I played poker last night. Though I favor tournaments, this was a ‘live’ ring game. It was one of those magical evenings when I played well and was rewarded. There’s enough luck in poker that those two don’t always go together.
For any poker fans reading I was dealt two 7s from the small blind, had two callers to the flop which came 667. I checked my full house which led to a sizable bet from the next player. I wanted him to fold so I moved all-in.
He spent a long time thinking and talking. He thought he knew what I had, but he was totally off.
I still wanted him to fold. I’d be happy to collect what was in the pot without chancing a ‘suck out.’
Instead, he called. I flipped my cards over. “Shit,” was his only response.
Though I was a prohibitive favorite, it wasn’t a lock. If my math is right there was about a one in a thousand chance he’d catch the only two cards in the deck that would beat me. My pulse quickened and I held my breath.
I played for three hours. The difference between me winning or losing was just big two hands. Aside from those I basically played even.
Hey – at least you were able to walk away a winner Geoff…
Congrats – but you didn’t say what he had?
He threw them into the muck. He called me so he wasn’t required to show. I suspect he was really smarting because he had no idea how far behind he was when we began.