Bubble Agony

[poker-penguin]

Well, I just bubbled out of a satelite tournament - not even the left over cash to sooth my pain. The offending hand has been posted in MTT forum, so I can get confirmation I am an idiot (or reassurance I did the right thing).

I made my decision and I thought it was right at the time, so I will accept that I did what I did within a few minutes (although it will be easier to put away if I did make the right move according to other people).

Now, the entrance fee was only $24+2, and I've lost more than that on one hand before many times. The seat I didn't win was $220 which I have lost in a session several times.

And yet this bugs me more than a moronically played ring hand or even a nasty session.

Ironically, I've played 5 multis this week. Cashed, including a final table, in two 300ish player, missed out in two satelites (two not even close and then this bubble). I booked a handy profit for the week's multis (this should be especially pleasing because I mostly play them for recreational purposes).

Sure, I'm just beating myself up because I hate making mistakes and this might have been a bad one and is fresh in my mind. Some of this post is just venting, and I apologise for inflicting it on you all.

But there's something about it being a satelite that makes this one sting worse than normal. I don't think my decision was particularly bad (and I've made it so I have to accept the consequenses) but the whole not qualifying thing stings worse than just bubbling.

Maybe it's the all or nothing nature of the payout means that success / failure feels a lot more black and white because I don't have the "well I was trying to come first" shield to hide behind.

Maybe it's that I can win money to replace the prize money in a cash multi, but I will only enter a bigger tournament when I win the seat.

Maybe it's because I'm too damn cheap to buy in to larger tournaments, so getting there on skill is the only way I'll get a chance at the big score. I haven't got there yet either, so it might feel more important than the difference between cashing / losing in a prize multi because I've done both more times.

Anyone else have this problem where specific types of losses burn worse than they should?

Anyway, I'm off to bed, since I'm tired.