As many of you know, my last WPBT tournament experience ended when my flopped set of 5's lost to the eventual champions flopped set of 8's.
I had worked my stack up early to close to 4000T and I was among the top 20. But something happened. I started playing marginal hands and catching 2nd, 3rd and 4th best hands. That's a recipe for disaster.
I decided to tighten up and wait for the right opportunity to double up. It's my natural style after all. It was Presto... Speed Limit... whatever you'd like to call pocket 5's. I limped from early position and 5 of us saw a flop of J-8-5 rainbow.
I said to myself, "I hope someone caught something so I can double up." I lead out and get raised by Gamecock. I put in a significan re-raise and he moves me all in. I call, happily. He flips 88 (set vs. set, grumble, grumble, grumble). I'm out in 74032nd place, or whatever.
Should I have played this hand differently? You can't be unhappy about getting all your money in the pot with a set, right?
So I've taken a few days to think about it, and I've had an epiphany. There is a way to play this hand. Here now is my indispensible advice for playing bottom set...
FOLD
And if you don't fold, plan to lose all your money.
See, I've got this game figured out!