It's starting to come back

Last night I moneyed in the Super Monday on Party, although I lost $2.70 on the deal. I actually had my first real suckout in a long time, when I was shortstacked and in with 33 against QQ and fourflushed the river. I used that momentum and a couple of other key wins to get into the top 5 with 125 left (120 paid). I was bullying well, but my bullying cost me in a big pot. A minraise and two calls came to me on the BB with KQo. I decided to push to take the dead money. Unfortunately, the first caller had AK and called all in. He had the most chips of the 3, natch. Shortly into the money, my QQ ran into aces and that was that.

Today, after my 2 finals, I played a little on Bugsy's while making dinner. A 50/5 that only had 18 runners. Down to 11 (5 handed) I raised with QTd and the button called. The flop was JT4 with one diamond. I bet and he called. The turn was the 8d. I checked, because I really didn't want to risk getting blown off this hand. He checked behind. The river was an offsuit deuce, I checked again and called his bet. He had 22 - no diamonds. One outer.

Two hands later and at a full table (10 handed) I had K2c in the SB. One limper, I completed, the BB checked. The flop was 22T. Long story short, I lost half my stack to the limper's A2. Two hands after that, I lost all of my stack when my 55 lost to 77 on the T75 flop. That's a hell of a cooler.

I played the Super Tuesday and ran into some more bad luck. I had a player call on the end with an underpair to the board for almost all of his stack - it was good; then lost with an overpair effectively all in preflop. I built it back, lost a crippling race and then couldn't catch up to JJ with QT.

I also was in the PokerRoom Ace of Clubs tourney. This month, they bumped it to a 250/17 tourney with 20k gtd. Only 70 runners were in the tourney, which made for a nice $2500 overlay. I wasn't complaining. This structure is really superb, there's a lot of play in it, which I like. I really played some very good poker in this tournament. I was mostly puttering along, but won a really big pot to take the chip lead with about 15 left (10 paid) with QQ v. TT. I won a coinflip in that bubble area with 88 against KQ to solidify my advantage. Down to 11, I got it in with AK against the former chipleader's AQ. All was well till a queen spiked the river - I'd have been a very significant chipleader had that card not hit. As it was, I came to the final table in 2nd place.

I went a bit cold at the final table, but was making chips well enough to hold on. A key hand came when MP raised, the AQguy from before called, and I decided to take a flop with JhJ. The flop was 567, with two hearts. I checked to see what developed, but the others checked as well. The turn was the 4h. I led out and the PFR moved in for what was a significant portion of my stack. The caller folded, and I was left with a decision. I couldn't see this player having the flush - surely with the draw he'd have bet. The same went for an 8 or an overpair. That really only left one hand: Ahx. I decided in the end that I was very likely good (and, if I wasn't, I was almost certainly drawing very live). The player had the one hand I didn't even consider - A3. I was still drawing live to the flush or to a chop, but could not do it. That put me short with six players left, but I played some very effective poker to get back in it. I never was within sight of the chiplead again, but I lasted to 3rd, finally going out with AK to 56 when the chipleader priced himself into calling with his raise, and spiked a five.

It was good for $2600 though. It certainly felt damn good finally getting a result. The structure was slow enough that it allowed for a great deal of play, so my superior decision making and playmaking abilities shined through. And, it should go without saying, it was a hell of a confidence boost. My confidence has been awfully low lately, as I'm sure those loyal readers are aware. Hopefully this is the start of another swing up.