Rounders, Inc.

Sometimes, things just work out.

I am in a no limit game last night. Heads up against a player on my immediate left.

I have a small pocket pair.

My read is my opponent is holding A-X.

The board is five blanks. No Aces, no paint.

I check call all the way.

On the river, I feel my pair is good.

When I show the pair, I get a speech.

“How could you call with just a lousy pair?” he asks.

“How could you bet with just Ace high?” I respond.

He goes on tilt.

The very next hand, I four bet.

This same opponent pushes all-in.

The action folds to me and I call.

He shows Q-Q.

I turn the cards over so an Ace is showing.

I then slide the Ace off to my right to expose the bottom card.

Another Ace.

And, another speech.

“Dammit. I finally get a pocket pair and you just had to have Aces this time!”

Again, the board was five blanks.

In both hands, my opponent overplayed his hand.

He could have saved alot of money by checking the turn and river on the first hand if he did not pair his hole cards.

On the second hand, the right play was call pre-flop, then fold to my all-in on the flop if he did not hit a set.

Pocket queens and A-Q suited used to rank high on my favorite hands list.

Today, I have officially removed any and all queens from list of playable hands.

After last night, I may change my name to Bad Beat Bob.

Here is why:

In a five hour span, I had five playable hands, in order:

1. A-K spades
2. A-K diamonds
3. A-Q hearts
4. Q-Q
5. Q-Q

I saw a cheap flop with A-K spades. The board was all red low cards and alot of action before me. I folded.

I called a $15 pre-flop bet with the A-K diamonds from the button. I am not a big fan of A-K, but the $3000 royal flush hand was diamonds.

The flop was Qd-Jd-7s. I needed any diamond for the nut flush, any 10 for a straight, and the 10d for the royal.

A friend of mine bet $40. I put her on K-Q. I did not want to draw on a made hand so I folded. I showed. She showed K-Q.

My reads were spot on all night.

Next comes the A-Q hearts hand on the button for three way action. The flop is A-9-3 rainbow.

First player, a tight player, goes all-in. I put this Grandma on a strong ace. The second player also goes all-in. He is a very loose donkey that I put on a weak ace.

So, I am staring at the case ace on the flop with a great kicker. No way either player has A-K. I have them both covered and call.

Grandma and I immediately turn our hands over. She has A-J. Donkey boy does not show.

Fourth and fifth streets are blanks.

Donkey boy slow rolls A-9 offsuit. Some guys just get lucky.

Then comes Q-Q on the button. Long story short, half my chips are gone from a river King in heads up action with A-K.

Three hours later I get my next playable hand. Q-Q on the button.

I raise 10X the big blind to protect the hand.

Everyone folds except for a calling station from middle position that just made his third rebuy in an hour.

I know he is weak, so I push on the flop of 9-6-2 rainbow.

He calls.

I immediately show my hand.

Calling station is too embarrassed to show his hand until the river is dealt, which was a blank like the turn.

He shows me 9-6 offsuit for two pair.

My queens were not only cursed, I got slow rolled to boot.

I am divorcing the cursed queens.