I recently played at The Lodge in Round Rock, Texas, in their $1/3 NLH game, which I’ve come to realize is far tougher than most people think. Usually, $1/3 is considered the entry-level game in many poker rooms, but at The Lodge, it’s a completely different story. The $1/2 game caters to beginners, while the $1/3 game is home to skilled, aggressive players. It’s not uncommon for the game to feel as tough as $2/5 or even $5/10 games elsewhere. The competition at The Lodge is absolutely fierce, and that’s where I found myself on this occasion.
It was a 9-handed game, and I got mixed up with Jeremy Moore, a well-known local crusher. Jeremy opened from UTG+1 to $20, and I called from the next position with two red 5’s. I don’t remember how many players called behind, but it was probably two or three. We both started with $900 effective stacks, with Jeremy having me covered. Let’s just say he’s a beast in these games.
Flopping a Set
The flop came down 3♣️-5♣️-10♣️, and I was in luck—I flopped middle set. But of course, there’s always a catch. The board was draw-heavy, with the flush potential looming. The action checked to Jeremy, who made a bet of $20. Now, I’m not too worried about him having a flush, so I raised to $70. He took a brief pause before raising it up to $210. At this point, I start to wonder if he’s holding a flush, but I still don’t believe he has a set of tens or a flush. I call, planning to use pot odds to make my decision on the turn.
The Turn
The turn brings the 3♦️, pairing the board and putting my mind at ease about the flush. Now, Jeremy could have a set of tens or threes, but I’m confident that if that’s the case, I’ll be losing all my chips. Otherwise, it’s game on. Jeremy bets $135 into the $490 pot, and I just call, no need to raise.
The River
The river is the 2❤️, and Jeremy checks. With $760 in the pot, I go all-in. Jeremy thinks for a moment, then announces, “That’s five-five almost always. But it would be disrespectful to fold. I call.”
I reveal my hand—pocket fives for a full house—and Jeremy quietly admits he had the nut flush. At that point, I wasn’t surprised. Jeremy had been playing solid poker, betting the turn and calling the river shove, all while correctly narrowing my range. He even announced my hand before seeing it. I believe him; there’s no way he would have played that way with a weaker hand.
A Respectful Response
After the hand, I quietly stacked my chips, while Jeremy took a lap around the room—another sign of a seasoned pro who knows how to handle a bad beat. I didn’t ask him about his comment, as that felt like bad manners. But later, I reflected on what he meant when he said, “It would be disrespectful to fold.” What I think he was getting at was that, by folding, he would have been admitting that my play was so predictable and transparent that he could only put me on one of three hands. But instead, he respected my play enough to include other possibilities, such as weaker flushes or even trip threes, which led to his call.
Could Jeremy Have Folded?
Looking back, I think Jeremy could have found a fold if he’d had more time to observe my play. Had we been playing longer, I suspect he might have realized that I wasn’t likely to shove the river with anything but a strong hand, probably a full house. While it’s hard to ask someone to fold the nut flush on a single-paired board, I think with more history between us, he might have made the tough decision to fold. But that’s poker—always a game of uncertainty and strategy.
Jeremy and I continued talking throughout the session. He’s a genuinely great guy, and it turns out we have a lot in common. He quickly brushed off the pot as any good professional would. Later, when I returned from dinner, I noticed Jeremy was still at the table, with all the chips in front of him.
This hand was a great reminder of how much respect is essential in poker, both for the game and for the players at the table.
