Meissner Barely Survives
Joe Meissner is one of the ultra-short stacks at the table. When he looked down at split kings, / , he knew he had to take the hand all the way to the river. He led third street and fourth street, being called only by Van Marcus. Marcus raised fourth street, then led out on fifth street with a board of x-x / . Meissner, who had caught the on fourth street and the on fifth street, called. Marcus showed in the hole. He had a pair of tens and a spade flush draw. His draw improved even more when he caught the on sixth street.
Meissner caught the on sixth street. He was leading going into the river, so Marcus squeezed his card first. "It's black," he told Meissner, but it turned out not to be a spade. It was the . Meissner didn't need his river card, but he showed anyway as a prerequisite to collecting the pot. It was the for a king-high straight.
"How do I lose this hand?" Marcus complained to the table as Meissner dragged the pot.