LAS VEGAS–Three weeks or so ago, I found myself going bust in a $2/$5 NL game at the WSOP, and it all hinged on a single hand. I had called a small raise with 8-9s and the flop came 9-9-10. As the hand progressed, I began duking it out with the big stack at the table … and ultimately, even after putting more than $250 in the pot, I woulda/coulda/shoulda been able to get away — thereby saving $320 in my stack. (And leaving me $20 up for the session.) I did not do that, however, and sure enough … he had flopped a boat with 9-10s. Of course he did.

A “very good” player knows how to flop trips and get away from them.

About three hours ago, something similar but different happened while playing $1/$2 at the MGM. The MGM is packed with Party players still, so the low-stakes tables are juicy to say the least. I had to wait about a half-hour for my seat, but that was fine … I passed the time playing blackjack, and cashed out of that +$205. So basically I was freerolling.

That mentality had me very up and down — mostly down — for the first several orbits. I wasn’t playing bad-bad. I just would build my stacks up playing a combination of straight forward and “clever” … and then wouldn’t trust my instincts and would get myself in trouble. I blew $125, for example, when making a bad call on the flop, catching a higher pair on the turn, and then not folding when it became CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR the other dude had flopped a set.

My stacks got as low as $30 … but I rebounded nicely (just as I knew I would) by catching a couple rivers. Before you knew it, I had plenty of chips and was (seriously) playing good poker. There was another solid player at our table — very much of my ilk — who had $700 in front of him … until I called an all-in on his bluff and doubled up. From that point, I have never seen someone go on such serious tilt. I mean the dude still had $500 in front him, but that didn’t stop him from playing every pot. I began chatting with the solid player to my left about how unbelievable it was. This was the same guy joking a half-hour earlier with his (sexy) girlfriend about how he was going to punish the table, and then punish her. It was all good fun. Now it was just a matter of time before he lost every last chip, and I was fortunate to take the last of them by rivering a boat.

So in a matter of a couple orbits, I had turned my $30 into more than $500. Sweet. The good player to my left had about $600. And then came the hand where I had pocket Aces … and he had 10s. I raised to $10, he re-raised to $25, and I then made it $60 to go. “Oh really?” he said. “You got a real hand this time,huh?”

“Better than the 5-7,” I respond. (Inside table humor.)

We both smile … “Ok, be careful, I’ve got a big pocket pair,” he says … as he calls.

The flop: Qc-Tc-7h.

I fire out $75 … he says let’s make it $150, at which point I ask him, “did you flop a set?” He totally freezes. Oh man, he totally has pocket Queens, I think … and think …

“Call and find out,” he says nervously … which gives me even more confirmation that something’s screaming “monster!” before I decide to, in fact, call.

The turn is a blank — and eliminates the possibility of my hitting any sorta nut-flush draw. I check and he pushes all-in. “Damnit, I say. You totally flopped a set.” I knew it. I had been victim to it (from a different player) earlier in the night … but for less money … didn’t trust my instincts and fold … Again, this time, 70-30 sure I am behind … but wait a minute … maybe he doesn’t have Queens, I think. Yeah, he’s scared … he’s got Kings. Yes, Kings, that would be best … Yeah, he doesn’t have Queens, at least I hope not … “OK, I call.”

Forget the fact that I still woulda been up had I passed. If I was wrong about what I thought to be true … I’d be back in the black for the whole trip! Ahh, right … 10s. Of course, why else would he have said “I ‘ve got a big pocket pair” with anything but 10s … or maybe Jacks (which he woulda played way differently after the flop)?

But that’s the thing …

Very good players know how to fold pocket Aces (or any overpair, for that matter) and still win.

Buy-in: $200
Cash out: $0
Same-session blackjack: +$205
Net: +$5

Overall record in 4-figure poker pots: 2/7