Apparently a good number is 5 out of 7.

In one crazy hand that I came across in todays Floptober Fest winners the table went like this: Seat 1 pocket 4s; Seat 2 pocket 5s; Seat 3 9-4 off; Seat 4 K-9 off; Seat 5 pocket jacks; Seat 6 J-T all spades; Seat 7 pocket queens.

Now you don’t get that many pairs in a hand and not get some trouble. The action took place on a 50c/$1 table, preflop it was a family pot. Everyone but the 9-4 off came along for the ride after it was bumped up to $3 to go by the J-T clubs.

When the flop came down Q-6-Q the fours, fives and K-9 all checked but the jacks tested the water by betting out $3. I personally love that bet there, so often when the flop shows a higher pair than your pocket pair you can take down a pot unopposed by betting at the flop. You just have to be careful when you get called down.

With the bet on the table the J-T wisely got out of the way, the pocket queens which was now the absolute nuts smooth called, as did the pocket 5’s.

Lucky for the fours they got out when they did, as the turn brought a four which made them a boat, fours full of queens. That could have gotten very messy if they were still in the hand. The pocket fives checked the turn and the jacks bumped it up to $4 to go, only to again get called by both the queens and the fives.

The river was nasty, it brought the jack that made it a boat, jacks full of queens for the pocket jacks. The only two hands that beat him at this point are Q-J or Q-Q, unbeknownst to him, he was up against the latter of those hands.

The fives again checked and feeling good about his boat the jacks raised it up another $7, with the trap set the queens made their move and pushed all in. The fives quickly folded, and then just as quickly the jacks made the call, only to flip them and find themselves beaten by a massive hand.

The easiest way to get value out of a big hand is to have another player push the action, building the pot for you, growing in confidence with each call you make. Sometimes its as if every time you call they feel your hand is weaker and weaker until you deliver the knockout blow and flip up the winning hand. Jacks vs queens is a very hard hand to get away from especially with another player coming along for the ride and seeding what became a juicy pot. Commiseration’s must go to lja212002 and his pocket jacks, and of course congratulations must go to lenfik and his well played queens. Im sure the Floptober bonus was a nice little addition to the winnings from that pot too!

Here are all the recent Floptober Fest winners:
Jan380 $25
Med974 $25
cadixpapi $25
joeybananas $100
Faucon73 $10
Bamster $10
Kayell56 $25
newdaddy311 $10
stiffshafts $400
sergo121 $200
SmartAlex $4

tyJohnMatrix $25
Victorcai $4
snake75 $25
Endruw $10
Yety20 $50
Mattycakes $4
RPIWalker $10
Sumperi $25
Jan380 $25
jakes111 $25
Nasamut $25
Imhighrightnow420 $4
randy2007 $25
TOOSEXXXY $200
woody062 $25
lenfik $100

Shane @ Carbon Poker