Hello, Downswing

I was going to write about the $10 SnG downswing I've been wallowing in, but I think I'll examine my past results (which I haven't done since March when I started at the $10's) and post more later. Suffice to say, I had a stretch of eleven SnG's where I cashed once. Not good.

I was reminded by a sage micro-limit player (oxymoron? nahhh) that I should keep myself out of danger around the bubble. In a few cases, I was putting too many chips at risk with players that could bust me. Fold, get in the money, then allow yourself a few more risks. In the SnG that broke my "slump of eleven", I folded pocket eights when the small blind limp-all-in'ed me when we were fourhanded. Losing that hand would've left me with 900 and the BB at 150. I ended up second to that guy's third. The winner busted me with slowplayed aces, when I couldn't let go of QJ-suited on a ten-high flop with my four-flush.

Thursday night's cash game was PCS Derek's night. He hadn't been by in a long time. I welcomed him back by bluffing into him twice in poor spots. He had trips the first time, and a boat the second. Lucky me, I had top pair, weak kicker at best, and folded rather than pushed more.

I gave myself a tiny pat on the back for playing my original $10 down to under a buck-fifty before mounting a nice comeback. The comeback included a fun hand where my pocket nines flopped a set against pocket eights, then hit quads on the turn. Can't I save that for when I'm trying to crack aces?

My comeback ended with aces and about $14 sitting in front of me. I made it 80cents preflop and Forty Ounce Dave jacked it to $3 on the button. He has reraised me three times when I've raised with aces: fives, queens, and eights. So naturally I put him on a pocket pair. I figured he's learned his lesson about my preflop tendencies with aces, so I smoothcalled.

The flop was paint. K-J-J, rainbow. Hmph, a little scary. I went ahead with my checkraise anyway, making Dave call another $6 or so after he bet out $4 into the pot. He flipped up AQ-spades, and hit his ten on the river, for dramatic effect. I appreciate that the Poker Gods have a sense of timing.

Derek was the big winner, at +$55. Albert (-$22) and Oklahoma Jeff (-$30) led the downward charge. Mike V was back in action, and still hasn't walked away with any money from my game. As for myself...

In for $20, out for $14.

~~

Even though it was Father's Day, we had our Sunday tourney. Sorta. I thought I was going to work all day, so I put it off to the others to host/play if they wanted to. Kida hosted, I got cut early, and we played 6-handed in Orange with Albert, Oklahoma, Miguel and Shawn also playing.

Ooof. Card dead. I won one hand in the rebuy phase, and small one at that.

Impatience and frustration got the better of me right before the rebuys were over. I had been tight, and raised it up with A9 offsuit. Three callers... we're sixhanded!... and the flop missed me, jack-high. It's checked to me and I shove, only a slight overbet of the pot due to my shortstack and all the callers. Albert thinks about it for far too long, then calls with AJ.

Wasn't much better afterwards... a lot of folding, a steal or three and a busted steal, and I found pocket fives on the button. We were fourhanded (Miggy and Shawn out already), and Albert limped in for 200, so I shoved my 1900 chips in from the button, hoping to take down the 500 that's out there already. Oklahoma Jeff, who had about 10K at the time, called from the big blind with pocket sixes and flopped a set.

It was one of those nights where it felt like I was just keeping a seat warm. Being a placeholder. A true dead money experience.

I had brought my nice new KEM cards, and wanted to let them finish out the tourney before leaving. They did, with Albert winning a nice come from behind heads-up match with Oklahoma. I didn't watch. I was so dog-tired that I sacked out on the couch. 8AM soccer, then work, followed by a nap that wasn't long enough. I should know better, but I don't think the alert, perceptive version of me could've won with those cards.

No biggie. There's always next week.

In for $25, out for $0.