Bad Beat Poker

The purpose of any true poker friend, and the most horrific words he can hear from a friend is, “Man that was a bad beat…. You won’t believe…”

But yes, having played poker for longer than I would like to remember, I would believe anything. Well, almost anything. And I have never had a “good” beat.

Of course a true friend will adopt a somber look, nod wisely and thoughtfully as his bud relates how some idiot played two bad cards and made stupid calls all the way to the river to beat his set of Aces, or Kings or whatever…

Some clubs have gone so far as to have Bad Beat Jackpots. The Jackpots, funded by money withheld from each pot with a modest (ha!) administrative fee charged by the club, is paid when a specific, or better, good hand is beat by a better hand.

For example, Aces full of tens beat by four Tens. The Jackpot is split between the two players in various ways in different clubs; say 60% to the Aces full, 30% to the four Tens and 10% divided among the remaining players at that table.

Alas, my story has nothing to do with jackpots, won or lost. But it does involve some unusual hands.

Until a few days ago the most unusual hand I was ever in was years ago at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The game was a ten handed 10-20 Hold’em , not the huge pots we see on TV but, at the time large enough to make the game interesting and important.

I don’t remember all the details and I mucked my hand before the flop so I wasn’t directly involved. Anyway, there was a bet and raise before the flop with about 6 callers. The flop came 3 face cards and the board didn't pair. The first player bet and there was a raise and a re-raise and re-raise and call call call. The other players never called and were gone.

The turn was a nine and we had a bet, and a raise, a re-raise and a call call call call. Or something like that. But there were still four players. The river brought something like a 6 and we had raises and re raise and re raise, etc…… I checked the board and there was no flush possible, straight or pair on the board.

You guessed it. Three players had flopped a set, three of a kind, and the fourth had turned one. We had set over set over set over set. (Okay, okay. Purists will insist that you must flop a set, so it was set over set over set over three of a kind.)

And yes, there was a great deal of grousing and moaning.

Fast forward until a week or so ago.

The game is 10 handed 20-40 limit Hold’em. I’m was in the Big Blind and had posted $20. After the cards are dealt I looked down and saw a 5 6 of Hearts. Nothing to write home about but I have seen worse. Besides, I have a fondness for suited connectors in pots with multi-way action.

The Little Blind mucked and so did two others. A fairly loose player at the five spot bet out and players 6 called followed by 7 and 8 folding. Player 9 raised and the Button called. Now player 9 doesn’t see many hands he likes and I had never played with the player on the Button before. I figured players 5 and 6 would call so there was $180 to gamble over for a mere $20 more. I couldn’t get my money in fast enough and the pot was $200.

The flop brought a 4 5 6 rainbow. I had flopped two pair, fives and sixes. Not the greatest hand in the world but not bad, especially if I could get rid of a couple of players and go against only one or two. So I bet. Players 5 and 6 promptly folded. Player 9 raised, the Button called and I called. The pot is now $320 and I am hopeful for a 5 or 6.

The turn brings a King. I check. Player 9 bets $40 and the Button calls as I do. The pot is now at $440 and I am seriously thinking that one of the two, or both, has flopped a straight. Now I am not only hopeful for a 5 or 6, I feel true desperation.

The river is a 5. The board is paired and I have fives full of sixes. I am nothing if not greedy, but sometimes greed is good. I check wanting to get player 9 to bet, have the Button call and then let me raise. It almost works. Only player 9 bets and the Button raises. Now the pot is setting there at $560 and I have an $80 decision. No problem. That’s about 6 to 1 on my money before my call. I call. Player 9 calls….. and the Button turns over pocket Kings for Kings full of fives beating my fives full of sixes… What a bad beat.

Oh. What did player 9 have? A suited five four. So we had full house over full house over full house…. A real bad beat.

Did we get any jackpot money? Nope. Just a sly grin from the winner and, “I couldn’t bet ‘till the river. I thought you boy’s flopped straights.”

I suppose there should be some moral in all of this but I can't think of any. Maybe the moral is that sometimes greed is good because if I had just bet rather than trying to trap, player 9 would have raised me and the Button would have re-raised and I would have been looking at loosing another $80 bucks.

More likely the moral is if you are looking for morals poker isn't the place to find them. Remember, lying aka bluffing, is considered ok.



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