Learn Texas Holdem

It's late in the first hour of a BoDog freeroll, with the blinds at 30-60. I've caught a few good hands and been able to maximize their value, turning my initial stack of 1,000 into about 5,400.

I get folded to in middle position and look at K-Q off-suit - not a great starting hand, but one with some potential. (Earlier in the hour I'd flopped a straight with this hand and busted someone with jacks up.) I raise it to 150 - big enough to chase people with mediocre hands, but small enough that I could get away with a minimal loss if I missed the flop.

Action folds behind me to the big blind - and he pushes all-in for 1,550 total. Now, this guy had moved all-in pre-flop at least half a dozen already. Most of the time he'd been folded to - but he did get called twice. The first time he showed A-9 off-suit against pocket kings and lost most of his stack; the second time he had the worse hand (I can't remember what) but sucked out to double up. Based on this (and the fact that a pre-flop all-in is almost begging for a fold anyway) I'm about 80% sure he's bluffing. The other 20% says he might have a small pocket pair - which would put me in a coin flip with the two over-cards. I decide my chances are good enough to risk another 1400 chips (over a quarter of my stack) and call. I show my K-Q off-suit, and he shows...J-7 of hearts.

Now I'm feeling pretty good about making the right call. Then the flop comes...8-9-10 with two hearts. That's right, the donk flopped a straight with a gut-shot straight-flush draw!!! The turn is a blank, and now I'm steaming. I've gone from making a great call and being a 2-1 favorite to needing a three-outer - a jack for a higher straight - to avoid a major chip loss.

Then the river comes...and it's a jack!!! I hit my three-outer and beat a donk at his own play. I've apologized in the past for sucking out when I clearly didn't deserve to win - but this was one time I didn't feel the least bit bad about it.

-Michael