January Poker Studs Championship: Early to Rise

We never told you about our third online championship try of this past week - "Poker Studs" on Wednesday night. It paid to be a "stud" who shows up on time....

:00 IN: We open the night with 6-5. The flop is 9-6-3. We bet 90, and the table folds!

:01 IN: We have 8-7. The flop is J-4-6. We bet 90 again - and the table folds again! Two hands, $240.

:18 IN: After a couple of small losses, we're in the big blind with A-3. The flop is 2-A-9. We bet 110, and the table folds once more. We gain $260.

Small losses lowered our stack to $725 at the half-hour break. Out of 367 players remaining, we're a woeful 319th. But then....

:37 IN: We have 4-A. The flop is 4-J-A. We bet 150 with two pair, and get a caller. The turn is an 8. We push all-in with 425 remaining, and gain a fold! We're back in the hunt at $1,250.

:38 IN: We have A-J of diamonds. The flop is 5-2-8 with no flush chances. The table checks. When the turn is a 7, we bet the minimum 150 - and it works! We gain another $675.

:41 IN: We're in the big blind with 2-3. The flop is 6-4-6. But then come A-5, giving us the "wheel" straight! We gain $450 more.

:45 IN: We have A-7 of diamonds, and bet 200 with a 9-2d-A flop. Trouble is, an opponent raises 500 -- and his A-K tops us. We take a substantial loss.

:51 IN: We have K-K with 525 left, and push the "Krispy Kremes" all-in. Someone takes us on, but with merely 6-J. The board is 9-2-5-2-Q, and we rebuild to $1,575.

:54 IN: We have A-6 of diamonds - but someone goes all-in for a huge amount, and we fold. Too bad; three diamonds show up on the board.

1:02 IN: We have A-9 in the small blind. The flop is A-6-3, and we bet the minimum 300. The turn and river are 5-8 - and we beat Q-J, to gain $2,025.

We hung around to the one-hour break, with $1,925 in our stack -- 104th, out of 147 left.

1:25 IN: After a long wait for good cards, we're forced to go all-in in the small blind with 7-J. The flop is 5-Q-K -- which settles things, as an opponent called with K-Q.

Final score: 83rd out of 907 players. We would have won money in a casino, but only the final table won money under NLOP rules. We still are not a "poker stud."