[Zetack]

Ok, in my defense, I'm a pretty slow hand reader and I wasnt' involved in the hand.

Live 1/2 NL game. Big winner for the night gets involved with an older woman who's got maybe 35 BB's in front of her. Flop comes AAQ. All the money goes in. I'd folded my pre-flop trash and have an eye on the game on the wall mounted flatscreen just behind the dealers head. Big winner flips A-9, Older woman flips A-6.

Turn and river are dealt and the older woman stands and leaves the room. My eyes drift back to the board and I see A-A-Q-K-x.

I start to say wait, but get to about Wha- before the dealer has the board scooped and flipped over. I think about it for a few seconds...three aces, king-queen...hmmm... hmmm... hey, the nine doesn't play! Three times I say "why isn't that a chop, but I must've been mumbling because nobody at the table reacts at all. Finally I say, pretty loudly, Hey! why isn't that a chop.

The dealer - and we have a dedicated dealer who works for tips, and generally clears a few hundred a night, says patiently, the board didn't pair ... As I start to puzzle over what the hell that has to do with it (did I mention I'm a slow board reader) the guy to my right, who frequently deals this game, but is playing that night, says "there was a queen on the flop and a king on the turn. A moment passes and somebody says "Chop."

We all look at the first players stack, where the pot is now hopelessly commingled with his stack. About that time I hear the front door close (the front door is several rooms away from the room with the poker table).

We all look at each other awkwardly. Then the dealer silently puts out the cards for the next hand and we play on.

Not my finest hour.