I haven't enjoyed any particular success or failure at the poker table lately. I did have a moment worht mentioning not too long ago, however. It was a comedy of errors where I emerged victorious through a series of mistakes of my own and of the other players. It was a game of No-Limit Holdem, 2-5. I'd played for a little over an hour and had lost sixteen dollars of my initial buy-in of one hundred (admittedly a very small buy-in at this level, but I was just looking for a little quicklightning to strike before I had to be home. I planned on heading home after one more hand, escaping just before the big blind naturally. I'd already announced ro the table that it was my last hand. The hand I was dealt was A9 suited. Four players saw the flop, 9Kx rainbow. I was in second position after the flop and bet twenty-five. I was called by two other players, and the big blind folded. The turn was another rag and I bet another twenty-five, which was obviously foolish, because it wasn't enough in relation to the pot to scare anyone off if they had any kind of a hand, but I figured there weren't any draws so it might work. The same two players called again and I knew I was in trouble. I figured someone had to have a king. The river was more trash, with still no flushes and no likely straights, though of course it was possible. I checked, expecting to take my last twenty-nine dollars and head home with my tal between my legs. The player to my left, who I'd developed a fairly decent read on in only two sessions of play, bet fifty. The player behind him began to visibly debate calling. As he was thinking I realized that the way I read it there was a decent chance that the bettor was attemtping to buy the pot. My specific hope was that he had a nine with a small kicker. I didn;t believe it likely but I was definitely getting pot odds for the call if the other player folded his hand. After some debate he finally did fold, and I called all-in with my twenty-nine. I showed my pair of 9s and my opponent showed down a pair of 7s. If he hadn't bet fifty, which was a mistake since I had pot odds to call with many hands that would beat him since I was short-stacked, the second player would not have folded. It turned out the other player had two small pair and was extremely upset that he hadn't called. Because it was my last hand and because it was a huge reversal of fortune for me, I lost my composure and actually talked a little trash. I pointed out that he should have known the other bettor was bluffing, and I told him I knew it right when he made the bet and I'd just been sitting there the whole time praying for him to fold. I got my comeuppance later on when I lost my profit plus a little in an incident unrelated to poker.