Juice Poker

The game is Omaha 8 and we typically have several big pots per night.... Last night, I tried to change it up a little and play some different hands. That worked out really well.... if you don't mind putting your chips through the shredder.....

The big pot of the night came a little after midnight. I had already announced that I was done after one more lap.... I had hovered around even most of the night. My $400 buy-in had floated up to $600-$700 and down to $200 or so and if I remember correctly, I had about $475 when this hand took place. There was the typical pre-flop raise of the $2/$5 blinds to about $15 or $20 and there were at least 3 callers.... Dave bet.... and me, Rick and Tom called (that I am sure of)...... The flop was a paltry Ax, 7x, 9x and the Juice (first to act) moves all-in for approximately $1100 or so. Tom calls and my hand is something like Ax, 2x, 4x, 8x.... I wish I had more $$ in front of me (you know, so that I could have lost them as well) because I'm certain my re-raise would have had NO IMPACT whatsoever..... I'm thinking that my Ace might be good against Dave and my low draw, although not the nut is probably good because I have 3 low cards for the draw. I'm tired, my head hurts, my feet stink and I don't love Jesus, so I push my $400ish remaining into the pot really hoping that Rick folds. No such luck. He actually had top two pair, Ax, 9x and I definitely could not have gotten away from that hand even with his $1300 or so in chips. With everyone in the hand all-in, you'd expect that all cards were flipped up and the cards were run down. No such luck either.... everyone wants to slow-roll everyone else. The turn pairs the board with a 7x.... no low yet -AND- the river pairs the board with another 9 ----- and Rick gets the big scooper! Nice hand again sir..... No low gets there. Tom folds his cards without showing anyone but Michael and/or John M I believe. He probably had my low dominated. I'd really like to know what he had there. I believe the Juice had a big straight wrap around the 7-9 board that didn't get there either.

There was only one other big hand that I played and it was a monster hand although the pot didn't get out of control. I was in late position and the flop was As, 2s, 7h (or something close). I was holding the 3s, Qs, 4h, 9h. So I flopped the nut low with 2nd nut flush draw. I led with a pot-building bet of $25 or so. There are 3 callers. The turn is 8s giving me the 2nd nut flush and the nut low. I led with a bet of $125 and Michael calls and everyone else folds. The river is a 4x screwing up my nut low but still giving me a low, just no longer the nut low. I still push all in as that could have just as easily screwed up Michael's low as well, but he turns over the 3x, 5x, and no other significant cards that I can remember. So, it is the old chop/chop.

One other hand against Frank stands out as the river gave me the 2nd nut straight and a decent low. I bet $75 and Frank pushed all-in for another $80 or so. There's about $300 - $350 in the pot, so I have to call and he turns over the nut straight and the nut low. Just another day in the neighborhood.....

Back to the felt!