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The poker diaries 4 I haven't written anything regarding poker for a while since, well, I kept losing all the time. Its no fun to write about a game that you're horrible at. That's also the reason I won't be writing anything about parachute jumping, bike riding, balloon tricks, website design or the fine intricacies of a game of Unreal tournament. Damn, I suck at a lot of things. Anyhow, there are two things that have come to attention in my poker universe. First, alcohol can make all the difference in the world. Second, 3 and 7 is a magical hand. The first issue is pretty straightforward even though I never fully dared to exploit it before. Alcohol can make you a better player! It makes you take stupid risks, go along with stupid hands and makes it easier to bluff as you're sitting there with a dumb grin anyway so no one sees the difference! By that reckoning I suppose drugs could make you a better player too but I don't think that drooling on your cards would fool anyone. Having said that, on to the next issue. 3 and 7. On first glance it doesn't look like much. In fact, its worse then not much. Its crap. Every sane player would throw it away as soon as it would cost him anything. And rightly so. However, that would be a mistake as the 3 and 7 is in fact
I exaggerate not! In two gaming nights I have seen this hand take front stage no less then 5 times and each time it created wondrous situations and left nothing but baffled players. First, it surprised anyone by coming out as a winner against 2 aces, pre flop! The seemingly foolish person who went along in an all-in hand against 2 aces holding the 3/7 promptly got two pair out of it, mercilessly beating the ace holder who, in sheer disbelief kicked a dog through the room (well, he tried anyway). Then, in a second bout of unbelievable luck the 3/7 held up against a king/queen and the trustful (and now rich) player was rewarded with another 3/7 on the table, taking the pot and the evening. Holy crap. Who the hell goes against 2 aces with 3/7?? Or against king/queen?? Who? God is toying with me! You may have noticed by my slight frustrated tone that I was on the receiving end of the 3/7 punishment. In that perspective it was perhaps little wonder that I went completely on tilt when I got a 3/7 the next evening. Not expecting much of it I still went along with a small raise and was rewarded with 2 pair! Totally swayed to the 3/7 myth my next move was to go all in a few rounds down, holding yet another 3/7 and beating a player who was holding ace/king. I took the pot and eventually, the evening. So, I'm convinced that every time we see
strange things will happen. People will be left dwindling in disbelief. Money will change hands. The earth itself will tremble! Anyway, I will keep my eye on it. Alcohol and the magical hand will see me through in the end. The magical 3/7 rules!
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