Pud's Poker Progress / Matthew Pitt / 15 September 2009 /

Tournament poker can be a funny old game. One minute you can't do anything wrong, it seems you always hit the flop hard, your shoves get through and if they are called you usually have their hand dominated. It's great. On the other hand though, you go through spells where no matter what you do it isn't right. You shove with AQ and the big blind wakes up with AK, you 3-bet shove with AA and they turn over QQ and * bink * a queen on the turn.

It's no coincidence that I recently wrote a piece on dealing with downswings as I seem to be experiencing one at the moment, which nicely coincides with the fact my staking deal has begun! I guess that's Sod's Law in motion.

Before my staking deal I played 150 of the $3.25 45 man games and basically crushed them. I cashed in 19.3% of them and achieved an ROI of 37.8%. Whilst 150 is a relatively small samples size, it took my total played to 350-400 all with a similar win and cash rate.

With this in mind it was agreed by myself and my backer that I would cash out my own roll and use his money to move up and play the $6.50 games, splitting all profits 50/50 along with returning his stake. It was at this point that the Poker Gods (amen) decided it would be hilarious to own my soul at the tables!

To cut a long story short, I've been getting killed out there, in fact it is fair to say I have essentially been murdered! In the first game I played I got it all-in with AdKd on a AsJc4c board only for the monster that is 7c4c to hit his flush on the river to bust me in 39/45!

In the next two games I finished 10th and 9th essentially bubbling them as the top seven are paid. Three small cashes in 5th, 6th and 7th were sandwiched between a couple of 11th and a 9th with the latter seeing me bust when I shoved with Jacks only to see someone call off their entire stack with Queen-nine! Seriously!

Nothing I did or am doing seems to work. AQ running into AK, KK into AA, 888 into a river straight and even when I do suck out, they re-suck out on me! As an example, I shoved Jd5d when heads-up and was called by KdJs. Great I thought but I started fist-pumping when the flop came down Jc4c5h but sank back into my chair as a Kc fell on the river!

That second place helped reduce the losses but then I went on a spell where I cashed only twice in 25 games, one fifth place and thankfully my first win which means I am around 13 buy-ins down from 50 games. It's a very small sample size so I am not worried, mainly down to the fact I do not feel I have been outclassed at any point, its just the cards not falling my way at key times. The remedy for this is volume and lots of it.

I didn't play on Sunday, mainly because I'd had four losing sessions in a row so wanted to take stock and play on Monday with a clear, refreshed mind. This didn't happen as I hardly slept Sunday night as both kiddies here are full of cold so I ended up on the sofa with both kids in bed with Mrs P. I try not to make a habit of playing tired etc, especially with someone elses money.

All being well, I should hit the tables tonight and with a bit of luck I can start to run a little better and at least get back even. According to Holdem Manager, I am owed 30,550 chips in EV so at least I have plenty of Sklansky Dollars!

Well, I think I'll leave it there for now. Before I go I have to say a big congratulations to James Atkin and his Mrs on the arrival of their first child, well done to you both, he's a little belter!

As always, thanks for reading and best of luck at the tables!

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