Ryan Schmelzer

Last weekend I was bored and considering playing some poker online. I noticed that Chip Jett was in a $5 razz tournament that was paying out to nearly 20% of the field. I have confidence in my razz game and liked how many people got paid, so I decided to enter. If you don’t know the game of razz, it is a variation of 7 card stud. The goal is to end up with the worst hand with straights and flushes not counting against you, making A-2-3-4-5 the best hand to get. Like all stud games, it is fixed limit, allowing only 4 bets during each betting round.

It ended up that Chip Jett and I started at the same table. I think I was playing well, but a hand that didn’t go my way left me with 683 (we started with 1500). Then, with the blinds at 80/160, I was dealt 5-A-2. Jett and myself ended up capping the bet on third street. I received a 5 on fourth street and Chip was showing 4-5. We capped it again and I had a huge smile on my face. Being a younger player, nothing would feel better than winning a large pot off a professional player. My hand at this point was very strong and I had to be winning or tied at this point. On fifth street Chip got an ace and I got a king. This was not good for me, but I only 28 chips left. My last chips went in the pot and I saw the unpleasant news. Chip showed his 6-2-4-5-A and I was hurting. I needed a 6 for a tie or a 3 to win. I caught neither with my last two cards and I felt absolutely crushed.

It was painful to get almost all of my chips in way ahead against a pro and lose. The loss of $5 was something I could handle, but in the words of Teddy KGB, I felt so unsatisfied. Nevertheless, it was still fun to sit at a table with a pro for such a small price. I am probably lucky that I had the chance and only lost $5.