poker karma

After 8 days of not playing I was quite looking forward to my first session back. Maybe it was a reward for getting more organised and handing in a project from work, because my first session back was a good one. I've been sticking to the satellite's and straight away I qualified for a $320 tournament. As usual when your winning in poker, it all felt a bit easy.

On Saturday night, after a night out, I made the mistake of hitting the tables after I staggered back home. I sensibly withdrew all my real money but lost about 60 tournament dollars which I was not happy about. There was also another $320 China package tournament about to start when I got back, and with only 250 runners the alcohol nearly got the better of me and I nearly entered. Thankfully I gave it a miss.

A few days later, I was determined to win some money back, and it was one of the most brutal sessions I've had. I entered about 10-15 small stake satellite's and not only did I not cash in one of them but the way I got knocked out was comical. I like to think I take my bad beats pretty well, and the more you play the more you get use to them so it's easier for them to not tilt you. In one of the games, I had AJ on the button, pushed and get called by 33. Now, obviously it's a flip so I'm happy with losing it, but when the flop comes A J 2 and the river is a 3, it's a real jab to the ribs. I then check raised all in with 7,4 on a K 7 4 flop and get called by k2, and the turn an rivers are both 8's and I get DUGUIED!

Time to take a break, so I did, and came back to play a $36 six-handed satellite to a $215 tournament. With this tournament only 1st place got the seat and 2nd place got the booby prize of $1. At three handed it was time for me to get my share of good fortune. After the button made a standard raise I went over the top all in with A3, he called with AJ and I got a huge bit of luck by hitting a 3 to put me in contention. At heads up, and even in chips I get it all in with my aces against ten's and the ten on the turn gives me that same jab to the ribs feeling. That card sent me packing and thinking about how to spend my $1.

So after about 5 hours of play, I'm left without a single cash and not feeling too good about it.

The moral of the story has to be that I need to find the life/poker balance. Many people have there vice's, mine is poker. When I do play not only do I enjoy the strategy and competition but I use it as a distraction from life. If I can do both and find the balance, I'll be a much better player....