suckouts abound

Ninja.

I played a SNG 9 seat this evenin. It felt nice. While I was playing our buddy Utah called to make sure I was home so he could swing by and get something. The Big Loud Dumb One was also home. Utah lives out of state so its always exciting when he comes around.

Utah oohed and aahed appropriately over our new poker table and made some comments about how we should play a 3 handed game. I was already in my SNG so I stalled- I was prepared to do both at once if I had to! While we were all visiting Truth came home. Suddenly it was game on.

Meanwhile I was heads up so I said I was in.

They counted out chips and I wrapped up a first place in the SNG. Nice!

We sat down and things immediately went to shit for me. Very passive loose table and I had mediocre cards that seemed to always hit softly while somebody else hit hard. So if I raised I got called and missed. If I limped they let me limp and I’d catch a small piece and pay off somebody with a bigger piece. Now, I’d like to be clear- I was playing poorly- I could have escaped all these hands or just not played them. But it still gets old to raise with ATs and get called by K4off and lose when he hits his 4…

Finally a pair of 9s in a hand vs. Truth. Mostly I was looking for a chance to get my chips in and I figured he smelled blood in the water and would take any shot to put me out. He raised with TT, I reraised, he put me all in, I snap called- he turned over TT. Fuck me. I rivered a straight and doubled up to 60% of the starting stack. A couple hands later Truth “trapped” The Big Loud Dumb One with TP, but TBLDO had an overpair. Truth was crippled and didn’t make it back and he went out a bit later.

I hung on the ropes for a while and then TBLDO knocked out Utah with a MASSIVE chip disadvantage. I raised with a suited Ace and he called with Q8off. Flop came K24 I was basically pot committed (I did not think he would call preflop- I should have just shoved) and so when he bet I went all in- and lost.

Anyway, at another SNG 9seat now and was in a decent lead with a couple people out. I raised from early with JJ and got a caller. Then a smallish stack- about 2/7 of mine pushed all in. I shoved for protection- caller folded. Small stack turned over KK and put me into average stack mode.

That brings us current.

I made a move in late with 54s and got called and, god damn my eyes, caught a shitty piece of the flop. I couldn’t bring myself to fold to his small continuation bet. Turn brought another scare card and I had to give it up to a half pot bet. Now I am not quite the small stack.

Somebody busted and I am now the small stack. QToff on the button- shove and scoop. QQ in mid- shove- scoop.

Another bust and we are on the bubble. I am the small stack with about an M of about 8.

Lets be very clear about something though- I *own* this phase.

Flush vs. top pair- doubled up- not the short stack anymore.

And I am out on the bubble. Let’s review the hand.

KK in the SB-
Chip leader in the BB
3x raise- he calls
Flop is 34Q rainbow
I raise, he reraises, I go all in- he calls
He turns over 54off.

And turns another 4.

Owning a phase of the game doesn’t prevent donkey fuck suckouts.