Worst Beat Ever...

There are very few times in poker when one plays that you end up flopping a full house. Last night, I did just that and somehow I managed to lose the hand. This is a tale of how slow playing a monster hand can lead to disaster.

It was early in the tournament and I had taken a fairly big chip lead in a 90 man sit and go. I was in first position (under the gun) with A-7 off. I limped in from my position, with the expectation to fold if someone raised. No one raised and we went to the flop (a total of five players playing). The flop came Ac-7d-7s (rainbow). Having flopped the full house, I decided to slow play the hand, hoping that someone hit the ace, or was playing a bad seven. The turn card showed a 5d, leaving the potential for a flush to appear. I checked again and the player in last position made a small bet of $50 into the pot...I flat called this, as the two others players made the call as well. The river card came 8d, which I loved (as I was hoping someone hit the flush). I made a small bet into the pot (1/3 of the pot) and was instantly raised by the fellow in last position. I re-raised him, which lead to another raise by my opponent (all in) which I instantly called with my full house. When the cards opened, I was shocked to see that my boat had been sunk by a straight flush (runner runner straight flush), as my opponent showed 4d and 6d (see image below).

I went through this hand over and over again in my head and there is NO way that I would play the hand any differently. It was unfortunate that the cards came up as they did, because rarely do you lose when you flop a boat. There are dangers to slow playing monster hands (this was one that I was not expecting).