Double Dealing Jack Attack

As shown in the last post, dealing poker is a minimum wage job.  Also, it is distracting when you play, despite some experience.  I can't really explain it, just that you have other things to think about besides your cards and how to best play them.  I was not planning to deal last night but the arrangement I have with the tournament directors is that I will deal if no one else will.  Fair enough. So, one of the regular dealers called to say he would be late I agreed to deal for him.  As it turned out he showed up just as the game was getting underway but was fine with me dealing table 3.  Things went well, chipping up early thanks to some weak players and good calls.  Having almost twice the starting stack before break, sitting just where you should, a player raised about 1/2 his short stack. This was the player who had eliminated me on the final table Wednesday so when I saw J/J in the small blind I re-raised to put him all in and force the big blind out.  Revenge is sweet.  He turned over AK and the race was on.  Looked good until the river when a king came and just like that he was doubled up and I was back to a little over starting stack.  Crap.

Looking forward to ending my dealer duties and focusing on playing, we got down to 2 tables.  Great, now for some card playing.  Rut row, the dealer on 2 was knocked out and he asked me to take over as he wanted to leave.  Oh well, better tip money.  After a bit, we are now down to 10 players, and the blinds are 400/800.  Card dead since moving and really not playing any hands at all, I pick up A/10 suited on the button.  With only 4 big blinds, I move in.  Small blind folds, big blind snap calls.  Not good.  He has.....wait for it...... J/J.  O.K., I have outs, at least until the flop when a jack hits.  Really? The board then pairs and I am out in 10th place, the table breaks to go to the final table.  I hear that another player busted out on the same hand, so technically came in tied for 9th which is the final table.  Oh well, big game Sunday, $100 buy-in and guess what?  Not dealing!!!