So last night, a few scant hours ago, we played our monthly home game. It was Texas Holdem, 37 runners. I have played very little poker in comparison to recent years the last 6 months. When I have played I have had mixed results, and I have not been enjoying my time on the felt of late. A buddy of mine used a word that fits my feelings about poker of late in a recent blog post on our team blog, “disheartened.”
I was cruising along nicely in the tournament. I was switching up my game, raising a lot in and out of position, stealing a lot of blinds, and making sound poker decisions. I was chipping up pretty risk free, and was happy with how I was playing , when it was over in an instant.
I have a couple weight loss contests on the guy so I chose to forgo my usual poker game diet of a case of beer followed by some rye. I was drinking water and was pretty focused. I was remarking with my best friend and drinking buddy (who was also sober) how loud it was in the room, a noise factor that normally I am contributing to. I was the button when my buddy sitting UTG raised to 1500 (3-600) blinds. We had just moved to two tables, I pushed, 2725 over the top with my KK. The raiser thought about it for a few minutes and said he had to call, and I was happy when he said I don’t have a pair. I said as long as you don’t have and A , and I was happy to see KQ. Couldn’t ask for more I thought. Instead, first two cards off are Q’s and just like that I am out.
This beat hurt as much as any I have taken in some time. I have not been playing often or well of late, and I wanted to get off to a great start. The winner of the pot, my best friend, apologized a few times, and my buddies around the table all said “That was sick” and such and I just nodded, and said things like “It is what it is”. I ran it through poker stove and saw he was 7.91 percent. So sick.
I played in a 4 handed cash game after this that I had no business playing in. I was livid mad, and in full tilt mode. I played 3 hands like a donkey, and steamed off alot of money, berating one guy who took some time to call. The only positive I take from the night is I quit the cash game before I blew off 5 or 6 buyins. I dunno. I just feel lost at the tables these days, and I just don’t enjoy it like I have in the past.
