During an in-house testing phase I won some money in a freeroll and was given a €35 bankroll, and tonight decided to play with some of it. I entered a deep & steep MTT, and within a couple of hands was in action against a player who had lost about $3,000 (of $5,000) chips earlier.
I was holding Ks-Qd, called his min-raise to see a flop, heads-up. Tc-Jc-Ac hits the board, and my opponent immediately pushes all-in for his last $1,000. I credit him with a pair and perhaps a flush draw, so make the call with my broadway straight; he turns over Ad-Th, for two-pair, and no draw. Looks like I made a great call and was about to add over $2,000 chips to my stack, when the Ah hits the turn, filling his boat and leaving me drawing dead. I mean, for crying out loud, he's got 4 outs to win this hand and, with only a 15% chance.
Just once I want to make the right call and be rewarded.A couple of hands later I pick up Qh-Td in mid position and flat call against four opponents. Flop comes down 9h-Jh-Ts, so I've got middle pair and an open ender. There's a min bet of 100, which I call and is called in one other spot. The turn brings the Kh (making someone a flush, if that's what they were after), and the first bet is $200, which is flat-called before me and I also call.
I figure there's no flush out there (yet) as they probably would have raised, so the 3c on the river is meaningless. P1 bets out $200 again, this is raised to $600, and I make the call, so does P1. Unfortunately P2 has made a bigger straight, turning over Ad-Th - there's always just one better hand than yours out there!
I'm now down to under $1,500, but pick up A-Q so push all-in. I get only 1 caller, with only $500, and my hand holds up. Things pick up when I find Ac-Jc and push my $1,900 into the middle, this time picking up two callers. I spike the A on the flop and it holds up, for a triple up. I'm now back to just under my starting stack, but way behind the average and the blinds are already $100/$200 (5 min blind action).
I muck a load of hands until I limp with Kd-Td. It's raised to $800 further round, and I make the call. Flop comes down Jd-Jh-Qd, giving me an up and down straight with the 2nd nut flush. I'm first to act and push my last €3,000. I get called by As-Th, and I'm actually a favourite. Once again, I got my money in good (albeit behind), and lost - as the 2s-7c turn-river do me no favours. So many boards tease you with four-to-the-flush, only to deceive (unless you fold, or you're up against it).
A brutal introduction to PokerHeaven - probably should never have played as the fast blinds do not suit my play.
A few hands earlier, during a period of mucking everything, I could have put myself in a great position, if only I'd limped pre-flop. There was an all-in (for $2,000) followed by a re-raise all-in to $4,500, followed by another re-raise all-in to $5,445. They turned over pocket 9's, followed by two sets of A-T. The 9's were in pretty good shape as the other two had each removed one of the other's outs.
If I'd been foolish enough to play my Kc-3s I would have seen a flop of Ks-3c-6h, followed by 4c and the Kd on the river to make a house - I would have quadrupled up.
It's always the hands you don't play that connect.
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