Final Round

So I entered the last round of the evening doing ok - right at that 63,000 I would want to be at, although I hadn't gotten a hand in an hour since I moved tables.

An hour later I had played the following hands:



Two hours without a hand - unbelievable. Right around 2 hours I did get pocket 9's, but under the gun raised and the big, big stack at the table ($225K) raised to $6,200. I had people after me, I had the blinds after me, I had the original raiser after me, and even if I called and none of them did, the big stack was going to bet the flop and if the flop had an Ace, King, or Queen, I would probably end up folding... so why waste the $6K trying to hit a set? So I folded. Perhaps too conservative? Or maybe a no brainer? What good are pocket nines anyway?

A couple hands later it's the big, big stack's blind and I get AQ off... so I raise - I haven't made a move in two hours, I've been hemorrhaging chips, and just picking up the blinds and antes would be a nice relief. But she calls. Of course she calls.

Flop comes Q, J, little with a couple diamonds - so I bet my top pair, top kicker.

She glares at me and calls. Of course she calls.

Another little one on the turn, so I bet $8,200. For me, this is like 20% of my stack. For her, it's like 3%. Anyway, she glares at me for a while and finally folds reluctantly, almost as if she thought I was bluffing. Right... because I didn't play a hand for two hours and decided to bluff on the giant stack's blind from an early position. But I picked up 7,000 and got right back to the 63,000 with an hour left - I should have no problem finishing the night above 50,000.

I almost raised QJ suited under the gun, but folded it... too conservative? Or a no brainer? I didn't need the hassle.

Another time everyone folded and small blind made a min raise. I called with K 3 suited, but missed the flop, the turn, and folded to his bet after the turn.

That's it. In the three hours since I moved to that table, those were the only hands I played... or could have played. Two hands in 3 hours... and one was just because it was me and the small blind and I had position for a min raise. One real, true hand in 3 hours.

I hate table 14.

Right up until about 20 minutes to go.

I've got about 53,000 left and if I don't play another hand (Which wouldn't be shocking), I should end up about 50,000 for tomorrow... which is perfectly fine, I'll have about 12 or 13 times around the table and have the entire first round and part of the second round to find a decent pot.

I'm in great shape.

Anyway, I'm on the button and everyone folds to me... I look down at queens.

So I raise. Big blind reraises and I call - I figure I'll see if there's an Ace or a King on the flop before putting any more in preflop.

Flop comes... 8 clubs, 3 clubs, 3 hearts. He bets 9,000 on a 15,000 pot. I raise to 24,000... no ace, no king, this is my pot. He comes back over the top and puts me all in.

Uh oh.

Suddenly I don't feel so good about my queens. I mean, he three bet me preflop and three bet me after the flop... and I was betting big and had demonstrated I was a conservative player (See: played 2 hands in 3 hours). What if he has aces?

No... he couldn't have aces.

Could he?

Well I can't fold to just thinking that he has aces...

Can I?

Let me count my remaining chips and see if I can get out of this hand...

Ugh, only about 22,000 left... if I fold, I'm in all in mode and basically shoving with anything - isn't it better to shove with my queens and the 63,000 pot?

But aces... surely he has aces.

But what else can I do? I can't be stuck with 22,000 in chips with 20 minutes left - I have 31,000 chips in there... I'm pot committed.

Besides, my queens are quite possibly good here.

So I called and flipped my queens up.

And he turned over... aces.

No, just kidding, he had tens!

TENS!!!

The turn was a ten. The river didn't save me. And in less than 30 seconds, I went from being an 88% prohibitive favorite to end the night over 100,000 in chips to out of the tournament.

Busted.

I'm not sure what to say... I want to cry... I want to vomit... I actually did a little of one already and I think I'm about due for the other.

There were some times in this tournament that I might have been able to extract more money. And certainly I pulled a couple bonehead moves I would have liked back. But all in all, I played about as well as I ever have. I was patient most of the time, I was aggressive when I needed to be, I didn't go on tilt when I went hours without a hand, I kept the ratio of my chip stack to the blinds in perspective and didn't get (too) intimidated by larger stacks... and when I had the chance, I got all my money in on a hand I win nine times out of ten.

And I lost.

I think I hate this game.

The "funny" part is that in May, I played in the Main Event of the New Orleans Circuit Event - it was the last major tournament I played in. I played well there too and got knocked out when my aces couldn't hold up against AK suited. I was 90% to win that hand too. You would think that I would actually win some of these 90% hands one of these days. I mean, statistically speaking, I should actually win about 9 out of 10 of them.

Anyway, in addition to crying and vomiting, cursing (loudly), drinking (heavily), and breaking things are now all on my list of things I want to do at 1:30 am. I wonder if the hotel/casino across the street has Woodford? I know they have table games... mmmmm... bourbon and blackjack...

At any rate, I guess that's all folks... thanks for reading and sorry I couldn't go for another day - I am actually stunned that I am not playing tomorrow - I had so many chips and there was so little time left :-)

C'est la vie...