Which switch is which....

Up late/early seemed to run a little rampant last evening, as I quite pleasently ran into CK in the chat this morning. Which was very, VERY am. for her out West. She was juiced up about a Poker session last night and had the mile a minute mind machine, throwing thoughts around in her head. I could sympathize, although in an "I'd already gotten a little sleep last night" way of course.

The mental machine ran well into the night for me as well, after I ran into a situation I'm not quite sure I ever want to go through again. First things first however, I do love me some HORSE! So the game was NOT the issue. I sat down to two games like I've been trying to do more of and settled in to what I thought was going to be some easy additions to the bankroll. Two 16 player events, paying out the top four in each. I've been cashing in these steadily and honestly, I'd seen no reason to worry about doing it again in either of these. It's not arrogance..... it's confidence! (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

In every single one of these games there are the same basic cast of characters. The rocks, the LAG's, the clueless, the sharks and.... almost always the one NLHE junky, looking for a fix to his funk. You wind your way through the field, careful to avoid the mines along the way. Weeding out the dead wood and culling the weak at every opportunity. Simple really. I mentioned to CK however that last night I was thrown a huge curve ball.

In one of the games with a screen shot of a table open sat the rocks, the sharks and almost every blue chip HORSIE I had any respectable amount of notes on. In the other open screen for the second game, there sat the LAG's, clueless and at least four hold'em junkies that I had quite a fair bit of information about.

The two games were diametrically opposed.

Facts about both games:

One orbit at the table we'll call #2, saw a minimum of three limpers and a raise/re-raise in every single hand. Then the hands went to the river 71% of the time at least. One orbit at what we'll call the solid table #1, saw exactly one flop. The action was over after the turn.

One orbit at table #1 was equal to 2.25 orbits at table #2

The first player was out at table #2 in a mere two hands.
The first player was out at table #1 in a mere hour.

Bust down to final table at table #2, occurred in 47.5 minutes.
I made final table at table #1, about an hour and 10 minutes later than that.

Hands in the lead that came out losers at table #2 = SEVEN.
Hands in the lead that came out losers at table #1 = One.

Hands played at table #2 = Twenty Eight.
Hands played at table #1 = Twelve.

Hands won at table #2 = Eighteen
Hands won at table #1 = Eleven

Average pot size won at table #2 = 2600 chips.
Average pot size won at table #1 = 2100 chips.

I bubbled the money at table #2 when during O/8, I couldn't get there with 12 outs twice and a huge pot in the middle. I know I could have picked a better spot for sure, but the lure of playing for the win right there and then, was obviously way too much for me at the time. With that play leaving me drastically short on chips, I was forced to jam the next "best looking" hand I got dealt. That Ad-Ac-2d-4c, obviously was no match for the 7h-8s-8d-8h. Even with the Ace of hearts coming for me, right out the door. all the other hearts in the deck couldn't quite get out of there fast enough, and IGHN.

I cashed for a third place finish in the other game, getting two very solid hands paid off by the eventual fifth and sixth place finishers. In each case they were in the same spot as me in the earlier game. Not quite as draw heavy as I was mind you, but in deep enough to change the flow of the game for them, should they have won those hands. In my bust out hand in RAZZ, my A-3 buried and door card 4 improved to A-3-4-6. I was up against a 5-9 showing. With three to come I made my move and got the call I wanted. When I saw he held A-3-5-9 at the flip, I have to admit I'd felt pretty good about the play. When I hit the 5 on sixth I was positively giddy. Then the stack of chips was pushed his way and the congratulations message popped up on my monitor. Yes in case you're wondering at home, I did say WTF? out loud. His 6th. street deuce and 7th. street 4, kicked my lilly, (NOT Little) white azz off the table. At least he gave me a GG in the chat!

But that's just the rundown. The actual facts of these two games was far more important. It was feckin' exhausting! I was more mentally spent from switching my mindset and actually paying attention between the two completely contrasting styles of play, than most anything actual work can do to my head. Drooling at the opportunity to take the stack off a newbie on one hand, then struggling to let go of descent holdings at the other table, despite the fact that I knew I had to be beat. Winding the range of hands to play up to damn near ATC, (or three or four) at the one table, all the while zoning in on only the perfectly disguised hands of death, over at the rock.

Hours of "enjoyment" turned my brain into mush by the end of the night. Where eventually I lay awake playing the vast majority of the hands I did play, over and over and over again.

Normally I have what I call, "a switch." I don't sleep that long or that often but when I do need to, I have mostly always known when it's time to throw the switch. I try to just collapse, shut down and close the eyes with the switch. All things should eventually go quiet. Not after those two games however. No tossing, no turning. Just two eyes and a brain refusing to not only throw that damn switch, but to even remotely acknowledge it's existence!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....