Sometimes we as poker players can be dealt some absolute garbage starting cards, yet find ourselves in the middle of hand that we have no business being in. Or sometimes, with these cards we can find ourselves at the opposite end of an opponent who expects us to not be in a hand that we have no business being in. Of course, the latter scenario always works out so much sweeter.
There are many of us that will play hands like 4,2 suited every now and then and expect to get away with it, only most times by the end of the hand we only expect better of ourselves the next go around. Well not everything always goes expected when you're playing poker, or pretty much for any matter in life. The only times we actually ever even hit a decent flop after sneaking in with rag hands like 4,2 are the times we least expect it , let alone the times we actually win it outright.
But not many people/players know just how hard it is to milk such a move with 4,2 pre-flop like Phil Laak. After all, the last player you want to be suckering you in and stringing you along is Phil "The Unabomber" Laak. He's usually well known for firing multi-street barrel bluffs with less than sub-par hands and has a knack for mixing it up with confusing antics/decision making which often leave many of his opponents flustered and stunned.
Like Scott, many of us have been devastated when being dealt Aces pre-flop only to get cracked by lesser hands like Kings, Queens, upper suited connector cards and lower mid-range pairs once the board is laid out... But at least we can anticipate these combinations possibly hitting against us - Right? At least we can see those hands coming - Right?
When you get a board like 10♣A♦5♥ 3♣ K♠ while holding A♠A♣ you usually never brace for your opponent to turn over a 4♦2♦ or any type of JQ after he flat calls your large raise pre-flop. Compare it to going to a knife fight and the guy standing across from you whips out a laser sword. It's just not fair sometimes. It just ain't fair.
"What the f*** is going on" is something that we can all imagine thinking at this point Scott. You are not alone and you were definitely not Phil Laaks first victim.
Nonetheless, all this shows us is that all we can do is be prepared for the worse in any hand in poker, however, it remains painfully clear that Scott Seiver was not prepared for this one.
... Thanks for reading.
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