HAND OF THE DAY: 09.08.08

This hand was not played by me, but rather something I witnessed while watching the final table of a $10k event at PokerStars. I had been railing Orel Hershiser for a few hours while I played in my own penny-ante games. Orel made it all the way to the final table but busted with A-A when Jonathan Little flopped a set of sixes. This hand came soon after, with seven players remaining.

Little is on the bb with Ac-5h; the antes are $2k and the blinds are $12k/22k. I'm not sure why not $24k but these are the numbers that were showing onscreen. There is a first-position raise to $50k and Little calls.

POT: $120k
FLOP: 5c-4s-2c
ACTION: B $72k / R $240k / C
ANALYSIS: Little flops top pair, top kicker, with a gutshot and bets out with it against an opponent likely playing two overcards. The raise may indicate that his opponent holds two high clubs or an overpair or maybe just doesn't believe. Little calls.

POT: $600k
TURN: 5c-4s-2c / Qd
ACTION: * / B $420k / C
ANALYSIS: Little check/calls the turn when a club doesn't materialize. It's a big bet from a guy who doesn't seem to mind the queen. It's possible the queen hit his opponent who may be playing two high clubs and now has caught top pair. In hindsight, this seems to be the time to get away from the hand, but Little thinks his fives are good and hopes to check the hand down to victory.

POT: $1.44m
RIVER: 5c-4s-2c / Qd / Ts
ACTION: * / B $2.5m all-in / C $1.2m
ANALYSIS: Little checks the river and tanks for a long time when his opponent shoves the river. I think Little expected to win this pot at showdown but now his opponent is not allowing him to go to showdown for free. He either has a monster or complete air. He has shown nothing but strength throughout the hand and can very well have a set of queens, but Little is convinced that it is a multi-street bluff and he makes the hero call for all his chips. His opponent shows 5d-4d for a flopped two pair. Little goes from second place to out 7th while the other guy becomes the massive chip leader and later wins the event and $618k. Little cashes $108k and lies awake that night.

As for me, I followed up my big win with another run in a $109 MTT in which I got a bunch of chips before misfortune struck. I got sly in a sb/bb confrontation with Kd-Jd v 8s-8d and checked third and fourth streets with a Q-J-x-x board before letting my opponent catch his set on the river and paying him off. Very soon after, I raised with K-K and got played back at from a guy shoving Q-8. I'm supposed to be able to say "ha! I've got kings." but he made the longshot straight and I was not for long, busting before the money.

Today, however, I made the final table in another $109 MTT, dying in fifth place for a $3k score. We were five-handed forever and I was the chip leader, with another playing gaining on me. He raised the button and I reraised the sb with Q-Q. When he didn't fold right away, I got worried as he was the only player at the table who could really hurt me. He went all-in and even gave a speech first: "time for bed" or something similar. I knew I was in trouble. I prayed I would see J-J, hoped I might see A-K, but feared I would see K-K. I called and saw kings. I busted the next hand.

I think it is possible to fold queens in that spot but I have never been one to do it. It is just my luck that I finally pick up the third best hand and run into a better one. I thought for a moment about letting it go after the speech. I could have folded and still been in third place. Even better, I wish I had merely called preflop to save such a monster decision. I could have gotten away once the king flopped. I think with time, I may be able to find a fold there facing a third raise, but today, I found the call and was eliminated.