Unbelievably, I was going to provide a good news story. I was going to tell you all how I battled through a field of 304 to win a seat (one of four) into the 200 + 15 WSOP Satellite on Party. I was going to tell you about the huge pot I took down on the final table against the other chip leader (full house v. flush). Beautiful to see. I had a monster chip lead after that and proceeded to bully the table visciously. And with impunity - when it went from 9 down to 5 players, all the other players remained between 80 000 and 100 000 in chips (to my 500 000). No-one wanted to take a risk or stand up to me, and I was merciless. I raised every other hand. I crippled one poor bloke after I bluffed him out of a pot when I was holding 24 (no pair). And I showed it.
So, after 5 or so hours, I won the damn thing, and got myself a seat in a WSOP Satellite. It was about 5.40 in the morning by this stage so I went to bed.
I was going to tell you all this, go through the keys hands, pontificate a little on satellites - you know, the usual. But I was wasting my time. I could have bubbled and it wouldn't have made a difference. I may as well not have played at all.
Why?
Well, here it is: my understanding was I now had a freeroll into a 200 + 15 satellite, to be taken at a time of my choosing. This is what has happened in the past. You click on the tournament when you want to play it and the icon asks if you want to use your freeroll.
How wrong I was.
I woke up after midday and turned the computer on to check my emails. I had an email from Party saying that I had to play in the following WSOP Satellite. Right. This was new to me. Seems a touch arbitrary, but that's fine. The email gives me the time and date, but that doesn't mean much to an Australian as North America is about a day behind depending on what part of the country you're standing in. So I fire up party and get the following message: "taking you to WSOP Satellite". Huh? It's already started?
The table pops up. I have... 900 in chips. Blinds are 150/300. I stare dully at the screen for a while, uncomprehending.
They fucking what?
They put me in a satellite - automatically, without notifying me - four hours after I win a seat (at 5.30 in the morning). What the fuck.
It doesn't say this on the tournament information, by the way, it says the prize is a 'seat into the WSOP satellite'. For the Freeroll tournaments, for example, it specifically says that you win a seat into 'the NEXT freeroll satellite'. Not so with the standard satellites. Just in case, I checked when the next satellite was going to be just before I went to bed. There wasn't one registered.
So that's $215 down the drain. I emailed Party. They gave me some pro-forma reply saying they don't provide refunds. I told them I didn't want a refund, I just wanted a fair go. All I wanted was to play in the damn WSOP satellite, to which I had won a seat. They haven't replied my second email yet. I'm not keeping my hopes up.
It seems even when I win I take a bad beat. Damn it.
They make millions a day on that fucking site. And here is one of their customers who's obviously been screwed. I'm not shooting an angle or trying to get something to which I am not entitled. I just want to damn well play. That's all.
To be continued.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Get Fucked
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo $10 re-buy tournament last night. 90 runners, 10 get paid. I come in 11th.
Get fucked.
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo $10 re-buy tournament tonight. 60 runners, 8 get paid. I come in 9th.
Fuck that.
I've had it. It's wearing me down. I know I'm not playing great. But I also know that I'm experiencing what they call 'running bad'. Poker ain't fun at the moment and doesn't even particularly feel like a challenge. Unless you call hitting your head against a brick fucking wall challenging.
It's not challenging as the hands that are killing me are playing themselves. The air of inevitability hangs over my game at the moment. The inevitability of getting frustrated, angry; hell, I even feel bitter, as sad as that may sound. I think I need a break.
But either way, poker can get fucked.
Get fucked.
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo $10 re-buy tournament tonight. 60 runners, 8 get paid. I come in 9th.
Fuck that.
I've had it. It's wearing me down. I know I'm not playing great. But I also know that I'm experiencing what they call 'running bad'. Poker ain't fun at the moment and doesn't even particularly feel like a challenge. Unless you call hitting your head against a brick fucking wall challenging.
It's not challenging as the hands that are killing me are playing themselves. The air of inevitability hangs over my game at the moment. The inevitability of getting frustrated, angry; hell, I even feel bitter, as sad as that may sound. I think I need a break.
But either way, poker can get fucked.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Three Horrible Hands
AT, AJ, and AQ. Suited or unsuited. Deathtraps, one and all.
They are the crack cocaine of tournament poker. An addiction that will kill you. The problem is, in particular when the blinds are getting large, and you have a medium or small stack - these are damn hard hands to get away from.
I've pretty much given up on trying to play AT or AJ. I'll put in a healthy raise in late position to take the blinds and antes, but I do not want to see a flop. Even if you hit. You may well be out-kicked. TJ Cloutier rightly calls AJ the biggest trap hand in hold-em.
There was a time where I was happy to play AJ and AT aggressively. But those times are over. As I look over my tournament results, it becomes abundantly clear that in the serious hands late in the tournament where I lost serious chips, that a big ace was regularly involved. As I also have an irrational (but likely profitable) love of continuation bets, the Big Ace has often spelt my doom.
So I want you all to know that I'm giving them both up. I'm going on the program. I'm not going to go cold turkey, of course - it's not that simple. You'll understand if I have a re-lapse every now and again. Limping when I shouldn't. Raising on super agressive tables out of position. Check-calling when I hit my Ace but I still know I'm beat. You'll understand that I'm human, but I'm doing the best I can. Addiction is a difficult beast to master.
AQ on the other hand. Well, I'm not sure I can ever give it up. If one hand in the game is my nemesis, AQ would be it. I'm pretty sure this particular that hand, more than any other, has spelt the end of my campaign in many a tournament.
But you know what, I think I may change the way I play it. Sometimes a lot slower, in particular out of position. I may even consider NOT raising with it every now and again. I know I know, in the land of NL hold 'em, the aggressive man is king. But I think it the case, in lower buy-in tournaments, when the range of hands that will call you are horrendous, no matter what your raise, that AQ becomes marginal - marginally profitable, and a deathtrap in multi-way pots when blinds are large and the trigger finger of one's opponents itchy and idiotic.
So, as I find my self consistenly getting in about the top 7 - 10% of the field in most of the tournaments I play - but rarely further, it seems to me I have to seriously re-assess the way I play some hands.
I think I could lose AT from my game and be all the better off for it (sure - I'll raise from it on the button, but I'd raise with anything from the button).
AJ can be my methodone. I'll use it only on a strictly controlled program.
AQ, well, AQ's a bitch; I've had it with this damn hand and I really wouldn't mind never seeing it again. AQ is probably the hardest of these three hands to play - fold or call? Raise or re-raise? Play slow or play fast? It could well be the hardest hand to play in all of hold 'em. I'm not in the habit of wanting hard decisions in tournaments. I can't read low-limit players online - who can? Who can understand their logic? Who can find method in their madness? I certianly cannot. And in this context, I prefer hands that play themselves. Small pocket pairs, small suited connectors, the big pocket pairs - these hands do all the work themselves. You're either way ahead or way behind - you either hit or you don't (and obviously the high pocket pairs can still be gold even when they do not hit).
But AQ? Even when you hit, you're just not far enough ahead to outswin the tide of donkeys at Party. They are waiting for you to play AQ. They are just falling over themselves to run you down. And they will. There's just too many. It's inevitable.
They are the crack cocaine of tournament poker. An addiction that will kill you. The problem is, in particular when the blinds are getting large, and you have a medium or small stack - these are damn hard hands to get away from.
I've pretty much given up on trying to play AT or AJ. I'll put in a healthy raise in late position to take the blinds and antes, but I do not want to see a flop. Even if you hit. You may well be out-kicked. TJ Cloutier rightly calls AJ the biggest trap hand in hold-em.
There was a time where I was happy to play AJ and AT aggressively. But those times are over. As I look over my tournament results, it becomes abundantly clear that in the serious hands late in the tournament where I lost serious chips, that a big ace was regularly involved. As I also have an irrational (but likely profitable) love of continuation bets, the Big Ace has often spelt my doom.
So I want you all to know that I'm giving them both up. I'm going on the program. I'm not going to go cold turkey, of course - it's not that simple. You'll understand if I have a re-lapse every now and again. Limping when I shouldn't. Raising on super agressive tables out of position. Check-calling when I hit my Ace but I still know I'm beat. You'll understand that I'm human, but I'm doing the best I can. Addiction is a difficult beast to master.
AQ on the other hand. Well, I'm not sure I can ever give it up. If one hand in the game is my nemesis, AQ would be it. I'm pretty sure this particular that hand, more than any other, has spelt the end of my campaign in many a tournament.
But you know what, I think I may change the way I play it. Sometimes a lot slower, in particular out of position. I may even consider NOT raising with it every now and again. I know I know, in the land of NL hold 'em, the aggressive man is king. But I think it the case, in lower buy-in tournaments, when the range of hands that will call you are horrendous, no matter what your raise, that AQ becomes marginal - marginally profitable, and a deathtrap in multi-way pots when blinds are large and the trigger finger of one's opponents itchy and idiotic.
So, as I find my self consistenly getting in about the top 7 - 10% of the field in most of the tournaments I play - but rarely further, it seems to me I have to seriously re-assess the way I play some hands.
I think I could lose AT from my game and be all the better off for it (sure - I'll raise from it on the button, but I'd raise with anything from the button).
AJ can be my methodone. I'll use it only on a strictly controlled program.
AQ, well, AQ's a bitch; I've had it with this damn hand and I really wouldn't mind never seeing it again. AQ is probably the hardest of these three hands to play - fold or call? Raise or re-raise? Play slow or play fast? It could well be the hardest hand to play in all of hold 'em. I'm not in the habit of wanting hard decisions in tournaments. I can't read low-limit players online - who can? Who can understand their logic? Who can find method in their madness? I certianly cannot. And in this context, I prefer hands that play themselves. Small pocket pairs, small suited connectors, the big pocket pairs - these hands do all the work themselves. You're either way ahead or way behind - you either hit or you don't (and obviously the high pocket pairs can still be gold even when they do not hit).
But AQ? Even when you hit, you're just not far enough ahead to outswin the tide of donkeys at Party. They are waiting for you to play AQ. They are just falling over themselves to run you down. And they will. There's just too many. It's inevitable.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award (April Edition)
I probably should re-name this the 'bad beat blog', but I think that one is already taken. Not sure if you're sick of hearing my bad/tough beat stories. I'm a bit sick of telling them, to be honest. But I just have to get it out of my system otherwise I'll implode. I guess this blog is what they call carthartic in this regard.
Three wicked tough beats in three consecutive SNGs a few nights back. Check this out:
(the next three paragraphs are 'bad beat' papagraphs, and not particularly interesting. Skip at your own discretion).
First SNG, first hand, I get dealt T9s (6-handed). I limp on the button. Flop comes down with an ace and one of my suit. Everyone checks. Turn comes a fourth of my suit. I semi-bluff given no-one seems interested, and get one caller. River completes my flush. I bet, get raised, I re-raise, and get raised again. Hmm. Ok, I just call. He turns over AQs for the nut flush. Ok, sure. No pre-flop raise, no bet on the flop with a pair of aces with Q kicker. Fine. Anyway, I was crippled after that hand and didn't last much longer.
Next SNG was a wild one. Still on the first level and only four remained. One player limps, I complete on the SB with 64 (come on - it only cost me 20), BB checks. Flop Q64, I bet, BB raises, Limper flat calls. Hmm. Not liking my hand as much anymore, but I think it possible one has hit a Queen and one has a stupid draw. I push. BB calls with Q4. Ouch. Limper calls and shows AA. Dufus. Turn is a Q. Oh dear.
The good news story is the one guy not in the pot had about 300 chips left, and so limped into the money when two bigger stacks got smashed on the same hand. So, I guess my demise gave him a pleasant surprise.
Last SNG of this trio, I am dealt KJs on the button about three or four hands in. I'm a bit shaky after the last two SNG and limp in behind two others with much apprehension. Flop comes (AT5) of my suit. Gin. I check behind everyone else. Turn a blank, I bet, two callers. River an A. I'm reasonably happy here as I figure one of the two callers has hit trip Aces. First position bets, I raise, he puts me all-in. Hmm. I sigh and call. He shows 55 for the rivered boat. Ah my, ah me.
May I continue in this vein? Or blue vein as the Champ would put it?
I shall.
Satellite into the 200k guaranteed at Party. 117 runners, four get seats, the next three get some cash. I play tight, solid play, restraining myself from trying anything tricky. I make it to the final table. With 9 left, I find QQ on the button. With blinds at 1000/2000/75, big stack raises to 8000, I come over the top for 32 000. He insta-calls - oh yes he does - for 40 per cent of his stack - oh yes it was - with his mighty A6.
Motherfucker.
I mean, seriously, Ace fucking six? On what planet is that a good hand?
Planet Earth, apparently, as my two sweet ladies got defrocked and sent out to the store for some beer and chips.
Before I move on to the much anticipated Play of the Month Award, I should say that I'm not under the illusion that I'm some sort of poker genius on a bad run of cards. I know this is not the case. But I do think it fair to say I am a solid novice experiencing a really wicked run of beats.
But anyway, this one is a beauty.
It's one of those WSOP Freerolls on Party Poker (I know, Freeroll + PP = Worst Beats Ever, by definition, but hear me out). So i've got K9 on the button (yes, yes, in know, bad beat stories can't start with the words, 'I was holding K9', but don't leave yet). Two limpers come in before me, blinds check.
Flop K95. Nice. First limper bets, next player calls, I raise, first limper goes all-in, second limper calls, I shrug and call.
First limper shows K5. Nice. Second shows A8. Huh?
Turn 6, river 7. The chips float over to our friend with the A8. For a moment I sit there stunned, wondering why I didn't win take the pot. Is there some sort of bug on Party? The computer has made a mistake, has it not? What is happening here? Then I see the runner-runner gutshot. Oh right, yeah. Cheers.
He was 3% on the flop. He committed all his chips after there was a bet before him, a raise behind, and a re-raise all-in in front of him. And he did it with Ace high and no draw. Kudos to you, nameless PP donkey (I was too stunned to take down his screen name at the time), for really making my night. I haven't lost many pots to an opponent who was 3% on the flop, but this one takes the cake for one of the most appalling calls I have ever seen.
The Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award deservedly goes to this little episode. Kudos.
***
Went to a free tournament at a pub out of town. I figured that while being free, it offered me an opportunity to practice some of my live poker skills. As further evidence of poker's skyrocketing popularity, this small pub found itself unable to fit all the players at the 8 tables it had set aside for the night, so they made a list of alternates in order to give everyone a shot (the tables were 8-handed). Including all the reserves, there must have been 90 runners.
Key hands:
#1) My starting stack of 1500 had been whittled down to 750 after being cold decked for four levels (I'm sure you'll appreciate that stealing pots is out of the question at an extremely loose table in a free tournament). With the blinds 100/200, I found AK UTG (easily my best hand of the night thus far). I push, getting three callers (as you'd expect). Flop AK5. Nice. Hand holds up against A4, 99 and 33, and I quadruple up.
#2) After working my way up to about 6000, I find KK in second position with the blinds at 500/1000. UTG goes all in for about 4000, I push, everyone folds. UTG has AT. Flop is all blanks. Turn brings a third heart. I note that I have the Kings of hearts, but that my opponent has the Ace of hearts. River a fourth heart. Oh the pain. I feel myself burning with frustration and my capacity to stop myelf from howling in anguish faltering. Luckily I keep my mouth shut and just shake my head. Fortunately the person who cracked my Kings is a friend and was equal parts ecstatic and apologetic (and drunk on white wine). If anyone was going to crack my Kings, I guess I'm glad it was her. But it still fucking sucked.
#3) Next hand I am UTG with 2300 left in my stack. I am steaming. I see 97s and push all my chips into the middle with not a little bit of anger (although in retrospect it wasn't such a bad play given my stack - Harrington would probably approve). All fold quickly to the button who thinks for a while before folding. My king-cracking friend is on the BB; she thinks for even longer, and then folds. Button tells me he had J9, BB said she has A7 but felt bad about cracking my kings so didn't call. I tell them I had AJ and carefully unclench my bladder muscles.
#4) Next hand, I have 2800 left (with 1000 in the middle for my BB). Button raises to 2000 leaving himself 500 behind, SB folds, I look down on Q8 and say 'ok let's get it all in the middle') (I mean, what else am I going to do here?). Button puts in his last 500 and turns over A6. I'm not too far behind, and end up a long way ahead when I river a Q high straight.
Now I'm looking a bit better with 6800.
#5) I think I stole a few blinds in late position in the next couple of cycles. Perhaps three circuits later I get A4s on the button and push. The big blinds thinks a bit then calls... with A3. Flop has a four. Nice. He has me covered by a few hundred so I double up to about 14 000.
I steal a few more times and with about 20 people left, I have around 18000 in chips.
#6) I feel pretty comfortable after this and cruise to the final table (of 8). I think we're down to six when the button raises my big blind 3000. Unfortunately for him, the blinds are 4000 - 8000. There are no rules for minimum raises at the tournament so the bet stands. I have to put 3000 into a put of 23000 and so auto-call (with 96 - not that it matters). Flop comes T72. I check, my opponent checks. This player basically only bets when he hits, doesn't fold pre-flop, but was capable of folding post-flop when he missed. As such, I was going to go all in no-matter what if a blank came off on the turn. The turn obliged by giving me a wonderful looking 2, I push, he folds. Thanks.
#7) I still haven't figured out if I made a mistake this hand. Long story short, in a three way pot, there was 24000 in the middle. A player to my left goes all-in for 8000. The other player folds. The board reads (JJ8)(2) with three diamonds. I had K7 with the King of diamonds (I was on the big blind, ok?). The all-in guy had checked the flop. Off the top of my head, I figure if he has the jack, then I have 8 outs to the flush (discounting the 9th flush card which will also give him the boat). That's about 16% I guess or 5 to 1. If he has the 8 then I have 9 outs for the flush + 3 for the King giving me 13 or 26%. Which is about 3 to 1. A call is correct here. In retrospect I didn't put him on the Jack, so I guess I should have called. Oh well. (I obviously didn't include here option 3) he already had the boat and I was drawing dead (unlikely), or 4) he was on a pure bluff and I had the best hand (unlikely but slightly more possible than 3)).
#8) Still 6 left. Chip leader has about 50 000, I have about 25 000, everyone else is short-stacked. UTG goes all-in for 12 000, I look down and find QQ, and happily shove all my chips in. The chip leader is on the BB. He looks at his cards, looks at my bet, thinks for a while, and calls with 99. UTG has 55. Nice. Even if I lose to the 55 here, I still win a decent side pot (26 000).
So a 9 promptly comes out on the flop. Fuck. I shake my head, shake everyones hands, and go out 5th. The pub gave me a six-pack of Crownies for my efforts, so it wasn't all bad.
***
Live tournament last. 90 entry fee; three tables. I nearly double my starting stack of 3000 in the first round after a big stack bluffs a heap of chips to me when I have a boat. I lose most of them in not long after when a) I fail to see a third person in a pot, and bluff in I spot where I normally wouldn't (bad play - I was focussing on the good player at the table and didn't see the thrid player call my raise) (for the record, he had JJ and limped, she had KK and also limped (from chronic timidity - not trying to make a move or anything - I find TT on the button and raise. Flop was A62 rainbow, I feel that the first limper has missed the flop and bet - he folds, I go to rake the pot and hear 'call' from my right. Stunned, I turn and see a third player - a tight, sometime calling station in the pot. Great.)
I was angry at myself after this mistake. Steaming. A few hands later I hit top set on a board of 962, all diamonds. Early player bets, I put him all in, he calls with KJ (with the K of diamonds). Donkey rivers his flush and my stack is crippled.
I was unusually pissed off after this. Very, very frustrated. I think I may give that particular tournament a rest for a little while. Taking beats when you're a mile in front is one thing, but making fundamental errors like FAILING TO SEE ANOTHER PLAYER IN THE POT is something else again. I'll have to think on this one, but I think I deserve an honourable mention in the Play of the Month Awards.
Three wicked tough beats in three consecutive SNGs a few nights back. Check this out:
(the next three paragraphs are 'bad beat' papagraphs, and not particularly interesting. Skip at your own discretion).
First SNG, first hand, I get dealt T9s (6-handed). I limp on the button. Flop comes down with an ace and one of my suit. Everyone checks. Turn comes a fourth of my suit. I semi-bluff given no-one seems interested, and get one caller. River completes my flush. I bet, get raised, I re-raise, and get raised again. Hmm. Ok, I just call. He turns over AQs for the nut flush. Ok, sure. No pre-flop raise, no bet on the flop with a pair of aces with Q kicker. Fine. Anyway, I was crippled after that hand and didn't last much longer.
Next SNG was a wild one. Still on the first level and only four remained. One player limps, I complete on the SB with 64 (come on - it only cost me 20), BB checks. Flop Q64, I bet, BB raises, Limper flat calls. Hmm. Not liking my hand as much anymore, but I think it possible one has hit a Queen and one has a stupid draw. I push. BB calls with Q4. Ouch. Limper calls and shows AA. Dufus. Turn is a Q. Oh dear.
The good news story is the one guy not in the pot had about 300 chips left, and so limped into the money when two bigger stacks got smashed on the same hand. So, I guess my demise gave him a pleasant surprise.
Last SNG of this trio, I am dealt KJs on the button about three or four hands in. I'm a bit shaky after the last two SNG and limp in behind two others with much apprehension. Flop comes (AT5) of my suit. Gin. I check behind everyone else. Turn a blank, I bet, two callers. River an A. I'm reasonably happy here as I figure one of the two callers has hit trip Aces. First position bets, I raise, he puts me all-in. Hmm. I sigh and call. He shows 55 for the rivered boat. Ah my, ah me.
May I continue in this vein? Or blue vein as the Champ would put it?
I shall.
Satellite into the 200k guaranteed at Party. 117 runners, four get seats, the next three get some cash. I play tight, solid play, restraining myself from trying anything tricky. I make it to the final table. With 9 left, I find QQ on the button. With blinds at 1000/2000/75, big stack raises to 8000, I come over the top for 32 000. He insta-calls - oh yes he does - for 40 per cent of his stack - oh yes it was - with his mighty A6.
Motherfucker.
I mean, seriously, Ace fucking six? On what planet is that a good hand?
Planet Earth, apparently, as my two sweet ladies got defrocked and sent out to the store for some beer and chips.
Before I move on to the much anticipated Play of the Month Award, I should say that I'm not under the illusion that I'm some sort of poker genius on a bad run of cards. I know this is not the case. But I do think it fair to say I am a solid novice experiencing a really wicked run of beats.
But anyway, this one is a beauty.
It's one of those WSOP Freerolls on Party Poker (I know, Freeroll + PP = Worst Beats Ever, by definition, but hear me out). So i've got K9 on the button (yes, yes, in know, bad beat stories can't start with the words, 'I was holding K9', but don't leave yet). Two limpers come in before me, blinds check.
Flop K95. Nice. First limper bets, next player calls, I raise, first limper goes all-in, second limper calls, I shrug and call.
First limper shows K5. Nice. Second shows A8. Huh?
Turn 6, river 7. The chips float over to our friend with the A8. For a moment I sit there stunned, wondering why I didn't win take the pot. Is there some sort of bug on Party? The computer has made a mistake, has it not? What is happening here? Then I see the runner-runner gutshot. Oh right, yeah. Cheers.
He was 3% on the flop. He committed all his chips after there was a bet before him, a raise behind, and a re-raise all-in in front of him. And he did it with Ace high and no draw. Kudos to you, nameless PP donkey (I was too stunned to take down his screen name at the time), for really making my night. I haven't lost many pots to an opponent who was 3% on the flop, but this one takes the cake for one of the most appalling calls I have ever seen.
The Royal Sampler Play of the Month Award deservedly goes to this little episode. Kudos.
***
Went to a free tournament at a pub out of town. I figured that while being free, it offered me an opportunity to practice some of my live poker skills. As further evidence of poker's skyrocketing popularity, this small pub found itself unable to fit all the players at the 8 tables it had set aside for the night, so they made a list of alternates in order to give everyone a shot (the tables were 8-handed). Including all the reserves, there must have been 90 runners.
Key hands:
#1) My starting stack of 1500 had been whittled down to 750 after being cold decked for four levels (I'm sure you'll appreciate that stealing pots is out of the question at an extremely loose table in a free tournament). With the blinds 100/200, I found AK UTG (easily my best hand of the night thus far). I push, getting three callers (as you'd expect). Flop AK5. Nice. Hand holds up against A4, 99 and 33, and I quadruple up.
#2) After working my way up to about 6000, I find KK in second position with the blinds at 500/1000. UTG goes all in for about 4000, I push, everyone folds. UTG has AT. Flop is all blanks. Turn brings a third heart. I note that I have the Kings of hearts, but that my opponent has the Ace of hearts. River a fourth heart. Oh the pain. I feel myself burning with frustration and my capacity to stop myelf from howling in anguish faltering. Luckily I keep my mouth shut and just shake my head. Fortunately the person who cracked my Kings is a friend and was equal parts ecstatic and apologetic (and drunk on white wine). If anyone was going to crack my Kings, I guess I'm glad it was her. But it still fucking sucked.
#3) Next hand I am UTG with 2300 left in my stack. I am steaming. I see 97s and push all my chips into the middle with not a little bit of anger (although in retrospect it wasn't such a bad play given my stack - Harrington would probably approve). All fold quickly to the button who thinks for a while before folding. My king-cracking friend is on the BB; she thinks for even longer, and then folds. Button tells me he had J9, BB said she has A7 but felt bad about cracking my kings so didn't call. I tell them I had AJ and carefully unclench my bladder muscles.
#4) Next hand, I have 2800 left (with 1000 in the middle for my BB). Button raises to 2000 leaving himself 500 behind, SB folds, I look down on Q8 and say 'ok let's get it all in the middle') (I mean, what else am I going to do here?). Button puts in his last 500 and turns over A6. I'm not too far behind, and end up a long way ahead when I river a Q high straight.
Now I'm looking a bit better with 6800.
#5) I think I stole a few blinds in late position in the next couple of cycles. Perhaps three circuits later I get A4s on the button and push. The big blinds thinks a bit then calls... with A3. Flop has a four. Nice. He has me covered by a few hundred so I double up to about 14 000.
I steal a few more times and with about 20 people left, I have around 18000 in chips.
#6) I feel pretty comfortable after this and cruise to the final table (of 8). I think we're down to six when the button raises my big blind 3000. Unfortunately for him, the blinds are 4000 - 8000. There are no rules for minimum raises at the tournament so the bet stands. I have to put 3000 into a put of 23000 and so auto-call (with 96 - not that it matters). Flop comes T72. I check, my opponent checks. This player basically only bets when he hits, doesn't fold pre-flop, but was capable of folding post-flop when he missed. As such, I was going to go all in no-matter what if a blank came off on the turn. The turn obliged by giving me a wonderful looking 2, I push, he folds. Thanks.
#7) I still haven't figured out if I made a mistake this hand. Long story short, in a three way pot, there was 24000 in the middle. A player to my left goes all-in for 8000. The other player folds. The board reads (JJ8)(2) with three diamonds. I had K7 with the King of diamonds (I was on the big blind, ok?). The all-in guy had checked the flop. Off the top of my head, I figure if he has the jack, then I have 8 outs to the flush (discounting the 9th flush card which will also give him the boat). That's about 16% I guess or 5 to 1. If he has the 8 then I have 9 outs for the flush + 3 for the King giving me 13 or 26%. Which is about 3 to 1. A call is correct here. In retrospect I didn't put him on the Jack, so I guess I should have called. Oh well. (I obviously didn't include here option 3) he already had the boat and I was drawing dead (unlikely), or 4) he was on a pure bluff and I had the best hand (unlikely but slightly more possible than 3)).
#8) Still 6 left. Chip leader has about 50 000, I have about 25 000, everyone else is short-stacked. UTG goes all-in for 12 000, I look down and find QQ, and happily shove all my chips in. The chip leader is on the BB. He looks at his cards, looks at my bet, thinks for a while, and calls with 99. UTG has 55. Nice. Even if I lose to the 55 here, I still win a decent side pot (26 000).
So a 9 promptly comes out on the flop. Fuck. I shake my head, shake everyones hands, and go out 5th. The pub gave me a six-pack of Crownies for my efforts, so it wasn't all bad.
***
Live tournament last. 90 entry fee; three tables. I nearly double my starting stack of 3000 in the first round after a big stack bluffs a heap of chips to me when I have a boat. I lose most of them in not long after when a) I fail to see a third person in a pot, and bluff in I spot where I normally wouldn't (bad play - I was focussing on the good player at the table and didn't see the thrid player call my raise) (for the record, he had JJ and limped, she had KK and also limped (from chronic timidity - not trying to make a move or anything - I find TT on the button and raise. Flop was A62 rainbow, I feel that the first limper has missed the flop and bet - he folds, I go to rake the pot and hear 'call' from my right. Stunned, I turn and see a third player - a tight, sometime calling station in the pot. Great.)
I was angry at myself after this mistake. Steaming. A few hands later I hit top set on a board of 962, all diamonds. Early player bets, I put him all in, he calls with KJ (with the K of diamonds). Donkey rivers his flush and my stack is crippled.
I was unusually pissed off after this. Very, very frustrated. I think I may give that particular tournament a rest for a little while. Taking beats when you're a mile in front is one thing, but making fundamental errors like FAILING TO SEE ANOTHER PLAYER IN THE POT is something else again. I'll have to think on this one, but I think I deserve an honourable mention in the Play of the Month Awards.
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