Monte Carlo Hand

[Howard Burroughs]

The Monte Carlo in Las Vegas. This was a hand I played a couple of months ago. I think I made a lot of mistakes in the hand.

btw, Though I love the game of stud, I play mostly hold'em.



While waiting for a hold'em seat, I decide to play some shorthanded $1-5 seven card stud.


I enter the game with two racks ($200). The gentleman on my right in the 2 seat has substantially more (chips) in front of him. Everyone else has a rack or less.

The 2 seat suffers back to back brutal beats and appears to be steaming (he still has several hundred dollars in chips in front of him though).


I'm settled into my seat. I've tossed the first few hands dealt to me away on third street and now the following happens........


Black deuce brings it in for $1, Ten of hearts folds. Black nine folds, seat two (with the 5 of hearts showing) makes it $6. I'm next & have (AdQd) Kd. I make it $11, we lose the deuce and Seat Two makes it $16. I call.

Seat Two (xx)5h6h

Wannabe stud player (Me) (AdQd)KdJd

I bet ($5), R, RR, 4-bet, 5-bet, "Seat Two" 6-bets and I come to my senses (a little late) and call.

Seat Two (xx)5h6hTd

Me (AdQd)KdJd8d

Okay, I got lucky.


Although I originally had put him on a third street steam raise with any three cards, due to his relentless pressure I now think he is either on.....

a) An ace high flush draw.

b) A big pair in the hole & gonna ride it to the max (ala steaming).

c) Can't 100% rule out him being rolled up.


BUT, my gut tells me he is on an open ended straight flush draw.

I bet ($5), he raises.

I did not expect that!

Obviously I have the goods here on 5th. I'll raise til the cows come home if he wants to, but WTF is he drawing to?

We can now rule out the buried big pocket pair possibility (I know, like duh!).

More like.....

a) Straight flush draw

b) rolled up (or (66)-(TT)

c) or maybe he started weak (like I originally suspected) and has since made two pair (and is feeling that river magic coming his way).


I 3-bet, he calls.



Seat Two (xx)5h6hTdAc

Me (AdQd)KdJd8dQc

He bets, I raise, he calls.

He checks the river in the dark. I check in the dark behind him (Boo!, hiss).

I table my ace high flush. He stares at his down cards for a long time trying to somehow make a flush-buster out of them. Then shakes his head in disgust and tosses his cards into the muck.


I'm soon called to my hold'em table and I hear the song of "them damn hold'em players" being sung (actually mumbled) from a chorus of stud players.

I love the game of stud but I know my game needs a lot of work!

I think I way overplayed the (stud) hand and just got lucky in a big pot.

What do you think? Did I butcher every street?