Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

Lately most of my sessions seem to go either one of two ways. The first way goes like this. During the first 4-6 hours, everything will be going great, with my Ace King sometimes flopping a pair and winning and the occasional flush draw coming, and I'll be up a rack or two. Then, in the last few hours, the wheels will completely fall off an I'll go home even. The second option for the day is much like the first, except for the whole "winning" part in the first 4-6 hours. That plan has me breaking even for 4-6 hours, then losing a couple racks right before I leave. Yesterday was kind of a hybrid.

I started out at 10:30am in a new 20/40 game with a bunch of props and otherwise not horrible players. Thanks to my excellent game selection, I quickly won a ton of chips by way of flopping and turning very, very well. Eventually a second game started and I moved to it, and my good run continued. By 2pm I was up almost 3 racks and considering heading home. Unfortunately, I'm not stupid, and this would come back to haunt me throughout the rest of the day. You see, when you're running bad, the best way to get through it quickly and end the pain is to play as many hours as you reasonably can. For me this is 7 or 9 hours a day, not 4 or 5. So I carried on, eventually moving to Pete's table, which was decidedly a -EV move but a fun one nonetheless. There I played in a holding pattern, losing and winning, and eventually still holding a $1200 win when the real decision point came. It was 4:25pm and Pete was about to leave. If I stayed, I was committing to 2.5 more hours, as I never want to leave between 5 and 7 because it takes me an extra 30 minutes to get home (on top of the 30 it usually takes) and that causes life tilt which isn't something I want. Also, I know in my heart of hearts that it's all one big session, and that two weeks from today I won't even be able to remember how I did two Mondays ago. So I decided to stay.

At this point it's worth noting that I decided not to play 40/80 today, or any time in the near future, until I regained some of my confidence (and bankroll). You see, it's kind of silly. Even with my current downswing, I am still comfortably life-rolled for 40/80 (figuring in living expenses and like a 500 big bet bankroll). But I just don't think playing that game and risking further damage is in my best interest. So even though the must move 40 looked really good, I kept my name off the list, which basically ensured that I'd never be called.

I changed back to my previous table (which honestly leaving in the first place was one of the worst table changes I've made in a long time. My old buddy Tom B was there, along with a hyper-lag fish who's cold-capping range apparently included 54s) and slowly but surely lost most of the chips I'd accumulated throughout the day. The beats just kept rolling in. His 54s flopped JJ4 and my ace high calldown was no good. Tom B's 32 sooted cracked my Ace-Jack by flopping a pair and a straight draw, and then won 2 more bets because I turned a flush draw on the same card that gave him the idiot end of the straight, then rivered a pair of jacks. Another player who was seemingly competent had the Jesus seat on the hyper lag, and promptly cold-called his under the gun raise with pocket 3s. The board ran out 662-6-2 and he and two others called my bets on the flop and turn (I had 3-bet with AK and was value betting both streets), then when the river counterfitted my hand I took solace in the fact that I'd at least get my money back....until he rolled the 3s. Cold calling first in with 33 Joel? Sorry, if you're reading this, you're now formally a tag-fish. I don't care if you think you used to beat the 100/200 game. Tag. Fish.

Then it happened. The hyper lag moved to the 40/80 game. At first I didn't notice it, but the aforementioned Joel put his name up on the list and commented to me about "look who moved over". The guy was out of his seat, so I didn't see him, and I was planning to pick up my now less than $500 win in one or two orbits anyway, so I didn't really flinch. Whatever, Joel leaving was good for me, as he was still the 3rd best player at the table (behind Torello, a 2p2er, and I). With two (2) hands to go, I already had my chips racked up and ready to walk to the cage when the floor announced "Players, we have immediate seating 40/80." I had to look. The game was unlike any I have ever seen. I realize this is a bad idea, but I'm going to do it anyway. Here was the lineup:

Seat 1: Empty for me
Seat 2: This random laggy guy who plays 40 and is not very good at all.
Seat 3: Young Jae the Prop
Seat 4: RU the floorman
Seat 5: Joel
Seat 6: RJ, a 40 regular who WTK has described as "Yum yum!"
Seat 7: Short stout bald dude whose name escapes me but bad play does not.
Seat 8: The hyper lag fish who I must stress was a top 10 worst player ever.
Seat 9: Igor

If you don't know who any of these players are, that's fine. If you're a regular in these games, you no doubt cannot believe what has just happened. Not only was the table better than any of the 3 20/40s that were currently running (in terms of BB/hour, not just $/hour), but the best possible seat was open for me. I picked up the $1400 I had in front of me, turned it into $10 chips, and buckled in.

3 players went broke on my first hand. The hyper lag capped preflop and the flop with 8-high no pair, and runner runnered trips (which actually lost to a straight). Honest to god on the turn 5 people still had cards and 3 of them were all-in, with betting going into a side (4th) pot. One of these players didn't rebuy, and the other two walked to the ATM to extract more funds. Things were looking great already. 20 minutes later, I was busto.

Joel limped in EP and the hyper lag raised. I 3-bet with AJ of hearts in the SB, and Joel capped it, making some dumb ass speech about how "he's gonna do it anyway". Nice hand Joel, you have a monster, good for you. The flop is 885 with two hearts and I just donk. Unless Joel has AA or the hyper lag has an 8, my equity is something like 40% here. Joel just calls (lol), and the lag raises. I call only (bad play on my part were it not for the telegraph Joel was sending about his 3-bet) and Joel 3-bets. The hyper lag just calls, and I just call (actual bad play on my part). The turn is a black Ten, for

885-T

I check, Joel bets, and the hyper lag raises. I call two cold because I still have a slew of outs and this pot is humongous, and Joel just calls (again, lol). The river bricks off a black queen and Joel value bets his pocket kings for one of the weirdest hands I've ever played. I ask to see the hyperlag's hand cause I'm kind of steaming and he shows a ten. "Both cards" I say. T3. Sooted.

A few hands later I 3-bet the hyperlag with 88. Joel calls 3 cold in the small blind and the board runs out 994-9-5. I have no choice but to call him down and get shown Q9s for...quads. Then I 3 bet the maniac out of the small blind once more, with A9 of clubs. RU the floor man calls the 3 cold after open limping under the gun in a 6 handed game. The flop:

965r

Is to my liking, and I bet-3-bet RU. The turn 2 looks harmless enough, but RU raises me. I call him down and am shown 62 sooted for the frag. I play til my next blind, then pick up my $200, now stuck $800 for the day and unable to rebuy without risking my ability to play the following day.