Boston 5, 3 of a kind turns to 4 of a kind
July 16th, 2012 at 4:59:53 PM
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My last 3 gambling sessions I got destroyed, considering taking a break for a few months. Down $1300 over that period. Decided to go to Rockingham Park in New Hampshire, a card room that offers mostly sit-n-go poker tournaments along with some cash games, 6 blackjack tables, one let it ride table, 2 roulette tables, and last but not least, one Boston 5 table.
Sat down at the table with a modest $40 buy-in. I played Boston 5 because it was a Saturday night and all of the blackjack tables were full. Not many people know how to play Boston 5, so I played with two other men, sitting between them. At Rockingham the Max Bet on any single bet is $4. People get around this in roulette by betting splits and "caging in" numbers. On blackjack and Boston 5 this cannot be done because there are so few bets available. I played my first 6 hands, betting $4 on the ante, $4 on the play, $2 on the 5 card bonus($2 is the max on this bet because a royal pays 1000x), and $4 on the 3 card bonus, for a total of $14 of action per hand. I started off with a 3 card flush, for a nice $24 pay day(Yes, Rockingham uses the liberal 40x 30x 6x 4x 1x pay schedule for the 3 card bonus). Over the course of those 6 hands I had a net win on every single one, often by getting a high card that beat the dealer.
The 7th hand was where I got "lucky"(though I hate the term lucky). I flipped over my hand to see three 5's, for a nice $120 pay day. I tipped the dealer a $4 chip. My buddy who only wanted to play blackjack was standing behind me and said, "Well it looks like you will win on the back too." After collecting my winnings, I was given my 4th and 5th card. The first card I saw was a 2, which was dissapointing, though I figured another 2 would pay me $50. I paused for a second before revealing my 5th card, and the other two guys at the table both said instantaneously, "I don't have it". I reveiled my 5th card and it was the 5 of hearts for a four of a kind. This paid 100x my 2 dollar 5 card bonus bet, for a payday of another $200. I was shocked, never before had I seen 4 of a kind at a let it ride or Boston 5 table. In total I won $328 on the hand. After another toke I left the table and played $2 blackjack with my buddy for an hour. Left the card room up $358, this after buying a round of beers for the two guys who were at my table, my buddy and myself.
Though not necessarily a big win for someone who plays green blackjack, I was really happy about this experience and impressed by how I made so much off of a $40 buy-in. The dealer said that this was the biggest win he had seen in 7 months dealing (granted the max bet on the let it ride and boston 5 table is 4 dollars). He said he had seen plenty of 3 of a kinds and 3 card straight flushes, as well as a few 4 of a kinds, but had never seen a 3 of a kind turn into a 4 of a kind for the double dipping. I suppose this hit is equivalent to being dealt a natural 4 of a kind on video poker, which is quite rare, though I would argue this win is even sweeter because of the additional 3 card bonus hit. Cheers!
Sat down at the table with a modest $40 buy-in. I played Boston 5 because it was a Saturday night and all of the blackjack tables were full. Not many people know how to play Boston 5, so I played with two other men, sitting between them. At Rockingham the Max Bet on any single bet is $4. People get around this in roulette by betting splits and "caging in" numbers. On blackjack and Boston 5 this cannot be done because there are so few bets available. I played my first 6 hands, betting $4 on the ante, $4 on the play, $2 on the 5 card bonus($2 is the max on this bet because a royal pays 1000x), and $4 on the 3 card bonus, for a total of $14 of action per hand. I started off with a 3 card flush, for a nice $24 pay day(Yes, Rockingham uses the liberal 40x 30x 6x 4x 1x pay schedule for the 3 card bonus). Over the course of those 6 hands I had a net win on every single one, often by getting a high card that beat the dealer.
The 7th hand was where I got "lucky"(though I hate the term lucky). I flipped over my hand to see three 5's, for a nice $120 pay day. I tipped the dealer a $4 chip. My buddy who only wanted to play blackjack was standing behind me and said, "Well it looks like you will win on the back too." After collecting my winnings, I was given my 4th and 5th card. The first card I saw was a 2, which was dissapointing, though I figured another 2 would pay me $50. I paused for a second before revealing my 5th card, and the other two guys at the table both said instantaneously, "I don't have it". I reveiled my 5th card and it was the 5 of hearts for a four of a kind. This paid 100x my 2 dollar 5 card bonus bet, for a payday of another $200. I was shocked, never before had I seen 4 of a kind at a let it ride or Boston 5 table. In total I won $328 on the hand. After another toke I left the table and played $2 blackjack with my buddy for an hour. Left the card room up $358, this after buying a round of beers for the two guys who were at my table, my buddy and myself.
Though not necessarily a big win for someone who plays green blackjack, I was really happy about this experience and impressed by how I made so much off of a $40 buy-in. The dealer said that this was the biggest win he had seen in 7 months dealing (granted the max bet on the let it ride and boston 5 table is 4 dollars). He said he had seen plenty of 3 of a kinds and 3 card straight flushes, as well as a few 4 of a kinds, but had never seen a 3 of a kind turn into a 4 of a kind for the double dipping. I suppose this hit is equivalent to being dealt a natural 4 of a kind on video poker, which is quite rare, though I would argue this win is even sweeter because of the additional 3 card bonus hit. Cheers!
July 16th, 2012 at 6:12:33 PM
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Congratulations on the quad! $14 action on a $40 buy-in would not go very far if things did not take off right away. How far would you have gone if you had lost the initial 2 bets, and couldn't make a third?
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - Leonardo da Vinci
July 17th, 2012 at 7:33:12 AM
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Excellent, congratulations!
In my estimation, with games such as that, it's not just about the size of the win, but also the unliklihood.
In my estimation, with games such as that, it's not just about the size of the win, but also the unliklihood.
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/gripes/11182-pet-peeves/120/#post815219
July 17th, 2012 at 10:45:35 AM
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Congrats on the win!
I miss Boston 5. It was a money drainer, no doubt, but kind of a strange change of pace from other poker derivatives.
I miss Boston 5. It was a money drainer, no doubt, but kind of a strange change of pace from other poker derivatives.
"One out of every four people are [morons]"- Kyle, South Park
July 18th, 2012 at 4:16:29 PM
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Quote: AyecarumbaCongratulations on the quad! $14 action on a $40 buy-in would not go very far if things did not take off right away. How far would you have gone if you had lost the initial 2 bets, and couldn't make a third?
I came with $100 and I really just sat down at Boston 5 until my friend could find a spot for both of us on the blackjack tables. $2 blackjack has a wide appeal.
