Am I dreaming....!

"Sometimes even a blind squirrel can find the nuts..." -anonymous

One of the wonderful attributes of playing NL Hold'em poker is the fact that you have to constantly use tact and strategy to get the desired result. Sometimes your processes reward you with a winning hand and a nice pot....and sometimes you look like a total dipstick. But every once and a while a hand comes along that requires nothing more than patience and the ability to get your opponents to keep betting into a pot when you already know you have it won. It is a bit tougher than it seems.

Fortune smiles upon me
The game is an online $20 No Limit Hold'em SNG tourney and the table is full. There are some decent players at the table, and then there are some of those players that think they are good. Everyone is sitting with between T1200 and T1800.

For this hand blinds are 20/40 and I am in late position (LP) having dealt the hand before. I am dealt a pair of Queens which is a nice reprieve from a long succession 84offsuits and 93offsuits!

Someone in early position calls the bet at 40. Two callers in middle position, I call the bet and the Button (Dealer) raises the bet to 80. SB folds and the BB calls. EP calls along with the two MP players and I cap it off with a call. I have no idea what is going on here...there are 6 players in.

Flop comes Q/A/Q.

I flopped FOUR OF A KIND!!!! This has never happened to me before! It is a good thing that we are playing online, because I have jumped out of my chair and begun my victory rant like my favorite football team came back in the final seconds and scored a touchdown to be their most hated rival.

The BB bets 120. EP folds. 1st MP calls the 120 bet and the 2nd MP folds. I call the bet. The button is last to act and he raises the bet to 240. BB calls, MP calls, I call and cap it.

Turn card is a Jc.

This is GREAT for me. The more people that can hit their hands, the better. I have put the Button on AA, and I figure that EP and MP either have KK or AK. So far the board is rainbowed, so there is no chance for a Royal Flush.

BB checks. MP bets 250. I call the 250. Button raises to 600. BB calls. MP calls and I cap it with a call.

Now so far I am playing under a shadow. I look like I am on a drawing hand and since I haven't raised in position yet no one can get a read on my hand. This is perfect.

River card is a 10s.

BB (265) checks. MP (420) checks. I bet 120 (500). Button (610) raises to 300. BB folds. MP calls. I push all-in raising the bet to 620. Button calls. MP calls.

MP shows JJ and is out of the tourney
Button shows AA and is out of the tourney
and I show my two pair of Queens.

WOO HOO!

Nice big pot for me!!!!

BB came back after the hand and said he had AK. He is down to 265 chips.

With such a huge chip lead early, I went on to win the SNG.

Not that great of a story as far as my technical prowess, but it was "one of those hands" that you are actually on the right side of every once in a while.