All that work....

For NOTHING!

That pretty much sums up what it felt like, to come home with a second place finish last night. I'm too competitive to take losses so lightly that I don't let them eat away at me for a bit first, before I can look back and try to learn from them. My problem is, what can I learn from the play of last nights winner?

Exhibit A - She gets it in pretty bad pre, against A-A while holding A-2. Natch, she hits all three of her outs for Quads.

Exhibit B - She gets it in bad pre once again, against A-A while holding 4-4. The natch four flush goes her way.

Exhibit C - She makes final table by jamming all-in pre with the Acey-Duecey once again and her flopped boat, was good enough to take out two players. Both of whom where probably double digit favorites before the flop.

So we get down to heads up eventually and as we do, I see that I'm out chipped by about 2-1. The blinds are 200/2000/4000 and in my stack, I hold about 10 BB's or there abouts.

Pretty easy Poker right there!

Hand #1 - She limps into my BB and I see 7c-9h in the hole. I check. Together we see 8c-6h-5d come out on the flop and when all is said and done, we have about half of my stack in the middle. A meaningless 2 of diamonds comes on the turn and when I get the rest of my stack in, she simply folds.

Hand #2 - I make the limp this time, holding a sooted 9-10. She'll "put you all-in." and I let it go.

Hand #3 - she limps once again, as I hold Qh-2s. Check. The flop is 2-3-Q rainbow and before I can get anything out of my mouth, she'd once again like to, "put you all in."

Needless to say, I'm calling in that spot every single time I play the game. "If you hit your set, there's nothing I can do about it with my hand. I call." I said.

"From what I've seen so far tonight though, I'd put you on a draw of some sort."

"Oh wow, you're right. I have an open ended straight draw." she replied.

"See, I just need a 5."

And with that, she flips up A-4 for her, "OESD."

You already know I finished second, so I'm pretty sure you can figure out how the rest of that hand played out. I know I'm supposed to learn from everything I do and every hand I play but sometimes when it's been one of those nights, when you've done nothing wrong and always got it in with the best of it, the lesson doesn't seem to present itself too clearly.

I had to rebuild my stack four times during the night last night, each time more painful than the last. But I stuck to it and every single time I did get the stack in, I was comfortably enough ahead to know I was doing the right thing. I guess that's what I'll take away from this mess.

I got it in good every single time, before having my balls handed to me by another suck out.

Me bitter? Noooooooo.

But I am learning!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....