An Orthodox Jew changing his perspective on Poker Gambling, I reasoned: Without the same three suits on the board, flush would be impossible; and, without a partner on the board, a full house would be impossible. I doubt he might hold onto me straight; I can’t imagine him raising the preflop with hole cards as low as 4-5. So I put him in two pairs or, at the very least, one set. My little straight must be nuts!

Reassuringly, I decided to raise him again. He thought for a moment, glanced at his hole card, and then picked me up again. I consider him a TAG player, so I’m not surprised at his return. More importantly, I believe I am holding peanuts. And, with only the two of us left in the pot, there was no limit to the number of raises allowed.

So again, I’m back as a big value bet. After all, I was holding peanuts. The best he could do was tie my hands – impossible in this case. I feel that all the eyes on the table are closely following our actions.

Wish he’d just called my last raise, I was surprised when he raised it back up one more time. Pause for a moment to convince myself, I raised him again. This time, he just called my bet.

You can probably guess what he’s showing: He holds pocket Aces, and has made a set of Aces on the river. Can’t blame her for being excited, and rising in the river! Fortunately, no pair on board will ever give him a full house. I picked up a monster pot, enough to fill more than two shelves, and tipped the merchant more than usual to share my good fortune.

At that moment, the “rabbi” rose from the table, and slowly walked away. After losing big with a big set, he needed a break. And the game continues. When the dealer held out his next hand, I thought about the “rabbi” experience in that hand. I can “feel” for him. But my excitement to win such a big pot easily overcomes those emotions.