I Should Know Better!

$500 + $60 NL

Big Haul for Hall

Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY) had a sick feeling as the hand played out, but he can't stop the reflex reaction that costs him his tournament life.

"I couldn't win the hand, but I could've lost the minimum," says the New York business owner, "I'm so sick right now, I shouldn't have gone out like that."

Dentale limps UTG with JJ and when the button makes it 1100, his reraise to 3k sets off a chain reaction. One caller, brings in another player and all of sudden there's four to the flop.

The board brings 5 5 8, Dentale leads out for 6k and one player calls. "Right there I know I'm beat," he says.

The turn is the probably the worst card Dentale can see, as a jack gives Dentale a full house. "We both check the turn and it's a smart play. I'm trying to trap with a boat and if he has quads, I'd do the same thing," he says.

The river is a blank and that's when Dentale's reflex's kick in. "I was planning on check-calling the river, but something just happened," he says, adding "I should know better."

Dentale bets 10k, Eric Hall (Staten Island, NY) reraises all-in for 15k more and Dentale can't fold for the nearly 50k pot. "I call," says Dentale, "you've got quads, right?"

Hall confirms the read and shows pocket 5s. "He brought me in," says Hall referencing the player sitting to his right. "If he folds (preflop), I don't come in. I'm getting nearly three-to-one on my money. I have to call," says Hall who now has 125k.

And with that Dentale's day in Borgata Summer Poker Open is done. His parting words: "if I check the river, he bets 10k, I call and I'm still in. I shouldn't have gone out that hand."

Level 6 (200/400/50 ante) continues.