Midnight in Moscow
A FEW intrepid players tried their hand in Moscow recently and reportedly had a good time. My own concern, when I visited Moscow a while back and managed to win a few dollars (which is the staple currency in casinos), was whether I would ever succeed in getting out of the door with my winnings, all in one piece. An English friend of mine did not have this problem. The casino kindly provided him with a car to drive him back to his hotel when the game was over.
Jacko was playing Omaha (the four card version of Omaha) with a friend in a Moscow casino. The game was fine: but when it fizzled out, as games do, one of the house dealers suggested they might play together, three-handed. Why not? No one wants to go home early when the game breaks up. After a few minutes, an unusual hand came down. Jacko with a pair of 4s in his hand caught a 4 on the flop to give him trips. His other two cards were not important. His friend who had raised on a pair of kings in his hand was lucky enough to get a third king for trips. The third card on the flop was an insignificant 9.
Jacko : (A-4-4-5) 4-K-9
When the turn (fourth) flop card came down a 4, Jacko was over the
Kremlin moon. Four of a kind! This hand was going to pay for his whole trip. At it happened the 4 had also helped his English travelling
companion, who had now made a full house, kings on fours. He bet the
pot. Jacko, trying to look reluctant, just called without raising. And,
surprisingly, the Russian house man also called.
The river (fifth) card came down a 9. So now there was a pair of 9s on board as well as a pair of 4s. The kings full house bet out, Jacko raised all-in and, surprisingly, the third player, the house dealer, called. The kings-full player could not abandon ship now and followed on. In the showdown, the Russian showed two 9s in his hand for four 9s. The pot was worth $5,000.
The English visitors were cleaned out. But as I mentioned, the casino very kindly laid on a taxi. Midnight in Moscow, such a romantic time!
