One more poker post

I requested a hand history from my Saturday $10 Sit-and-Go at Party (the one where I placed third) because, for the first time in my Hold `Em (if not my entire poker) career, I hit a straight flush.

The play is shown below, but for my poker-vernacular -challenged friends, here's a summary: We're playing limit Hold `Em with T150/300 blinds (T=tournament dollars). There are four players left from the 10 who started. Blinds are forced bets so that every hand has some money in the pot, in this case, T450. To get into the game before any cards are dealt you have to at a minimum match the so-called "Big Blind", at this point T300.

I'm "ricoM" and at this point have 1550 in chips (T1550). I'm dealt a Jack and 10 of spades pre-flop (before the first three community cards are dealt), and being the tight-ass I am, merely call, T300. The other player out of the blinds folds. The Small Blind, who already has been forced to contribute T150 to the pot, adds in another T150 to stay in. The Big Blind, having already contributed his T300, merely has to check.

***** Hand History for Game 1580185174 ***** 300/600 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (Limit)
(Tournament 9498614) - Sat Feb 12 14:45:36 EST 2005 Table Table 11495 (Real Money)
-- Seat 6 is the button Total number of players : 4
Seat 3: Justin_F (2005)
Seat 4: WMeister (3530)
Seat 6: ricoM (1550)
Seat 10: Jrwayne (915)

Jrwayne posts small blind (150) Justin_F posts big blind (300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ricoM [ Ts, Js ]
WMeister folds.
ricoM calls (300)
Jrwayne calls (150)
Justin_F checks.

Oh my. Look below and you'll see that Little Rico just got the nuts straight flush and is praying that the other two players think they have a hand, as I can't be beaten. Jrwayne bets T300. JustinF apparently can't beat a flush, and decides discretion is the better part of valor. As we're in a limit game, I can only raise the max, T600. But I still luck out, `cause Jrwayne is short stacked (in other words, with few chips left) and has a pair of 7s and a nut flush draw (he has the Ace of spades although I don't see that yet), and goes All-In with T315. A lesson for the student: it will only cost ricoM T15 more to call. What is his decision?

** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7s, 9s, 8s ]
Jrwayne bets (300) Justin_F folds.
ricoM raises (600) to 600
Jrwayne bets (315) Jrwayne is all-In.
ricoM calls (15)

The game is over at this point, although two more cards, the turn, and the river, need to be dealt.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 5s ] **

Jrwayne probably thinks he has the hand won at this point, having made his flush. Even if I've made a flush, he's holding the Ace. Poor Jrwayne is soon to be disappointed.

Dealing River ** : [ Kd ]

A meaningless card to either of us.

So, I won the pot, T2130 and also knocked out player 4 at the same time, thus guaranteeing I'd be in the money. A few hands later I'd be short-stacked, and go All-In with a flush draw that I wouldn't hit.

Creating Main Pot with $2130 with Jrwayne
** Summary ** Main Pot: 2130 Board: [ 7s 9s 8s 5s Kd ]
Justin_F balance 1705, lost 300 (folded)
WMeister balance 3530, didn't bet (folded)
ricoM balance 2765, bet 915, collected 2130, net +1215 [ Ts Js ] [ a straight flush, jack high -- Js,Ts,9s,8s,7s ]
Jrwayne balance 0, lost 915 [ 7d As ] [ a flush, ace high -- As,9s,8s,7s,5s ]