Good Play - Bad Finish

I finished 2nd in my league tournament last night. While I am not happy with second, I am happy with how I played to get there. Once I got heads up I made a couple dumb moves- flat called when I should have raised being the worst mistake, and it ended up costing me. I’ll get to that in a minute.

When we got started one of my goals was to make myself go with my gut/read more. I think I did a pretty good job. I had one guy to my immediate right that I just slapped around all night long. It was a thing of beauty. I honestly can’t remember a pot that he won off of me. He was getting a little ticked off. You know you are getting to a player when you hear him say, “How can you call me all the way down with that hand?”

I miss played one hand and donked off a few thousand chips. I thought I could push a guy out pre-flop so I re-raised with an A 7 of spades from the button. I should have probably made it bigger and he would have mucked, but he called. He check raise me all in on the flop. I had nothing but an A with pretty much no kicker. I had to let it go. It was ok though, within about 20 minutes I built them back up.

When it got short handed I hit a little snag. I know there are supposed to be no friends at the poker table, but I had one there. One of my true friends (of about 15 years) and I were in the final 3. That sucked. I really wanted one of us to win the whole thing. So I changed my game and played softer than normal (what an idiot). After a couple hands I noticed that his game wasn’t the same either. Later we talked and both admitted we played like little girls. One of us would have for sure won if we both played our game.

Pretty soon my buddy ends up getting busted by the other guy. So now I am heads up. I am out chipped though. He’s probably got me close to 2 ½ to one. I thought I was ready to play heads up…turns out I wasn’t. I really didn’t play that well. I let him raise on the button a couple times when I shouldn’t have, and didn’t raise a couple times when I should have. He ended up getting me with the board 6 4 4 10 K. I was holding KQ. He had a 4.

I wasn’t disappointed that I lost. I was just mad that I misplayed my hand. I should have played that last hand differently (win or lose). He raised from the button, and I smooth called. That was my mistake. I should have re-raised. He couldn’t have called. He even did this thing with his hand as he tossed his chips in on his raise. I knew he was weak. I was trying to flop something and hope he bet into me. I guess that’s what I get for playing it the way I did.