The Wheels Have Come Off

So, I decided to hit Dave's game last Saturday and play some cash. I made it with 3 minutes to spare for the tournament, and there weren't many people there so I bought in. First hand AK off, Gary K makes it 1200 to go. I call and miss the flop compeletely and am forced to fold off 6.5% of my stack. After the break, blind down to 4500 (started at 7900) and finally shove on Malcolm with J9 suited. He tanks for a minute and calls with 66. Board comes AAKK4 and I win on kicker. I plod along for a while and make the final table. I get into a monster three way all-in between me (AJ off), Jamie (A2 off) and TK (A8s). TK makes trip 8's on the turn and I take the side pot and eliminate Jamie, breaking mostly even. TK then doubles me up with his AK against my 99. I make it down to 3 handed and bust with my J9 (again, I know) against a new guy who couldn't lay down QJ off. I take my $100 cashout to the cash game, where I promptly lose it in less than 2 orbits.

I sit down and don't play a hand until I get JJ. Raise to $6, two callers. Flop A-A-8, I bet $12 and they fold. Then I get 44 in the blind. Paul Millions makes it $6. I call, as does Father Time. Flop 10-6-5. I check, Paul checks, Joe checks. Paul oftens raises/checks with big Aces, I am figuring he missed this flop. A-10 or a pocket pair would've bet, so I think I might be good. Turn a 6, I check again. Paul bets $12. I am fairly sure he's on air. Joe calls, I call. River 4. Bingo! I open/shove for $50. Paul smooth calls. Joe folds. I declare "I have a full house" and Paul says "So do I..." as he tables 10-10. Oops. FUCK! I decide not to rebuy and just leave.

Kirsten and I were bored Sunday and I talked her into a trip to Nautica so I could play some $5/10 limit. I buy in for $220 and proceed to blow $80 in two hands to the same exact beat. I flop top pair, get a guy betting it the whole way like he has the nuts only to see his runner-runner flush. I called $5 on the button with 6-5d and flop comes A-6-5. I bet it the whole way and watch the pot go to the guy with AJ who hits his J on the river card. I rebuy another $100 and just get pummeled. Call a raise with AK, flop a K, bet the whole way and get run down by a guy with J9 who catches runner-runner two pair (he calls a check-raise on the flop with no pair and no draw and gets lucky). I get up $320 lighter and decide that I am finished.

With that loss my bankroll is officially flat. It seems that poker and I need to see other people for a little while. I am going to stick to a few tournaments and stay out of the cash game mix for a while. With Christmas coming up I can't dump any more money into poker right now, I need to take care of my kids first. I'm sure if the occasional sweet limit cash game (like an 8 game at Dave's) pops up I'll play, but NL and I are taking some time off. First of the year I am making a few changes to my bankroll and how I track it, I've been reading some books and want to take a few steps to start taking poker more seriously. I've been playing too casually, it's taking a toll.