Backdoor flush.
I entered a 180 player MTT and was biding my time for about the first 20 minutes, when I found myself UTG with Pocket Aces. I put in a min-raise and got one caller.
Flop comes down a harmless looking 8s-7h-Qd (rainbow) and I put out a half-pot sized bet, which is immediately called. Turn comes 4d, still looks harmless and I put my opponent on either a Q or a straight draw (perhaps 9-T or T-J). So, I double my first bet, and again it is insta-called.
Now I'm thinking that he might have 7-8, or Q-7, or he's slow playing Kings (thinking I might have A-Q). The 6d on the river is a scare card, as it puts both a flush and a straight out there, so I just check the river and he also checks, turning up a backdoor diamond flush. I got away from that one relatively lightly.
Another nightmare flush.
About 5 hands later, probably still smarting from my Aces being busted by such a fish, I re-popped a pre-flop raise with A-Q off, and my opponent put me all-in.
I hesitated for about a nanosecond and called, to find myself up against Jack's. It was a classic race and the K-6-3 flop didn't do me any favours.
The turn, however, was good to me and I spiked the Q I needed to take the lead. Unfortunately it didn't last long, as the 3s on the river gave my opponent a flush, with a 4-spade board. If only I'd had the As to go with my Q. Anyway, that was the end of the tournament for me.
Aces over Aces
I also have to mention a hand that was played out earlier in the game; one I am glad to say I managed to get away from unscathed.
I was in early position with Pocket 8's. UTG flat called and I put in a standard 3xBB raise. Two seats behind me the player tripled my raise. It was folded around to the button who pushed all-in. This was quickly called by the UTG and I had no option but to lay down my measly middle pair. The player behind me called as well.
The button turns up Pocket T's, and both other players flip up Pocket Aces; boy was I glad I didn't get involved. The flop is all Hearts, as is the turn and UTG has had his Aces busted by a flush. Incredible hand and incredible bad luck for the UTG player.
Drawing dead (almost) before the flop!
After busting out of the MTT, I entered a 9-handed SNG and was sitting reasonably pretty after about 25 hands and had picked up a scalp when my Pocket 9's turned into a set against a short-stack who had pushed all-in with A-8.
I picked up AQ suited in the cut-off position. There had been a min-raise, which was doubled by the player before me. I was debating whether to re-pop or just flat-call when my internet connection died and my hand was folded. I was gutted, as the min-raiser folded and the re-raiser picked up the pot.
My next hand was Pocket 8's and I folded to an all-in from a shorter-stacked player (would have been for about half my chips) and this was followed by Pocket 4's which I laid down to a sizeable raise from an early position player.
The next hand was AK (off), from the BB. The cut-off had put in a 4xBB raise, to $200, which had been called by the SB. Worried about my internet connection again, and knowing that it was the same two players I had folded the AQ suited to, I immediately pushed all-in.
My opponents calls (both of them) could not have been any quicker and they turned up Pocket Kings and Pocket Aces respectively. I am essentially drawing dead, unless the board brings T-J-Q, or 4 clubs.
The flop does bring a J, but all spades, and the player with Aces has the As, so I am now drawing dead to runner-runner straight cards (avoiding another spade) and the 6h on the turn ends my day.
This was just another example of how cold the decks have been tonight on Pokerstars, I've never seen anything like it.
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