Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

Was playing 5-10 limit at Empress in Joliet, IL tonight when I was dealt AQ in late position. UTG+1 (villain) raises to 10. I call, as do 5 others.

Flop comes A-10-8 rainbow. Villain bets out. I just call, worried somewhat about AK. 2 others call.

Turn is a 9. Villain bets out again. I call again. The other 2 fold, and it's heads up for the river, which is a J. There were no flush possibilities.

Obviously (or so one would think), I had made a gutshot straight, and assuming that villain didn't have KQ (possible but unlikely given his betting), I had the nuts. But I was so focused on my aces that I didn't even notice. I can't give a better explanation than that.

Villain bets out again, I call. As the first to bet, of course, he shows first. I am preparing to flip my cards over when he announces "2 pair" and turns over AJ. AJ??? I think to myself. Then I angrily flick my cards into the muck, thinking I got rivered when I had the best hand all along.

As the pot is being pushed over to villain, a guy to my left asks me, "AK, huh?" "No, AQ," I say. His eyes grew wide. "Dude, you just threw away a straight." I thought he meant an ace-high straight. "No, there wasn't a king out there," I said, and then the cards came back to me: 8, 9, 10, J. . . .

I had thrown away a $120 pot. And, considering that villain had made two pair on the river, had I raised with my straight, he certainly would have called and might have re-raised. This would have made for at least a $140 pot, maybe more.

The lost pot stung, as did the embarrassment, since I've been playing long enough to not make such a stupid mistake in a live game. But the lesson I grudgingly took from this was, don't muck your cards at a showdown, until you know you are beat! Had I tossed my hand face-up onto the table, the cards would have spoken, and I would have only had to deal with the embarrassment, not the lost money.

I'm not saying one should always show; obviously, a failed bluff attempt on the river is not something you would necessarily want to advertise. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, even an experienced player will miss things. Allowing the cards to declare the best hand compensates for such a lapse.

This isn't intended as a bad beat story, just something to consider before you toss your hand away after showdown.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

Don't be an idiot.

Got it. Thanks for the lesson.

Just Joking [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

It's happened to everyone. Just make sure it doesn't happen again.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

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Don't be an idiot.

Got it. Thanks for the lesson.



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P.S. Failing to raise the flop was bad.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

i really dont' want to be the bad guy here but you can't read the board and you play 5/10? Is there drinking involved here? lol

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

My first time in a B&M, after the river card I bet, but I thought everybody had folded, I was to the right of the dealer and the guy on the other side of the dealer apparently called, but I thought everyone folded, so I threw my cards toward the muck and the guy turned over a hand that I had beat.

I said, "Oh He had me beat anyway, I was bluffing" to try to save face.. Shoulda been my pot if I was paying attention better.

It happens to everybody.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

First B&M trip, to Vegas: I mucked when my AJ "lost" to villain's AQ, but had I shown my cards or looked at the board more closely, I would have been happy to chop the pot with a board of A55xK (K on river). Pot lost, lesson learned.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

When I won my very first B&M pot, I didn't even know I had won. I had cut my teeth playing $0.25/$0.50 and $0.50/$1 on Planet Poker (anyone remember that one?). My wife and I were visiting Vegas for the first time, and she convinced me to try $3/$6 at the Mirage.

Anyway, I folded for a while; finally I got Presto and limped in. The board was ragged, and it was heads-up, so I check-called with it thinking I was up against overcards. At the end, the other guy checks behind and flips over one pair with J-9 sooted, and I disgustedly show my fives. Only when the dealer pushes the pot to me do I realize that I had a 6-high straight.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

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Don't be an idiot.

Got it. Thanks for the lesson.



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P.S. Failing to raise the flop was bad.

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Yes, it absolutely was.

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i really dont' want to be the bad guy here but you can't read the board and you play 5/10? Is there drinking involved here? lol

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I've played at that casino 2-3 times a week at that level for almost a year. Like I said, I can't explain how I missed the straight. I NEVER miss something like that. And no, alcohol wasn't involved (lol). I wouldn't have posted this if I thought the mistake was simply the consequence of a few too many Coronas.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

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i really dont' want to be the bad guy here but you can't read the board and you play 5/10? Is there drinking involved here? lol

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You've NEVER misread a board? I've been playing for a long time, and I lost a big tournament pot because I misread a board giving me a higher queens up hand five or six months ago. It's just a mistake. Everybody a) makes them, and b) should learn from them.

Re: Tough lesson learned re: mucking after showdown in a B&M game
 

I was playing 1/2NL at Foxwoods the other day. On the button with 6h 7h. Flop is 10s, 5h, 3d. Checked to me and I check, I began thinking what cards give me a draw, any heart, any 8, 9,.....

The next card is a 4c and before I know it 2 people are all in for +130 and I prepare to fold my rags! One of the all in guys sees me and says "hey it's not your turn" Now I hadn't mucked out of turn, I was just showing all signs that is what was about to happen.

His comment though made me look at the hand again. That is when I realized I held the nut straight. Thanks to him I called and it held up against slowplayed AA preflop and 55 on the flop.