When Does Winning Feel Like Losing?

The monthly big tournament was held at the American Legion today. The buy-in was $100 and I entered with high hopes having cashed in my last 3 tournaments. My luck ran pretty sour until the first break 2 hours in, I won only 2 pots with the second one a pretty good one. I just hung in and finally got some decent hands to push with and made the final table. We agreed on $110 for the bubble boy when we were down to 6 players and I was probably 5th in chips, so good deal for me.

I began catching some great cards and moved into 3rd place. Then the following two hands happened. With blinds at 2,000/4,000 I raised to 10,000 from the cutoff with A/8 suited. The big blind a very average player defended with 8/9 offsuit and 9,000 behind. I had 16,000 behind. The flop came 10 high with a 6 and when he checked, I bet 9,000 to put him all in. He called with the gutshot and a dominated hand and the river brought his 9!

Now I am the short stack at the table and when the big blind hits me I have Q/10 offsuit. The table folds to the small blind, a very loose poor player who was chip leader at the start of the final table and is now in 4th place. He just completes the blind and I check my option not having enough to get him to fold. The flop comes great for my hand: K/Q/J, giving me second pair plus an open ended straight draw.

Being the crappy player that he is, he bets into me and I insta call saying, "if you have a king ya got me". He says, "no", and turns over 8/5 offsuit. Awesome! The turn is an 8 and the river, unbelievably, is another 8, knocking me out in 5th place. Unreal two hands. As I leave, stunned, after two bad beats, I hear them discuss doing a 4 way chop for $600 each. And that folks is when winning feels like losing.