I am really getting tired of it. The last three tournaments I played in I got knocked out holding pocket kings, pocket queens and pocket aces, respectively. Good grief. Naturally I had the best hand all three times.
I just do not understand it. As an example of how all these hands were played, I will describe last night. I had just won a hand with pocket kings (miracle of miracles) and was immediately dealt pocket aces right afterward. I was still short on chips and decided I was going all in with it.
A young guy I had never played with before raised to 150 UNDER THE GUN. I figured he must have a pretty darned good hand to raise in that position. Nonetheless, I was unafraid. I reraised to 600. Everyone folded and he insta-called. The flop was 9-10-10. I knew he could have a ten in his hand (especially after he checked) but I just couldn't believe it. I made the mistake of putting the way I would have played on him. I would have folded everything with a ten except pocket 10s to a 450 reraise. I pushed. He called. He had (believe it or not) the Q-10 of diamonds.
How oh how do I win against idiots like this? Under the gun with a Q-10 . . . insta-calling with a Q-10 and beating my aces with it. Yuck!!! This is sick.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
If Only . . .
The Tournament of Champions was held at the Cable Bridge last Sunday. I was defending champ. I almost made it to another final table and possible championship, going out 12th.
If only . . . I had made that call with A-K. I had about 21,000 in chips with 16 players left at 2 tables. One guy went all-in for 7,500 and the guy right next to him insta-called for 2,500. I looked down at A-K offsuit. I went into the tank. I immediately put the 2,500 chip guy on a pretty good-sized pocket pair. I thought the first guy might actually have the same hand as me or maybe A-Q because he had actually gone all-in earlier with an A-10 which is pretty weak. I finally decided that one of these guys might knock the other out and why should I get involved for one-third of my chips? The dealer saw what I threw away and I think he almost had heart failure.
I was backwards on the hands. The first guy had pocket jacks and the second guy only had K-9 of clubs. At that point however, I still believed it was a good laydown. Naturally, there was an ace on the flop and another one on the turn and I would have absolutely crushed both players and had another 10,000 plus the blinds and chips from the previous limpers. No one could believe I folded A-K until the dealer confirmed it. I just don't know. Even in hindsight I still think I was right to do so.
If only . . . I hadn't fallen in love with my pocket sevens. I raised before the flop. One guy called me. The flop was 10-5-9 rainbow and it didn't really scare me too much until the guy went all-in. I had him covered, but I definitely didn't think about this one long enough and I did call him. If he had an overpair to the board I was in big trouble and he did - pocket jacks. The turn was an 8, so then I was hoping he would hit his jack for a set or a 6 would come and give me a straight, but it was not to be. I really got crippled on this hand with only 12 players left and it was just plain stupid.
If only . . . I had waited. After the break with the blinds 500-1000 I only had 6,000 left. I was at the point where I had to go all-in or fold - nothing else. In the small blind I had K-5 diamonds and called. The flop had 4 diamonds and gave me a gutshot straight if I hit a jack. I pushed it all in the middle. The guy that had taken most of my chips when I had 7s earlier already had the low end of the straight. Even though it was one-third of his chips he called me anyway and his hand held up and I was out. I did not even need to put money in the pot with K-5 at that point because I had many more hands to look at before the blinds came my way again.
If only . . . I weren't my own worst enemy. I guess I'll just have to take the tournament next month. :)
If only . . . I had made that call with A-K. I had about 21,000 in chips with 16 players left at 2 tables. One guy went all-in for 7,500 and the guy right next to him insta-called for 2,500. I looked down at A-K offsuit. I went into the tank. I immediately put the 2,500 chip guy on a pretty good-sized pocket pair. I thought the first guy might actually have the same hand as me or maybe A-Q because he had actually gone all-in earlier with an A-10 which is pretty weak. I finally decided that one of these guys might knock the other out and why should I get involved for one-third of my chips? The dealer saw what I threw away and I think he almost had heart failure.
I was backwards on the hands. The first guy had pocket jacks and the second guy only had K-9 of clubs. At that point however, I still believed it was a good laydown. Naturally, there was an ace on the flop and another one on the turn and I would have absolutely crushed both players and had another 10,000 plus the blinds and chips from the previous limpers. No one could believe I folded A-K until the dealer confirmed it. I just don't know. Even in hindsight I still think I was right to do so.
If only . . . I hadn't fallen in love with my pocket sevens. I raised before the flop. One guy called me. The flop was 10-5-9 rainbow and it didn't really scare me too much until the guy went all-in. I had him covered, but I definitely didn't think about this one long enough and I did call him. If he had an overpair to the board I was in big trouble and he did - pocket jacks. The turn was an 8, so then I was hoping he would hit his jack for a set or a 6 would come and give me a straight, but it was not to be. I really got crippled on this hand with only 12 players left and it was just plain stupid.
If only . . . I had waited. After the break with the blinds 500-1000 I only had 6,000 left. I was at the point where I had to go all-in or fold - nothing else. In the small blind I had K-5 diamonds and called. The flop had 4 diamonds and gave me a gutshot straight if I hit a jack. I pushed it all in the middle. The guy that had taken most of my chips when I had 7s earlier already had the low end of the straight. Even though it was one-third of his chips he called me anyway and his hand held up and I was out. I did not even need to put money in the pot with K-5 at that point because I had many more hands to look at before the blinds came my way again.
If only . . . I weren't my own worst enemy. I guess I'll just have to take the tournament next month. :)
Friday, September 4, 2009
Slow Playing and Fast Playing - Both to the Death!
My lack of luck and/or skill over the last couple of weeks finally got me pretty annoyed at the Cable Bridge tournament last night.
My first mistake (but not last) was limping in with a pair of threes on the button. Then on a board of 3-4-5 I got really stupid and decided to slow play them (with possible straight on board), just calling the player to my immediate left. He bet again on the turn (200) which was an 8. I raised to 600. He just called. I threw 1,000 out on the river and he called me with pocket 8s for a bigger set. OUCH! Thank God I didn't go all in on the river.
I only had about 900 left after the slow play fiasco and just waited patiently for a good hand that I could fast play. I looked down on the button (of all places) and had 2 black queens and went all-in. Got called by Val with A-K. He flopped 2 pair and rivered a full house. It was home for me. The only good thing about either of my opponents beating me was that they probably would have done so in any case. The first guy wasn't going anywhere if I pushed harder on the flop because he had an overpair to the board. I do not think Val would have gone anywhere either even if I had more chips before the flop.
I guess it's OK when you can make mistakes and analyze them too! Ha! I just hope my luck or skill gets a teeny bit better before my defense of the Tournament of Champions on Sunday.
My first mistake (but not last) was limping in with a pair of threes on the button. Then on a board of 3-4-5 I got really stupid and decided to slow play them (with possible straight on board), just calling the player to my immediate left. He bet again on the turn (200) which was an 8. I raised to 600. He just called. I threw 1,000 out on the river and he called me with pocket 8s for a bigger set. OUCH! Thank God I didn't go all in on the river.
I only had about 900 left after the slow play fiasco and just waited patiently for a good hand that I could fast play. I looked down on the button (of all places) and had 2 black queens and went all-in. Got called by Val with A-K. He flopped 2 pair and rivered a full house. It was home for me. The only good thing about either of my opponents beating me was that they probably would have done so in any case. The first guy wasn't going anywhere if I pushed harder on the flop because he had an overpair to the board. I do not think Val would have gone anywhere either even if I had more chips before the flop.
I guess it's OK when you can make mistakes and analyze them too! Ha! I just hope my luck or skill gets a teeny bit better before my defense of the Tournament of Champions on Sunday.
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