Mathematical catastrophe!

[Duke]

So I'm sweating my buddy while he's playing Larry's game at the Hustler. $300 ante, $500 bring in, $1500-$3000. $25k buy in, $15k rebuys after that.

I won't mention names, but I'm sure you can all figure out that there aren't that many people who could play that game.

I'm not watching from the start, but A(XX) completes the bet, and K(XX) raises. A(XX) calls.

4th street, now the boards are A5(XX) and KJ(XX). Suits unimportant. A5(XX) checks, KJ(XX) bets. call.

5th street. Boards now A57(XX) and KJ9(XX). check-bet-call.

6th street. Boards now A579(XX) and KJT9(XX). bet-raise-call.

Now the A checks, and the K bets all in for his last $700 in play. A says: if I catch an ace, I'll call. He caught a 5, and mucks his pair of 5's face up.

K looks, sees the cards mucked, and says: Hell, I only had pocket 4's, and shows.

There had to be an error on this hand, but since everything is so player-dependent (at that level), it's tough to critique. Now, I'd call the "hero" with as little as ace high, but that was clearly wrong in this instance.

But it -is- a mathematical catastrophe, nonetheless.

I also think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in poker.

~D