Deuce-Four makes nuts, wins big pot, ho-hum

I did an early session at Mandalay Bay today. Only one hand is worth reporting.

I had 2-4 offsuit in the big blind. Four limpers, so I let it ride. Flop K-7-2 rainbow. I checked, guy to my left bet $7, one middle-position caller, and I called.

I must interrupt the tale at this point to relate something kind of woo-woo. I had a weird feeling come over me, one of certitude that (1) the next card was going to be another deuce, and (2) the hand was going to become blogworthy. Yeah, I know, people get such feelings all the time, and they don't mean anything. After every plane crash, there are survivors who say they just knew it was going to happen (though they got on board anyway, the morons). Of course, on every safe flight there are also people who have exactly the same kind of premonition, which turns out to be wrong, and it is quickly forgotten. I am not unaware of this human tendency to make a big fuss when an inkling turns out to be correct, and dismiss it when it fails. Still, I don't get such sensations often, so it was more than a little strange.

Anyway, just as I had predicted to myself, the turn was another deuce for me. I checked. Same guy bet $7 again, and again got a call. I check-raised to $21, and they both called.

River was another deuce. Let's see, that's one of them in my hand, and one, two, three of them on the board. I'm not sure I have all of the deuces, but I do seem to have the majority of them. What's more, the calls on the turn suggest that both opponents have a pair, both likely holding a king, so they now have full houses and might pay off. It was very hard to know how much to bet, but I went conservative: $30. Both called. The first guy tossed in his chips while looking at me suspiciously and asking, "You got a deuce?"

Yes. Yes, I do. $179 pot (after rake) goes my way.

I tried to tell the table that the 2-4 is the most powerful hand in poker and always makes the nuts, but they just guffawed and chuckled, apparently thinking I was joking. Some people just will not believe, even after you show them. Oh well. It helps keep my edge against the tourists if most of them throw away the best hand before the flop on the mistaken belief that it is weak.

The topper was the comment after the hand by the fellow on my left, who, it must be said, was very pleasant and friendly, but not especially bright: "I had a king. If you hadn't hit those two deuces, you'da lost."

The guy should have Mike Sexton's TV commentary job. He's got it all figured out.