Meissner Barely Survives

Stud:

Joe Meissner is one of the ultra-short stacks at the table. When he looked down at split kings, {K-Hearts}

, he knew he had to take the hand all the way to the river. He led third street and fourth street, being called only by Van Marcus. Marcus raised fourth street, then led out on fifth street with a board of x-x / {9-Spades}

. Meissner, who had caught the {6-Diamonds}

on fourth street and the {J-Diamonds}

on fifth street, called. Marcus showed {Q-Spades}

in the hole. He had a pair of tens and a spade flush draw. His draw improved even more when he caught the {K-Diamonds}

on sixth street.

Meissner caught the {10-Clubs}

on sixth street. He was leading going into the river, so Marcus squeezed his card first. "It's black," he told Meissner, but it turned out not to be a spade. It was the {3-Clubs}