I’ve suffered a lot of bad beats over the years, but this is surely one of the worst.

I’d been playing online one day for several hours, on various tables, and was about even for my efforts. It had already been a pretty rough session for me: I’d landed pocket aces five times, and lost each time! Thanks to some better hands later on, though, I’d worked my way back to square. Of course, I’d also worked a pretty good dent in my computer desk from kicking hit so hard. (Little did I know that I was about to make that dent a whole lot bigger.)

I was seated at a six-person, 25¢-50¢, no-limit Hold’em cash game. I’d joined the table with $25 and worked my way up to around $50. I was in the midst of one of those fantastic runs when seemingly every hand you’re dealt is a winner. I was in early position, just past the big blind, and was dealt JS-JD (which, by that time, I much preferred to a pair of aces!). The blind was 50¢, so I raised to $2, hoping to raise enough to get the weaker hands to fold and to gain some idea of what my opponents held if they called. Or so I thought.

The player sitting directly to my left called, along with the button. This made the pot around $6.50 with the rake. The flop came QS-JH-10S. “All right!” I thought to myself, “trip jacks on the flop!” Yet, considering the straight and flush draws on the board, I didn’t feel 100 percent confident in my hand. I was probably most concerned about the possible straight because I could see someone calling with A-K, or any ace-face combo, or even a K-Q combo; however, the probability of one of those hands being suited was fairly low.

I was in a bit of a quandary as to how much to bet. I decided to throw in $7, which was a pretty stiff bet at those tables. I absolutely did not want to be called by someone holding a single ace, king, or even a nine. I had seen too many hands drawn on me that day and I really just wanted to take the pot right there. The player on my left called, but at least the other guy folded.

The turn was a blank, the four of clubs. I considered what hands my opponent might have. A-K, which would give him a straight, was a possibility, but I was sure he’d have raised me after my bet on the flop. I concluded that he must be drawing to the straight. The pot was at about $20 after the rake. I had roughly $39 left and my opponent had about $30. I came out and bet $15, hoping he would fold and I could just take the pot right there. Once again, he called.

The river produced the two of spades. Now, in my mind, this card was also most likely a blank. I knew that the player on my left might have high suited cards, but I just didn’t think he’d call that much money with a flush draw and nothing else. No, I was pretty sure he was on the straight draw while probably pairing one of the flop cards, most likely the queen.

I moved all-in, which, in effect, put him all-in if he wanted to call. I was so certain of my read that I fully expected him to fold immediately. Imagine my surprise when, instead of folding, he promptly called! Yet his unexpected call wasn’t nearly as shocking as when he turned over 6S-7S! Yup, this guy had called a big pre-flop raise with nothing (and in poor position), then called a big bet on the flop on a draw, then called a bigger bet on an even longer-shot draw, and then hit a miracle card on the river!