Pocket Kings

[pensodyssey]

This is a poker story.

I was in a game this weekend with some loudmouth, big money making advertising-and-design little twenty-something shits.  Cash game, no limit.  Of course it was Hold'em; seems like no one knows how to play anything else anymore.  I mean, I was brought up on dealer calls.  But more on that later.

I bought in for 80 dollars, played for a couple of hours and found myself sitting with about 120 bucks after the "last" hand.  I convinced the host to deal one more; after all, I pointed out, he had said last hand came at 9 and it was only 8:55.  So one more hand was in order.  He dealt it, and I pulled pocket kings.

Fucking genius.

I raised modestly to keep as many players in the game as possible; 5 bucks pre-flop. All but one stayed; the flop brought nothing that could beat me, so I wasn't about to back down at this point.  30 dollars raise, three more folds.  Fourth street, no improvement, except three common spades, but a flush was all that could beat me.  I threw it all in, and the rest but this one guy, who had been playing shit hands all night, threw 'em in.  So, me and him. I was already buying dinner for me and my girl, plus a week's worth of bourbon, in my mind.  

The river.  An ace.  Bum luck for me, but I couldn't do anything about it now, and this jagoff hadn't played a decent hand all night.  He needed to be holding either an ace or two spades to beat me.  

We showed.  He had two spades.

I mean, what the fuck was I supposed to do?  I played the odds, right?

Yeah, I lost, and I'm pissed.  But it reminded me of something that's been bothering me for a few years now.  Kids these days don't know anything about poker besides texas hold'em.  God for-fucking-bid we play 7 card, or baseball, or jacks-or-better, or queen-and-what-follows, or any other poker game.  Stupid espn watching motherfuckers.  I miss my grandfather.
 

[vinman3]

Fucking pocket Kings. I lose with them all of the time. Looks like you played it right though. You had the odds. Sometimes the odds, though in your favor, bite you in the ass. I NEVER win with pocket Kings, something shitty like that happens every single time. I still bet them though  :ph43r:

[sage]

I'm in a group where all we play is dealers choice. I'm sick of hold-em. At least play omaha hold em where you get more than 2 fuckin cards and its all based on luck of the draw! BTW, i almost believe pocket kings might be the worst hand as i NEVER win with them!

[aj_law]

As played, there's not much you can do, but when you raise so little pre, you invite people calling you with average to mediocre hands.  After one or two callers, everyone else is pretty much priced into calling with close to any two.  It's fine for building the pot, just know that you'll in all likelihood have to make a tough decision along the way and possibly laydown a big hand.

With that many people in the pot and a flush draw on the flop, I prolly woulda RRAI on the flop (how much did you have left behind?) instead of waiting for the turn.  Make the fishes pay to chase their flush.

Either way though, it sounds like you knew you were getting it all in the middle on that flop.  And, considering the company, I can't say that I blame ya; just unlucky if someone catches a set or outdraws you to a flush.  When you said that an ace fell on the river, I figured he chased his ace all the way to the river...which would've tilted me a helluva lot more than a player catching their flush on the turn.

Cowboys are my favorite hand, but I swear they've been real ace magnets lately.

I'm sure you're still steaming about it, but let the fishes be, man.  They help to keep this hobby/game profitable.  :)

[msdmnr2002]

I also hate poskcet kings.

Sounds like from that crowd you were gonna lose no matter what.  If the guy was playing shit hands all night, he undoubtedly would have called a $15 raise pre-flop, and when two spades show on the flop, for the last hand of the night he likely calls an all-in with a flush draw.

Only other option would have been to check on the turn when the flush possibility appears, knowing with that many hands in the game pre-flop, there was a decent chance that one had two spades.  Hopefully, he also checks in an attempt to trap you, then when the ace comes on the river you can get out, because too many hands can beat you.  At least you leave with some money.

Always a hell of a lot easier to play a hand after the fact.  I also kick the pro's asses on TV.  Never buy into their bluffs.  I'm sure that's because of my skill and has nothing to do with the fact that I can see their hole cards.

[pensodyssey]

Fellas, thanks for your advice and/or consolatin here.  Fact is, I wouldn't play it any different now than I did then.  Coulda done this or that.

I'm still pissed and I don't think I will stop being so for a wee while.

[pensodyssey]

Either way though, it sounds like you knew you were getting it all in the middle on that flop.  And, considering the company, I can't say that I blame ya; just unlucky if someone catches a set or outdraws you to a flush.  When you said that an ace fell on the river, I figured he chased his ace all the way to the river...which would've tilted me a helluva lot more than a player catching their flush on the turn.

To semi-misquote the Meatloaf... you took the words right out of my head.