I played two hands poorly the other day. No I’m not proud of this, but they may have some educational value.

On hand one, my plan (I always plan) was OK, and then I suddenly changed my mind. Here s the hand:

A decent player raised from middle position in a $30-$60 game. I called from the big blind with 7d 5d. I don’t always play this sort of hand, but I need to strike a balance between folding and playing so people (like me) do not make frivolous preflop raises because my blind always seems to be for sale. I don’t mind playing a few extra hands against average to poor players. This one was average. It was my first hand of the night and I like to establish a playing image.

OK, so the flop hits 9d 5h 4d, which is as good as it gets for my hand. Now I have to decide how to play the flop. Because I can already beat overcards and my hand is a favorite against many pairs as well, I do not want to bet out and get called. I would not mind a fold, but if he has overcards he is a pretty big dog and I want to get at least one bet in. If I knew he was aggressive, I would go for three bets, but I decide to check-raise. He quickly calls.

The turn is an excellent 6d, completing my flush and even giving me straight-flush redraws. I like this, so I bet. He checks his hole cards and raises. I assume from this that he has a big pair with a diamond, but it is possible he has a big flush and is doing a false tell. I can three bet here, and probably should. I decide instead to call the raise and bet the river if a diamond does not show up. This way I will get three big bets, and I can either fold or call on the river if a fourth flush card comes.

Now the river was the ace of spades, and inexplicably I checked. Something flashed in my head that he had the ace of diamonds and would bet so I could check-raise. I checked. Not surprisingly he checked behind me and showed me two jacks with the Jd after I turned over my flush. I looked like a meek scared player, which I am not.

This hand had many interesting choices, and I chose poorly several times. It was the first hand I was dealt, which may explain it a bit, but mostly I just played poorly, especially the indefensible check on the the river.

Here is hand two, in which the ace of spades also plays a prominent role. Everyone folds to me on the button, and I open-raise with black aces. It’s always nice to see aces in the steal position, since no one ever really give you credit for a real hand here. SB three-bets (just like it says to do in my columns) and BB calls. BB is a pretty good player, and I am surprised to see the call here. I reraise and everyone calls.

The flop is a very lovely Ks Qs Js, so I have an overpair and a royal draw. Check, check to me. I bet and both call. Turn is the 4s (this must be my day to misplay flushes) and both check to me again. I bet my flush, SB folds and BB check-raises! What is this?

He is not a wild player or a bluffer. I figure he either has a set of something and is testing me, or he has a straight flush. I cannot see him check-raising with bare ten of spades, though it is possible if he thinks I will bet the turn with, say, two pair.

Again, I decide to call. I am very leery about this raise. The turn is a spade 2, putting a flush on the board. BB bets. What should I do? It is fairly close between a call and a raise. The problem, as I outlines in my column on “Dangerous River Raises,” is that if I raise, he will know I have the ace of spades and probably not pay me off, but if he has me beat he will reraise.

I give some serious thought to calling but decide to raise, which I still think is an error. Of course, he raises back. Now I really fall from grace and call! I can’t believe I played that poorly but I did. Bad river raise and a just awful call. True I did not know this player, but he seemed rational enough and had not done anything out of line even once in the two hours we had played together.

OK, that’s it for today. I generally play well. Promise. But some times, I mess up. Everyone does, though they rarely publish the boo boos. And these were among the worst I have done for a long time. So if you make a mistake, forgive yourself, remember even pros do, and just go to work to play your best on the next hand.