This fall, I went back to school, and this has impacted my time available to play poker. As a result, I only get to play like once or twice a month. I'd like to play more, but school keeps me busy. Anyways, a few friends and I made it up to the local casino for the Sunday $110 freezeout tournament. I used to play this tournament a lot when it was structured a little different, but now it's better. I hadn't played here in several months, but I sure seemed to remember a lot.
I recognized a lot of people I used to play with all the time. One guy was just riddled with tells. He was literally saying his hand out loud, and anyone who's been to this casino more than a couple of times would know what he had. I once folded a 2-3 off suit, and he just kept saying stuff like "doing this for Carla, Carla's hand, etc." A deuce came on the flop, and when the betting was over, I told him "show us your three deuces," and he did. He later opened a pot and started saying how he hates his hand, his signal for having Ace Queen. He ended up splitting the pot with a friend of mine who also had Ace Queen. These events just gave me lots of confidence in my reads, though pathetically easy, and I felt I was playing well, despite having no really good hands at all! Then this hand came up...
My friend had been taking a lot of bad beats, getting rivered badly, so my impression, was that he was tilting a little bit (and his football team, the Minnesota Vikings, were losing to my team, the Green Bay Packers, so I imagine that didn't help). I was in middle position, and I opened for 600 (blinds 100/200, I had about 10,000, the starting stack). I had pocket 7's. My friend (with about 13,000 chips) called my raise (he's sitting in the chair to my left, so he has position). Everyone else folds. The flop comes Queen, Jack, Queen. I make a continuation bet of 800, and he calls. The turn comes a 7!!! Bingo! I have 7's full of Queens! I check and he bets 600, I raise to 3000, and with a sweep of his arm knocking all his chips over, he goes all in! Normally, this would be an insta-call, but this is a deeper stack tournament with half hour rounds. I just kept thinking, and thinking, and I must've thought for about 5 minutes (which is an eternity for me). I was trying to think what I could beat, which was most hands, but the hand I put him on, was Queen Jack, for Queens full of Jacks. If that's the case, I have only one out, the last 7 in the deck. I counted my chips, I still had around 6500 or so, enough to still play good poker, whereas, if I call and lose, I'm done. I turned my 7's face-up, and threw them away. The table is in shock, and I'm convinced no one in that room could have thrown that away. Since it was my friend, he kindly shows me his Queen-Jack and I breathe a sigh of relief!
This was the only time I've ever folded a full house which didn't include two pair on the board. This hand, at least at my table, created quite a buzz for some time. All I can say is I felt it was the right move, whether he had QJ, or just Q10 or something. I still had chips to play, and felt like I could out play most of the people in the room. The cards didn't really go my way, and I didn't cash, but I still felt like I played great! And since I hadn't really played in a month, it's nice to know I can still play a little.
My friend told me later that week that that was his sign that "I've got the nuts, don't call because you're my friend" signal. I didn't know that at the time, but if it's me, I'd just take all the chips (guess I'm not as good a friend
).
Sorry for the long post, but I just thought it was a huge laydown that I've never made before in my life. Who knows, I may never be able to make that lay down again. I'd say this hand is worthy of being on that old "ESPN Best Hand I've Ever Played" segment. This story would have been better had I gone on to win the tournament as a result of solid play, but the cards just didn't go my way.
So, what's the best hand you've ever played?
The best hand I've ever played... 
