BUSTING WITH TENS

I dedicated nearly three hours to a $50 NL Hold'em tourney with 236 runners at PokerStars this morning. I played my A-game, only getting my money in at good times. I was already in the money when it all came crashing down. I was 5th in chips with $25,000 and found pocket tens in first position at a seven-handed table. I made my standard 3X raise, which was called by fourth position, who had me covered. The flop came nine-high rainbow and I bet two-thirds of the pot, looking to take it down. He called instantly. The turn was another baby, but a second diamond. I put him on AK and I wanted to get this over with, so I pushed all in. He called instantly with pocket jacks and busted me.

Okay, there I go committing all my chips again without the nuts. But really, do you call that bet with jacks? The only plausible hand I could hold which he had beat was tens. If he had thought it out, I could have had tens, queens, kings, aces, or a set. There's only one hand there that he can beat, besides a diamond semi-bluff. I suppose if I had known he was on jacks, I would not have made the bet. Conversely, if I was the other guy, I don't believe I would have called with jacks. In retrospect, I wish I had not pushed so hard. I could have bet an amount up to the size of the pot, which I believe he would have called. The river was a king, which likely would have gone check-check, and I would still be alive instead of bitching to my blog.

20th place = $82.60