Straddling the Thin Line Between Winning and Losing
Yesterday was just one of those days. I needed to stay at work for a special presentation in the evening, so I knew that I would be cutting it close to make it for the start of the weekly Shark Road Game on Thurday nights at Absolute Poker. The Thursday night Shark game is a toughie -- great competition, and of course, the horrendous beats that Absolute seems to dole out on a regular basis. I have cashed in this tourney before, finishing as high as third, I believe, but have never taken it down.
I got into the game right at the start, but actually spent the first hour sleeping in between hands. I was so tired I just couldn't keep my eyes open. However, I was still able to play a solid game and stay in the middle of the pack up to the first break. At the second break I was still in acceptable position -- in the middle of the pack, but not where I would want to be chip-wise. Then ...
I was in the big blind and dealt J-10 of spades. The flop brought three lower spades, so I had flopped a Jack-high flush. I immediately decided to go all in and make someone pay to beat my hand, which I was pretty sure was currently the best. To my surprise, I got two callers: one who hit a set of 5's on the flop, another holding the King of spades and an off-suit card. So ... if the board pairs I would lose, and if another spade comes, I would lose. However, neither happens and I vaulted into third or fourth place. *Ding*
The tourney was paying nine places, and soon we were only a few people outside the money. In a blind, I got a Jack of hearts and a Queen os. The flop showed two hearts including the Queen. There were other dangerous high cards, but I decided to stay in -- a mistake, in retrospect. The turn was a heart and the river was a heart, so I was hoping that ZingBust, my opponent, did not have the Ace or King of hearts. Turns out that he had both. Suddenly I was in the group that would be jockying for bubble position.
We got down to 11 players, and three of us at the bottom were about equal in chips. I was dealt pocket Queens and decided to go all in to hopefully take down the pot right then and there. Unfortunately, ZingBust called and showed one of the two hands I dreaded: A-A. I got no help on the turn or the river and bowed out in 11th place, two places outside the money.
I don't whine about these kind of defeats much anymore, but I was just angry to have worked 12 hours, then played three tourney hours with nothing to show. What a waste of a day.
Tonight should be great since I have my home game on tap. I finished second the last time when I foolishly slow played my pocket Kings, so I hope to make up for it tonight by winning first place money.
Yesterday was just one of those days. I needed to stay at work for a special presentation in the evening, so I knew that I would be cutting it close to make it for the start of the weekly Shark Road Game on Thurday nights at Absolute Poker. The Thursday night Shark game is a toughie -- great competition, and of course, the horrendous beats that Absolute seems to dole out on a regular basis. I have cashed in this tourney before, finishing as high as third, I believe, but have never taken it down.
I got into the game right at the start, but actually spent the first hour sleeping in between hands. I was so tired I just couldn't keep my eyes open. However, I was still able to play a solid game and stay in the middle of the pack up to the first break. At the second break I was still in acceptable position -- in the middle of the pack, but not where I would want to be chip-wise. Then ...
I was in the big blind and dealt J-10 of spades. The flop brought three lower spades, so I had flopped a Jack-high flush. I immediately decided to go all in and make someone pay to beat my hand, which I was pretty sure was currently the best. To my surprise, I got two callers: one who hit a set of 5's on the flop, another holding the King of spades and an off-suit card. So ... if the board pairs I would lose, and if another spade comes, I would lose. However, neither happens and I vaulted into third or fourth place. *Ding*
The tourney was paying nine places, and soon we were only a few people outside the money. In a blind, I got a Jack of hearts and a Queen os. The flop showed two hearts including the Queen. There were other dangerous high cards, but I decided to stay in -- a mistake, in retrospect. The turn was a heart and the river was a heart, so I was hoping that ZingBust, my opponent, did not have the Ace or King of hearts. Turns out that he had both. Suddenly I was in the group that would be jockying for bubble position.
We got down to 11 players, and three of us at the bottom were about equal in chips. I was dealt pocket Queens and decided to go all in to hopefully take down the pot right then and there. Unfortunately, ZingBust called and showed one of the two hands I dreaded: A-A. I got no help on the turn or the river and bowed out in 11th place, two places outside the money.
I don't whine about these kind of defeats much anymore, but I was just angry to have worked 12 hours, then played three tourney hours with nothing to show. What a waste of a day.
Tonight should be great since I have my home game on tap. I finished second the last time when I foolishly slow played my pocket Kings, so I hope to make up for it tonight by winning first place money.
posted by lightning36 at 9:44 AM
3 Comments:
How is that a beat? Unlucky maybe.. but not a beat.. heh. Better luck tonight.
Yeah, good luck tonight...I don't have a lot of readers, but I linked you, and a few others, in my latest post. Hope you get some more visitors. See you at the next M00kie, of course!
Thanks for stopping by, guys. As for the losing hand ... I didn't say it was a bad beat, just a beat -- one of those frustrating losses we get. I changed the wording based on the interpretation, so thanks. I just hated to play for three hours for nothing...
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