Soul Searching

Good evening everyone.  I had a very rough morning today, and coupled with yesterday's whiff at the Flamingo Freeroll, I was not very happy as I made my way here to the Monte Carlo from the Quad (I'm typing this from the sportsbook here as Johnny Manziel prepares to make his Browns debut - has anyone heard anything about this guy???).  The odds of cashing in the Quad Freeroll were very high today, as 10 of 25 entrants cashed for $300.00.  I think my "card-deadness" in yesterday's Flamingo tourney probably played into a decision by me that can best be defined as egregious in hindsight.  TEN minutes into the tourney, one orbit of the button, and the blinds were at 25/50, with everyone starting with 3K in chips.  There was a small raise at the far end of the table, which the chipleader (doubled up when his jacks spiked another hook to crack kings) called, before the player to my right raised to 700.  I looked down at AK and SHOVED for 2,925.  Everyone at the far end of the table folded, then guy to my right said, "this is too good to fold..."  The villain turned over KK...  The board didn't help me, and I finished 24th of 25, out in TEN MINUTES...  I... WAS... NOT... HAPPY...

I had plenty of time to fume about my brilliance as I walked from the Quad here to the Monte Carlo.  When I arrived here THREE HOURS BEFORE the 1:00 p.m. start (evidently you make good time when your poker decisions are horrible), I still had plenty of time to do some serious soul searching.  I (usually) do well in tournaments, and my plan was NOT to whiff all three weekend tournaments.  My game will keep improving as I play more poker, but I've had some hands cracked in cash games (who hasn't?), and these freerolls should be an insurance policy at the very least, and will ideally serve to grow my bankroll if I learn how to play tournaments.  I... WAS... FUMING...  As I sat here this morning on the same couch I'm typing this from now, I thought about two years ago when I returned to Texas from here after a break-in.  And don't get me wrong - I have some GREAT FRIENDS.  My former employers on the Square and at the University of Texas told me that I'm welcome back if I need a job.  My friend Lindsey set me up with an apartment OVER THE PHONE heading into Labor Day Weekend after that break-in occurred when I wasn't comfortable with my footing here.  At a time when my disgruntlement and depression could have been SO MUCH WORSE (I didn't even have a t.v.), I have another friend who meant SO MUCH TO ME  (who I inexplicably lost and hope I can someday make things right with - I never even had the opportunity to thank her like I intended).  Well, suffice it to say that I have a lot of friends (if you're a regular reader of my blog, you've seen me CONSTANTLY stealing material from them - Leanne and Francesca immediately come to mind, headlining the top of a VERY LONG LIST )...  ;)  This is before even mentioning the support of my fellow bloggers...  However, with all of this, I think that I can be successful playing poker and betting sports, and I don't want to HAVE TO get a job.  YEAH..., a lot of soul searching going on here several hours ago...

Then my day improved...  After about an hour, I could keep beating myself up, or I could get into the 2-6 spread limit game here.  There was one hand of note - I got the black pocket kings, and they STOOD UP, and I cashed out up $82.00 before the freeroll started.  Then we were in the freeroll, one in which 26 of 41 entrants would cash.  This is a deep-stack freeroll as far as these things go - 25-minute levels, with 5K in chips to start (plus an extra 100 for every hour you go beyond the qualifying 13).  So, we had FORTY-ONE people playing SUPER TIGHT.  Well, except for the guy at my table who shoved his AK into pocket kings and CRACKED THE KINGS (I kid you not).  But I stayed patient as I didn't receive premium hands, and when necessary I shoved my AJ and beat 4 6, and when it was all said and done, I called the small blind's shove from the big blind (I had him heads up, and would have been all-in on my small blind).  However, my Q 6 couldn't catch his K J (king on the flop), and I busted out in 16th place for a $175.00 cash.  With my 2-6 win, that's $257.00 up for the day.  It started out horrifically, but I would take that EVERY DAY...  :)

Have a good one and I'll see you soon...  ;)