the former Greatest Hand Ever

From May 21st, 2005, live 1-2NL game in NYC.

BB: Jonathan: tight agressive guy who has rebounded from the felt to a $1500 stack, and, with the other big guns at the table gone (KD being the exception of course) - he's playing a more agressive game.

Middle position: Connie: old guy who has previously COLD CALLED a $65 raise wtih K-6 suited.... i'vewritten about him before.

to Connie's Left: Dewey Tomko Lookalike: this guy OWNS The Vortex - but he's thoroughly retarded (Vortex - i de-stacked him earlier when i check-called him all-in after spiking a set of 6's on the turn!)

then Kid Dynamite: sitting on a powerful $1450 stack

Cutoff: big irish looking dock worker type

Button: Elliot - also massively retarded, but also OWNS The Vortex. Elliot has so many fucking tells, I don't even know what to make of them or how to read him.

anyway, here's the legendary action: limp limp limp i find QJ offsuit and come along, Cutoff Limps, and Elliot makes it $10 to go (the game is 1-2 NL). Jon calls, Connie calls, Dewey Tomko calls, i call, Cutoff calls.

flop: T-T-T oooh... ahhh... checked around.

turn: TEN! wow... more oohs and ahhs..

Jon bets out $35 from the small blind. Without hesitation, Connie makes it $200 to go. He has about $500 left. Dewey and i fold, and the Cutoff shrugs and moves all-in for $200. Now it's on Elliot. HE GOES INTO THE TANK! huh? after 3 seconds, Jon says "Either you do or you don't" and calls the clock. i mean seriously - this is probably the EASIEST decision you could ever be faced with in a large pot... play if you have an ace, else: muck. Elliot thinks for 45 seconds and mucks.

Now, since action is complete, as the Cutoff is all-in, the Cutoff tables his AK faceup. THE NUTS...Pure, Unadulterated, un-counterfeitable Nuts. Guess he'll be chopping with Connie..but no - Connie, TRIUMPHANTLY tables his POCKETFIVES, and says "FULL HOUSE"!!!!!! the only way this hand could get better is if he yelled "PRESTO!!!!"Connie is informed that he has 4 tens with a 5 kicker, and is somewhat disappointed.but we are far from done..

Elliot SLAMS the table, outraged, saying "I HAD AN ACE!" and, to make matters worse, the dealer boxes the deck in with the muck BEFORE dealing the river! what? what if the rio is an ace! she fishes the deck out and deals off a blank...Elliot is furious... Connie is confused, and the Cutoff is wondering if he's dreaming. I almost threw up in my hat - and stubbornly refused to leave the game, as Connie built his stack back up,and i was reluctant to leave while he still had chips, although i was exhausted at 1am at the tail end of an 8 hr session...

I left up $858 eventually, but not before Dewey Tomko made this entertaining move: he opens for $15 in MP and gets 3 callers, includingthe SB, who has about $150 behind.

flop is K-Q-8. SB checks, Dewey bets $50. fold fold to SB, who thinks for 10 seconds, and then comes overthe top all in. Dewewy calls.

turn: NINE! SB stands up, excstatic, shouts "THAT'swhat i'm talking about! and slams his T-J on thetable.

River is an Eight, and Dewey Tomko is squinting at theboard, genuinely taken aback...

he says "what's that?"

SB triumphantly declares "STRAIGHT!"

Dewey tables pocket Q's, for Q's full of 8's, and says"What's this?"

the table goes NUTS... the SB, to his credit, smiled, feeling like a complete and utter d-bag - but he handled it very well... Dewey wasn't really trying to slow-roll him, he was just confused that he was pretty sure he had a good fucking hand,and yet this kid was jumping up and down... brilliant.

until next time,

KD