Halt! Who Goes There?

Ok, so, the last month has been a big ole' dry desert for me this month in online tournaments. I haven't been playing up to par for about 3 weeks now. I've been getting knocked out extremely early. I have been making bad calls throughout this month post flop. Basically, I haven't been fearing the limper, and literally as I type this right now, I've realized this. I've been pushing in "Doh dee Doh dee Doh," trying to steal pots, but in the wrong fashion. Just a little out of position and a little out of mind. I wouldn't even be upset if I got knocked out, I didn't know what my deal was. Bored with my poor online tournament play I guess. I needed to find an oasis and fast.

Well last night I took my song and dance out from in front of the computer...

"Salvation!" "I have seen the light!" "I have exorcised the demons!"

I headed out to catch a live tournament. I was discouraged about tournament poker in the confines of the apartment and in front of my computer. So with a little optimism, I made my way to a live tournament where I could attempt to play some solid poker. With about a month of discouragement, mind you, I took my seat and played. The first tournament I final tabled, but went out in eighth place. An ok placing by my standards (I have extremely high live play standards.).

Tournament Highlight:

Blinds are 400 & 800 with two tables left.

I am in the big blind with As,7s

Table folds around to small blind. Small blind calls.

I bet 800 more, trying to pick up her blind. Definitely not big enough a bet.

NOTE: This player has been taking down pots ever since I was moved to this table and she isn't showing her cards. The rest of the table is fully aware of this too.

The flop: 7c, Qh, 4s

She bets 800 and I reraise her 1200 more.

She calls after thinking about it for a few seconds.

I'm thinking she has over cards but missed the flop.

Meanwhile I'm chewing on some peanuts(protein: good for thinking), I snuck in from home, and sipping on my water.

The turn: 7c, Qh, 4s, Kh

She bets 800, I think about it, as I am humming along to some Elastica playing in my head.

NOTE: I don't use headphones.

I call suspiciously, but I am playing my seven and want an Ace on that river or I might be through with the hand.

The river: 7c, Qh, 4s, Kh, Kd

She moves ALL IN... Hard.

She counts out 3000. I have her covered by about 1500.

Everyone has me on a Queen for some reason(you can't see me rolling my eyes right now.).

Table talk picks up speculating what I have.

I am leaning towards folding because I still have about 4500 left in chips.

I noticed one guy, a very aggressive player, adjacent to me with a look of disgust on his face when that second king came out. I had a instant premonition, that disappeared as quickly as it came to me, that his mucked cards were K, rag.

I am counting out the 3000, like there is a larger possibility of me calling, but largely considering folding, doing the tell tale signs, holding up my cards and being heart broken, and beginning to imagine not being able to climb out of the hole I've dug for myself.

BUT then, she made this smirk when I did my, unintentional and honest heartbroken/woe is me, sing song dance in my chair.

I made up my mind and with less reluctance, I declare, "I'm either paying you off, or knocking you out. Call."

She sighs, in disgust, and shows Ac, 10c. [She had me on a Queen as well.]

I show As, 7s

The remaining players at the table and gallery of railbirds, as a choir, bellowed with a mix of disgust and appraisal.

I was just glad I won, and would be moving to the final table.

I didn't realize the reason I made that call until much later. It wasn't so much, the smirk, but the look of disgust from the adjacent player, revealing his mucked King. Not even while we were on break at the final table did I come to this as a solid conclusion, I had hinted at it to myself. It was while on the drive home I realized that this was the main deciding factor for making the call.

Aftermath: There was no more bluffing(by anyone), & no aggressive play towards me for the rest of the tournament because everyone left at my table witnessed this call and didn't know how to play me, which was really good for me because I have much respect(from previous experience) for three of the players that remained at my table. This allowed me to steal some pots, which was good. The downside was when I had AA and later Kk at this table I couldn't get anyone to play with me. That was the negative(?) aspect of gaining some power. But, I keep an optimistic approach and go with the saying "Winning a small bet is better than losing any bet."

Final table: I was cold decked with good cards missing the board and bad cards hitting after I fold and eventually having to go all in with Kc, 10c against a guy who raised. I thought, the very second he raised he had AK, which he did. I moved in on him hoping to catch some clubs or a 10, before he showed his AK, because I was done once the blinds caught me. He got me with a Jack shy of a straight.

After getting busted at the final table, I signed up for the next tournament and went and got something to eat.

The Second Tournament:

* Uneventful.

* I Placed Second in this one.

Dodged some bullets at the final table. I was short stacked against the chip leader heads up. He had about four to six times my stack. He ran the table pretty hard. Knocked the entire table out. There was nothing anyone could do. He was either ahead or he sucked out.

All-in-all, it was a long, great night. I'm just grateful that my live play hasn't suffered because of my poor online tournament play. I am really happy I could prove that to myself. Oddly enough, my online cash game play hasn't suffered. I've made a few bucks here and there. I have come to the conclusion that I can't muster the patience for online tournaments consistently and will have to work on this. Funny because patience is a virtue I possess.