Try your skills at Texas Hold'Em

You find a Hold ?Em table pretty quick, with one and two dollar blinds. It?s no-limit, but the maximum starting amount is $40.00. You look around the table and notice a couple of people short-stacked, but one guy has over $300.00 in front of him. He looks you up and down, then winks. :Shudder:

Your lucks comes immediately, as you limp in with a pocket pair on the first hand and hit your set on the flop. Slow-playing it, you reel in the two short-stacks and take them for all their money. Just like that you?ve doubled up! The next half hour goes well, too. You hit a lot of flops and keep taking money from new players who think you?re weak. When your stack hits $150.00, you think about packing it in, when you get dealt pocket aces! You raise with them, and two guys with decent stacks call you. When the flop comes AQQ, you do your best not to fall out of your chair. Both guys go all-in, and it?s like taking candy from a baby. They show KK and KQ respectively, and grumble noticeably as they walk away from the table.

You?ve now gathered a bit of a crowd, and amazingly, nobody else has joined in. It?s just you and the creepy ogler across the table. Checking out his stack (since he?s been staring at yours all night), you figure he?s about equal to you. Not really comfortable going head-to-head with this guy, you figure you?ll play for just a few more hands, then go home with your profits.

After the next deal, your opponent raises you five dollars right out of the box. Looking down, you see

K? J?

That?s an easy call, as you stare the guy down and throw your chips in. You hold your breath as the flop comes?

5? 6? 7?

The gathering crowd oohs and ahhs at the obvious trouble this flop could bring. It makes you a little nervous, too, but you probably still have the best hand, and want your opponent to know that. You bet $10.00, hoping to scare him off. However, he quickly calls, leaving you to wonder what he has. The dealer chucks another card and flips over?

2?

Phew. A nice, safe card. You check, and the creep immediately bets $20. Crap. You realize you?ve made a mistake in checking. Now, you have no better idea of what your opponent has. At least if you had put in a huge bet, you would at least know if he?s got something worth shooting for. You could re-raise him, but if he already has the flush, he?ll probably take you for all your money and you?ll have to call. You timidly call his bet, and pray the next card is a clunker. The crowd looks on in wonder, as the dealer burns the final card and turns over?

8?

Shit! You can?t really check now, as he?ll just make a good-sized bet that you?ll have to fold to. Your only hope is that you can put in a moderate sized bet, and he?ll put you on a flush or straight and fold. This is definitely going to be your last hand, and you are still ahead for the night, so you decide to throw in $35.00 and leave the decision up to him.

He doesn?t bat an eye. With little hesitation, he calmly says ?All-in!? and pushes his remaining stack in. The crowd roars. The dealer counts his chips, looks at you and says, ?That?s $365.00 to you.? You have $340 left.