And Then I Folded the Best Hand

Today was a Garden City day. I've been playing at Bay 101 quite a bit, and I decided it was time for a change of venue. Early returns in the 20/40 game were positive, and when they called me for 40/80 I could scarcely believe my eyes. The next two players on the list were awful, and the 8 handed game already had 3 huge fish. The other players in the game weren't exactly experts, so I had no choice but to leave a fantastic 20/40 game.

Then this happened....

Everyone calls around to the player in lowjack, who pretends like he's gonna raise but doesn't. The hijack does raise...he's a huge laggy fish, and the primary (of 4) reason I'm in the game. I look down and find A9 sooooted and call two bets cold. The button 3-bets, and again everyone calls...literally, every, single, player, calls. Nobody caps it (I considered it, for value) so we see the pot 9 ways for 3 bets each. The flop is:

A73 all clubs

Great. 7 players check to me and I fancy a bet. The button quickly raises, the blinds fold, UTG 3-bets, two more folds, and then two players call 3 bets cold. I'm left with no recourse but to fold. Everyone else calls.

The turn is an offsuit Jack. It checks through. I cry a little.

The river is a baby red card. It checks through. I cry a lot. The fish on my right wins the pot with KJ (and the jack of clubs). He promptly wins two more pots, racks up his $3000, and leaves the game. I go back to 20/40, feeling awful.

Then this happens....

In the previous hand, two awful players put in lots of action after the first had live straddled. They show down TT and AQ (for one pair and no pair) and the no pair man who did not straddle is pissed for some reason. So a 3rd bad player open limps, the steamer raises, and I call two bets cold with J9 of clubs, looking forward to standard fair Garden City 6 way action. Except everyone folds to the BB (who straddled last hand). He calls, UTG calls, and we get:

Td 9d 4c

BB donks. This means he has....two cards. Like really, he could have anything. The guy is beyond awful, as is described in the two plus two post. UTG folds, and the steamer raises...the guy he's steaming against. So I mean, he could really have a lot of stuff. I call the two bets, and the BB calls (as he always does, at least 3, maybe 5 times per hand). But what card do we get to see next? None other than:

Td 9d 4c - Ad

That's right. Supposing I can logically put one of my opponents on a flush draw and the other on overcards, I just went from the gold medal to the bronze. The BB donks again and steamer calls. I fold. The river brings:

Td 9d 4c - Ad - Js

And again it goes bet and call. BB proudly displays J8o for...a pair of Jacks. Steamer turns over QJs for...Kicker plays! Not only was my hand best on the river, but it was best when I folded it on the turn. Argh....

And then....

LV opens in early position. She's a solid player (who reads this blog) who really doesn't get out of line much (especially against me from what I've seen). I find QQ in the hole and 3-bet. Somebody runs out of chips calling all these bets (getting all in) and LV 4-bets. I cringe and call. The flop is:

AKX

Where X != Q. LV bets and I think for a minute trying to come up with some possible way I can call. There are two hearts out there...I have the Queen of hearts. And I do have a back door straight draw...lol ok fine. I fold my hand face up. LV collects the small side pot then turns over her set of Aces. Before I can even finish patting myself on the back the dealer burns and turns:

Q

Aha! I have saved even more money! Behold my awesomeness. The burn and turn again brings:

Q

That's right....running queens. 987 : 1. The table is generally amazed. I can only muster "What the...." and walk away from the table in confusion. I managed to make quad queens in a capped pot and not show down. Live poker is rigged....