Please Don't Bring a Spade

Fine me. $1.00. It's going to sound like a bad beat story.

But its at a play money table, so that's what I'll pay with.

Last night, with the Dr. out east for a second night of debauchery, I decided to take a small break from my work and play some on line poker. Picked up one of my normal play money 45 person NLHE SNG.

Played very conservatively early on (I know . . . shocker). By the time we'd whittled the field down to 15, I was still in - but I was number 15. With less than half the average chip stack. Although blinds were still low enough that my M was pretty decent, all things considered.

Now for those of you who haven't played with me before, you should realize that being THE short stack in a tournament has never bothered me. Its a good excuse to play more strategically, and for some reason, people feel less threatened by your stack and will sometimes call you with your monster hands, just to see if they can bust you. They never learn that Mrs. Chako does not bluff in those situations.

I doubled up a couple times and found myself at the final table in 5th place. Top 7 places play, so I really just had to wait out 2 of the morons. One by one I watch them fall, hovering between 3rd and 5th place. Finally, we are down to three.

I played a hand against the 2nd place player and he went all in against my nuts on one hand, which vaulted me to 2nd place. The very next hand, with him now in the small blind, the chip leader in the big blind, and me in position, I'm dealt AA.

I raise 3x. I figure the new 3rd place guy is probably still steaming, and I want him to play. He goes all in. Got him where I want him. But the big blind calls. Doesn't have to. He just does. Now I want to maximize a little, thinking he's just playing big stack poker, so I go all in - nearly doubles what is in front of him. He calls.

The cards turn face up and Tilt-Boy shows pocket queens. Legitimate hand. Big blind show 56 offsuit. I'm feeling pretty good, 'cause I've got them both beat, but, well, its poker.

The flop comes X-X-X . . . all spades. I have the ace of diamonds and the ace of clubs. One of Tilt-Boy's queens is a spade. And Big-Stack's 6 is a spade. At this point, I realize the gods have once again spat in the face of probability, but as the turn card was being dealt, I still prayed "please don't bring a . . . "

Spade.

You guessed it. So Tilt-Boy takes the main pot with a Q-high flush, and Big-Stack takes it with his 6.

It was my only game for the night, and I still cashed with more than 7 times my entry fee. But I could have made it all the way . . .

Just saying.

Respectfully submitted,

The Wife