Week 12

Over my lunch break on Monday, I snuck in an online game at home. The loss had me thinking that during the DPL season, I've avoided any bad beats.

Here's the hand I played online: I raised preflop with Q-5 on a five-handed table. Two callers. I got the instant full boat when 5-5-Q hit on the flop. I checked while Player 1 raised and chip-leader Player 2 went all-in holding A-3. Both Player 1 and I followed with all-in bets.

Amazingly, Player 2 received runner-runner aces to get the full boat of aces over fives!

Thankfully, I only play the free tables online.

This week, another 50 or so poker-playing souls showed up for another practice game at the Knickerbocker. All this talk about bad beats probably jinxed me as I was knocked out at the one-hour mark. It was sort of comical that I was one of the first five or so players knocked out as play appeared tight on the tables.

Here's the hand:

I limp in holding A-9 with four players. Flop comes A-9-J. I check. High-chip stack player to my right semi-bluffs holding K-10. I re-raise all-in. Two others fold. Turn comes dead, but the deadly queen hits on the river.

Problem is, it was really hard to pinpoint a straight draw on the flop. Oh well, nothing lost.

It's a mild bad beat for sure, compared to the hand I played online.

But perhaps it's best to have all this happen this week.

Next Monday, the Knick hosts the regional tournament. It'll be interesting to play with about 70 new faces.

During the season, most players felt they had a good idea of each players' style.

That all gets tossed aside.

I'm hoping that the bad beats get tossed aside as well.

Rob Beer is the design coordinator at The Forum and a first-year poker player. E-mail your bad beat stories to rbeer@forumcomm.com