Breaking Even

At one point yesterday, I was +$600. I left with $26 profit.

I went to Durant to play the Saturday “deep stack” tournament (I put that in quotes for a reason). Choctaw is awarding a WPT main event seat to the winner, which adds $3,700 to the prize pool. Because of that value, it’s a no brainer to take a shot.

I went into the tourney 100% confident to just play it like a satellite tournament. I wasn’t trying to accumulate a bunch of chips, just be extra tight, survive, and get it in good. After some misfires early, I had grinded to maintain a starting stack a full four hours into the day. And finally - AA.

It didn’t hold. I LITERALLY couldn’t fade the spades, of all things. Lost to 6-7 of spades.

Ok, no big deal. That happens. Went for a coffee break, and got ready to begin some cash play.

After buying into 1-2 with $250 and winning an early pot, I sat down at a brand new 2/5 game with just over $400. The game was extra juicy, and within 20 minutes, I had just over $1k in front of me. That would be my peak for the day.

Because the game was playing so loose and fast, I had to pick spots carefully. Another 30 minutes went by playing maybe 2 more hands, and still with $900 in front of me, there were 3 other stacks over $1,500. There was an almost standard $15-$25 button straddle, and the average preflop raise was around $50.

My lovely wife, of course, wanted me to cash out. But, I just don’t get this kind of action very often. I pressed on.

First blood was holding J9. I flopped top pair and rivered trip 9’s. Unfortunately for me, my opponent had 93 (?!?!) for a flopped 2 pair and full house on the river. Oh, by the way? He had raised to $60 preflop with that hand.

Now back to about $650, I was one of shorter stacks. I still had profit on the day. I could have cashed out, went to dinner, and came back to 1-2.

I did not do that.

Instead, I found myself in a pot from the button with JT offsuit, with the T of diamonds. It’s a hand I always love taking to the flop, especially with position, because it can battle well with a lot of middle pairs and things like AQ or AK.

We go three handed to the flop with $160 in the middle. The flop is 983, all diamonds. Just a straight bingo of a flop for me. The odds of my opponent flopping a flush? 1.4%.

The next card was a Q diamonds. It’s such a weird card mentally. I hit the straight AND flush, but I only have a ten high flush. Not great. I end up way overplaying it, as the villain did in fact, flop the nut flush. Walk of shame to dinner.

Thankfully, a nice little run at 1/2 after dinner got me back on the day.

Poker can sometimes be a roller coaster like that, and it’s really hard for people outside the game to understand. Some of my non poker friends think - doesn’t he just win like, every time? No, not even close. The best players in the world are cashing in tournaments about 20% of the time.

At cash games, I should definitely have left that 2/5 game with profit. But that’s so much more difficult than you might think. Learning where the peak is within a session, especially when you’ve driven close to three hours, is a skill that’s incredibly difficult to master. I’m pretty rusty on this skill.

All in all though, what could have very easily been a rough drive home turned out OK. A break even day in poker IS a win in so many respects. Anyone new to the game - that should almost always be your goal for the day. The wins will come. Avoiding the big loss is the key.

As far as what’s ahead, I’m not really sure. The WPT is something I’d like to do but, I’m not going to strain myself just to get there. One shot at a satellite is most likely the plan. Then, on to the WSOP in June.

See you at the tables,

Colton