Running Not So Good

Sometimes, let's face it, we are just not running good.  It is a combination of things usually.  Like, too tired to play well, not focused, card dead, bad match ups, lousy flops, opponents red hot, etc.  I was running soooo good before my Phoenix trip thus the letdown has been brutal.  Last Friday night was an example of bad match ups.  Running very good pre-break, had doubled up to around 4200 in chips, just where I like to be.  I was out 4 hands after the break.  This is how it went down.  Playing a 9/10 on the button, the flop came down A/7/8.  Pretty good flop, so when a loose aggressive player bet 400, I was happy to call.  The turn paired the ace, and after my check he bet around 800.  Too much for a straight draw, so I folded.  He showed A/7 for the full house.  Now down to 3500 in the big blind, the dealer raises to 600.  Another loose aggressive player (is it just me, or are there lots of these guys?), re-raises to 1200.  I look at my cards and hallelujah, pocket kings!!!!  So naturally, given the action and my chip count, I re-raise, intending to go all-in (but neglecting 3 100 chips on top of my cards), trying to isolate.  She folds and he snap calls, turning over A/A.  I turn my kings over and the dealer runs the board, failing to find either a queen or a king on the 9/10/J board.  I am out, but wait, what about the other 300 chips?  Oh, he just said call, and I just shoved, not stating I was all-in.  No argument about me keeping the chips, so I post 100 in the small blind, am dealt 3/3 and after calling the flop, shove $100, hoping no-one caught anything.  I am called by two players, it is checked to the river and the guy with A/A knocks me out with 7/10 having caught a 10 on the flop (I told you he was loose).

With low expectations, I dealt table 3 at Wheeler.  Also running good early, had doubled up when we broke my table after the 1st break.  After running and playing good, went totally card dead.  There was no hand I was dealt that would have won any pot.  Also, the cards were lousy and it was mostly fold, fold and fold.  One opportunity was against a short stack who was playing squeaky tight on my table who shoved about 1/2 my stack.  I had 6/6, and with loose aggressive players behind me, figured a coin toss at best, so folded.  The big blind (LAG!!!) called with Q/8 off suit, knocking his AK out when she hit an 8 on the river. I hate this game!!!!

My last hand was from the small blind, blinds at 200/400, with only 1350 chips.  Only one limper (Mr. LAG) who turns out was playing 4/7 suited, I shoved.  The big blind, a newbie girl, just called, pricing LAG in.  She had A/J also.  So the board ran out with a 7 on the flop and I was eliminated in 10th place, she was short stacked for the final table.  If she had re-raised all-in, I believe Mr. LAG would have folded, but maybe not.  In any case that in my opinion would have been the correct play, and we would have chopped the pot and lived to fight another day.