THE PLAYER IN SEAT 4..

In today’s $1/$2 No-Limit Texas Hold’em hand, both players started with roughly $300. The villain raised to $23 preflop with QQ, and Hero flat-called with JJ. The flop came J-8-6 rainbow, giving Hero a set of Jacks and putting him well ahead of the pocket Queens.

With the money going in, the villain made the call—and Hero looked to be in great shape. But poker can change in a heartbeat. The river brought a Queen, giving the villain a higher set and turning what looked like a winning hand into a brutal set-over-set cooler.

The Poker Lesson

This is one of those hands where there isn’t necessarily a mistake to blame. Getting a set all-in on a relatively dry board is usually exactly what you want. Sometimes you simply run into a bigger set.

Key takeaway: Don’t let a brutal river convince you that you played the hand incorrectly. Good poker is about consistently getting your money in with the best of it—and accepting that occasionally, the deck has other plans.

Follow more Texas Hold’em strategy, poker hands, and $1/$2 cash game lessons from The Player in Seat 4 at jackstokingspoker.org.

If you enjoyed this article please share, like, subscribe and comment! Please be sure to click on our sponsor links to keep our articles free. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you at the tables!