What's your favorite poker moment?

If you think about it, there are a lot of great things that can happen during a poker session. Last night I was playing NLHE on Full Tilt (at the lowest limits available of course) when I picked up pocket aces UTG+1. The UTG limped and I pumped it to 8X. The guy on the button raised to 23X. I thought to myself: This is one of the best moments in all of poker, when you have the mortal nuts and someone is reraising you. So I put him all-in, he called with JJ and (for once) my hand held up. (Then came one of the moments I hate: The regret for not playing higher limits. HAHA).

Anyway, that got me to thinking: There are moments that we play for, and that certainly was one of them. Last month I posted about one of my other favorite moments: You have a middle pair, you raise and get a caller or two. The flop comes with an overcard, you bet out and they call. THEN you turn your set!! Now that is sweet!!!

Do you have a favorite moment in poker? And you don't have to say "When my iTunes feed says there's a new episode of Ante Up! available for download." because you don't have to state the obvious. 8-)

-- Chris

Comments

[Rob from NJ (GapBand85)]

all of those are good... I'd say in general anytime someone bets pot on the river (woo pot limit) when you are holding gin. Altho my long time rally cry has been the middle set of 8s. (on the A82 board) because 108% of the time, the AK is it in for the duration.

[djm182]

When a bettor/raiser makes a smallish bet and literally gives you the green light to call...and then you hit your draw.

Case in point. Heads up at my home game last weekend, I'm in the SB with 5c4c. I call the big blind. The BB makes a limit-sized raise, making the pot 3BBs in total, and giving me the odds to call w/ low suited connectors.

Flop: A 2 3 rainbow. He moves instantly all-in w/ A 10 and I call in a nano-second and take the tourney down.

[Actinolite]

When you have a made 7 in Razz and on 5th street your oponent is jamming with something like K Q T showing trying to push you off your "bluff".

Or making a wheel in a multiway pot and you hide it by calling along as your two opponents raise and re-raise each other.

In fact any time you have the stone cold nuts in a multiway pot and your opponents act as if you're not there.

My best Omaha Hi/Lo hand was in a pot limit game. 3 handed on the turn and the board read Ac 3c 5c with a K. In my hand is the 2c and 4c. Guy to my right bets half pot, I call. Guy to my left executes a squeeze and raises pot. Back to the initial bettor he re-raises pot!!! I called again to disguise my hand and repeated this on the river, except I raised. And they both called! Woo Hoo!! And approx $15 was mine!

[Chris Cosenza]

I had the ol' small bet from UTG gives me pot odds to call happen to me the other night. A few Ante Uppers were watching as I turned the mortal nuts with my QT and the guy had AK drawing dead when he pushed on the turn. Gotta love pot odds.

[gadzooks64]

We Vegaaspaloozers were playing 3/6 limit at Ceasar's when I got a free flop flop from the BB.

Check the flop.

The turn gave me an OESD so I bet and got called in one place.

The river was a blank so I check and the only other guy in the hand MUCKS THE POT TO ME.

That was the most baffling, yet incredibly pleasant, moment of poker I've ever had in my life.

[OhCaptain]

My favorite moments are the beauty of a big blind special. Those moments when the other players let you see a flop really cheap or even free and you spike a monster. All the while, they are slow playing aces. Hehehe!

[PokerKnight]

I have two moments. One is just like Actinolite, where you have the nuts or close enough (showing) in Razz and you have some bonehead that 'wants to keep you honest'. The second is anytime I get to see Humberto Brenes get knocked out of a tournament. I hope I never have to witness his antics at any live tables. I wonder, do you think he uses is mornonic shark laser on his computer screen (if he plays online)?

[Yzerman]

Anytime you flop gin. Like having 2 suited cards and the flop come with 3 more, what's better than that? Oh, yeah. Getting paid off when flopping gin.

yzerman

[Chris Cosenza]

I was dreading last night with Kahn and Umberto at the same table, but it was relatively calm. Thank God!

[Michael Paul]

going into the flop 5 handed with you covering 4 all ins and you hold KK and they hold up!

flopping the nut flush in position with an all an and a re-raise ahead of you.

calling with middle pair because you don't really think your opponent has the over or a higher pair and having it hold up.

hearing somebody justify their call "because I had a flush draw"

oh yeah, WINNING!

Michael

getting it all in, the cards go face up and you are waaaayyyy ahead. I love seeing anyone else's draw not get there.

[NewScott]

Mine hasn't happened yet. If I ever have a hand hold up against Gambit, that will be my greatest moment ever.

A close second is sucking out vs Chris.

[Turley11]

Playing at Foxwoods and having 7's in middle position in a 2/5NL game... There was a raise before me and after I called there were 4 of us to see a flop of 77A... First to act made it $150, next pushed all in for $400+ and I had to pause, hoping the guy to my left who was still to act would call. I just called and the 3 of us watched the board brick out and quads took down a monster.

[The Grammar-Nazi]

I have to say my favorite all-time poker moment came in the fall of 2004. I was playing in my regular moderate-stakes no-limit hold 'em home game ($100 buy-in). Seven of us are at the table. I was dealt AD10D. The flop was 10D, JD and KH. I nearly wet my pants because I thought for a moment I had flopped the royal. Anyway. The turn was KC. I was out of position, but I decided to be aggressive. The button was raising whatever came to him, the big blind was check-raising, the small blind was calling whatever came his way, another guy was also calling everything and I was raising on top of all of them. Then, the river -- that's right, KD.

All five of us go all in -- now, you should know at this point this was the first hand of the night -- we all go in with our $100 buy-in, and I know four of my table-mates are about to be wiped out, and I'm going to win $400 on the first hand of the night. The button turns over a King to show quads. The big blind, upon seeing this, frustratedly turns over pocket queens. The small blind had pocket jacks, and the other guy had an 8-9 of diamonds. I smiled at all of them, turned over my royal, and raked home the biggest single pot -- to date -- of our home game.

[Michael Paul]

^^^ I presume you held QD and not 10D?

[GCO13]

Some good ones already listed. I would add:

- Getting short stacked in tourney and pushing all in only to get called by 3 or 4 players and then miraculously hitting a set or better on the flop to triple or quadruple up. Just when you think you're out you get pulled right back in.

- Setting up an aggressive player acting behind you by limping with a monster and then coming over the top of his inevitable 5X raise. Gotta luv that. Gotta luv doing it a second time with ATC and inducing a lay down because of your previous action.

[bodie25]

I'm guessing the Qd was on the flop other wise the guy with the QQ is a big time donkey...

[Clever Moniker]

My take on this question is a bit different. No offense to anyone, but getting dealt AA & jamming the pot or hitting quads is a no-brainer.

I get much more satisfaction out of calling a big bet on the river w/ 2nd or 3rd pair after putting my opponent on a bluff or something worse. Sure, the payout generally isn't as big as the others mentioned above, but in my scenario, I outsmarted the guy.

[Paboo]

Easy... #2 best poker moment was winning my seat into the WSOP 2006 ME on Bodog.. for only $67.

1st best poker moment was winning my 2nd seat into the WSOP 2006 ME on Bodog 30 minutes later for only $125! Was playing 2 or 3 of these tournaments as at same time b/c they had unbelievable 60% overlays (I can never turn down a good overlay, so impossible for me to turn down these awesome overlays).

Was 81 players in one of the tournaments and 42 in the other. Got down to final table in both... concurrently. Then got down to top3 in both... concurrently. Then I took down the first table to lockup a seat. Then I bulldozed the 2nd table for the 2nd seat. w00t!

#1 worst poker moment happened after my wife asked me what happened to 2nd seat. I told her I didn't know and said it's either cash, another event, etc. Then I looked at Bodog's WSOP FAQ on there website and was stunned when it said "If you have already won a seat to a specific event WSOP event, please do not compete for another seat to the same event as the prize package will be forfeit. " DOH!

#2 best moment > #1 worst moment... I must of said "I'm going to the World Series of Poker!" 100 times that night and 20 times every day up until the event.

Paboo

[Joe - aka: Unimpressed]

I like the feeling of a well time bluffed, but the best feeling (over all) is the perfect set up and trap.

[st]

"I'm guessing the Qd was on the flop other wise the guy with the QQ is a big time donkey..."

Not really; he has anyone holding a 10 or a J completely crushed, and his hand is well disguised, so he's very likely to get an all in from someone holding either of those cards. Sure he loses to pocket aces or the king, but I go all in with my QQ there, with the board reading 10,J,K,K,K. Besides, if the queen was on the flop, who cares? He may as well only have one queen in his hand because the 3 kings on the board will play.

Or maybe I'm a donkey, too...What am I missing?

[st]

As for best moments, I'm with clever moniker, I like the closer calls. My best poker moment was down to heads up in my home tournament; I'm a very slight chip leader, and we have been heads up for about 20 minutes after a three hour or so tournament. I don't remember the action, exactly, but I started with J8, paired the eight on the flop, and eventually it came down to whether or not to call his all in with my pair of eights, three overcards on the board, and no cards left to come. I thought about it for a while, and I realized I just didn't believe him. So I took a deep breath, said "I just don't believe you. I call." I flipped over my winning eights and took it down. My best poker moment ever, by far. A couple of weeks later, I took down the same tournament by (I freely admit) getting clobbered over the head with the deck, Jamie Gold-style. It was fun, but not quite as memorable. I mean if you can't win heads-up when you get dealt QQ, KK, and KK three hands in a row, give it up.

[Turley11]

Having more time to think about it I came up with another, by far my fav moment...

Playing in the WPT at Foxwoods in Nov 2004. Playing with Scotty Nguyen all day, chatting it up with him and then pushing him all in for over 200k on a complete bluff.

Blinds were 3/6k and he was in the SB with sooted connectors, he made it 15k to go. I called in the SB and put him on AK. Flop came T9x and he fired out 20k. I called again and the turn was a Q. He fired out another 20k and without hesitation I said all in. I had him covered. It took him 8 min, a lot of him talking to me, hearing all the people on the rail (you could hear things like "he has a set of Qs/He slow played a monster") and he finally laid it down.

He wasn't too happy with me when I told him what I had. I didn't show my hand and show him up, but he still said under his breath, "how could you do that to me, I talked to your wife" (during a break I called my wife on my cell and told her I was sitting next to Scotty, she was like "yeah right!" I said no really and he said "Give me that phone!" He took the phone and said "Hey Baby!"). After the hand he disappeared for about 15/20 min.

At that point we were down to about 35 and we were playing down to 27. He ended up coming back and making a mad rush to finish the night with over 400k. In the end I took 11th in the tourney and just under 100k.

[Matt]

My favorite moments are flopping a set against an over pair and getting paid off, also pulling off a stone cold bluff.

My favorite individual moment was hitting quads on the river(pocket 10's) against two fullhouses and a straight in my friend's weekly home game. I took down a huge pot(considering the stakes-.10/.20 blinds, $10 buy-in)) of over $65.

[The Nit]

My best poker moment was semi-sucking out with a2 vs a4s headsup to take down Full Tilt's $50k guaranteed nightly multi about a month ago for $9700 and change. That cash quadrupled my highest to date. Also, to be able to tell people you made almost 5 figures in one night is really cool.

The kicker is that I only play a couple multis in a given month and $50+5 is generally the biggest buyin I'll pay for a multi. Moral of the story, if you're going to win one, win a big one.

[Erik H]

Flopping a royal flush and getting paid off was the best.

[Chris Cosenza]

Wow, these are cool moments, and VERY specific. I guess if I had to be specific I'd say busting two people at the WSOP with AA, winning the first B&M tournament I ever played in and the day I got the green light to start Ante Up!

[Alan Stewart]

Knocking off Denny Crum heads-up to win a WSOP media tournament last year is without a doubt my top poker moment.

I have the WSOP shadowbox trophy I won that day hanging above me here in the newsroom.

Not only does the trophy serve as a reminder of that awesome moment, but reminds me of my grandmother, who got as much of a kick as I did after I'd won. She suffered a stroke a couple of days later and died from complications of the stroke the following week.

[FrodoNL]

I must go for one of my royals.

Second hand in a $10 mtt. I have KdQd in the BB, 6 limpers.

Flop comes TdAdJd, both the SB and I check, UTG bets the pot and three of us call.

Turn is another A. SB goes all-in, I call, so does UTG, other player folds.

SB shows AJ, UTG shows AT. Both were cussing on their way out. :)

[aka_BigAl]

I think schooling the loudmouths (LM) and self-proclaimed experts is the best.

A while back we had 3 very young players join a 5-5 NLHE game over the course of an hour. They played hyper agressive until they were alone in the pot and then checked it down, all the while giving unwanted lessons to the table (and dealers). This collusion caused players to leave until we were six-handed and breaking after that hand.

I limped from the button with 9-10o and was priced in by the BB (LM1) raise and 3 callers. Flop 7-j-k rainbow for the double belly buster. LM1 bets out $100, LM2 calls and I call. Turn is a lovely little 8. LM1 bets $200, LM2 calls, I raise to $500. Barely thinking, LM1 goes all in. LM2 drops out and I call. He's drawing dead and I take a $2,200 pot.

Buy-ins, $700. Cash-out, $2,200. Smirk on the dealer's face, priceless.

[aka_BigAl]

Chris,
was that a flashing green light?

[Rant2112]

Like Turley11's first comment - getting paid off with quads is pretty sweet. It is so unexpected. There is almost nothing better than another player raising when you have quads.

My other favorite moment is when I make a read and successfully manipulate another player to do what I want. I remember one situation where a player was abusing me by reraising my raises and getting me to fold. He did it a couple of times and then the perfect situation came up. He raised in a spot where I thought he'd be raising light. I had something like AJ and just knew that if I reraised he would call very light thinking I was 'getting back at him' for what he'd been doing to me. Sure enough he called with something like JT and I had him dominated. Of course he sucked out on me but I was happy that I'd 1) Made a good read and 2) Gotten him to call a big bet with a mediocre hand. I felt so good that I didn't mind busting out one bit.

[Erik H]

Rant2112: I ALWAYS mind busting out.

[Chris Cosenza]

Oh, another one: When you are playing hand for hand and someone finally busts out and play resumes and the chill you get when either (a) the tournament director says "You're all in the money or (b) when the chat box says WELCOME TO THE PAYOUT STRUCTURE. Of course this last one was from my PokerRoom days.

[ASmiles]

7 left in a SNG. I get Ks 3s in the small blind. Folded around to the button who limps. I call, BB min raises. Button calls, I call.

Flop comes As Js 9s. I think this might be a good time for the check-raise. BB goes all-in with the Cosenza. Button goes all-in with AQ suited. I almost triple up (I had them both covered) and proceed to run over the rest of the table.

[Longshottwelve]

When you've been sitting directly right of the maniac of the day and you hit the nuts on the flop. You bet, he makes a ridiculous sized raise against you, and you go all in. I know you're supposed to separate your emotions from poker, but trapping the maniac feels pretty good.

[Mitch]

One of my favorite moments is when down to heads-up in a tournament,, all the chips are in and my hand holds up to win. Its great to see all the chips slide to my table spot and then the infamous Full Tilt dialog box appears stating I've won 1st place and my account has been credited $n.00. Sweeeeeet!

Mitch

[The Razz Singer]

I like the moment in a MTT when the 11th or 10th player goes out so the last two tables merge to make the final table.

[Joe-Unimpressed]

Probably, in recent history, my "biggest" win. Taking down the Friday Night Donkament. $1+$1 Unlimited rebuys for $1 blogger event. But that was a few months back.

[Chris Cosenza]

Making the final table of the Limit Hold Em AIPS event, and watching my co-host go out before me at the aforementioned table!

[djm182]

It's gonna be a long day for one Scott Long at the St. Pete Times today. A llloooonnngggg day.

[Bulldogmafia]

My favorite moment??? Easy, when it takes a good while to stack all your chips from a monster pot I just took down. That is the best moment in poker.

[simon (uk)]

winning a trophy for a poker accomplishment feels good. I got two trophies now (for winning two different poker leagues) and only been playing a relatively short time, (only since begining of this year).