Every Player's Worst Nightmare

Admittedly we're playing a little "fast and loose" at the NBC Sports online poker room this week. Another commitment will keep us away from Sunday night's big game for $800, so our daily tournament approach is "$$ or bust."

Monday afternoon it worked -- as we joined four other players all in with a King in our hand and a King on the board. The K's held up, our stack jumped from a starting 1,000 to more than 5,000 justthatquick. Then came a game moments ago....

BLINDS: 15/30

IN THE POCKET: Ah-As

A nice start -- and we lead off the betting in this very first hand. So we bet 120, to see if any aggressive players want to push right away. (It happens often at NBC Sports games.) We scare everyone at the table away, except for one caller.

ON THE FLOP: Kd-7d-3 (club, we think)

We see no problem, and bet 120 more. Our opponent is not scared, and calls.

ON THE TURN: 6d

Undaunted, we press forward with a bet of 150. But again we're called. "Is he on a draw?" we wonder -- as in a flush draw?

ON THE RIVER: 9s.

This is where the "fast and loose" comes in. We dare to bet 150 more, committed from start to finish. But now our opponent pushes all-in! Uh-oh. Is this a desperation bluff? Does he have two pair to top our one?

We dare to call the all-in bet, guessing it's a bluff. It's worse. Our foe had two diamonds, and hit a big flush well before the river. We finish 223rd, out of 228 players.

Yup -- it's time to tighten up again.