Fun With Psychic Poker

Earlier this month I questioned the integrity of electronic cards. There is though a fascinating alternative to belligerent algorithms; what if they respond to human thoughts, or even commands? Have you ever called for that magic river only for it to come? Okay, if you keep making wild guesses about anything, you’ll eventually pick a winner, but I can’t help thinking that over the years I’ve picked more winners in this bizarre fashion than mere chance should dictate.

The screengrabs that follow all fall into this category.

February 1, 2013: Pot limit 5 card stud on Ladbrokes; I called for the straight on the river, and it came. I finished runner up of 12, and with 3 places paid picked up €18.00.

February 16, 2013: An ultra-magic river in this limit hold ’em tournament. I can’t remember what the other guy had, but it wasn’t queen anything. I didn’t cash though.
 

May 29, 2013: I called for the gutshot after seeing the first two flop cards; it came, but I didn’t cash in this tournament that has far too many runners and far too few places paid.

June 13, 2013: A magic river at Omaha hi lo, one out and it comes. I don’t think I called for this, though I probably prayed for it!

July 18, 2013: All-in with the third best hand, I called for the magic card, and it came on the river. Ironically, I was busted out with aces, but I won 72c.
 

August 14, 2013: The queens raised, I went all-in, called for the gutshot when the cards showed, and a magic river outdrew not only the queens but the suited connectors.
 

December 4, 2013: All-in before the flop, when I saw he had aces, I called for a jack. And it came! I won 14c in this freeroll. 
 

May 24, 2014: All-in pre-flop after the initial raiser folds, the 10s outflop me, but a magic river, and boing! Out he goes.

June 3, 2014: Outflopped, I called for the magic jack, and it came. I cashed in this tournament, but didn’t win much.

June 5, 2014: We were all-in before the flop – Yours Truly and the two much shorter stacks – I called for the 3 on the flop, and it came. I didn’t cash in this tournament, which as I recall had many runners and fewer places paid than most tournaments of that size.

June 5, 2014: A regular freeroll on the same site the same day. A psychic call after the flop on an insane draw, and it came. I cashed too.
 

September 13, 2014: I called for the seven after the flop, but although it came, I didn’t cash in this bounty tournament.
 

September 14, 2014: Finally, I’m not sure if I called for it, but this was the second magic river heads up in this small turbo sit and go. In fact it wasn’t simply a magic river but a runner runner. With luck like that, how could I lose?