We all do it? Why do you think children jump into puddles and then cry when they get wet? Self-sabotage the enemy within…
I wake up at 5.30 after 5 hrs sleep and jump in the shower and dash off to Victoria coach station for the 8 am bus to Cardiff. I left in the sun and arrived in the rain, Welsh rain, I hadn’t pack a jacket. I made it to Cardiff Football Stadium for the Grand Prix $109 $250K GTD just after 12:15. 15 minutes late but it troubles me not being seated for the first hand of play as I’m a little OCD. I’ve never done well in a tournament I’ve entered late.
Opened first hand as soon as I’d sat down and faced a re-raise by the cut-off and then a cold 4 bet by the button. After an initial check by the cut-off the button raised and got check-raised, he called. Action ended and the cutoff won showing down 99 against the button’s AK.
The level of play was awful with players thinking any ace was the nuts and calling all draws. Facing a min raise of 300 I bumped it to 1,200 from the button, the small blind called and initial raiser completed. Small blind checks, initial raiser checks a 4 5 J two clubs flop. I bet 1,200 and the small blind check-raises to 2,850 and initial raiser also calls, I think about it and believe I’m either drawing very thin or facing a flush draw where I only have 60% equity and fold.
Ace comes on the turn and the hand is checked down. QQ for Small blind and king high flush on the river for the initial raiser. I would have had top set on the turn but I’m not sure I’d have been able to bet the woman off her flush draw, perhaps a lucky escape.
Absolutely card dead for long periods and every hand I played the action dictated that I fold.
Getting low I shoved 10BB from the hijack with QJo and was called by the small blind showing AJo. I get lucky and spike a Q for a double up, the very next hand I raise 62o and the button and BB both call. The BB checks the 6 8 10 flop two clubs, I shove bottom pair, the button tanks and folds, the BB tanks and calls showing 77. It’s 4:15 and I’ve busted my first entry on a table of fish. I had just got myself to half chip average and I donked it off with 62o for no good reason, the shove isn’t awful but the open is dreadful. I should have checked it down and seen how the turn was played, no need to get it all in.
Time 4:15 pm, It’s time to play the tilt boy’s special upstairs for my second bullet.
I was card dead for an hour and then I a run good building my stack to 51K when the average was 46K. Then I have a moment of supreme self-sabotage. Mid position opens for 3,500 blinds 600/1200 with 75 ante and I decide to defend with 95o. Why? Tell me why? flop comes 8 7 3 giving me a gut- shot straight draw. I check to the raiser and he bets 5,100 and I call, I’m not deep enough to call and have the 11-1 odds of hitting a 6. The turn is a 3 I think of betting but decide against as realistically how may threes are in my range. The turn is checked through with a king hitting the river and I bet 10K with my 9 hig. The villain shoves and my cards can’t hit the muck fast enough, I just blew 17K or 30% of my stack by being a complete donkey “Set of sevens on the flop and full house on the turn…” he says as I hate myself…stop playing badly…it is not good poker…
Two hand later on the button facing a limp of 1,200 from UTG I raise to 4,500 with QQ. The initial raiser calls and the flop comes A K J rainbow and I check it back. I thought about betting, however I am either way ahead or way behind and there is no need to turn my hand into a bluff. A 9 on turn and I face a bet of 5,100 which I call as I may still be ahead. Blank on river and the villain puts me all in, I tank then fold, he had J9 he told me later in McDonald’s.
A couple of hands
later I shove 99 from UTG with a 14 BBs and get called by 10 10 on the button and board runs out without improving my holding it’s 9:33 it is all over. The next bus back to London is £10 at 2:40 am. and with trains a bust due to engineering works is my only opiton. No hotels in town fully booked something to do with monster trucks being in town. I drink a couple of beers and watch the action for a while, then sit in McDonald’s and drink tea. I get to the bus station to find it is a temporary affair in a park and wait the last 30 minutes outside in the cold exhausted.
I s
leep all the way to London arriving at 6 am to find no tubes open until 7 am. I take a bus to parliament square, London is cool when there is no one around and I take the picture opposite of Big Ben.
I take the 53 bus for the final leg home and get to bed for 7:30 and sleep through till 1 pm. I feel broken, I’ve done marathons and felt fresher after.
£36 on buses, some train expenses, two $109 entries and 400 miles of road.