Same Old Story, Different Day...

Hey everybody! I have been avoiding posting my results for the week or so because I have simply and painfully flat- out sucked. I don't want to be negative but I think this year is going to be a total loss. I once again failed to get any points, although I did make the final table in the second game last time. Now this week, Niki and Mark, the two players who are closest to me, are returning after a long absence. I wanted to get some seperation from them, but unfortunately, that time has come and passed. A few people have decided to take some time off and while I was thinking of doing the same, I also think that even if I show up and get no points, it's better than not showing up at all. I think if I was going to take time off, I should've done it in the beginning or in the middle of the season. I certainly can't do it now or at least I can't do it without getting a boat load of points to add to my cushion. Every week it's the same thing though, I play well, I make most of the right moves and I still end up on the outside looking in. Here, I'll give you some examples...

In the first game of the night, I was really focused. I wasn't chatty or even remotely audible. I don't think I said a word at the table (aside from raise, check, etc.) for at least 15 or 20 hands. I was playing well until Moe caught me trying to semi - bluff. That hurt my chip stack dearly. I finally started picking up good hands and I was putting pressure on the rest of the table, while picking up the blinds. Finally, I got Ac - Kd, and I went all in for about $1400 or so, maybe a little less. Kurt, who was the big stack at the table, made an isolation move and it worked. No one else wanted to contend with the big stack at that point in time, and I can't fault them. I also wasn't really concerned with what Kurt had, either. Face it, I wanted to be heads up with someone when I've got big slick. I knew Kurt didn't have much, otherwise he probably would've chosen just to call. I put Kurt on an ace w/ a weak kicker and it was probably suited. Against that, I didn't mind, and against ace - rag unsuited I had him dominated. Against king - x I had him dominated, so unless he had a small pair, which was possible, I was a favorite. No one else called and we flipped. He turned out to have Kc - Qd. It was one of the best situations I could've been in. The flop came: 2d - 5s - 2h. I was loving it, all I have to do is dodge a Q on the turn or river and I'm all set. The turn was 5c. The board now read 2d - 5s - 2h - 5c. I was still ok at that point, my ace kicker was still playing. All I needed to do was dodge a 2, 5, or Q and I would double up. The river came up 2s. The board had a full house, 2d - 5s - 2h - 5c - 2s. We chopped the blinds and I fell back in my seat. It's not like he had improved his hand, it's just my hand was counterfeited by the full boat. Mark, who was sitting at the table, called it a suck back. Whatever it was, it it absolutely sucked as far as I'm concerned, no pun intended. A few hands later I picked up pokcet J's and psuhed all in. Mark Immediately isolated me and turned over pocket A's. Nothing popped and I was out in 16th place.

The second game I was a little less focused, but not to the point of where I had no focus. I was just laying back, under the radar and let the game take its own course. I made it to the final table with a meager but still viable chipstack. I was somewhere around $1600 in chips. Of course, just my luck, I get seated in the big blind which was now quite expensive. The blinds were $200 - $400, I had a quarter of my stack invested in the pot without even looking at my hand. Everybody folded to the small blind, which was Scott and he just limped. I looked down at a ragged 5 - 7 offsuit and decided to check rather than push at that point. The flop came up: Jc - 5h - 2h. Scott checked it to me and I did something I usually never do... I pushed with middle pair. I went all in for my remaining $1200 and I was promptly called by Scott. Before I get into what he had, let me tell you why I had pushed. First, I had been sitting near or next to Scott all night and he had ALWAYS led out and bet with top pair. At least, he did when I saw him, which was virtually 65% of the time, but whatever. I also hit middle pair, which while not a monster, I thought it was the best hand at the time. Lastly, he checked to me, which I interpreted, all be it incorrectly, as a sign of weakness, so I decided to push. Anyways, Scott turned over Jh - 4h. I turned over my crappy 5 - 7 offsuit and prayed for a miracle. I got miracle on the turn when the 5s hit, givng me a set. The board read: Jc - 5h - 2h - 5s, I was ahead by a lot and only a few cards could've helped him. Well the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. The river was Ah, giving Scott a flush and destorying my set of 5's. I was the only person to walk away from that final table without points, being aptly named the bubble boy for the second game. In heinsight, Scott played the hand very well. I was caught off guard by his top pair, and I was less than thrilled when the flush came. I guess I could've cheked the flop and pushed all in on the turn. Maybe Scott would've folded had I done that, but I doubt it. Chalk it up as another misplayed hand by me, what a shock.

In closing, I don't expect much over the last 7 games, I just want to go for the win. I'll take any points I can get, but the win would really help me out going into the final stretch. We'll see if I can make it happen this week. Only time will tell. Until next time, later!

X

P.S. - Sorry about being so late with my post.