Poker still sucks, but like before, I really don't give a shit.  I'll stay positive, play good, and it will all work out.

I was thinking of old poker stories last night when I was watching TV, I have quite a few from over the years..thought I'd share one on here.

I believe it was a few years back, I was playing a lot online and live at underground games.  It was around the time where I was pretty much a degenerate, poker came first over everything.. it wasn't healthy at all, but I just loved playing so much I wanted to play 24/7.  I also didn't have much of a roll back then, it fluctuated up and down like a roller coaster because I had no idea what bankroll management was.  If I had a thousand in my pocket, I would go play 5/5NL or go play a $500 tournament.  It was pretty dumb, but I was riding a rush and kept aiming to hit a big score.

A couple close poker buddy's of mine at the time called me and asked if I wanted to go to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to go play some preliminary tournaments of the WPT.  Before they were done asking me I said yes and was ready to go.  I tried to withdraw as much money as I could from my online account on short notice (because it was tough at the time) and packed my bags.  I remember going with about $2000 intending to play  2-3 small tournaments and I should be covered.  And hopefully if I won one I'd play more.

We drove all day, checked into a shady hotel, because the casino one was full..and headed straight to the poker room.  The first tournament wasn't till the next day so we just walked around seeing what we wanted to play.  One of the guy's had a great idea to play a $500 sit and go, I remember thinking it was dumb, but there was no way I was going to say no.  I played for about 10 minutes, got it all-in with AK vs AJ preflop.. Jack on the flop... gg me

I left the casino to go get some sleep only to find one of the guys playing online in the hotel room because he already ran out of cash.  I fell asleep pretty spun from losing the sit and go but was prepared for a good result in the $550 tournament the next morning.

The first tournament was pretty big, had a few hundred players I think.  I got an unlucky seat draw and was sitting directly beside one of the guys I came with.  (I don't like using people's names in my blog unless they give me permission)  Anyway, for the first hour I was really on my game and took control of my table.  I had a pretty crazy image because I was raising a lot of hands.  Then this hand happened....  I raised AKs under the gun, it was folded to the big blind who called.  The guy was Hevad Kahn (wsop final tablist), I didn't know who he was at the time, but I had him tagged as a pretty solid player.  The flop comes down 6,4,2 rainbow.  He checks, I planned on c betting, but I remember getting a weird feeling about the situation and just checked.  The turn brought an Ace, looks like my gin card.  He tanks for a while and checks again.   I make a value bet, planning to just win the pot right there.  He sit and thinks for a while, and moves all-in.  I don't remember the exact chip counts in this hand because it was so long ago, but I remember it being a huge over shove.  I thought about it for a while, I was so unsure of what he had.  I wasn't as good of a hand reader back then as I am now, but his line made no sense to me.  I was leaning towards folding, then he says "I'll show you if you fold".  I don't know what it was about that comment, whether it was how is voice kind of cracked or how he seemed uncomfortable.. but I instantly announced call.  He says 'shit do you have AK', I nod and he flips over JJ.  My buddy to my right literally gave me a pat on my back and said 'great call, I folded a Jack'... as the case Jack fell on the river and knocked me out.  I remember Hevad getting up and apologizing to me a hundred times telling me I made a great call, I shook his hand and walked out of the poker room.

I played another tournament later that evening with pretty much the same result.  I ran like garbage, couldn't find any good spots whatsoever, and got knocked out around the bubble making no money.  I was so spun I jumped into a 10/20 Omaha hi/lo cash game, and proceeded to lose another $400 in that game.  Life was sucking because I was almost broke, I was running like garbage, and didn't know how to deal with the emotional swings.

I remember going to get dinner and one of my buddies told me he signed me up for a $500 sit and go if I wanted to play.  I reach in my pocket, I had exactly $512 in cash, I payed for my dinner and walked to play. 

We sat down and there was only 3 of us who showed up with 3 seats open.  The open 3 seats were paid for so the dealer started to deal and just blinded them out.  I was happy because if we blinded them out, then me and my buddy could just split the money.  We were blinding them out for 15 minutes till the 3 guys showed up.  The first guy was JC Tran, the second was Nam Le and the third was a friend of theirs who just made a wtp final table.  If you don't know who the first two guys are, look them up, they are a couple of the best tournament players in the world, and at the time were on a sick rush winning WPT's for fun.  Just as they sat down Two called me, I answered and said, 'Two I can't talk, playing a $500 sit and go with JC Tran and Nam Le'.. he says, "Oh my god, ok go concentrate, call me later"

I couldn't believe it.. I was playing with my last $500 and the table fills up with pros.  They ended up being super nice guys and we drank a lot while we were playing.  They were kind of goofing around having fun, but at the same time non of them wanted to lose.  We played for a little while and I got down to 3 handed with JC and Nam.  I kept envisioning winning this thing and getting unstuck for the trip. 

I was in the big blind and JC completed the small blind.... I checked with A,7 off suit.  The flop came down 10,7,2 rainbow, JC made a tiny min bet  and said 'Jay this one is mine', I don't remember why but I decided to 3 bet him on the flop and see what he does.  He thinks for not too long and shoves the rest of his chips in.  He started laughing and begging for me to fold, I honestly had no idea what he had.. he could of been doing that with the nuts or air.  I tank for a second and call.  He says 'nice call man' and flips over 9,2.. turn was a brick, river was a 9... once again.. gg me.

I walked around the casino dizzy, bumping into people, shit I remember throwing a toonie into a fountain looking for my luck to change.  There was a $2500 tournament the next day but I was completely broke.  The guy's I came with were planning on playing in it which spun me even more, because I would have to sit there and watch. 

I walk back to the hotel room,  I start to whine to one of the guy's about my trip, he offers to loan me $500 if I wanted to go play cash games and try to run it up for the tournament the next day.  Without hesitation I grabbed the cash, headed straight to the poker room at 4am, found one 5/5NL game running, and sat down with all I had.  It was a short handed game and I doubled up pretty early.  There was some drunk cowboy sitting across from me with his wife just sitting and watching.  He was a huge fish, I knew if I had any chance of winning the $2500 in would be from him.

We were 3 handed and I raised with 10,J off on the puck, the cowboy called from the big blind.  The flop came 9,8,7 rainbow, I nearly jumped out of my seat.  This guy was doubling up people left, right and center, and if I doubled up this hand again I would nearly be at the $2500.  He check/calls me on the flop, and the turn came a brick.  He check calls me again.  The river is another brick, he thinks for a bit and leads into me.  I had the nuts and was hollywooding for a bit before I shoved.  I announce, "all-in", he snap calls.. Even though I had the nuts I got a nervous feeling for a second.... he flips over 10,J  and we chop the pot.  I remember being devastated, worse than any of the beats I had taken that whole weekend.  I didn't lose anything, but I was just completely blind sighted by his hand because I was already thinking how happy I was that I could play the tournament the next day.

The game ends up breaking and the pit boss asks if I want to jump in the last 10/20 no limit game running.. I thought fuck it, go big or go home I guess.  I moved my chips over, which was about $800, and started to play.  I played super tight, I wasn't used to playing such high stakes.  I remember there was this dirty looking guy at the end of the table who had like $20,000 in front of him, mostly in bills stacked really high.  I ended up getting into a pot with him where I flopped bottom set and he doubled me up.  I won a few more smaller pots and my stack was up to $2300!  Once again I was getting really happy, I decided I was going to play till my big blind and just room the $200 I needed so I could play the tournament at noon.  Oh yeah it was like 10am at the time, I hadn't slept at all.  I started to rack my chips and told the dealer last hand.  He dealt me pocket 4's.  The guy under the gun raises and 6 people call, I toss in the $60 raise basically looking to flop a set or fold and get up.  The flop comes 9,4,2 rainbow.  'Jesus christ' I was thinking, my luck is finally changing.  The dirty guy with all the cash leads out, usually this would be a good spot to slow play but out of nerves I quickly raised to try and get as much money in as possible.  He tosses in a bunch of bills and calls.  The turn brings a 7.  He checks, there was like $900ish in the pot, I quickly go all-in for my remaining $1800.  He thinks for like 2-3 minutes and calls.  I say "I've got a set of 4's", he nods at me?  I don't remember what the river was, but as I start to gather the biggest pot I've ever won, he flips over 9,9 for top set.  My heart sank, I nearly puked all over the table.  And it wasn't because it was the biggest slow roll in history, but because I lost everything.  I sat there in my seat with a blank face, the whole table was yelling at the guy for slow rolling but I didn't even care.  I felt so sick, my head was spinning and I felt like my life was over.  Pit bosses had to come over because a fight was breaking out over the slow roll, but I just got up, tapped the table and wondered off.

I remember reaching in my pocket and found a miracle 20 dollar bill.  I walk over to a black jack table, having a pipe dream that I was gong to run it up... I got dealt 16, I hit, I bust... now I'm officially broke.

I had to stick around and watch the tournament the next day which was torture.  I remember walking by a table and JC Tran yells out, "hey Jay, what table you at!?", I point to a table in the corner of the room because I was too embarrassed to say I wasn't playing.  He tells me good luck and I walk off.  My buddy ended up busting early so we decided to get the hell out of there and drive home.  I hadn't slept in days, I was broke, and just wanted to be home. 

I got home and had a record sleep of like 22 hours.  I'm not even exaggerating, I didn't even get up to go to the bathroom.  When I woke up, I sat in front of my computer, and fired up a bunch of $10 sit and go's looking to rebuild.

That's pretty much the end of the story.  I really laugh every time I think about it.  I was just a mess that weekend, I was young and stupid and no idea what poker was all about.   Luckily for me I've matured as a poker player and can laugh at stories like that.

Gotta run..

Jay