Rounders, Inc.

Unlike alot of players out there, I don’t play just any ace. I see folks playing any ace from any position. Not me.

If I don’t have A-A, then I will only play a suited A-K from early position, suited A-Q or better from middle position, and suited A-10 or better from late position.

If I am on the button, I will play either suited A-10 or better or suited A-4. As you can see, I am pretty selective. Why? Getting burned on playing weak aces.

I am on the button with two very aggressive players ahead of me. The player under the gun makes it $25 to go. The second player min raises to $50. Everyone folds, and I call with A-4 hearts.

Three way action to the flop - a miracle flop: 2-3-5. All hearts.

I flopped a straight flush - nearly impossible. And I have position. And two aggressive players are in the hand.

Usually, straight flushes do not get paid. And it is nearly impossible to get one, let alone flop one.

The first player overbets the pot by betting $200 into a $150 pot. The second player calls. I do some Hollywood and call.

With two other players in the hand, I can’t talk to induce them to bet more. All I can do is hesitate and let them believe I am calling because of pot odds.

Turn card is a blank. With $750 in the pot, the first player bets $300. Second player calls. I call.

Monster pot of $1650 to the river. First player bets $500. Second player folds.

I Hollywood a bit and min raise to $1000, putting the player all-in.

The second player flopped a straight.

The first player flopped the nut flush.

I show the straight flush. And they are astonished.

Caught in a gun fight between two aggressive players, I was in the right position at the right time.

I just finished a miracle session of no limit Texas Hold’Em. The miracle started after a decent session.

All night long, the table I was seated at would break up. The rule in most casinos is you take all your chips to the new table. Not this night. I could only take the maximium buy-in. So, instead of going to the table with 3 - 4X the maximum buy-in, I was placed at a disadvantage to joining an existing table.

In most games, this would be considered going south. Floor management got it wrong. But I was ok. Just had to grind harder longer.

I join a table at 6 AM with $500 after pocketing $2,000 from the broken game. My first hand is in the big blind and I am dealt pocket 10s.

Everyone limps in, so I raise to the pot value, making it $90 to go for everyone. At this point, I am happy to take down the small pot.

The table folds around to the button. The button reraises me another $100. Small blind folds.

I ask this player how the value of his hand went from a $10 limp-in with 9 players ahead to $200. Putting him on a weak hand making a position raise, I call.

Flop comes A-K-Q rainbow. I bet $100 into the $500 pot. The button re-raises me another $100. I call.
The turn is a Jack. I check my straight. The button goes all-in for his last $100, which is my last $100.

The river was a blank. I show pocket 10s for the straight. The button? Shows me pocket Queens.

It took me about five minutes to stack the chips. Long enough to hear the speech on how unlucky he was. I agreed. But, if he raised before I acted, I most likely would have folded the 10-10 preflop.

This kicked off a miracle session. For the next four hours, I could not lose a hand. I earned another $1,500 in profit before leaving for the day.

Donkeys. Gotta love them. They never seem to know how far behind they are in a hand. And always seem to catch the miracle card on the river.

I am finally back playing after my “card dead” hiatus.

All is going well for the first hour. I double up.

Then a donkey sits down. I study him for a few minutes. Easy money. So, I stay.

He bluffs me off a flush draw. No problem. I am patient, but I tell him I folded Jacks after he showed me a 3 high (ok, I had only one Jack).

This guy is in disbelief that I folded Jacks, but I was convincing. Too convincing.

He thinks I am super tight and will fold to any big bet.

Next hand, I have K-J. Mr. Donkey and I limp in.

Flop is K-J-10 rainbow. He bets out $15.

Yes, so I have top two pair with a straight out there. No way he has Q-9 or A-Q.

I raise to $45. Everyone folds. Except Mr. Donkey.

He goes over the top all in.

I insta-call and show top two pair.

Turn is a blank.

At this point, I am a 96% favorite to win the hand assuming he is on a straight draw. I figure if he had the nuts on the flop, he would have slow played it. Then again, maybe not. He is a donkey.

River is an Ace.

Mr. Donkey shows me Q-4 for a straight.

Damn Donkeys!