Another Freakin Backdoor Flush

Poker is a cruel game. Once again, I have someone just where I want him in a tournament, and I lose in an ugly way.

The skinny: Online Players Tournament $10 buy in on July 15 at Poker Host. I am at the final table with a middle-sized stack. I get A-K and raise to double the big blind to $1,600. I get reraised by the chip leader and call. The flop is rag-rag-rag, but all diamonds. Neither my Ace nor King is a diamond, but I think I have the other guy beat. I go all in, thinking he might fold. He calls me, and turns over Q-J, with one of them a diamond. The flop is a rag, and the river ... a diamond!

Instead of doubling up and being one of the chip leaders, I am out in seventh place.

If a Queen or a Jack hits, okay. But to lose on the stupid flush .........

Thus, almost ends a bad week of poker. I still have two good tourneys tomorrow - a $20,000 freeroll at Poker.com, and a $25,000 event at Celeb Poker. It would sure be nice to write about a big cash tomorrow.

And oh - I did at least end the evening on a good note, cashing at a Poker.com $1500 Guaranteed tournament. I was hovering at about 19th out of 20 with only a few chips left and only ten paying positions. I scratched and clawed my way to the final table. After being short stacked, going all in with A-K suited (clubs), and seeing two clubs fall on the flop, I was prepared to triple up and look for the victory. Unfortunately, the final club didn't come on the turn or river and I had to settle for seventh place. I have to admit - I kicked butt to get where I did at the end.