It's the hand every poker blogger dreams about. It comes when the poker gods look down upon you and reward you for your committment to the HAMMER.
I had just moved from the deadly $2-$6 game to this fresh $4/$8 1/2 Kill game. I was joined by the rest of the G-Vegas crew (Otis, G-Rob, and Bad Blood) and ScurvyDog. The tables was filled out by a few grizzled locals, including an older woman who wouldn't be there too much longer.
The cards are dealt and I look down at the most powerful hand in poker, 72o. I'm UTG and correctly raise. There are, I believe, two or three callers, but none of my fellow bloggers. I was disappointed that no one raised.
The flop comes down 7-7-x. Um... jackpot!!!
I calmly look down at my chips and stack four $1 chips, tossing them into the pot. It actually felt good to not have to bluff with the hand. This time, I get just one caller, the old woman with the impossible-to-believe blonde hair. I begin to pity her, she has no idea what she's up against.
Then it happens.
The dealer peels the next card off the deck and rolls it over. The felt looks like a slot machine, and I'm the one pulling the handle. 7-7-7-x.
Quads. I believe it's just the second time I've ever had quads in a B&M casino. So what do I do? I think you'll all be proud.
I value check my nuts.
To my delight, the "blonde" bets. This is where I wonder if I made a misplay. I simply value call my nuts. I figured I could get more on the river with a smooth call. I think I should have raised.
The river is inconsequential. And I lead out this time. Should I have check-raised here, too? I was really hoping the "blonde" had a legitimate hand and would raise me. How could you possibly put me on a 7? Instead, she simply calls.
Before I even get a chance to show my cards, the "blonde" proudly displays her pocket K's. I would have been proud, too. In fact, if I had been her, I'd have lost a lot more money. She loses to just two hands: AA and 7x. I suppose you could put me on AA with my UTG raise, but that would make you a genius. How could you not raise me on the river, dammit!?!?
So I calmly flip my HAMMER and lay it down right beside the three 7's on the board. Suddenly, half the table erupts. My fellow bloggers are out of there seats with exclamations of "Hammer!!!!" and "Oh my God!!" I raise my arms in victory.
More bloggers are drawn to the table as the word of "Hammer quads" spreads from table to table. Unfortunately, no one has a chance to snap a picture because the dealer begins re-shuffling the deck. I hardly notice the "blonde" has begun racking her chips.
I stack my chips, allowing the glory to wash over me. Then I remember 4 of a kind means a spin of the wheel at the Excalibur. As I walk that way, I pass three tables of bloggers who had already heard the tale.
When I get to the wheel, I begin to tell the dealer behind the desk about the unlikely hand. As I begin to say, "And I can't believe she had pocket K's..." I notice she's standing right beside me, angrily checking out. I imagine she left the casino altogether.
But I suppose that's what happens when you doubt the power of the HAMMER.
I spun for another $100 and had nearly made back every dollar I lost at the $2-$6 game. Shortly after I got back to the my seat, we were joined by Hank. G-Rob was the first to realize he was overmatched so he went in search of a softer table.
A few hands of bleeding my chips away and I realized playing with Hank, Otis and BadBlood is significantly -EV. I would not advise it.
It was getting late anyway, and I had a tournament to host the next day. I gathered my chips and headed to bed. I figured no matter what I did the rest of the weekend, nothing would surpass the HAMMER quads.
When You Next Join Us...
"G-Vegas vs. The LA Crew"