Back to the Felt, Back to the Grind

Okay, so I'm back. Back to my old beats, back to my old "almosts"...just...back.

After starting my Tuesday night getting horribly taken out of two tourneys on the very first hand (and yes, I recognize I could have gotten away from both hands with about 30% of my stack left...), I was prepared for a horrible night.

Well, it wasn't horrible. But it wasn't great. At least one minor bit of coolness took place (tempered by...yes...more beats).

As it turned out, I got home and booted up just too late for the Bodonkey, missing entry by about three minutes. (Note to Bodog, allowing late registration a la JokerStars and FTP would be a good idea.)

I played my first ever Badugi tournament, on JokerStars. It wasn't a big deal, only $2.20, to donk it up with 96 others in a pot limit Badugi event. Yet with 20 players left (16 paid), there I sat as chipleader. I wasn't thinking money, because even first place only paid soemthing like $48, but at this point, I really wanted to take this thing down. Alas, I wouldn't even see the final table. Yup, bubbled the final table. Just like everything else. This time, in the span of one orbit, three times I had made 4 card badugis of varying worth (8-high or 9-high) go down to the very same player who each time drew out on the thired draw and caught a 4 card badugi one card (or two) lower than mine. Three third draw suckouts in one orbit by the same guy. So I took my $4.96 and said "fuck it".

Oh yeah, I also went out of a tourney rather late (but not bubble late) when I flopped a set of Kings on a KT9 board, where some asshat calls off all his chips with AJ who hits the miracle 7 turn and 8 river to send me out. I should be steaming by now, but I'm not.

Finally, I stagger my way into the money in a Bodog $10+1 turbo MTT, mostly by thieving enough, and open shoving any late position ace in a 6-handed spot, to make the average cat burglar jealous. Still, one the actual bubble, I made a marginal fold that probably cost me tons -- let me know what you think.

Six handed, and I've got AQ soooted in the big blind. I'm around 18k in chips (below average, but probably around 12th-13th of remaining players), and blinds are 1500/3000, so I'm already in for 18% of my chips. UTG shoves. He's been capable of shoving a fairly wide range over the last few orbits, and I think I'm at worst in a race. But the button calls (both have me covered, though not by much). On the very bubble, on a night when I've been used and abused by the RNG once again, do I really want to call off all my chips with AQs? If I survive, I'm top two or three in chips, and primed for a deep run at the near $600 first prize. But if I lose, I get squat. I make the crying fold, thinking that I need some kind of cash just to boost my confidence.

As I suspected, the UTG player didn't really have much at all ATo, and I had him dominated. But I was entirely bummed to see the caller call with QTs. Wow, what a terrible call in that spot. But even worse, I had both players truely dominated, with only two tens left in the deck. I was ready to call the UTG player, but really expected the button to have more of a hand, at least AKo if not a decent pair. The eventual ace on the board sealed it. So I blew a chance to have a strong stack late. Still, I'm not entirely sure my fold was the wrong play -- I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Anyway, I made the cash, and even managed to limp into the final table, again mostly through stealing, as I was really card dead the rest of the way. Of course, as is typical for me, I went out 9th, when I had less than one BB in the BB with QT. I just couldn't call off my chips the last three hands with no card higher than a 9. Maybe I should have played my 74 soooted, but I had zero fold equity the entire short time at the final table.

But here's the best illustration of my luck. Two hands before my departure, two other short stacks (bigger than mine) are both all in, with a big stack caller. I don't recall the exact cards, but as of the turn, the big stack was well in the lead. If he survives, I move up two spots and more than double my payout, just by not being foolish. Of course, a two outer K comes on the river (both shorties had a K) and gave the two short stacks a chop of the pot. Instead of two players going out, they both survive, and I'm out two hands later.

Still, the most important part is I was in a good mood with the Good Doctor Mondo came home, and despite another good old fashioned deep dickin' by the RNGs without benefit of a reacharound, my emotional state was pretty much unfazed.

So I guess I'm back to online poker. That is, at least until my bankroll eventually dies out from all the beatings...at this point, I'm pretty certain I won't ever reload of my own volition. Not with real poker coming to Blackhawk/Central City over the next few months, where I don't have to fuck around with the dodgy not-so-RNGs that seem to take pleasure in seeking me out for excess punishment. I've got a wee bit of roll left, though...