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.