Iowa Couple Enjoys Bad Beat

Don and Donna Ditto (yes, real names) of Sherrard, Iowa have been playing poker for 15 years, but when they hit the tables at the Isle of Capri casino in Bettendorf, Iowa a couple weeks ago, they didn’t realize how fruitful their sessions would be. 

The couple, who celebrated their 30^th wedding anniversary this month, comprised both business ends of the casino’s bad beat jackpot, winning $12,000 combined. 

At Isle of Capri, one must lose with pocket tens or better to win the jackpot, which is funded through an extra rake of $1 in every pot that grows to $20 or more.  The loser of the hand wins 50 percent of the jackpot, the winner takes 25 percent, and the rest of the table splits the other 25 percent.  Interestingly, and fortunately for the Dittos, Omaha tables count for the jackpot. 

The Dittos don’t typically play against each at the same table, but Donna’s 5/10 fixed limit Omaha high-low game was losing players, so Don moved to the table to fill in an empty seat.  After an hour and a half, he was dealt A-10-K-5, with the A-10 of spades.  Donna had a better starting hand A-J-2-4, with the A-J of diamonds.  They saw a Q-J-J flop with two other players.  Donna had flopped trips, while Don had flopped a royal flush draw, as two spades were on the board.   

Don opened the betting, and Donna and other player called.  Donna later said that at that point, she thought Don may have either had the last Jack or pocket Queens.  The turn was the King of spades, giving Don the dream royal flush.  He slowplayed it, though, opting to check because he didn’t want to scare off someone holding a Jack.  Seeing as there was a flush on the board, he didn’t want anyone to think he even hit a normal flush, lest they fold three-of-a-kind (it’s probably doubtful that someone would in a limit game, but so be it). 

"It surprised me when he checked,” Donna said.  “At that point, I thought he had the other jack and was afraid someone had the spade flush.” 

The river gave them the one-outer to the jackpot, the case Jack.  Donna bet out $10 and Don just called behind her.  He was probably afraid again that he might lose the chance at a bad beat jackpot, but nobody is going to fold quads there, so the non-raise doesn’t really make sense, unless he just wanted to get a call out of the third player.

When the betting was over, Don actually asked Donna if she had four Jacks, to which she happily replied yes.  He then announced he had the royal, dramatically and slowly turning his cards face-up, one at a time. 

Their happy opponents had each won $657, while Don received $4,000 and Donna won $8,000.  Maybe an anniversary trip to Vegas is “in the cards?”