Beg, Steal and Borrow that run good

In the last 2 years where poker has moved from a second income, to hobby and then to a career (although not in a playing sense) those who know me really well know that I will never stop playing live, although opportunities are limited and I am living in a poker wilderness.

This is generally the reason that my own personal reasons for finding tilt tend to come from others. I can handle the consequences of making a bad decision, but the bad decisions of others tilt me beyond the bounds of normal rage. Yes, I understand that level 1 players always have it and you can’t get them off a mediocre hand even if you had a crowbar, yes I know that basic math’s and equity calculations are beyond them but I love to play them as if they no what I am trying to represent. Dealing with this issue is my current personal challenge, the logic of not doing it harks back to Super/System where Mr. Brunson tells us there is no point in trying advanced or trick plays against a low level player as they don’t understand what you are doing. What constituted a low lever player when Doyle wrote this book, given the way the game of NLH played now, is a really scary thought.

So on my last venture to a casino tournament I decided to take @daleroxxu up on his offer of run good by voting for him in the British Poker Awards. If you read my blog I the subject, save the time as epic fail is the term you want. Given that run good is obviously not passed down from you players to someone as old school as myself, I was encouraged to play after receiving a retweet (now an official word!) from Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott. Realising that we had a few things in common, we both use Twitter and have loads of tolerance of others, I should take this as a sign that the old school karma will help me more than a twenty something team online pro.

I was worried that perhaps things were not really going to plan when I had only won one pot before the first break. Given that I had made the nut flush on the turn and "I've got top pair" boy kept on betting in to it, I was happy with an over average stack.

It’s an interesting thing when you elect not to play many hands in a casino game. You watch some appalling play, learn everything about your opponents and watch the luck boxes garner chips. The comedy never stops when you elect to play your first in earnest after an hour, and three people want to come in to a pot with you.

The final table was reached with little drama, although I was nursing the short stack there is always a good spot on the horizon. One of the regulars opened for 5 BBs (his normal PFR, although he has a wide range), I looked down at AA and shoved. The chip leader on my left called, and Mr. 5 BBs ran to the hills. The leader turned AhKs, the board caused no unexpected variance and I was in business. Players got knocked out, the only backwards step was calling a shove with 77, I was happy to see J6o but the running cards to give him a straight was a little irritating.

Everything else ran like clockwork, and I found myself heads up with a chip lead. I then managed to lose an all in pot on a flip, tried to shove with AQ into 1010. Not to worry, I had a tasty profit, a spring in my step and a hand from @devilfish2011

Who said the children is the future?