In the Poker God's dog house...

[Vorlin]

I can handle the usual beat or two or even three... but this past 2 days has been a nightmare since I had one good finish in a decent size tourney.

I took second out of around 1500 people and got a decent little prize, so I decided to take the prize up a limit in cash games.

Ok, so I know that bumping up a limit is not a smooth transition and I'm trying to be careful and all that. So I'm watching my opponents and they're all over the place, really loose table which is actually getting to be the exception rather than the rule... but it was the case here.

I was trying to be tight and was aggressive enough to get my hands HU, usually taking a pot without a showdown. I doubled, then tripled my buy in... and then got dealt JJ.

The only other player in had position on me but was fairly loose, so I figured I was in ok shape. Flop came all undercards, no straight or flush. I hammer all in to try to end it early to keep from being drawn on, he calls.

Yea, his pocket pair was higher. Exactly what isn't important. I got whomped.

Ok, no big deal... I had divided my prize into 5 buy ins and still had 4 left.

So I change tables to shake myself off and try again. I double, triple quadruple the buy in. I got 99 dealt to me and for some wierd reason a little demon on my shoulder insisted that I had the hand so I stupidly pressed it, with predictable results. Ok, that one was totally on me and my being stupid. It happens... shake it off and move on.

2 buy ins shot.

I decide to shake things up a bit by going back to what I know... tourneys. I have about a 50% cash rate in SnG's and so used a buy in for one. I was doing well, but not great. I had a decent stack and we were 4 handed... one more bust out to payday. Suddenly, this table torqued up tighter than anything I've ever seen. Even the chip leader looked like he was terrified to play a hand. This went on for 5... 10.... 15 minutes. I make a small steal here and there but the larger stacks are taking a few extra and I didn't have anything that I dared to call with so I was getting blinded down. The blinds jumped and my M dove accordingly so I went from tight/push-fold to push it FAST.

3 hands into this I got dealt JJ... and we were 4 handed. I needed chips in a bad way so, despite being UTG, I hammered it and would have been happy with an out of position steal. Instead I got a call.

Seeing AA and JJ at the same time is not that big of a deal 10 handed but, for crying out loud, 4 handed? It had been a long time since I'd taken the 4th place boobie prize (which is nothing) so you can imagine that I was less than thrilled.

Third buy in gone. Call it a bad day, go to bed.

Next day, try to be smart. I enter a smaller SnG for about 1/4 of a buy in and figure to get my confidence back. Sure enough, I'm on my game. I'm dodging their good hands and really got a twist on someone by making a good read when he tried to make a move. Within 20 minutes I'm the leader with double the nearest stack and about 8M to play with as a cushion. I started using that 8M with selective aggression and was doing well but others were doing well too. We smashed a couple more people out and were again 4 handed but this time I had the lead.

Then, super rear-end pucker took hold of the table again. I tightened as well to avoid being picked apart by 3 tight players and waited... and waited. Then, I started getting decent hands, especially for 4 handed. Hands like AJs, KQs, KK, etc.... so I started making a couple plays but then the flop would hit someplace around 4000 miles from my hand and I'd be facing a large bet in my face. Again and again... so I tightened more and then started getting QJs, 77, KT and AJ... and having flops hit somewhere far, far away from my hand and being bet into like the guy had the nuts. They weren't raising 4-5x the bb... these guys were serious for half their stacks or AI.

So now I'm co lead... and get JJ.

Needless to say, JJ is on my list of hands to BURN the next time I see it. Another 4th place, no money finish.

So then I go over to some micro limit and try a Chris Ferguson for practice and maybe some relaxation. I took a buck into 02-05 and played like I was made of granite until I moved, and then moved with what aggression that little buck could muster. The cards went dry for a bit and at a 10 handed .02-.05 table I got blinded down to about 50 cents... which tells you just how badly the cards ran. I hit a hand, doubled up and then went on for another 15 minutes or so... until I got 99 again and somehow that stupid demon was back and talked me into it AGAIN. (pound head on desk)

60 seconds and no chips later....

"THIS IS THE DONK POLICE... SIR, PUT THE CARDS DOWN AND STEP AWAY FROM THE LAST BUY IN THAT YOU HAVE IN RESERVE..."

Ok.... starting to tilt a little over 90 degrees here but I do see my mistakes and have some bonus points to pay with so I can keep that last buy in for some other time. So I try a bonus point SnG...

Once again I'm kicking the stuffing out of the table with tight hand selection and selective aggression but only when I have position. Things are looking good!

Then the cards turned so I waited... and got blinded down....

Then I got JTs on the button and the two guys in the blinds had been loose and goofy, but sometimes lucky too, so I wasn't the leader. I went all in, looking for the steal but not too upset to face them... they were that loose.

Sho' 'nuff, they both call. One has KQo and I'm a little concerned but the other has nothing, as usual. The flop pairs my ten and gives me a gutshot... so I'm in the lead off the flop!

The turn is a 9 and hits my gutshot! I'm looking sweet! I have the J high straight and the next best player needs a J on the river, so he has 3 outs at best!

How come I never get to hit a 3 outer like that?!?!?!?!?!?!?

J fell, his straight was K high... at this point I'm wondering who I PO'd in another life??????

So I try one more SnG for one little bonus point buy in. I'm waiting... I'm waiting.... I'm folding.... I'm watching losey tunes bust 3 people and this winner is playing any old trash because he wants to be a chip bully. I slip in with JTo on a cheap flop and catch a Ten. The flop was 3T4 so I have top pair with a so-so kicker and I'm against a guy who was playing literally anything.

The turn comes a 4... for 3T44 and I pop him AI. He calls and I'm thinking it's a good thing, with the cards this guy has been playing.

He not only shows a 4.... he shows ***34o*** and had the boat on the turn.

So tell me.... has anyone had a run bad enough to cause an aneurysm before or might I make the medical journals if this stuff keeps up for much longer?

One beat I can take... two, three are still ok. We work with probability, not certainty, and I can handle that.

4,5 I'm starting to wonder...

But if I see JJ or 99 one more time in the next 24 hours I think I'm going to put a fist through the flat panel.

Thanks for reading my vent... it's not always *this* bad when you try to take a small step up in limits, is it??

Vorlin

[TheBlueMonster]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for reading my vent...

[/ QUOTE ]
oops...sorry

[willw9]

tl;dr;dc?

[BaThR0oM]

Cliff notes:
Placed in a tournament
Started running really bad
Regrets killing Poker God's dog in last life
99 and JJ are sent from the devil
Interesting read. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Ron Poor]

placed in a freeroll, 50NL

[Vorlin]

[ QUOTE ]
Cliff notes:
Placed in a tournament
Started running really bad
Regrets killing Poker God's dog in last life
99 and JJ are sent from the devil
Interesting read. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL

Yea but the only way posting helps me is if I say it in 80,000 words so I pound the frustration out on they keyboard.

Fortunately, the money is really nothing at this stage. I know where I got silly a couple of times and have plugged that leak (pressing 99-JJ out of position)... but the rest are either dumb luck (AA from someone who was playing garbage or AA & JJ in a 4 handed game) or, worse, out-draws from he**.

And then there was the chip bully who happened to get a great flop and turn for a hidden boat by the time I popped him. He saw that flop cheaply and had the chips to burn so I won't knock him *too* badly for seeing a cheap flop with 34 (he was on the button) but that board was just sick.

*sigh* Oddly enough, I can handle 1500 maniacs in freerolls about 1/3 of the times I try but this last 48 hours has left me nauseous.

Vorlin

[benza13]

I sincerely hope that OP lives to old age with no major health problems and a wonderful family life.