Keystoned Kaos, Dan the Man Royal Flush

Well folks, if you think you’ve seen it all at the poker table, think again. Last Wednesday night at Yo’s Poker Palace, we hit new levels of crazy—right in the middle of what started as a beautiful hand for yours truly.

Let me set the scene. I look down and find pocket sixes. Not a hand to scream about—but we know better. I smooth-call preflop, just feeling sneaky. The flop? Oh baby. 6 - 7 - 9 rainbow. Hello, bottom set! I’m grinning on the inside and ready to get paid.

But here comes Keystoned, I know what I'm doing" mode. He fires out a bet. I flat call, playing coy. Couple others peel off, but we’re the main act.

Turn comes the King of hearts. Keystoned keeps firing. I call again. At this point, I’m hoping he’s got an overpair or something cute like K-9. But then...

River: another King.

Now the board reads 6 - 7 - 9 - K - K, and Keystoned is still leading out. I raise him, he shoves all-in, and like a fool in love with my full house, I snap-call.

He proudly tables… 8-5 offsuit.

Straight. On the flop. On my flopped set. And I never saw it. I was so focused on trapping, I didn’t even notice the damn straight got there right away. Classic Keystone—stone-faced,   and somehow always holding the unlikeliest winner.

Everyone at the table just about lost their minds. Three people had to get up and walk around the bar. Mikey spilled his drink laughing.

So moral of the story, kids? When you flop a set, count your blessings—but also count the damn board.

Last week’s games were off the charts—but Wednesday night? Whew. That was a whole poker movie in one evening.

Let’s start with Dan the Man, who now walks among poker royalty after hitting a Royal Flush in hearts—yes, you read that right—the Ace of Hearts sealing the deal. The whole table stopped breathing for a second. It was like time froze, angels sang, and Dan just sat there grinning like it was a Tuesday. Spoiler: it was not a Tuesday—it was a Hall-of-Fame poker moment. 

And as if the universe wasn’t already showing off, Saturday night brought the drama again.

Tiny (who we now suspect is part bloodhound) sniffed out one of the boldest hero calls we’ve seen in a long time. Faced with a massive raise, straight and flush possibilities all over the board, Tiny tanked—and then called with just top pair. No kicker, no backup plan—just raw instinct and nerves of steel. And guess what? He was right. Pot shipped. Respect earned.

From Royal Flushes to gutsy calls, Yo’s Poker Palace has been serving up thrills hotter than a jalapeño ante. Stay tuned, folks—the cards are hot, and the legends are still being written.

I’ll be back next week with more tales from the felt. In the meantime, keep your cool, trust your gut, The Boat saved me.