So much for the weekend

I am not sure what is worse. Suffering a bad beat or playing well throughout a tournament just to make one bad move that cripples you.

I feel I played well in both Dr. Pauly's tournament on Saturday and Bill's Shootout on Sunday. But in each, I made one bad move that killed me. A move I didn't need to make but did so to be more aggressive.

Lately, I have been very aggressive in my tournament play. It is working well for the beginning of the tournaments. Mid way through, I turn the aggression down a bit and look for the right spots. But on this weekend, when I thought I had the right spot, I was either wrong, or I just played it like crap.

Yesterday was just picking the wrong spot. I was short stacked with 13 people left in the Shootout. Blinds were 100/200 and I had a stack at 1800. I could wait another orbit if I needed to. I posted the BB and was dealt A 6. It was bad enough I had Hank on my right who was either the biggest thief or on a rush. He was raising quite often forcing me to fold. I was just hoping to push back at any point. So when Joe Speaker raised on the button for the second consecutive orbit, I put him on a steal. I re-raised all in hoping he was going K high. I was right about the K. But that wasn't his high card. Didn't catch one of my sixes and I was done. I didn't think Joe was that strong. I could have waited for something stronger and in retrospect think it was the right move. I took him for a steal which seemed logical. Just that he wasn't. Oh well.

As for the Pauly tournament on Saturday, I was a little pissed off on the way I went out. It was a combination of me playing the hand wrong, and my opponent making- in my opinion- a very loose call. Of course I don't like the call because it crippled me, but it seems like a bad play even when I think it over. I believe blinds were 100/200. MP raises to 600. I am in the BB with J 8 diamonds. I have seen this person make some weird moves already and decide I want to see a flop. It comes J high, rainbow, no straight possibilities. I check. He bets out 900. I raise to 1800. He pushes. It is only 500 more to call, which I do. He shows A Qo. What? Of course, the A hits the turn and a Q on the river to rub it in.

On the flop, I was very confident he missed with his A high. I thought my raise would get him out of the hand. Why are you going to push with just two overcards? I think that was a horrible move on their part. You have to figure you are behind. Someone called your pre-flop raise, then check-raised you. How can you make the call there?

But my play on it was bad too. I either should have pushed on the flop, or check-raised all in. Now mind you, I am not sure my opponent folds in either spot. But I can apply pressure by making the move first. Especially on the flop. But either way, I should have been the one to push in I expected them to lay down their hand. That one hurt as I was cruising along quite well.

I feel I played some good poker, but not good enough. I am going to work on my game during the week to make sure I am ready for the weekend. Both of these tournaments are quite good.