6/188

I busted out of the $50 8PM tourney, so I fired up the $30 9PM while we were watching THE CONSTANT GARDENER. I wasn't faring much better there, so when I flopped a nut flush draw, even with a pair on board, I pushed all in, in desperation. My club never arrived, so I was dead to the trips. I had my laptop half-closed when I realized I still had $35 left. I could have just pushed in next hand, but I waited for a spot.

Finally, with the blind approaching, I decided to go with my T3s. It turned into a call-fest, so when I hit two pair, I quintupled up. I waited some more for a good spot to double up, which I was able to do, then I waited, made some small calls, missed flops, folded, waited, waited, missed flops, folded, etc. I was able to last long enough to pick some good spots and eventually built myself back up to $1000.

Fast-forward ninety minutes and I've got a stack of $23,000 and I'm the chip leader. I took my first big hit when my QQ ran into KK, costing me half my stack. I kept battling back, and ultimately made the final table. I was in decent shape at the FT, but here is the hand that killed me:

With six players remaining, I raise from first position with AJ. The big stack flat calls behind me. The flop is 875. I check, as I see no reason to make a continuation bet. He checks behind me, which guarantees he has AK. The turn is a Q, and knowing he has AK, I bet $11k into a $24k pot. He thinks about it, and calls. Now I'm done with the hand for sure - maybe he flopped a set and is just toying with me. The river is another Q and now I can't even represent queens, so I simply check, having exhausted half my stack. He checks behind me and shows AK.

Now, for his call on the turn to make any sense at all, he must have put me on exactly AJ (or AK like him). He was drawing slim if I had any pair, and drawing dead if I actually connected with the flop. If I had the AQ, like I represented, which would make perfect sense, then what was he hoping for - a king on the river? In short, I may have lost the hand, but only because Doofus couldn't get away from his Big Slick.

Now, I was a short stack. I successfully stole the blinds twice, then pushed again with A7, a decent yet beatable hand. Doofus Big Stack autocalls with 22. Sure, it's a pair, but to call with it is to be hoping you are 50/50 with the hand. At the very least, I have two overcards; possibly I have any pair, which would put him back to drawing slim. But it's a pair, and pairs are good, so Doofus plays it and snaps a full house on the flop, knocking me out in 6th place, after coming so far.