straight to my ace. Sure, I was on a straight draw, but it was an inside draw and there were still 5 other people in after the flop, meaning chances were good that one or two of them already had a king. Plus after that flop, I already knew I was likely facing trip jacks. Nevertheless, after a modest bet by Marcos after which 3 other people folded, I called it and stayed in.

4th street was an ace. So now I have two pair, aces and jacks. However, worsening my predicament was the fact that the ace was a diamond, meaning there were now 3 diamonds on the board. I've got two pair, and I'm facing possible trip jacks and a possible flush (I didn't have a diamond, myself). Did I fold? Oh, no -- I called another modest bet made by Marcos, the same person who bet after the flop. Dumb? Oh, yes.

The river? Guess what? It was a king! Yay, I've got a straight to the ace! Now feeling like I pulled one out of my ass, I'm waiting to see what Marcos bets.

Another modest bet, so I'm thinking he's got the trip jacks and I've just burned him on the river. Do I call him, hedging my bet in case he's got a flush? Oh, no, I go all-in and come over the top of his bet to see if he'll fold.

He called me and turns over the 6 and 8 of diamonds for the flush.

Now, I could go on and on about how odd it was of him to bet the flop when he didn't even have a jack or any overcards, and still was one diamond away from the flush, but that's neither here nor there. I should've known I was facing a flush, and I should've just called his bet instead of going all-in. D'oh!

In the next game, I finally get a wish fulfilled -- I get pocket aces in a live game. Oh, I've got 'em several times on Party Poker, but after about 5,000 hands live, I had never gotten them. What do I do? I go all-in of course -- and get 3 freaking calls. Three of 'em. My buddy Dave really wanted to call, but didn't -- after folding, he showed me he was holding Big Slick suited.

So after I get called by three freaking people and he shows me his Big Slick, I start to get that sinking feeling in my stomach that my pocket aces won't hold up. The three people that called me turn over king/5 (don't ask me why he called), king/queen suited, and pocket 7's (he was the last person to call, don't ask me why he called, either). I immediately start thinking I'm going to lose to trip 7's, but it turned out that a 10, 9, and jack (on the river) hit the board, so I lost to a straight. Guess who had the king/queen suited and got the straight? Freaking Marcos, again. Marcos, who beat me with that stinking flush after staying in (and betting) with 6/8 suited, and the same Marcos who, earlier in that game, got pocket aces twice in three hands (but he won with his).

So yep, now I hate pockets aces, and I hate Marcos, too.

What a game. I oughta kick the guy who invented it. :)