Coolers Happen

We all know what it's like to get coolered. Behind getting sucked out on for stacks, it's easily the second most frustrating part of poker.

Actually, I will change my previous answer. Coolers are easily on par with, or maybe even worse, than suckouts.

Today as I was perusing the PL.com MarketPulse section for a hand to do one of my world famous strategy snapshots on (that's right I said world famous), I didn't find anything that tickled my fancy - my fancy of course being a hand that is a) interesting enough to write about and b) has a lesson hidden in it we can all learn from.

While not finding any hands that satisfied these terms I did, however, find a hand we can all relate too.

With coolers you are always elated to get your money in the middle. You wait all day for that set and then your villain shoves against your flop raise and you chair-twirl-fist-pump-insta-call only to find yourself hooped, set over set.

Its a roller coaster of emotion, often leaving you beating on the ground, crying for mercy. Well, maybe it doesn't leave you on the ground crying, but I don't have as strong a will as some.

I think we can all agree, however, that it's a pretty bad feeling nonetheless. So today's hand (hand history and stats from the MarketPulse Biggest Pots section) is a hand we can all relate to.

It may not be set over set, but at the ultra-aggressive nosebleed heads-up tables, it may as well be.

Players: Di "Urindanger" Dang and yossarian_2_

Game: $100/$200 No-Limit Hold'em, Heads-Up, Full Tilt Poker

Stacks: Urindanger $21,199.50; yossarian_2_ $45,397.50

The Setup:

yossarian_2_ min-raises from the button/small blind. Urindanger re-raises to $1,800. yossarian_2_ four-bets to $10,000. Urindanger shoves for $21,199. yossarian_2_ calls $11,199.

The board comes A J 3 6 7.

Urindanger shows Q Q, which is second best to yossarian_2_ 's K K.

The Breakdown:

Well, if you're Urindanger, you're ecstatic getting it all in here. At least for a second. Since he was playing on Full Tilt, the hole cards would have been turned up right away and he likely instantly started cursing the shuffle algorithm.

If this were PokerStars, the hole cards stay hidden until showdown so he would have at least had until the ace on the flop to start cursing the shuffle algorithm and his queens for being ace magnets.

And in that case, at showdown it would have been a relief. Like, "Oh, I was behind the whole way anyway. I guess it isn't so bad."

Either way, one poor bastard gets coolered and another lucky bastard gets to relish in it. It happens to everyone and it sucks the same amount - assuming you're playing with a proper bankroll.

If you're not properly rolled, then it sucks a whole lot more. But if you are playing out of your bankroll, you deserve it :P

Strategy Snapshots from Dan Skolovy:

• Strategy Snapshot: Of Draws and Monsters
• Strategy Snapshot: Love For the Open-Shove
• Strategy Snapshot: Check Check Check He Trap Me
• Strategy Snapshot: Ziggy's Star Dusted