FULL TILT POKER BLOG

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The only time I doubt my love for poker is when I doubt poker loves me. With the heavy action taking place 5,100 miles away, and personally being mired in a two-month (or is it six-month? or twelve-month?) slump, I had serious doubts. When I trudged to my computer on October 1 just after dawn – okay, it was really 1pm – it was as much out of habit and duty as love.

I started by bucking myself my up with irrational thinking. August and September have traditionally been slow months for me. October is my lucky month. I don’t know if this is even statistically supportable, so we’ll skip for now how Full Tilt’s RNG “knows” and responds to such things.

I played just two tournaments that day, but it was more than enough to remind me why, if I am trapped in poker, it is by choice. My first tournament was so far from the mainstream that it doesn’t even have a name. It’s a $20 + $2 NLHE turbo that starts at 12:45pm (local time).

I signed up late and, on my first hand, received 4-4 in the big blind.  After a player in middle position raised, I actually said my mantra aloud:  “October is my lucky month.” But the small blind moved all-in, so I folded. The raiser called and I got to watch both players turn over Q-Q and split a pot I’d have taken after a four came on the flop.

“October is my lucky month,” I repeated, but without much conviction.

Nothing went right and I was soon down to just 400 of my 1,500 starting chips. But I was patient, didn’t get unlucky, and even won several races. When half of the 300+ players had been eliminated from the field, I was actually the chip leader. I successfully navigated my stack through the rapidly increasing blinds and antes, into the money, and all the way to the final table. I finished fourth. It wasn’t a win and the $571 wasn’t a fortune, but I couldn’t remember the last time I left a tournament not felling like a victim.

I instantly entered the 4pm tournament (19:00 ET), the $69 + $6 NLHE $40,000 guarantee.

I spent the first hour playing, solid, conservative, I’m-not-a-victim-or-a-maniac poker. I got paid on a couple of hands, had opponents do some stupid things to bust themselves, and I was well above average in chips.

Then came the hand of the night. I was in the big blind with Kc-4c. Another big stack, second to act, raised. I had put him down as a conservative player and debated folding . . . until two other players called. Now I had to call.

The flop came K-7-4-rainbow, giving me two-pair, kings and fours. The raiser bet out and I thought there was a chance I was going to hang him with A-A or A-K. The other players fold and I made what I considered a “standard” check-raise. He immediately re-raised huge. Now I was sure he had A-K or A-A, so I raised with my remaining chips and he called.

He raised in early position with Kh-7h and hit a better two-pair. I realize that few bad-beat stories start with “I had K-4 in the big blind,” but what is this tight player doing raising in early position with K-7? So he can make two pair and get paid when the big blind makes two smaller pair? Because that is about the only scenario in which he can win a big pot raising in early position with that hand. And he spent eighty hands camouflaging it by playing tight so it could pay off.

Just as I said to my computer, “Is October my lucky month?” I hit a four on the river and go from busting to the chip lead. There were about 300 players left but I stayed on the first page of the leaderboard all the way until we made it to the money.

Stay tuned for Part II, in which, that same night, I become an international poker ambassador!

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2 Responses to “#864 – October is for (Poker) Lovers, Part I – The Mantra”

1. Buba Valdez Says:
   October 6th, 2009 at 4:56 pm

   Dear Mr. Craig.
   Several days ago I watched your two deep runs and congratulated you the very next day. Since I purchased and started reading a book edited by you you became a person I have a huge respect for. Thank you very much. You know what book I am talking about, we even discussed it in a chat during a tourney. I started watching you and developed an interest to your style of play. From a bottom of my heart I wish you a great success in your life AND at the table. AND NOT ONLY IN OCTOBER.

2. Scott Diamond Says:
   October 7th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   Nice post sir. I hope your change of luck continues

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