BAD RUN

I'm still losing but it's worth reporting. On Tuesday I played a $100 PLHE event with 99 runners. I played fine but busted out when AK fell to AQ to knock me out 30th. I then played a $24 Omaha/8 event with 139 runners. I kept getting short-stacked but bounced back three times. Not so lucky the fourth time and I went out 33rd.

On Wednesday I wasted $475 on a WPT qualifier attempt. I didn't play all that well but I had visions of my losing streak ending in glorious fashion. No such luck. I then played four SNGs and cashed only once when I squeaked into third place. I couldn't win a race to save my life.

On Thursday I went one for five in SNG action, again managing only a third place finish. In the four NLHE games, I busted 99 v TT; KQ v 22; TT v AA and A4 v A6. I've been keeping track of my bustout hands to see if the problem is bad play or bad luck. The epitome of bad luck was when I ponied up $200 for a SNG hoping to get some of my losses back and I battled all the way until there were four players left and we traded the lead amongst ourselves for about twenty minutes with nobody busting out. I finally accepted a race to go for a knockout but lost half my chips. We battled again for ten or fifteen minutes with almost every hand being won preflop by whomever pushed all in. When I pushed with A4 and was called by A6, I was rooting for high cards and the flop came KJ9. I thought maybe my luck was turning. The turn was another 9 and I was looking at a chop. The river was a six and I was gone on the bubble. And this from the same opponent who spiked a king on the river to beat me in that race.

The only cash on the day was a $50 Omaha/8 table that I joined just because Erik Siedel was there. Erik is a nice fella to chat with - he's the very unassuming nerdy type. I made some crack about televised strip poker that got a chuckle. I actually outlasted Siedel which was satisfying especially since Omaha is not my best game. He fell sixth or so and I made it to third.

Friday I played six more SNGs, bubbled three and came in second on the last try. I should have won as I had the big stack going into heads up play but I lost AK v QQ then AK v 66 and I just couldn't close the deal. Not sure if a second place finish qualifies as the end of a bad run but all in all it was a horrific week for my bankroll. I didn't really have the time to play any MTTs with the wife in London but I'm looking to get back to my winning ways next week.