MATH problem

You have heard it all before. To play tournaments effectively, you need to have focus, keep your mind in the game, blah, blah, blah. Such a simple thing to do.

So why was I playing the Monday at the Hoy last night? Probably because it looks like a fun tourney. Hell, it is.

But I got bored after 50 minutes. Part card dead, part brain dead. I was tired from the night before and could use the sleep. I thought about waiting a week since I have a shitload of time off coming up. But the donkey in me was signing in with one minute to go before the cards were zipping across the screen.

It looked like a great decision when I doubled up early on trips 10s. My J kicker was good enough to bust someone in the first couple of hands. I treaded water for the remaining round until I went on a rampage at the end. In a hand Pauly would be proud of, I busted Iakaris's (or is that Ikari's?) A A with the Hilton Sisters. The beautiful Q on the end shocked the table. Next hand, I dropped Kat when the knaves, J J, held up against her 10s. There was even a third J to hit the river.

I popped up to 3rd at the first break. But that would be it. Miami Don was on my right and was beginning to annoy me with his steals. It was becoming too routine. Whether he had a hand or not each time, I do not know. I sure didn't have anything to raise back with. So why did I suddenly decided to put an end to his thievery with Q 5o? I dunno. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I only bumped it a min-raise though. I then raised his flop bet on a board of 7 7 6, two hearts. The raise was the only chance I would have to win this hand. It sent him into the tank for a bit before he raised it back all in with A Qd. Nice call. In retrospect, I wonder if I could have played this hand better- beside folding to begin with. I tried to act like I flopped two pair. Maybe if I had just called the raise preflop it would have been a better sell. It was a tough call to make and he didn't let me get away with it. Nice job Don.

Hopefully my mind will be in it next time. That or I will be drunk enough.