My biggest winning pot at online poker - A straight worth $17,000

Playing at the high stakes tables at online poker rooms can be expensive but rewarding as well, since you stand to win or lose big pots. A few days ago I experienced my worst bad beat losing a huge pot. This time though I did win an enormous pot comparing to what I used to play for. The hand took place at $5,000 No Limit 6-max tables at Pokerstars.com and it was a 3-way pot. Although I didn’t actually have a hand, I managed to show a straight at showdown. Here’s how!

PokerStars, $25/50 NO Limit Texas Holdem Cash Games, 6 Players

Board:

I_WILL_MUCK (UTG): $5,075Halozination (CO): $5,000Domce (Button): $12,275.50TheRogueAce (SB): $18,689.50Gkastone (BB): $8,410FiSHeYe1984 (UTG+1): $7,538Dealt to: GkastonePre-flop:FiSHeYe1984 raises to $150, I_WILL_MUCK calls $150, Halozination calls $150, (2 folds), Gkastone calls $100,

Flop:($625) (4 Players)

Gkastone checks, FiSHeYe1984 bets $450, I_WILL_MUCK calls $450, (1 folds), Gkastone calls $450,

Turn: ($1,975) (3 Players)

Gkastone checks, FiSHeYe1984 bets $1,250, I_WILL_MUCK calls $1,250, Gkastone raises to $7,810 and is all-in, FiSHeYe1984 calls $5,688 and is all-in, (1 folds), Gkastone returns $872,

River: ($17,101) (2 Players)Results:Gkastone Showed

FiSHeYe1984 mucked ,
Gkastone wins $17,098

FiSHeYe1984 is a very well known and good poker player. I didn’t want to play many pots against him, especially since he had position against me. Holding a suited connector at small blind, I normally fold and occasionally raise preflop on the specific action that occurred at the time but this time I opted to just cold call. Being deep also helped me make my mind. I don’t recommend such a play and it’s something I must have done 5 times most in my poker career. As it turned out, it was one of those rare moments that the hand pays off. Sort of.

The flop gave me an open straight. I checked and depending on the action I would either call or check raise. FiSHeYe1984 bet out and I_WILL_MUCK made the call likely with a draw, a pocket pair or he just floated. However his call gave me odds to chase my straight draw so I called as well.

The turn gave me even more outs as I could now hit the flush and take the pot down. Yet, my flush might not be the best flush out there, but at times like that you can’t fold a flush if you do hit. UTG bet out again and I_WILL_MUCK called once again. I now put him on a draw since he was giving me the odds to chase too. I really didn’t worry for him at that point at my sole opponent was FiSHeYe1984. He could have either double barreled with overcards, or hit something hard, or had an overpair. I could call and shove in case I hit any of my draws. However check raising would show huge strength and might actually fold out a much better hand, like tens or even AJ. Anyway, I raised all-in and after much thinking FiSHeYe1984 called while I_WILL_MUCK folded as predicted.

My hand was indeed behind against FiSHeYe1984’s AJ that had turned top pair. However my pot equity was 29.5% and both of my draws were alive. Fortunately the river gave me the straight and I won my biggest pot in online poker.

Of course, online poker can remind that can be cruel from time to time and a couple of hands later the following hand took place. We can’t win them all, right?

Hand converter-Pokerhand.org

PokerStars, $25/50 NO Limit Texas Holdem Cash Games, 5 Players

Board:I_WILL_MUCK (UTG): $5,150Halozination (CO): $5,000TheRogueAce (Button): $18,714.50Gkastone (SB): $18,792FiSHeYe1984 (BB): $5,000Dealt to: GkastonePre-flop:(1 folds), Halozination raises to $150, TheRogueAce calls $150, Gkastone calls $125, (1 folds),

Flop:($500) (3 Players)

Gkastone checks, Halozination bets $388, (1 folds), Gkastone raises to $1,350, Halozination raises to $4,850 and is all-in, Gkastone calls $3,500,

Turn: ($10,200) (2 Players)

River: ($10,200) (2 Players)

Results:Gkastone ShowedHalozination Showed

Halozination wins $10,198