Devastation

I have taken some time to write about Sunday's disaster.

All of my Saturday night optimism and then some were wiped out over short tournament and LONG cash sessions Sunday.

A field of 44 players entered the $400 tournament. We had five rebuys for a total first prize of $7,000. This was something worth winning.

But I never got any traction. My high point was 10,400. We started with 10,000, by the way. I got unlucky in some hands and played a couple hands poorly.

Quick synopsis:

1. 50-100. Limp in multi-way pot on button with 64h. Flop 962, two hearts. Bingo. Loose but stubborn player bets out near pot size from big blind. Everyone else folds, and I decide to call, thinking he will not fold top pair. Turn is an offsuit ace, and he bets about the same amount. I raise, thinking he is weak, then he minimum re-raises me.

I am pissed that I have now built a large pot on the turn with a drawing hand, but I have to call now. River blank. He thinks, then checks. I don't think I can make him fold. I check, and he shows AJo. I misread the hand because I couldn't believe he would lead out with just A-high, no draw, into four opponents on the flop. Oh well.

2. 50-100. Last hand of the level, last hand for rebuys. With about 7K, I raise to 300 UTG with AKs. One caller on the button. Flop A82, rainbow. I bet 500, she calls. Turn 8. I check-call 600. River 3 (no flush possible). I check-call 800. She has A8. Christ. Lost the minimum, though.

3. 100-200. Folded to me, raise in middle position to 500 with KTh. Player from hand 1 makes it 1000. He doesn't raise a lot preflop, so I am looking to flop a monster on him. Heads-up to flop. It comes T-high, and I choose to forgo my clear read preflop and check-call two moderate bets from him on the flop and turn, and probably would have again on the river, except he checked his AA.

Blah. Just convinced myself he could have 99 or AK. Stupid.

4. 100-200. Two limpers to me, I jam 2050 on button with A8h. Blinds fold, first limper folds, second limper with decent amount of chips says, "I'll double you up," and calls with 76o. 7 on turn ends my day, 37th of 44.

So, things definitely did not go well. But I calm myself down and start the 2-5 pot-limit game with a good field I can expect to do well against.

I proceed to have one of the coldest runs to start a session I have had in a while. We are playing 6-handed, and I have barely seen a playable hand. The ones I do open with or call with miss the flop. Sometimes I take it with a bet, sometimes not. I dwindle to about 225 from my 300 starting stack, then open AK UTG. Two callers. Flop AQT, two spades. I bet 75, one caller, who could easily have Ax or a draw. Turn offsuit 7. I go all-in. He has the complete joint, KJs. No chop for me on river.

Rebuy for 300. Same as first buy-in, finally making a stand, squeezing a raiser and two callers with 77. I haven't played a hand in a while, so I'm shocked when both call. I ship my last 50 in on a 9-high flop, both call. Turn A. One of callers has AK.

Little mad now. Stacks are deep, so I rebuy for 1000. I did not plan to be 1600 deep in this game. Play and play and play and play, finally getting up to more than 1300, leaving me about 300 short from even.

Open AK UTG. Three callers. Flop AK4, two diamonds. I bet 80, call, call, fold. Turn offsuit 2. I bet 350. Fold, call from the tightest player in the game.

I am shocked by this. This guy is squeaky tight. On the flop, I assumed he had AQ or AJ, thinking I was making a continuation bet and the player in between was on a flush draw. Now, that is out the window. He would not make this call without two pair or better, and he wouldn't have K4. All he can have is AK, 44 or A4 suited. One crushes me, one ties me, one I crush him.

Just because he doesn't move in doesn't mean he couldn't have 44, either. He would give me lots of credit for this big turn bet, and would be afraid of AA or KK.

River 6. I check, he jams for 506. I yell, "FUCK!" shocking the rest of the table. I give it a good two-minute think. Thinking clearly, I don't think he would bet A4 here, maybe not AK.

I say out loud a couple times, "It must be a set of fours." I call anyway, and he shows me a set of fours.

I haven't been that devastated in a long time. I played all day to take a cooler, but the worst part was, I read the situation right and didn't have the psychological strength to save that 500. That 500 meant something to me, and I threw it away, trying to convince myself that he could have AK or maybe, in my wildest, hopeful dream, A4.

My emotions have been going up and down a lot lately, and right now it's hard to go too much lower.

I'm playing tonight. I'm either going to book a win or go broke in my seat.

I have to make something happen.