Shot Down

The best analogy for last night at the tables is to compare the games to blackjack. It was like I kept being dealt hands that added up to 11, and I kept doubling down and losing. Now imagine doing that over, and over, and over.

I found the big fish all right. I did everything right. I searched my buddy list first and found one fish playing at a 2/4 game. Normally I try to not play 2/4 because I hate losing at low limits, but I reminded myself that I should go to where the game conditions are right. Of course, it was a fishy game. Of course, I did lose about $20.

Then another fish popped up on my buddy list. He was playing 15/30. I watched the game for a few minutes, and it was fishier than the 2/4 game! There were three people at the table who saw the flop more than 60 percent of the time. I wasn't sure whether I should join a high limit like that, but I got on the waiting list. But by the time it was my turn to sit at the table, two of the fish had left. It wasn't worth the risk any more, so I didn't even play a hand.

One of those same fish then sat in a 10/20 6-max game. I had to sit next to him.

And that's when things started going downhill. Any card that could hurt me on the turn or river did. Any card that could help me never came. My reads were right, but that didn't save me. I was correct almost every time when I thought someone was bluffing, but I still couldn't beat their pair of 10s that they got on the river.

I made a couple of mistakes, but not big ones. Against some of these maniacs, I felt like I had to play back at them. One guy raised almost everything and check-raised everything else. When I caught a flush draw against him heads-up, I check-raised him on a flop semibluff. He raised me after I bet out the turn, and the river didn't bring any help. I lose.

The other mistake I can think of was when I was against a predictable player with pocket 10s. When we saw the flop heads-up and the flop came queen high, I told myself there was no way I was going to fold. This guy had already sucked out on me a couple of times and was starting to get out of line. I was right not to fold the flop, but it turns out the ace on the turn gave him top pair, and the diamond on the river gave him the nut flush.

It went on like that from there. It got worse and worse. I don't think I tilted, but I was feeling kind of dizzy near the end.

The majority of the time, the opposite would have happened. I would have made a lot of money at those tables. I would have walked away happy that I found excellent game conditions and played a solid, aggressive game. I would have been thankful when my cards hit and concessionary when they didn't. Given the same conditions again, I would have played the same and won.

In all, it was my second-worst day of poker ever. My worst came in January, when my bankroll plummetted during a terrible losing streak. That won't happen this time.

Fortunately, I'm going to Tunica again! I leave tonight for two days of gambling. What better way to make back your money than at live tables against North Mississippi fish?