BACKSLIDE

Just when I felt really good about my game coming out of November, things have predictably gone horribly and I'm in one of those phases where I just can't win a dime. Actually, the final week of last month was pretty rotten to me - coming off of that big tournament win, I was getting bounced out of events in heinous ways, usually involving runner/runner straights. I began December on the first with a cash game session since I was supposedly playing well and my luck continued to run sour. I lost a $600 pot when an ace spiked on the river to crush my QQ and I lost another $400 pot when running spades killed my trip jacks. I kept buying back in because I was sure my luck would change but it never did and I dropped $1500 that day.

So today I played eight tourneys and cashed in zero, dropping another $1500. Twice I got bounced when my KK fell to AK and once my AK fell to AQ. Every exit was either a bad beat or was precipitated by a bad beat. I know it happens to every one, but what I can't figure out is how come every time I bust out of an event and I check the top ten, I can reliably find JohnnyBax and Shaniac and some other top players there. What the heck are they doing so different? When I rail Bax, I see him all in with AQ v AK and he hits a queen. I see him all in with 44 v AK and the pair holds up. I can't tell what he is doing so different than the rest of us other than getting luckier. It must be all those hands that don't get showndown. Whenever I get tricky with a blind stealing raise, I seem to get picked off like my cards are visible. If I wait for premium hands, then my KK gets beat by AK. I can't find the secret for consistency. Am I just unluckier than most? That can't be it. I think my Christmas gift to myself is going to be a membership at PokerXFactor so I can learn from the magician himself, JohnnyBax, and I can fix whatever holes are in my game that are keeping me from terrorizing these games.