Dumb.Dumb.Dumb.

I made such a novice error at the Degenerate's $20 home tourney last Saturday... which had a nice turn out of about 30 people... I got to meet several nice people.. I am sure all that were there were nice, I just didn't get to meet all of them... I got to meet April, The Degenerate Gambler, and Dead Money Inc., from the Austin Blogger contention.. got to talk to Dead Money and Degenerate for a bit, but unfortunately, time with April was very limited, due to her late arrival, and my bonehead move at the final table.....

I played rather well. This being, technically, my first live 'money' tourney, ie, not for points... I was pleased with all of my play, til the end... and it was one of those things where you know your making a mistake, yet you continue to do whatever it is, even tho you know bettre.... I think it has to due with that 'voice', which can be very persuasive at times....

Most of the tourney, I was right at around the starting chips.. ( 1500 ). not taking any serious chances.... when we got to 18 people left, we redrew for tables, and I ended up moving, to find myself with 6 other people I had not played with yet.. two of them I had... I think I was, outta the 9 at that table.. about 5th or 6th in chips.... One lady kept calling off her chip stack, which was pretty hefty when we restarted... and I managed to get some of those.... so, now, the only four hands that mattred for me in the tourney...

I am in the big blind, everyone folds to the SB... blinds are 100/200, me thinks... I have him well covered, and I have Q8o, I am going to put him all in no mattre what...already decided... he raises to 400.... I put him all in... he flips AA... oops....he said he figured that a small bet like that would get me to bet big if I had anything, and I told him I was gonna put him all in no mattre what I had.... I never improved and lost my stack.... He got AA the very next hand, took out the nice young lady to my right... went from shortstack, to contention, in two hands...

Few hands latre... I call an ALL-IN with J7s..... Eddie, who has me well covered, flips AKs... ouch.... I am way behind but hit a 7 on the flop, J on the turn.. beat him with Jacks up... dbling up from 2700 to 5400 or so....

Not to terribly long after that... a monster pot is won by one of the chip leaders, if not the leader... He has 66, lady has AA, other guy has 10 7.

AA is button, folded to her, she limps...
10 7 is SB, calls...
66 is BB, checks..

Flop is 10 6 10, they end up all three all in..... turn is rag, river is rag... BB wins with 6's over 10's.... is definately chip leader now.... shortly after that.. we go to the final table...

I let a few hands go by, one I should have played.. but, there were 9 of us, I was about 5th or 6th in chips... and a couple people had barely two BB's... so, I was just going to wait til one or both of them went out.. before I made any serious moves...

Then, QQ shows up.... and I already know what I did wrong, as I said, I knew it as I did it....

I actually do not remember my position, but, I think it was BB... blinds at 200/400... April is to my left by the way, she folds or limps, don't recall.. argh.. I don't remember the intial part.. but, there were three of us... short stack goes all in.... 840chips.. , chip leader calls..... I call with QQ...
( mistake #1, but recoverable ). Flop is sumtin, sumtin, Ace... I am first to act, ( so, I must of been the SB )... I bet $2000 into about an almost $3000 pot... chip leader immediately goes ALL IN.. I think for about 2 secs ( mistake #2 ), and I call him ( mistake #3, not fixable ).. again, he has me well covered. He has A7, never saw what the short stack had... so now here I am needing a Q badly.. it never comes... I am out...

I have no idea why I did not go all in preflop, putting my money in with the best of it... and I have no idea why I even bet the flop with an overcard, when check-folding was prolly the bettre option, and I have no idea why I called his all in... I could have folded and still had chips to play awhile....

But, I do recall hearing a voice that said.. 'Go ahead, your gonna get lucky, don't worry about that A on the board'... and that, is the biggest mistake... listening to that voice...

I had a really good time....everyone was very nice, and cordial..... looking forward to another... only, I will be leaving that 'voice' at home....

Edit: Should add, that had I hit a Q on the turn or river, I still would have felt very bad about the way the hand was played... basically, I got what I deserved... and its all good.. that is something you only do once... we can hope, at least.. :)