A Quick Poker Tournament Update

I had hoped that my string of bad luck and bad beats was over, but that’s not so. Here’s just a few examples.

In the Main Event, I got pocket 9s. The flop was 78Q. The turn was 9, giving me a set. The other player shoved. I called.  He turned over 56 off suit for a straight. I busted out.

Returning to the Venetian for a short stack bounty tournament, in my second hand, I got AK and the board was A89 10. Another player raised, so I shoved. He called and showed QJ for the nut straight. I got a K on the river, but couldn’t beat his straight, so I busted out.

I immediately bought back in, determined to play conservatively. On my second hand, I got pocket Qs. I raised. A short stack shoved. I called. He showed AK. I was ahead… for a short time until the flop. The board ran out A…A. I was still alive, though just barely with about 3 big blinds, and almost had a comeback when I doubled up with Q8, but I busted out with pocket 2s.

In the Mini Main Event, I got pocket Js. The flop was 246. I shoved and got called by the big stack at the table who had 35 for the nut straight.

Today in the Lucky 7s Tournament, I kept getting really good draws on the flop, but never got the hand I was chasing, so my stack kept getting low. I would then shove with a decent hand—once, it was pocket As against AK suited—to double up. But my stack got low again. Then I got A6 in the big blind. One player did a min raise and three other players called, so I called. The flop was A67, looking good for my two pair. I checked. One player raised very big. I put him on a big A. The other players folded. I shoved. He called and showed A 10, about what I had thought. Odds were about 3:1 in my favor. The turn card was a 10 and, to add insult to injury, the river card was another 10. I busted out.

I’m giving it one more try tomorrow. If I don’t cash, I’ll stay away from poker for a while.