Even I can hit the one outer every now and then!

Unlike John M... who seems to be hitting some monsters recently... I've been catching only a few monsters.... but that's ok, at least last night, I hit a few too. Probably the first big one came within an hour or so of kick-off. We're rotating a round of hold'em and then a round of O8.... $2/$5 No Limit of course. This particular hand was hold'em. I'm in the big blind and there is a $20 straddle and I think just about everyone played, so there's about $120 in the pot pre-flop.

I've got 8h, 9h and decide that I'll string along as well and the flop is 6c, 7h, 10s. It checks to me and I lead out with a $50 bet and get 4 callers. Ooops... I should have bet more. At any rate, the turn is a 5 diamonds and it checks to me and I bet $150 and get no callers. They did a little rabbit-hunting and the river was a harmless Ace of spades. Ellie commented that had he seen the Ace, he would have called.... top 2 pair.

My hand:

The Board:

The Next big hand for me followed shortly thereafter... I'm in late position with Ac, 3c, Js, 9h... not great, but everything is a monster in this game... pre-flop. There's a small straddle and I believe that everyone came into the pot. The flop was As, 3s, 7s and everyone checks.... it seems that some of the guys at this game like to check their flopped-nuts and there was a flush, but no one bet and it checked all the way around. The next card was sweet.... Ad, giving me the 2nd nut boat. It checks to me and I lead out with about a $75 bet and get 3 callers. The river is a 6.... I bet $150 and ended up chopping with someone's crappy low..... Nice!

My Hand:

The Board:

The last big hand of the night for me came later! I had 9c, 3c, 3h, 6h and the flop was Ax, 3x, 4x..... I'm never really excited about flopping the bottom set as so many times when you make a boat.... you lose! There was a potential wheel on the board and Frank lead out with about a $50 bet and there were 4 callers including me. I don't know why I put my money in the pot when I truly believe that I have one out. I guess it is because sometimes.... even I get lucky and hit it! And bang.... the fourth 3 hits the board on the turn. Now the hard part, trying to figure out how to play it to get as many chips in the pot as possible. Frank bets $90 and still 3 callers. The river puts another wheel card on the board and its hard for me to do it, but from first position, I check and Frank bets $200. Ellie immediately pushes all-in and I try to figure out if I can get Frank in. I believed that Frank had a boat and I was thinking that Ellie had a low which meant if I go crazy and raise, there's a chance that it'll be just me and Ellie chopping the smallish pot. Ellie has right at $1,000 and I've got him covered so I just smooth call. Frank puts both of us on the low and calls the $1,000 with 4's full of 3's. Ellie has the nut low and Ellie and I end up chopping a very nice pot.

There were a couple other nice hands played as well including one big pot that Rick and I chopped, but I'll let him tell you about that one.....

Back to the Felt!