MY BIGGEST HEARTBREAK

WSOP final - 3 seats go to the main event while 4th gets bupkis - 4 players left - To get this far I won a ticket in a $25 tourney last week that I used in a $140 tourney yesterday and won.

------HAND 365------
Game #2734261024: Hold'em NL (600/1200) - 2006/06/18 - 16:59:21 (ET)
Table "WSOP Main Event 2788863 - 1" Seat 8 is the button.
Seat 1: TheFisch (23680 in chips)
Seat 7: Nasse_h (39145 in chips)
Seat 8: Devman (16905 in chips)
Seat 10: ME (10270 in chips)
ME: posts the ante 150
TheFisch: posts the ante 150
Nasse_h: posts the ante 150
Devman: posts the ante 150
ME: posts small blind 600
TheFisch: posts big blind 1200
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to ME [Ac 8h]
Nasse_h: folds
Devman: raises to 3600
ME: raises to 10120 and is all-in
TheFisch: folds
Devman: calls 6520
----- FLOP ----- [Ts 4d 3c]
----- TURN ----- [Ts 4d 3c][9d]
----- RIVER ----- [Ts 4d 3c 9d][Kh]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
ME: shows [Ac 8h] (High Card Ace)
Devman: shows [Ad 4h] (A Pair of Fours, Ace high)
Devman collects 22040 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 22040 Main pot 22040 Rake 0
Board [Ts 4d 3c 9d Kh]
Seat 1: TheFisch (big blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: Nasse_h folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Devman (button) showed [Ad 4h] and won (22040) with A Pair of Fours, Ace high
Seat 10: ME (small blind) showed [Ac 8h] and lost
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was a 54% favorite to win and 21% to tie. Had it held up, I would have been practically tied for 2^nd with Devman more than 3x behind. I can’t be angry with the play. I got my money in with the best of it and like I heard Howard Lederrer say last night, he got his money in with the best of it and lost as usual.

I made two mistakes in the tourney that I recovered from. I called down AQ v KT once instead of playing aggressive. He hit a K on the river. The other mistake was betting into the guy with the ignorant end of the full house when I had but Ace high. Otherwise, I played well and am playing the best tourney poker of my life. I never hit a set, but I did hit a couple of straights and got AA a few times late when it counted.

The guy who knocked me out was a bit of gambler especially early. He raised all-in with KQ with the board of ATx. He was called by the pair of aces and hit a gut shot to stay alive. How different things might have been.

I flopped a straight after the first break against two pair and I busted a guy down to 110 chips. He fought and fought his way back and was finally the leader with 8 people left. I eventually knocked him out at 6th when his 88 ran into my AA. After 3 hours I was 2 of 5, but everyone was so bunched up that my card draught slumped me down to 4th. Ealier with 4 players left I had one opportunity where I had JJ on the button and raised. The small blind that had about the same amount as me moved all-in. With my stack still 2x the 4th place guy I elected to fold. This player had been pretty conservative at the final table and it was the only time he met my raise with an all-in. I figured that I must have been beat. Looking back, maybe that was the gamble I needed to connect.

I think I could win a seat if I kept at it, but I’m not comfortable risking the bankroll for $200, $600 and $1000 tourneys. I'd worry about the money too much. I have to satellite my way into these things instead. I hope I can recover today's bad beat like Mariano Rivera and not Mitch Williams.