I am the Greatest Poker Player Ever

"You must be the greatest player ever."

Well, that's what the guys in seats 7 and 8 said. Here is what lead to the comment.

I'm playing 3/5 spread limit (as a quick refresher, it's called spread limit because the max bet in Washington State is $500. Max buy-in at this game is $300). I've got Ac-6c in middle position and I raise to $15. This is a small raise for this table and I expect a couple of callers. I get four.

The flop is Ad-8c-9c. I've got top pair bad kicker, but I've got the nut flush draw. I bet $25 into a $75 dollar pot. The button (and older Asian man who is an okay player, but never folds to any flop bet in position) calls. The rest fold.

The turn is the As.

This is an incredible turn card. I put him on Ace-rag (same as me, but with outs). If he has an Ace with a bigger kicker, I still have outs. If he already has the full house, so be it. I bet $40 into a $125 pot, but I'm committed at this point. He quickly raises to $200.

Huh?

Well, shoot. I guess he has me beat. Doesn't he? If he is an excellent player, he has pocket 8s and reads me for a weak Ace (but if that's the case, why the huge raise? Wouldn't he want me to call?). At this point, I still think my read of Ace-rag is correct (it wasn't).

Well, I said I was committed, so I go All-In!

He does not insta-call. Sweet! He only has $100 left after the $200 raise, and he isn't pushing it all in. Wha????

He goes in the tank for a full minute and he pulls the old fake-fold move on me to try to get a read. I usually hate this move, but this time it pays off huge! I saw his bottom card - it was the 8 of diamonds. This is perfect. I'm all-in so I can't be bluffed. If he has Ace 8, he insta-calls. He might be hesitating on pocket 8s, figuring me for the bigger full house, but he's pot committed so if that was the case, he also insta-calls.

The only hand that makes sense is 8-9, and he was so pissed that he got counterfitted on the turn, that he tried to bully me out of the pot.

Here's where I get tricky and cause the entire table to think I'm the ultimate donkey. I announce that I'm on the flush draw and I show my 6 of clubs.

Remember, they have no idea that I saw his bottom card. They are all figuring him for A 10 or something similar. After a long time in the tank, he folds and I drag a huge pot.

I am NOT the greatest, but I sure don't mind basking in the glory every now and then.

Editor's Note: I fixed the hand. Of course I had the 6 of clubs (not spades). Sue me.