Time for Poker

It was a very fun night at our Poker game this week. Add two crazy dogs, a birthday, some beer, some of our regular players, and the Big-O founders and you will have some fun!

Last night Stacey and I hosted: Armando, Clara, Diane, Michael, Henry, Carol, Cristine, Todd, Ian, and Joe.

We fired up our Poker clock, courtesy of Stacey's Dad, Vince. He and I are in the pic below - in front of the greatest spot on earth.



Play was tight and we only had 3 rebuys. Before the rebuy period ended we had one casualty - Joe. His AA was cracked by Mook's J7. Joe min-raised his AA, so Mook called and flopped 2 pair, then caught his boat on the river. Joe wasn't feeling too well (even before the AA's were cracked) and elected not to rebuy. Joe took 12th.

After the rebuy ended we had 8 add-ons. Three spots paid.

We resumed play after a brief Birthday celebration for Cristine.

Play continued and Henry knocked out Diane, 11th. Diane had 55 against Henry's JQ. Henry's QJ was good.

Todd was next out, 10th, when my KK held off his AQo.

The next hand is interesting and our featured hand.

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It went down like this. There were 2 limpers and Michael and I. The flop was

, everyone checked, the turn was a . I checked, Michael (BB) bet 2K. Everyone folded and I called. River was the . I bet 4K and Michael went over the top and pushed all in. I called. Michael turned over the big blind special , he had filled up on the turn. I had the case ace with .

Michael was out in 9th.

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We discussed the odds of this happening and I have now completed some statistical algebra to calculate the odds as follows:

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Here goes:

The odds are calculated as the probability of the event happening, P(e), divided by the probability of the event not happening, P(ne). The probability of an event not happening is the same as 1 - the probability of it happening or 1 - P(e).

So we get:

Odds = P(e)/(1-P(e))

Ok so, how do we calculate the probability of three cards hitting on the flop with one lucky bastard holding one of them in his hand?

Well there are 3 cards left out of 50. And, the number of combinations of a set of n objects taken p at a time is given by _nC_p = (n!)/(p!(n - p)!).

So n=50 and p=3.

P(e) = 1 / ₅₀C₃

= 1 / {50!/(3!(50-3)!)} = 1 / {50!/3!*47!} =

= 1 / {50*49*47/3*2*1} = 1 / 19,600

So the odds are:

1 / 19,600 / ( 1 - 1 / 19,600 ) = 1 / 19599 or 19,599 to 1

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Note: Thanks to Kitty for some coaching on how to perform this calculation, she gave me a little tweak since last time I added some math to the blog. Kitty let me know if this is correct....

Back to the hands:

Cristine was our next victim. Poker (nor Henry for that matter) showed no mercy even to the Birthday girl.

Cristine was out in 8th when her KJ all-in didn't hang tough with 5 players in the hand, it was 4 against 1. Henry took it down with a straight.

Next the wildest thing happened... I had 76 on the button, I raised to steal. Stacey was the little blind and didn't allow it, the BB folded. The flop was 666. Stacey and I checked, and I made a bet on the river and she folded. I hit a 19,599 to 1 shot twice in one night!

The Mookie met has match against Stacey. After a long contemplation he called her all-in and was out in 7th when his AQd didn't pick up the over card or his flush draw after a two heart flop and Stacey's KK held.

Ian was the next one out, Ian played very well all night. Clara was forced to call his K8 all in with 63 suited as it was only a few crumbs more to call. Clara got a 3 on the flop and Ian was out in 6th.

I was the next victim. I was out played by Carol and Henry earlier and my chip stack was very short. I made a move with 44. Carol called with KJ and caught a K on the river. Buh Bye for me - out in 5th.

Clara was knocked out by Henry - he had the nerve to call her all in with a K5. Clara should have taken the pot down uncontested, but Henry's K holds up and K-high took the pot. Clara bubbled in 4th.

Stacey mad a move with 88 and Carol called with A3, the turn brought Carol the Ace and Stacey was OUT in 3rd. She brought home some bacon with the 3rd place $$$.

Henry and Carol were heads-up. We had a husband and wife shooting it out. They would not hear of chopping. It was a fight to the death. I do recall a time at the Luxor no limit table where Henry was check-raised by Carol when they were heads up! I knew this would be interesting.

It didn't take long - Carol took it down when her A6 beat out his JJ. Henry lead with the 8T4 flop but then she caught the A on the turn and another one on the river for good measure.

Congrats to carol, Henry and Stacey for making the money. Thanks to all those that made it out and thanks to those that brought snacks. The fruit was delicious.

We will host again in 2 weeks.