A Break and a New Vice

Tonight I went out to Grand Victoria Casino for some live poker action. I played 5/10 for about 3 hours and never really managed to get my head in the game the way I needed to. The very first hand I posted and was dealt KsJs, instead of raising like I should have I just checked and saw a flop of Jd7x4d, the BB bet, I raised and we ended up heads-up on the turn which was an 8. He grabbed 2 chips like he was gonna bet, then checked to me. If I'd been properly in the game I would have seen this as a sign that he really like his hand and maybe checked behind with just top pair. Instead, I bet and was immediately raised. I called and the river came the Ad. Thankfully, he checked again and I immediately checked behind, and he showed down T9o for the turned gutshot. UGH, great way to start right? Well, after getting stuck there I did manage to get ahead when I made a straight with KQo, won with Q8s (pair of 8's on the flop held up) and won about the absolute minimum from a pair of Queen's when my AQo sucked out. I raised UTG with AQ and it folded around to the button who deals at another local casino and who I had pegged as a decent player. He 3-bet and we took a flop of AKx heads-up. Action was on me, I bet and he folded and showed QQ, I showed him the Ace out of respect, but really felt kinda crappy about the hand because I hadn't gotten much out of it.

At any rate, at one point I'd made it to +$90, but I wasn't getting many playable hands (the AQ was probably the best hand I saw all night; I had 99 twice and and the KQ and KJ hands, but no other pairs or Aces with decent kickers) and I was starting to get bored. So, I started doing some unorthodox (stupid) shit. For instance, my BB is raised and I call without looking. The flop comes 69J, it checks around. The turn is a complete blank, I check my cards...find 87o and bet out with my straight draw. The original raiser calls me, the river is a blank, I bet again...he thinks for a while, almost lays it down and finally calls....I muck. Eventually, with this and other bad plays I'd gone from up $90 to stuck $100 and I decided to quit. My head was never really in the game, I was pretty bored and I just didn't feel like playing anymore. So, I cashed out half of the $200 I had left and went to play 3-card poker with the $100.

I promptly started losing at 3-card and was almost down to the felt when I finally won a hand or two and then the dealer changed. I was only one left at the table and I told him that if he dealt me a straight flush that first hand he'd get a very nice tip. I looked down at my cards, saw 2 fives and what looked like it might be a third one and immediately, called the ante and set my hand down. The dealer flipped the cards and we found 555. Trips pays 30-1 and I was up for the night. I went on a mini-rush there, then gave some back and cashed out up $280 on 3-card poker in half an hour. I've definitely found a new vice. I love 3-card poker. It's mindless, not hugely -EV and the potential payouts are pretty nice. Just another thing for me to gamble on...Great.

I then proceeded to come home and drop almost $150 on online tournaments and not feel the least bit good about how I played. I've decided therefore that I need a little break. I'm obviously not at the top of my game at the moment and my interest level isn't what it needs to be (I'm getting bored and fucking up) so I need a little time off. I don't know how long this will last, but I'd originally planned to play the 17k on FullTilt tomorrow and I've decided that I won't even play cash games...I'm taking the day completely off. I didn't play Sunday either, and I may try to make the break last thru Thursday or so at the very least. The key is to come back to playing again when I really WANT it, not because I feel like I need to or to satisfy my gambling urges or something.