Well, that was fun. I’m down to the felt at UB after two embarrassing bust-outs last night (assuming $.60 is “down to the felt”). What makes both of them embarrassing was that they were both due to KNOWN holes in my online game, just repetitions of the same glaring fuck-ups that seem to punctuate all my SnG losses.

The first one was due to going to the wall with KK too early. In reality, I wasn’t gonna get away from it on a Jxx flop, no matter how low the blinds. But it seems that I get pushed when I have KK and I simply can’t lay it down. Turns out I was right, but at the wrong time [obscure Star Trek reference]. With blinds at 15/30, I kick it to 100 in MP and get three callers. Flop was the aforementioned J83 with two diamonds and I throw out 300 trying to price out the flush draws. Two folds and I get kicked all-in. I figure him on a flush draw or AJ. So I call and am pleased to see QsJd, but not pleased to see two more diamonds peel off for the runner-runner flush and IGHN.

Two schools of thought here: One, I got my money in at the right time with a big advantage and just got unlucky… or Two, I was all-in pre-turn too early in a tournament. After all, a big mathematical advantage is just that… an advantage. Certainly not as good as having the nuts after the river, and betting then. Unfortunately, I usually subscribe to the first choice, meaning I’m prone to receiving some major suckouts and dropping my entry fee way too early.

The second quick bust was due to overbetting TPTK and losing to a pocket overpair. I was down to half a stack because of raising pre-flop with QQ and JJ and having to lay them down to AKx flops. So when I got A9s, I was already low stack at the table and, after limping pre-flop, bet out on a 972 flop with one of my suit. I was raised just enough to put me all-in by the SB, who had also limped, but with TT. Sigh. Now I have a dozen nickels to play with at UB. Whee.

I’m intrigued by the PokerProf’s hint of a live WPBT event in California. I won’t be able to make the Las Vegas event (not that I would venture into that lion’s den of blogging and poker greatness), but would like to meet some of the blogging community (besides Jeff, who is basically just blogging in my wake). Since the only other poker bloggers are in SoCal, I assume that any WPBT event would be at Commerce, but I’d be willing to pop a cheapie ticket just to go. I may check out some of the local card clubs for freeze-out tournaments, just to brush up on my live tournament play… Oh, and to plug my early KK and TPTK holes.