Trials of a Poker Apprentice: Giddiness

You know that feeling, right? It's when you're playing online and you're allowed to limp in with pocket 4s. Then, while you're waiting your turn, you maybe check your email or something, so that part of the table is obscured when the flop comes down, and all you can see is a king and an 8, so you think to yourself, "Unless that third card is a 4, I don't want any part of that board." Of course, you know in your heart that it won't be a 4. But then when it's your turn and you bring the table back to the front, you see that not only is that third card a 4, but there's been a bet and a raise in front of you.

Good stuff, that.

But for true "giggle like a schoolgirl on ecstasy" euphoria, you have to have pocket 4s again and make a foolish move like call all-in with them, only to see your opponent turn over pocket kings, and then watch as the flop comes Q44. It's especially satisfying when your opponent types "F*CK YOU" in all caps right before he leaves the table.

Those are two hands that I've played lately, leading me to believe that pocket 4s are unbeatable. Of course, having said that, I had better never play them again, because they are now destined to fail spectacularly.

I can't explain why I called on the second hand, except that it was the first hand of a five-person SNG, a guy pushed all-in ($1,500) into a $30 pot and I just figured he was full of crap. But even if he was, I still should have folded, because I would have only been in good shape against 33, 22 or 23. Even against something terrible like 95, I would only be a coinflip favorite. But someone once said that hold'em often boils down to making the wrong move at the right time.