HAND OF THE DAY: 08.13.08

Warning: this is a bad beat story in disguise:

Preflop, there are three limpers and I limp from the button with 5c-5s for $30.

FLOP: Kd-7c-5d
ACTION: * / B ($150) / x / C / C / C / x
ANALYSIS: I cold call with trips because I envision much more money going in on the turn if the bettor leads out again. I can slow down if a diamond comes but anything else and there will be fireworks.

TURN: Kd-7c-5d / 9c
ACTION: B ($550) / x / x / R ($1995) / C
ANALYSIS: He leads out big and the other guys muck. He's definitely not on a draw so I could just call here and hope no diamond hits so that we can get all in on the river, but the way he's betting, I'm convinced he's ready to get all-in now, so I shove. He calls and shows 7s-5h. He's got two outs at most, assuming none of those flop callers mucked a seven.

RIVER: Kd-7c-5d / 9c / 7h
ACTION: We are both all in with a $4770 pot.
ANALYSIS: Just because something is unlikely does not make it impossible. He caught the miracle card and my tournament was over.

As a side note, earlier in the day I managed to lose a pot in a cash game in which we were both all-in preflop with tens. He had only $39 so it was a no-brainer call when he shoved. He caught a flurry of clubs to take it down.