Poker News

Oklahoma Johnny Hale

Last time I was telling you about a poker game at the old Golden Nugget and small pairs. Now back to the poker game a few years ago at the old Golden Nugget.

This was a pot limit hold’em poker game with $5 and $10 blinds. The rules of this pot limit game were that you could bring it in for $20 then the next player to act could call your $20 and/or raise a minimum of $20 or a max of the size of the pot. With this method of betting you can see that the pots would get rather large quickly.

I got into this pot limit hold’em poker hand with Mr. Bill Boyd, who was a member in good standing in “The Seniors” WCOP Poker Players Hall of Fame, the worlds best five card stud player and the legendary card room manager of the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

Another poker player raised the pot–I looked down at my hand and saw (AhKh). I liked the hand so I raised the size of the pot. Bill and the other player called. This created a pot of over $400. The flop came off [As Ks 3h]. I fell in love with my hand and bet the pot $400 and the other player dropped out, but Bill Boyd called my bet of $400.

The turn card was the 9h. I now have top two pair A’s & K’s with the nut heart flush draw–I like the hand so again I bet the pot $1,200. Again Bill called. The pot now holds almost $4,000, The river card comes off a 7d. I still like my hand and Ibet $1500. I do not want to bet too much for fear that Bill will not call–I wanted him to call.

Well, Bill did not just call as I was wanting him to do! He called the $1500 and raised the pot $6,000. I do not have but $5,000 left to call Bill’s $6,000 bet with and I am wishing that I had more money to put in the pot. All I can do is call Bill’s raise of $6,000 with what I have left.

What did Bill have? Well folks, Bill busted me with two little 3’s to go with the 3 on board which gave him a set of 3’s and Bill won the pot and all the money.

I learned that day to love small pairs and I have loved them ever since that poker game and over the years of play, I look back on the training I got from playing poker with Bill Boyd and the way he played those two baby threes. I remember it as a good investment in the future of my poker playing life. Just last week my daughter Sheri called me from Tulsa, Oklahoma to tell me about my grandsons David & Travis. Their wives had each had a baby in late December about Christmas time. Grandson David’s wife had a beautiful baby girl and grandson Travis’s wife had had a big baby boy. They are not twins of course–they are just about a week apart. Now folks you will understand why I love to hold small baby pairs.

It is easy to see that many times when I am playing poker that I will play with small pairs. Grandsons Travis’ and Davis’ babies are a small pair that I love to hold. They are my first two great grandchildren!

Until next time, remember to STAY LUCKY!!!

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