Hand No. 2

I'm including this hand not because it involves any complicated poker principals, but because its the sort of hand you keep talking about for weeks and weeks. I was the dealer and sometimes you can't believe the cards that actually come off your fingers.

Late in the tournament, blinds are 500/1000. The players involved were two of the bigger stacks at the table. Action folds to Player E, who raised to 2500. Table folds to SB, who re-raises to 5000. E raised to 8300 (a proper raise in this game), SB goes all-in and Player E calls for the remainder of his chips. SB shows pocket Aces, Player E has pocket 10s. SB has Player E covered. Pot is approximately 40,000.

The flop is J A 4. Player E has no flush draw and now needs running 10s or running straight cards to win the hands. River is a 10, and Player E needs the final 10 to win and stay alive. I dealt the final 10 on the river and felt like I had been struck by lightening. Player E wins the hand with quad 10s to the SB's Aces full of 10s.

Several of the folks at the table with smart phones took the time to take a picture of the hand, and if I can figure out how to post pictures in this blog, I'll put one of them up.

There was some debate as to Player E's chances of winning the hand after the flop, whether it was 2% or 1%. All I know is it was low. I do know a better card for Player E on the turn would have been something like a Q, which would have left him with 4 Kings as outs rather than the one 10. But whatever.

I see this hand as proof that no matter how well you play on any given night, sometimes the poker gods are just out to get you.