Mean Gene

Hope It's A Long Day Tomorrow

Jesus, there are 2239 folks signed up for the PokerStars Blogger tournament tomorrow. To put that in perspective...you'd need someone smarter than me. Sorry, I'm pretty beat. Long, fun night last night, and it's hot out and I'm tired.

After getting home last night I figured I'd play a little poker until I felt ready for bed. Won a little pot early on, and found myself with KK in front of me. I raise, another guy raises, I re-raise, and all the money ends up in the middle. He turns over aces and they hold up. Ah well.

Two hands later I'm dealt KK again. The dude who had the aces last time raises, and I shove, pretending that I'm steaming and after revenge. He calls...and turns over queens. My kings hold up. He took it with good humor, saying, "The Lord taketh, and the Lord taketh away." I admire that sort of aplomb.

I was roused out of bed at 9AM by my friend Mark calling to say he'd be around to watch the Czech-Ghama match before the US played. I drank a big glass of water, popped a couple Advils (I'm seriously out of drinking shape), and decided to play a breakfast SNG. The very first hand I flop the nut straight and end up all-in against a guy with top two pair. He gets no help and I double up. I had a ridiculous run of cards--aces, kings twice, queens, and I think I hit an ace with AQ three times in a row. If I hadn't won the thing I would've been depressed, and I did win the thing, after a long and well-played heads-up duel. I thought it was well-played, anyway. Especially my play.

As always, the second I start thinking that I'm playing well the Poker Gods drop an ice cube down my back. Played another SNG, and down to four I'm dealt those kings again. I raise a limper who just calls. The flop comes queen-high, I'm pretty much committed, so I push. He calls and I expect him to turns over queens. Instead he shows jacks. He calls a big raise with jacks, an overcard appears, and he calls an all-in for 7/8 of his stack.

Of course I'm foreshadowing the jack that popped on the river. Another player says, "that's sick", and I agreed, and the guy who hit his 2-outer says, "shut up xxxhole.". Guy puts all his money in with two outs, gets lucky...and gets uppity about it. Bad form. He went on to win the thing, thanks to that hand. No justice in this world.

I tried to soothe my savage heart with some micro NL, but the deck was cold and I lost a bit. Came home, made some supper, sat down to play a bit before bed. First hand I'm dealt queens, I win a little pot. I win a little pot with a straight. Win a little pot with kings. Lots of nice little pots. And then I win a big pot when a guy re-raises me all-in while I hold TPTK and the nut flush draw. He turns over pocket sixes and after I scoop it up he signs off by saying "bs". Doesn't anyone have fun playing poker anymore. Tsk.

What are the chances that I'll win tomorrow's tournament...is there a number lower than "nil"? Zilch, perhaps. Yes, I'd post the odds of me winning tomorrow as zilch. I don't know if I'd even want to play in the Main Event, to be honest. I mean, I wouldn't mind, but it might be hard to me to get 17 days off in row in case I sell my soul and make the money. I think even the Devil wouldn't exchange my soul for a final table spot, let alone the bracelet. Someday I'd like to play in a World Series event, just so I could say that I did it. Maybe someday I will. But I'd like to be a good enough player that my chances of doing well are better than zilch. Not every 2000-person tournament is a fun-filled freeroll.

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