The hand of my life (thus far)

Trying to kill a half hour here, so I thought I'd blog a hand, or series of hands, that happened to me roughly two years ago at Borgata, that thus far is still the biggest pot I've ever been involved in, in the craziest sequence of poker events in my life...

It was actually this trip to Borgata that we ran into Daniel Negreanu as soon as we arrived, at about 5AM, about 3-4 hours after he had just won a WPT event held there. We ran into him heading to his hotel room, completely hammered, said hi and congratulations. He told us about his big AA vs KK hand heads up vs David Williams that won the event. He's really a nice guy...

Anyway, back to the story. Was a bad trip for me. I think I was down about $1500 for the trip. One of those weekends where set over set gets run down when the underset quads up on you. It was also the weekend I finished around 90th place out of 850 in the $500 buy in event of the US Poker Championships at the Taj. Chip Jett was at the table next to me, and a couple other big names... I of course get sucked out on in the tourney 2 straight hands to bust out.

But enough whining. It's about 7AM on the last day we're staying (checkout is at 10AM), and I don't feel like sleeping until the car ride home. I figure I'll play a couple more hours and then we'll hit the road. I sit down 1/2 NL, with about $200. Since it's early, they are combining tables as players leave, and they sit a guy next to me who was at another 1/2 table, and this guy has about 6 racks in front of him. And let me tell you, they weren't racks of red $5 chips. They were racks of blues ($10 at Borgata), yellows ($20), and green ($25). He even had about 3 black chips ($100). I remember counting, and it was something greater than $4000. At a 1/2 game! Which is simply unheard of.

After about 2 minutes, I see why he's got all those chips. This guy, aside from either being incredibly drunk or stoned out of his gourd, was nuts. He made every pot preflop like $100. He'd put someone all-in every hand, he'd be so far behind every hand, and somehow catch the gutshot with 2 cards to come, or runner runner to bust someone. For about an hour, it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. This guy made Super Dave look like small potatos. He almost couldn't lose a hand. Everyone at the table is oo-ing and ah-ing at ever hand when some wild thing would happen, and we were attracting quite a few onlookers. It was a game to see who was next to try to double up, and would end up bust. Couple that with his chips and his bets, and he's well over $5000 by now. Maybe not quite that high, because he was tipping the dealer about $100 every time he'd win. And the way he was talking, I had no doubt he was stoned beyond comprehension.

I've watched him quite a bit. I know a few of his moves now. It's important later, but when he's got a couple big cards, and ace, or a pair, he'll make it $100 or more preflop. With really crappy cards, it'd be more like $40 or $50. Semi decent cards were worth about $75.

So I finally get into mix. I forget how the first hand went the first time he busted me, but it was basically AA vs some garbage random hand, and he hit two pair. I buy back in for $300. Very next hand I find AK, so after he had raised to $100, I put em all in preflop, and his A3 runs down slick.

I buy in for my last $300.

Finally, his luck changes a little, but being the big stack, he's still doing well by bullying. But another guy and I manage to wean about down his chips. It really helps that he's just to my right, as I can kill the action by going all in and getting him heads up with decent hands. I get TT, and after I'm all in after 3-undercards hit the flop, he doubles me up. 3 or 4 other hands I win, and a couple times he lays down a few hands to me. I played him like a fiddle. His betting was so transparent. Someone else at the table had taken about $1500 of his chips, and I have sucked about $1100 from him. I'm up to about $1300-1400 at this point, and I've even got his black chips. He's down to about $2K.

So, I decide it's time to go. I'm nearly back to even for the trip. I post my small blind, and decide it will be my last hand. Stoner is on the button. As is typical, it limps to him, I think 2 callers maybe. He makes it $35. I have about 4 racks collected, ready to fold my cards, and head for the cashier. But I see that it's KdTd. For $35 let's look. So I call. The two limpers called. Flop comes three diamonds. Wow! What on earth do I do with Stoner behind me?

I bet $100. The limpers fold, and the nut job makes it $200. I have to think. Does he have the Ad and drawing? Or even A-high flush already? I decide there's absolutely no way he has an A. By this time, I know his moves probably better than he does. I'm convinced his $35 bet preflop absolutely said no Ace. So I go all in for almost $1500.

Almost before I get the words out, he calls. He's so proud of his hand that he slams it down on the table... 2 pair, like a 3 and 6. Um... Yeah. What did you think I had?

Turn is a blank. Just before the river, I stand up and scream at the dealer not to pair the board. I think it's the last thing I said for 2 days. I think the air was sucked out of the room.