Sometimes ...

I spent Labor Day weekend in Seattle because my cousin was getting married, and it was a chance to see some of my old friends. At the wedding reception, I had the privilege of sitting next to my cousin, Aaron Alhadeff, whom I hadn't seen in at least five years. As I soon found out, Aaron has been playing poker as long as I have, and knows more about poker strategy than most players I have talked to. He played in the live-action no-limit hold'em game at Lucky Chances Casino for a few years before moving back to Seattle. I asked him where he plays in Seattle, and he said the Hideaway. Before his girlfriend told us to stop talking about poker, he told me that the bad-beat jackpot there had reached $130,000 and the room was packed.

So, I blew off Sunday brunch with five of my friends, because I figured that was my only chance to get to the Hideaway and take a shot at the huge jackpot. I offered all of them a small piece of my action in exchange for ditching them. Of course, they all turned me down, because they were worried about my losing their 10 percent piece of my action in a $10-$20 game. It is funny how nonpoker players won't invest $50 on me in a $10-$20 game in which I have done very well in the past, but will make or lose a few thousand dollars a day in the stock market.

Anyway, I arrived at the Hideaway as the game started, and ordered some breakfast. I told myself that I would leave the table when my food arrived, because I don't pay attention while eating. However, I didn't want to miss a chance at the jackpot. As usual, my game was awful while I was eating.

The following hand came down while I was munching on some kosher ham: A short-stacked player raised under the gun with A-K, I reraised with pocket deuces (I should have smooth-called because of the jackpot), and it was called in three spots. The first raiser made it four bets, and we all called. The flop came K-J-3 rainbow. The initial raiser bet with his A-K, I called, and the other three players called. A 4 came on the turn, and the A-K bet. I said, "I wish you didn't make it four bets before the flop, because the pot looks so big now that I have to call with my bad hand." After I said this, the guy to my left raised and we all called. At the time, I thought he raised because I had made a comment telling him that I shouldn't be in the hand, but it was really because he had a K-J (two pair) in his hand. I again pouted as I was throwing my money away, as I could have been drawing dead. As you have probably figured out, because I am writing about this hand, the river brought a deuce, giving me three deuces and a huge pot after I check-raised the guy who had two pair. The guy who had A-K explained to me that he had no respect for me as a person because I played an underpair to the river. The moral of this story is: Sometimes a pot is so big that you are forced to call even though you know you are beat.