Hitting the Jackpot

So there I was in the $20-$40 hold'em game at Lucky Chances, stuck about $600 and becoming increasingly amazed at the hands with which the other players were either raising or cold-calling raises. Holding offsuit 76 two seats ahead of the button, with two limpers ahead of me, I semi-fishily limped in. The button trailed in, the small blind folded, and the big blind checked.

The flop came 6-4-4 with two spades on the board, giving me two pair. I didn't fear an overpair (at this table, pocket pairs seemed to be raising hands), but there was a chance someone held a 4. The action was checked to me, and I bet. The player on the button raised, and one of the early limpers called.

The turn card was another 6, giving me the current best possible full house. Early limper checked, I checked, button bet, early limper called. I think that the action is consistent with both of them having fours in their hands, and if someone else has a six, well, the guy with the four is still going along for the ride. I raised. The button dropped out. Early limper reraised me. (!) Okay, it's a split pot, but I still have boss full house. I reraised, going all-in for the amount of a full bet. While the dealer is burning and turning the river card, I turn my own cards over, fully expecting a split pot.

The clown god loves a good schmengie: I was a 902:1 dog on the flop and a 41:1 dog on the turn, but I hung in there! The river card was the case six, for a board of 4-4-6-6-6, giving me four sixes with a seven for a kicker, while the other guy had pocket fours, having flopped quads and being beat by runner-runner. (I'm including the fact that the player on the button had pocket nines in these odds.)

Lucky Chances' jackpot was at $47,000. Loser's share is 50%, winner's share 20%, and the remaining 30% split among the other players in the hand. My share was $9400 (less 25% withheld for tax). I toked $400 to the dealer, Michael Hornholtz.

Mike Caro says that one problem with bad-beat jackpots is that the winners' shares often leave the poker economy. This is certainly true in my case: the lion's share of it is going to pay for my tuition this fall. I think there's something kewl about being able to pay one's tuition from the winnings of a single hand of poker.

Apart from the jackpot, which I'm accounting separately in my poker records, I finished down $380 in that session. Dammit, I hate it when I lose!