Poker at the Colorado Belle, Laughlin

I'm in Laughlin, Nevada, staying at the River Palms Casino. Last night I walked down to the Colorado Belle to check out their poker room. I played a friendly game with eight players, most of whom were locals. The Belle has a very nice room, maybe 12-15 tables, and it appears to run smoothly. They have an "Aces Cracked" promotion and the normal bonuses for high hands similar to most other rooms along the strip here.

I played an interesting hand heads up against a World War II veteran who was sitting two seats to my right. He told us he got married after the war, over 60 years ago. In the war, he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, was captured by the Germans, and spent the remainder of the fight in a prison camp until being liberated by the Russians. As he told us these things, I could see in his eyes an emotion that I'll not soon forget. He's among a rare and dying breed of men who fought the last "great war" and suffered much.

Our poker hand began simple enough. We were playing $2-$6 Spread Limit and I was in the blind. I had 8-5 offsuit. The one-seat who was first to act called, the three-seat called, and the Veteran called at the cut-off position. I checked my blind. We had four players going to the flop.

The flop comes A-5-5. My ragged 8-5 hits a set. As the first to act, I check hoping to trap. The one-seat checks, the three-seat checks, the Veteran bets the maximum of $6. I immediately put him on an Ace, probably an A-Ten or higher. He's a little loose, like many elderly veterans, so he could also have an Ace-rag, maybe A-3 or even an A-5.

So, when he bets the flop I'm thinking he just has some kind of Ace. Would he bet if he flopped a full house? I doubt it. I feel my set of 5's is good, so I should make a lot of money. I just call his bet, thinking I'll check-raise him on the turn. The one-seat and three-seat both fold to the Veteran's bet on the flop. Now I am heads up, out of position, going to the turn.

The turn comes an 8! Hallelujah, I hit a full house, 5's full of 8's. I've got him for sure now. I check the turn, the Veteran bets $6, and I call. I don't want to chase him off with a raise. I'll check raise him on the river. He's got an A-K, probably suited diamonds, because there are two diamonds on the board. He's pretty strong with his Aces up and a nut flush draw. I'm hoping he catches his flush diamond on the river. I call his bet.

The river is a 4 of diamonds. I'm putting him on an A-K or A-Q of diamonds, and he's got his nut flush. My full house should make some real money here. I check the river hoping to raise him when he bets. He bets the maximum of $6, and I raise $6. He reraises $6. Since I'm short-stacked I reraise all-in for $4 more. He calls.

I turn up my 8-5 offsuit, showing a full house 5's full of 8's. He turns over an A-5 offsuit, showing that he flopped a full house, 5's full of Aces! I was dead.

What's interesting about this hand is the situation and how it played out perfectly for the Veteran. I played 8-5 offsuit because I was in the blind and received a free look at the flop. As it turned out, I hit a set of 5's with an 8 kicker and the Veteran hit a full house holding A-5, on a flop of A-5-5. I was behind all the way, and drawing almost dead with quad 8's being my only out. The other interesting thing is that I only lost a small amount of money because I was short-stacked. Had I possessed a lot of chips, I would have lost a bundle. I was unlucky on the flop, but lucky I was short-stacked.

After the showdown, the Veteran smiled, giggled like a school boy and looked at me. He reached across the table with his wrinkled and well-tanned arm and offered me a handshake. He said, "You had a great hand, too!" I shook his hand, laughed, and said, "Nice job. Great hand. You deserve it."

On my way back to my room at the River Palms I was thinking about that hand, the Veteran, his war stories, his 60-year marriage, and was thinking how much I love playing poker.