So I've started my "training camp" and I've stuck to the plan so far. I've actually added more playing to it. Because I've been laid up in bed, I've been able to put a lot of hands in online. My concentration level isn't one where I can 8 table, but I started at one and comfortably built up to 3. Playing on percoset isn't all that bad.
Again, part of training camp is building up the mental and emotional endurance required for playing poker for days on end at the series. This is an important part of the training process and I'm actually kinda lucky I had surgery so I could do this. Toward the end of yesterday's daytime session, I realized I was starting to tilt a bit. So after a rough day of beats and coolers, I took a break yesterday around 5pm, focused on some other things and came back strong for the night.
Things started off great and I was really zoned in on the game flow and tendencies of the other players. I was making good reads and chipping up nice. I ended up building a top 5 stack as we got to the middle and late stages of one tournament and I was cruising near the bubble. But then it all came crashing down in one hand. One thing I discovered last night was that I still need to work on some emotional aspects of losing control in certain situations. Maybe I got a bit cocky or felt like I was invincible, but as this hand progressed things got out of control quickly and I lost focus on the other players in the hand.
We're down to about 23 (paying 20 but I wasn't really focused on that) and the chip leader to my right raised. I had TT on the button and 3bet and then the BB who only had a bit more, shoved. I didn't really fathom the big stack being in the pot, so when he called and it came to me, I was a bit thrown off. The shove was less than a min raise, so I couldn't isolate and we took a flop of 8d3d5c. The big stack checked and here's where my first mistake happened...I didn't take the time to really think through the situation and assign him a range of hands. I felt like he would have iso'd with JJ+ so I just threw in a 1/2 pot bet assuming he would just fold and I'd iso the short stack. But...he called. This completely threw me off. As I'm trying to figure out what he has, the Td is put out there and he insta-shoved. I got caught up in the moment, and just said "I don't know what you have buddy, but I have a set and I'm not folding". Of course he turns over Ad9d and I'm drawing to 10 outs. I don't get there and in one fowl swoop, I'm out. WTF?
So now it's the day after and I'm trying to figure out what the hell happened. Would I have called in a non-ego driven, emotional state? Not sure. If I had been calm and focused, I would have realized that I needed 3.5-1 to draw to a boat/quads and I was only getting 3-1. I would have logically realized that the ONLY thing he can have here is a flush. This is not a bluff or semi-bluff in this situation and my set of Tens are beat. I know it's easy to say this after the fact, but in this situation it's true. If he had a lower set that was slow playing, he would have checked it down...or at least thought for a bit before shoving. It was like he had shoved before I had a chance to process anything and I didnt' take any time to think about it. So...the question is why?
Yeah, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I take pride in making good decisions. I know this is a blessing and a curse. But I'm glad this happened during "training camp" so I can keep getting better and improving my game in these spots. There is a blog post I wrote almost 5 years ago called "Reset Your Mind for the End Game" and it talks about this very situation. Basically, I had a rough initial part of the day so winning something meant more than it should. I wanted to validate my skills and prove that the morning was just variance (which by itself is flawed thinking). So when I had this big stack and was very comfortable at the table, I may have let my guard down a bit and assumed nothing bad could happen to me. When this hand started to unravel and even on the flop, I wasn't completely focused and I just assumed any bet would take it down. I really didn't think about proper bet sizing for the situation. I just mashed the 1/2 pot button and gave him reverse implied odds to draw. And while my blow up happened on the turn, where I really could have prevented the hand from going the way it did was pre-flop. When I saw the TT, I should have taken a bit more time to analyze the situation and more importantly, had my guard ready. I just assumed he had nothing and my re-steal would take it down. I needed to be mentally prepared for all possible situations instead of being cocky. You have to be prepared for anything in poker and my shortsightedness cost me my stack. It's important to remember, no matter how long you have been playing or concentrating for, that the END GAME is when you need to step it up a notch. It's fine to feel confident, but not so confident that you aren't taking the time to fully think through each situation.
Okay, that's my rant for today. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself and I know my expectations are high. I'm not really "mad" at myself per se, but I want to learn and be prepared for future situations like this when the stakes are higher. The more I'm in these situations the more I can be comfortable in them.
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