Still Alive

It has been quite a while since my last post. I have been following everyone on my blogroll but have stayed away from commenting or posting. If I posted it would've meant that I had to think/write about how bad I was feeling about poker. I had high expectations for my Vegas trip and after another bad year I came home pretty disappointed and depressed. I used most of my online bankroll for the trip and my run-bad continued online. I couldn't even get myself to post a Vegas recap blog. I didn't want to come off as the guy who blames his downswing on bad luck and bad beats and everyone else. I started questioning my game and wondered whether or not I knew how to win anymore. Every decision I made seemed like the wrong one. This made me start playing differently and making more bad decisions to the point where I was way off my game. I kept making small deposits whenever I could, but couldn't build a roll with the small amount I was depositing....until Friday night.



I don't have any screenshots or hand histories to post but I spent most of the tourney short stacked and unable to find any good spots. I was all in several times with under 10 bbs. I stayed alive and made it into the money. I had some very weak tables and knew if I could catch some cards I would be able to make a deep run. At one point I made a big (and correct) laydown with aks pre vs 2 players. When we were down to 4 tables I opened them all up and observed each table. I stayed short stacked until we were down to 2 tables when I doubled up with QQ vs. AQ. At this point the table tightened up and I started I started taking control of the table. I went into the final table 5/9 and had very good reads on the players. I applied pressure whenever I could and was the chipleader with 4 to go. 3 handed I was still the chipleader and had a chance to take out the shorter stack with 99 when he shove over my button raise w/8To but he hit a ten on the flop. This hand put me in 2nd place. Same guy raised my bb from the sb and I had k4 sooooted. Flop comes AK2 with one heart. He bets and I decide to flat and re-evaluate the turn. Turn is a lovely 4. He shoves and I snap call. He shows AJ and blanks on the river. This gave me a small chip lead heads up. I felt I had a big advantage but it was 8am and decided to chop it.

I have been working ten hour days and alot of overtime, so haven't been able to stay up to play the mookie. Good luck at the tables.