A String of Good Cards but Dreadful Play...

[redwings03]

So I am in a Tier 2 satellite to PS WPT Tourney roughly 150 entrants. First hand of the tourney...all start with 1500.

I pick up AQ [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in EP. I make it 80. 2 call. Flop is a non descript 2 5 10 rainbow. I fire 80. 1 calls and 1 folds. Turn J...suits no issue. I fire 120. Called again. River pairs 10's. I am almost sure I am up against AK or a small pair, neither of which I can beat so I fire 380 and I am pretty sure he will fold. He folds so first hand is a success.


Second Hand is KK UTG- I raise to 80. 2 call. Flop comes Q 4 7 rainbow and since I am in EP and hope to trap I check. LP makes a solid 200 move at the pot. I raise to 600. He pushes all in and I call. He flips QJ and I take him down. Hmmm, doesn't get much better than this for the first two hands of a tourney as 1500 is just shy of 4000 now.

Now it gets tricky...Phone rings. It's my sister and we talk, poker and more, meanwhile I am still playing. Softplaying myself into losing with pocket QQ, calling off too much on pocket JJ, and twice folding to small bets that I should have called based on position and pot odds. (once I would have made a set of 8's with my pocket 88 and the other time I would have made two Pair KJ's to take down a weak ace).

Absolutely dreadful play!!! Down to 1400... then I take a beat when I get focused...JJ and I get all my chips in against two callers who moved with 89s and K 10 off. Flop is KKA and I am out.

The MORAL OF THE STORY...

Distracted Play (EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE PREMIUM STARTING HANDS and / or POSITION) is BAD PLAY!!!

Just advice to all...comments or related items are welcome but certainly not required. I am a bit smarter tonight.

[Mike Gallo]

Yzerman,

Distracted Play (EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE PREMIUM STARTING HANDS and / or POSITION) is BAD PLAY!!!

It leads to bad play.

You learned a valuable lesson. Congratulations. Learn to live in the now. Stay focused.