A Self Inflicted Poker Wounding

This past weekend was not a good one for me. I played two tournaments and three cash games and failed to win a single dollar. Not one. Did not leave with a single $1 bill in profit. In fact, I rather unintentionally donated a bunch of dollars to a bunch of other people.

First I went to Data's single table deepstack tournament. I felt good before this game, felt sharp. I started off well (as what usually happens) and in the first few orbits had made AK, a set, and a flush to put me ahead. I was hitting, I was smooth. Then, as what usually happens, the wheels came off. The first major mistake I made was raising from mid position with K5h. I was attempting to steal (in actuality, my first steal attempt. Previous raises had all been with real hands). My table was playing very tight/nitty and I felt like I should be taking more hands preflop. Unfortunately, I picked the exact time that the new kid at the table (a) had a real hand, and (b) was tired of being manhandled. He shoved over the top of my raise and without even considering it I snap called. He had AQ, I lost over 1/3 of my stack. It was so idiotic I couldn't believe I had done it. I was irritated at the large re-raise and was determined to catch him on a bluff/re-steal or some other retarded reasoning that didn't make sense. I had, in fact, shot myself in the foot. The next hour and a half or so was a combination of me getting zero cards preflop and missing the few flops I took. I blinded off until I was short stacked and managed a near triple up through the new kid but it was all for nought. I blinded down to about 10BB when I was dealt an A. I immediately shoved before getting the second card. I did this to convey that I did indeed have an A and probably the best hand. Unfortunately, I didn't have the best hand by far. Immediately to my left Data had QQ and shoved over the top of me. After that hand I had time to go get something to eat whilst Kirsten was still in. When I left she was short stacked, when I returned she was playing Linda heads up for the money. She finished second, which is remarkable because she hasn't played many tournaments this year.

After that stellar performance I went to Linda's Saturday night tournament. Again I started off well, doubling up my stack by turning a flush and crippling Randy. Less than a round later I gave it right back on yet another dumb call. Preflop I made it $700 in the $100-200 round with AQ. Adam called as did Linda. The flop was A-J-3. It checked to me and I bet out $2k. Adam snap raised me to $5k and Linda folded. I tanked for a minute. I couldn't put him on AK because every time he had it preflop he was three betting. I didn't think he would slam it with AJ when I was betting out. I decided he either had A3 or he was crushed. I re-raised him all in and he snap called. His hand? A3 of course. Insult 3 on the river and he got over 1/2 my stack. It was a horrendous call on my part but again I was irritated by the check raise. I had convinced myself he was just pushing with a shit ace because he felt I was c-betting and had missed the flop. It nagged at me because I know I should've folded it but I didn't. After that I couldn't hit he broad side of a barn. I missed flops and blinded down a lot. There was no stealing with Adam at the table, he was hitting everything and made a point of check raising every hand I raised after that. I finally got it in good against Mr. Data when he shoved light with Q-10. I called from the button with A5h and he proceeded to flop a Q high straight. Down to crumbs I shoved into Jack's AJ with my A3 and had time to kill before the cash game started. I wandered down to Nautica and sat at a $1/2 with Brad for about 3 orbits. I had two playable hands, both of which I had to fold post flop when I missed and other people were betting and raising.

I came back to Linda's for the triple pot limit cash game. I played a high variance game with a VPIP of nearly 100% and it cost me. I was in damn near every hand and I was getting pummelled. I made two bad calls that cost me most of my stack. The final blow was raising in the PLO round with AA26. The flop came 2-7-8 off. Data check-raised me all-in and instead of immediately folding I paid to see his monstrous wrap which he immediately hit on the turn.

I was looking forward to the mix game on Sunday. I had been having a shitty weekend so far (mostly due to my own impatience) and wanted to play a few games where I felt I had an edge. I played 7 hours or so of mix game and had absolutely no edge. When I wasn't being horribly outdrawn by a table full of people who refused to fold I was making bad decisions and getting my money in bad. I let Meat rattle me after a hand of Razz where he ran me down despite having two pair showing and jamming the whole way. After that I got spewy, playing too many hands and letting myself get behind. I finally left when the game broke having lost my buy-in, a rebuy, and $8 of a marker. I would get into specific hands, but I frankly don't remember most of them plus I'm confident most of it was my fault.

I played undiscipled, shitty poker this past weekend and the results were what you'd expect in that case. I need to get my shit together if I want to have any chance of cashing at this weekend's tournaments.