As expected, I have hit a wave of variance and unluckiness that I was not prepared for.
You can't run good forever.
The only problem I have now is because of the bills that I am trying to pay off as fast as possible, any win that I get I'm taking half of the profits and using it toward that. So that when I do lose, and lose a few in a row, suddenly I find myself short on funds.
Usually pro poker players, especially in the tournament circuit, have a group of friends that are willing to stake and back their action in order to help them overcome the variance. I dont like to use the word luck, because essentially the modern use for it leans toward superstition, so I use variance. To me, every hand is completely separate from the last, and no hand affects the next hand, except in the sense of players having different images of course. To me, the definition of "luck" is just being prepared when opportunity arises.
So without stakes and backers for my tournaments when I am not doing so well, it is pretty tough for me to bounce back. What I will attempt to do is decrease the size of my buyins from the 100-125 range and play more 50-75 dollar buyins. Hopefully this will allow to me get more tournaments in and overcome this drought of unluckiness.
This morning I played 3 tournaments, and was out of all 3 in a matter of 4 hours. The mirage deepstack had a 1st place prize of 3700, and I thought I would make an early run at it when my 2nd hand I look down at two aces. I had just reviewed a book I had received autographed from an ex champion Tom McEvoy, and he added a play to my playbook, which is just to play 'second hand low' with two aces after an UTG raise. So after the UTG raised to 5k, I just flatted, in hopes that some action would ensue behind me, and they would be trapped when I come back over the top of them with the aces. Sure enough the button goes for the steal play for 20k, and I shoved all in for 50k. She only had 10k left, so I really only went all in for 30k, but she called and showed two fives. But the flop brought Q 5 Q and I was already down to 20k. After the blinds passed me, I am down to just 15.5k (500 antes as well) and its folded around to me on the cutoff, in which I look down at AK. Im all in again, and get called quickly by the big blind with AQ. Sure enough, the flop brought a queen, and I was out.
I decided I would rebuy, considering that I was so far ahead in both situations, and knew I could crush this field of amateurs. So, I re entered. However, I then was card dead for about two levels of the tournament, essentially making me shortstacked once again. After stealing the blinds once, I was at around 28k. After a UTG min raise to 12k, I decided I had no choice but to go all in with my jacks. the small blind also went all in, and the original raiser called his 50k shove, which I knew I was in trouble after that. He showed two kings, and the small blind showed Ace Ten. The flop brought no help for me, but help for the small blind when it came A 8 4. The turn brought a 7. I stood up for the table and got ready to leave, but the J of diamonds on the river gave me one of two cards to keep me in the tournament. I thought my luck had finally turned!
Now at a 90k stack, I was very comfortable at this table of pretty bad players. blinds at 2k/4k there was one limper in late position, and it folds to me on the button, and I look down at KQ of diamonds, so I go for a 14k raise, actually just hoping to win it right there or outplay the limper with a better hand. However the big blind shoved all in for 120k, and i was forced to fold. After a few more hands of folding I found myself short stacked once again as the blinds were now up to 3k/6k and my 65k stack was needing some help. I thought I would get it when I called a small all in in the big blind with AJ, but got sucked out on by KJ. stack now at 48k I wait and wait and wait... My opportunity arises when a player limps UTG and the button goes all in over the top of him for about 50k. I look down on the big blind and see AJ of hearts, and decide to go with it for only 40k total. The limper also calls. Limper has 33, button has KJ. Looks like I actually have a solid chance! But the flop brought 8 3 8 and I was drawing dead, out of the tournament again.
I wasnt too discouraged yet, just figured it wasnt my day. A 2pm turbo tournament had just opened up and so I decided to enter there for only 50 bucks. But things would only get worse.
I got to play two hands in that tournament. A turbo format means everyone basically just goes all in or folds because you start with so few of chips. These tournaments are high variance, but I am also very skilled in knowing push/fold ranges. With the blinds at 15/30 I shoved all in with AK of spades, and got called right away. When he saw my cards he said "ah you got me" and turned over KQ off suit? He got up from the table, but I told him to sit down, because the way Ive been running today he will probably catch his queen. The flop didnt just bring one queen. it brought two. And so I was down to just 60 chips. Next hand I am all in again with AJ and my all in was for just a min raise. The big blind calls for just 30 more with KJ. But of course, the flop brought a king for him, and I was already out of the tournament.
So today my buyins cost me $290. My tournaments Friday cost me $125, and my tournaments Thursday cost me $120. Tuesday and Wednesday cost me $150. Thats a total of $685, which I had set aside about $600 to play tournaments with, and everything else went toward paying things off or sitting in my bank account to pay off monthly bills.
Im a little unsure of what to do now, as I am restricted by finances once again. It seems odd that after all my big wins so early on I am tapped for funds to play poker with, but things would be much easier if I didnt have so many expenses at the moment. I also lost a few hundred playing cash games right after my first big win, and that was a bad experience too. Which is why ever since then I have not played cash, and never will. I dont know what it is, but I do not get good vibes or feel good playing in cash games. The way that I lost was pretty unlucky, but I still dont feel and never have felt that cash is for me. Besides with the rake and dealer tips, its pretty hard to manage a consistent profit playing in swingy cash games against tourists who will bet their $200 with almost anything, since most people here have so much money they dont know what to do with it. And usually its a good thing to play in those games vs them, but you have to be reckless and have no regard for money to get it in with them. And thats not my style. Maybe if I had a lot of money, I would oblige and play those big pots with them fearlessly, but I have to be cautious as I have no other source of income at the moment.
My last shot is tomorrow afternoon at the Orleans for a $75 buy in. The stake comes as a late birthday present from my brother. If I dont manage to make any money from that tournament, I will be applying for low paying jobs, going to school, and playing with whatever stake i can get. Probably go back to playing the $20 home games at a friend's house to try and run my bankroll up again.
Tournament Player of the Month may have to be postponed for now :/
*sigh the life of a poker player....
-ATR
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