A hand that changed your life?

[Graham C]

Here's a bad beat that changed everyone's life.

First APAT National event, I manage to win with v when it was three-handed to give me a massive chip-lead from which I went on to win the tournament.  Because of that tournament/win, Tikay and Des mentioned blonde poker, and that I should check out the forum - and so I joined up.  

Haven't left since.

A win for us all, wp

I mean

^^^^

Another monsterous bad beat...

[The Camel]

loool doooooby funday five hundred tho.



Is it just me thinking that surely back in the day 3betting the button vs ep with 99 was very loose and not necessarily optimal? Need stack sizes keeef :p

In those days I would be in the top 2% of most aggro tournament players around.

While it would b a loose rr for most (many would set mine in this spot), 99 would have been way better than most would have expected to m to be 3 betting with, and I thought I could induce a loose shove.

When he flatted, I remember quite clearly I put him on JJ, TT, 88 or 77 specifically. I thought the ace flopping was perfect.

[ ] I was right.

[Doobs]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  I won't bore you with mine, but mortgage free and not mortgage free is life changing in most people's books.  

I guess there was a significant hand that set me on the road to winning that first online multi, and that probably did change my life more, but buggered if I can remember it.  

[tikay]

The hand that changed my life?

Easy.

It was the first hand of poker I ever played, & I was instantly fascinated & addicted.

I immediately took the game up, stopped my Sports Betting, took early retirement from work, & travelled the world playing poker. I met thousands of people who are now acquaintances of friends, & I worked for William Hill, Sporting Bet, Poker Night Live, Sky Poker, wrote regular articles for CardPlayer, AP, Poker Europa, & Poker Player (USA), did thousands of hours of TV work, & helped found APAT & blonde.

It changed my life considerably, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse.

It was definitely a hand that changed my life.

PS - what was the hand? No idea, but I almost certainly folded pre. 

[AlunB]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

[The Camel]

I wasn't directly involved in this hand, but everyone in the room knew what was going on.
Nail biting stuff, geeg Jen.



Had freerolled in for 30fpps.

Oh my word!

EPT, Deauville, around 2006 I think, & Jen had got there via the Blue Square "Usual Suspects" thing.

This was on the cash bubble, the two hands were Q-Q & A-K, & the villain was Jon "Texas" Hewston.  Jen lost the hand, & with it a very sizeable chunk of money. Jon had a MONSTER stack but dusted it off very quickly.

Jen & I travelled home via Paris, & Eurostar, & we played Gin Rummy on the train the whole way (whilst John Kabbaj looked on in utter bemusement) for M & M's. I lost a packet.

I cannot explain Jen's jumper, nobody ever could, but it was responsible for her then nick, "Mrs Merton".

What an amazing Lady she is, as chance has it, she did last night's TV show next door with young Snoopy.

That Usual Suspects promotion was a great innovation.

And that is a fantastic photo.

[Doobs]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

[mondatoo]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

A lot more ppl have came "close" to winning that life changing amount than those lucky few who actually do wins, obv, so ye inevitable and thus a thread that can never be balanced.

[The Camel]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

I think the hand involving Jen at Deauville is a perfect example.

She is a really good player and with the chip lead ITM, she would have every chance of going all the way.

Don't now if she had any ambition to play professionally, but if she did, sh could have parlayed a 6 figure score into a totally different way of life.

[smashedagain]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

i live within 5 miles of 3 lottery jackpot winners ( 1 was a syndicate of 12 steelworkers ) and across the Trent from a Euro winner (0nly 2 miles as the crow flies)

[AlunB]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

I wasn't being entirely serious, and I'm now not sure if you are trying to engage in intellectual d*** measuring contest or you simply misunderstood me. I was just trying to make light of the issue as most of these posts seemed to miss the central point of the OP, at least as far as I understood it. There will always be a lot of losers and not many winners in poker. And people not winning something and having their lives remaining the same, while having some interest, is a lot less interesting than a twist of fate, an unexpected outdraw or a mistake leading to a total change of their fortunes. Well at least it is to me.

[The Camel]

Amazing how quickly this thread went south.

Nothing poker players love more than a thinly disguised bad beat story. Which reminds me of a time I was chip leader in a tournament...

Don't know what you expected?  It seems guaranteed to produce a stream of bad beat stories.  Indeed it started with one.  Given the nature of tournaments most people's significant hands result in their exit.

Or were you just referring to how bad you must run to only finish 3rd in the Sunday 500 when playing tourneys part time?  So sick.

Expected people to understand the concept that 'nothing changing' is not the same as 'life changing' maybe?

The example in the op recognises life can change through not winning.  

Sure, but do we need a thread of people who had five numbers on the lottery?

I assume this is just a straw man and that you do realise that there is an enormous gap between the chance of getting 5 numbers correct and the chance of getting 6 correct.  

I didn't start the bad beat thread, just think the direction was always inevitable.

I wasn't being entirely serious, and I'm now not sure if you are trying to engage in intellectual d*** measuring contest or you simply misunderstood me. I was just trying to make light of the issue as most of these posts seemed to miss the central point of the OP, at least as far as I understood it. There will always be a lot of losers and not many winners in poker. And people not winning something and having their lives remaining the same, while having some interest, is a lot less interesting than a twist of fate, an unexpected outdraw or a mistake leading to a total change of their fortunes. Well at least it is to me.

The thing about losing pots is it's rarely going to change your life.

I guess Phillip Hilm losing that pot to Jerry Yang at the WSOP FT might be an exception!

If John hadn't hit that ace, who knows how his life would be different.

I'll ask him next time I see him, if he had the EPT idea before or after this score. And if he have had enough funding to go through with it if he hadn't won the PM.

It's 100% certain if I hadn't hit running clubs I would not have met Katharine or ended up moving to Yorkshire and having Jake arrive.

Who knows what I'd be doing now if I had finished 9th in that tournament.

[tikay]

I wasn't directly involved in this hand, but everyone in the room knew what was going on.
Nail biting stuff, geeg Jen.



Had freerolled in for 30fpps.

Oh my word!

EPT, Deauville, around 2006 I think, & Jen had got there via the Blue Square "Usual Suspects" thing.

This was on the cash bubble, the two hands were Q-Q & A-K, & the villain was Jon "Texas" Hewston.  Jen lost the hand, & with it a very sizeable chunk of money. Jon had a MONSTER stack but dusted it off very quickly.

Jen & I travelled home via Paris, & Eurostar, & we played Gin Rummy on the train the whole way (whilst John Kabbaj looked on in utter bemusement) for M & M's. I lost a packet.

I cannot explain Jen's jumper, nobody ever could, but it was responsible for her then nick, "Mrs Merton".

What an amazing Lady she is, as chance has it, she did last night's TV show next door with young Snoopy.

That Usual Suspects promotion was a great innovation.

And that is a fantastic photo.

I don't recall all nine or ten of the "Unusual Suspects", but they included Jen, Flushy, J P Kelly, Burnley John, Mickey Wernick, Simon Nowab, & At-It Bradley.

The whole thing was run by Johnny Raab, & the heads up final was played in the lobby of the Grand Casino, Helsiinki, with two dealers, Raaby & I, & Jen won through, & bagged her EPT Seats, at both Deauville & Monte Carlo iirc.

The first round had been held in a private bar overlooking Trafalger Square, & the guy who lived above the bar was Sir Clive Sinclair, & he joined us for the evening. He plonked himself in an armchair with a glass of whisky, promptly nodded off, & never woke whilst we were there, which must have been 5 or 6 hours.

Agreed, a great promo.

[The Camel]

I wasn't directly involved in this hand, but everyone in the room knew what was going on.
Nail biting stuff, geeg Jen.



Had freerolled in for 30fpps.

Oh my word!

EPT, Deauville, around 2006 I think, & Jen had got there via the Blue Square "Usual Suspects" thing.

This was on the cash bubble, the two hands were Q-Q & A-K, & the villain was Jon "Texas" Hewston.  Jen lost the hand, & with it a very sizeable chunk of money. Jon had a MONSTER stack but dusted it off very quickly.

Jen & I travelled home via Paris, & Eurostar, & we played Gin Rummy on the train the whole way (whilst John Kabbaj looked on in utter bemusement) for M & M's. I lost a packet.

I cannot explain Jen's jumper, nobody ever could, but it was responsible for her then nick, "Mrs Merton".

What an amazing Lady she is, as chance has it, she did last night's TV show next door with young Snoopy.

That Usual Suspects promotion was a great innovation.

And that is a fantastic photo.

I don't recall all nine or ten of the "Unusual Suspects", but they included Jen, Flushy, J P Kelly, Burnley John, Mickey Wernick, Simon Nowab, & At-It Bradley.

The whole thing was run by Johnny Raab, & the heads up final was played in the lobby of the Grand Casino, Helsiinki, with two dealers, Raaby & I, & Jen won through, & bagged her EPT Seats, at both Deauville & Monte Carlo iirc.

Agreed, a great promo.

Joe Grech and Stuart Nash were involved too

[pokerfan]

I wasn't directly involved in this hand, but everyone in the room knew what was going on.
Nail biting stuff, geeg Jen.



Had freerolled in for 30fpps.

Oh my word!

EPT, Deauville, around 2006 I think, & Jen had got there via the Blue Square "Usual Suspects" thing.

This was on the cash bubble, the two hands were Q-Q & A-K, & the villain was Jon "Texas" Hewston.  Jen lost the hand, & with it a very sizeable chunk of money. Jon had a MONSTER stack but dusted it off very quickly.

Jen & I travelled home via Paris, & Eurostar, & we played Gin Rummy on the train the whole way (whilst John Kabbaj looked on in utter bemusement) for M & M's. I lost a packet.

I cannot explain Jen's jumper, nobody ever could, but it was responsible for her then nick, "Mrs Merton".

What an amazing Lady she is, as chance has it, she did last night's TV show next door with young Snoopy.

That Usual Suspects promotion was a great innovation.

And that is a fantastic photo.

I don't recall all nine or ten of the "Unusual Suspects", but they included Jen, Flushy, J P Kelly, Burnley John, Mickey Wernick, Simon Nowab, & At-It Bradley.

The whole thing was run by Johnny Raab, & the heads up final was played in the lobby of the Grand Casino, Helsiinki, with two dealers, Raaby & I, & Jen won through, & bagged her EPT Seats, at both Deauville & Monte Carlo iirc.

Agreed, a great promo.

Joe Grech and Stuart Nash were involved too

I should probably add it wasn't exactly life changing but it ties in with the op obv and the whole experience was pretty amazing for me back then.

Was Martin Green with the suspects ?