On the brink....

One hand, and it was the difference between quitting poker (for a long while) and being happy enough with poker to continue playing.

I went on tilt last night, and lost a few SnGs. Today, I was worse, busting out of two strait SnGs in 9th place. I just find it hard to care anymore about the lower levels. But, that goes to discipline. You have to grind it out in the lower levels before you can move up. You have to be able to care I suppose.

Anyhow, here's how the hand went down:

30.00 SnG (which there is no way that I should have been in).

We were down to 4 players, and I had gotten myself a good stack, I had about 3500, and I was comfortably in 2nd place (in chips). I had been pretty aggressive since it was down to 6 players, then 5, and I had turned it up slightly down to 4. I was surprised at the lack of aggression back at me. I felt comfortable that if they did show any aggro back at me, they actually had something. Of course, that would also depend on other factors as well.

I'm in the SB, and the first two players fold to me. I have 8h 7c, and I raise the BB about 3xbb.

He calls, and we see a flop of Ah 7h 8d. So, with only 4 people at the table, I'm hyped because I might just make the freaking money, and be able to pay (and then some) for my stupid foray into a higher level than I have business being in.

I check, he bets 400, I raise to 1000 he raises to 2200, and I go all in which is another 990 for him. He calls, and flips over:

As 8s, top two pair.

I was SO fucking mad. I mean, at that moment in time, I was ready to quit poker forever, but realistically, I would have probably quit for about two to four weeks.

Essentially, I have to get a 7, or runner runner hearts. Here are my chances according to twodimes.net:

cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
7c 8h 126 12.73 864 87.27 0 0.00 0.127
As 8s 864 87.27 126 12.73 0 0.00 0.873

(I checked pokerstove and ran many more trials, and had roughly the same result.)

So, I'm a dog, worse than a 4-1 dog...

*** TURN *** [Ah 7h 8d] [7d]

What a turn of emotion. The river was a 6 which didn't help him, and all the sudden I virtually take someone out (he had 120 left, and was soon gone), I'm in the money, and I have t6980.

There was short stack ITM that hung around long because my other opponent wouldn't challenge him. I was the only one challenging him, and frankly, I didn't care if I doubled him up since the other guy was playing so weak. Eventually, though, I took him out, and we went heads up with me having about 8600, and him having 4900 (approximately).

I thought I had him, but he really had great aggro when I had absolutely nothing, and was trying to buy the pot. I held on for some time, but I lost key pots, and when I had something, he NEVER got involved. His timing was perfect coupled with not having a good hand when we played a hand against each other, and he won. It would have taken me winning about 4 strait 5.00 SnGs to equal the money of that SnG in 2nd place, so I was pretty happy although I really wanted the win.

Well, I was undisciplined, and I got VERY lucky. This is bad, in reality. When I get bored with the 5.00 again, what do I intend to do? Also, I had that final table money, and had I not tilted it off, but still did this, I would have much much more. I have to have some BR discipline.