Well, that was predictable. I busted out in the 5th round of the charity tournament, but it was a lot of fun and I threw $50 to my nephew’s sports fund. The tourney started with 120+ players and there was some confusion by the Home Poker Tour organizers how to assign tables. They had 5 of the foldable Hold’Em tables and 10 regular banquet tables with plastic tablecloths. I was assigned to one of the cheapo tables, but found only two other people there. After a bit of a Chinese Fire Drill, we were moved to one of the fancy tables with our starting stack of $700. I saw absolute garbage for two rounds and didn’t play a hand outside the blinds. The play was predictably bad with 5-6 people seeing each flop and very little raising. I pegged the guy to my left as the only real player (turns out he plays on UB), and the rest were pretty much clueless.

Finally, just as the blinds escalate to 15-30 for round three and me in BB, I pick up K4 and see it called by three others. I check it through and the flop of 742 is checked around. The turn was a K, but two-suited the board. I bet 50 and everyone folds, giving me my first pot of the day. Next hand, I get Big Slick in SB. Three limpers and I make it 60 to play. Four callers to see an A86 flop with two diamonds. I bet 50 and everyone folds except for a pretty history teacher who calls. Turn is a 5 of diamonds, I bet 100 and she exclaims “You’re killing me!” as she calls. I’m tempted to flirt with her, but refrain… This is Poker, dammit. I bet 200 again, knowing pot odds mean nothing to her anyway. She calls and the river is a Q of diamonds, putting a four-flush on the board. I check my hole cards for the K of diamonds, but no luck. I bet 200 again and she sighs as she calls. I figure I’m beat with a baby flush by she shows 98 for middle pair. I rake a nice pot, but may seal my doom because she busts out soon after and is replaced by a guy that looks like King Kong Bundy’s little brother, wearing shades and dropping chips on his cards, a la Howard Lederer.

The Crap Fairy makes deliveries for the next couple of rounds, until I pick up KK in Small Blind. Blinds are now 20/40 and two limpers call. I raise it to 100 and get the big stack to my left and Bundy to see the flop. Flop is QT3 with two hearts. I bet 300 to price out the heart draws. One fold, and Bundy sighs and pushes all-in with about 300 more. I make a BIG BIG mistake here and quick call for most of my stack. I basically put him on AQ or Ax of hearts, but he flips up 33 for the flopped trips. Turn and river don’t help and I’m down to the felt. I stay alive for another full circuit but when I get the button back, I raise all-in with my last 100 chips with AQ. Two callers to see an AJ8 flop. I’m thrilled with this, liking my chances to triple up until one guy bets enough to put the other short stack all-in. We all flip our cards and the guy to my right has A4, but the raiser flips 88 for trips and IGHN.

Basically, I played one bad hand and it cost me. The structure and chip stacks were small enough that I had plenty of time and didn’t need to commit 90% of my stack on a vulnerable hand…. I’m just not a good enough player to lay down KK with no Ace on the board. It’s a big hole in my game. I fall in love with my hole cards and don’t consider the skill level or personality of a danger hand. If I assume the guy is a good player, I have to put him on AQ or Ax of hearts, possibly TT, but I never even considered 33 as the killer cards. I JUST DON’T THINK when Cowboys are fuzzying up my brain. I knew these guys were loose-weak players and should have considered that 33 or QT were actually hands that might call a raise preflop. I didn’t. And I lost. Shit.