February 15, 2012: I made the straight on the turn, but the river card was as good as a blank in this freeroll.
In life, it’s not over till the fat lady sings. At poker, it’s not over until the river, unless you flop a Royal Flush – except at razz!! The river can be uneventful; it can be terrible; it can even be magic. Below, in chronological order, are a few examples of the magic river from various poker sites mixed in with a few of the others.
These sort of things happen in live play as well; every poker player has a pocketful of bad beat and similar stories, often of the kind you couldn’t make up.
February 15, 2012: I made the straight on the turn, but the river card was as good as a blank in this freeroll.
May 1, 2012: A magic river, for all the good it did.
May 9, 2012: As can be seen from the dialogue box, the 5 on the river ensured I cashed. A magic river indeed!
June 30, 2012: A magic river scoops at stud hi lo.
July 11, 2012: A magic river card early on in the tournament. Alas. I didn’t cash.
August 5, 2012: All-in pre-flop, big slick comes good against a set of queens with a magic river.
August 14, 2012: It is always dangerous to play small pairs at stud, but here I got lucky on the river.
August 26, 2012: Aces are cruelly rivered in the William Hill Sunday Facebook Freeroll.
September 3, 2012: No, they can never fold an ace, and this time the sucker was duly rewarded. I cashed,
winning $4.32 for a $1.00 total buy-in. And I didn’t spend it all at once.
September 4, 2012: Runner runner flush outdraws pocket 10s.
September 8, 2012: A flush on the river.
September 12, 2012: I remember this hand very well. The guy had 3 jacks showing and played like a mouse
letting me outdraw him.
September 20, 2012: Scooping with a magic river at stud hi lo.
September 23, 2012: A 4 heart board ensures the best starting hand wins after all.
October 10, 2012: He got lucky playing this loose, and cashed winning $12.05 for 9th
place. I told him not to give up the day job.
October 21, 2012: This is either a magic river or a cruel river, depending on
how you look at it.
October 21, 2012: The ace on the river turns two pair into a house, beating three kings. I still didn’t cash.
October 23, 2012: Ouch, a flush is outdrawn by a full house on the river.
October 29, 2012: Scooping with a wheel, another magic river.
October 29, 2012: House of 4s, a magic river.
November 5, 2012 on WPT Poker: All-in before the flop, and
a magic river saves the day for the pocket jacks. I cashed in this tournament, albeit for very minor honours.
November 6, 2012: The magic may not be clear from this grab but I hit a wheel on the river; the other bloke
had 6 high already. I won the hand and the tournament.
November 8, 2012: AJ outflops pocket 9s, a set on the turn is magic, but even more magic (or cruel),
is the river, and the guy with the pocket pair loses with the underfull.
[The above article was published originally as a blog October 12, 2012 with 13 screengrabs; 13 more were added in due course.]
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