It's a 10 person Sit-and-Go with a $10 entry fee. The top three finishers pay. I haven't had much luck recently so I'm hoping for at least third.
When you get to the end, you'll understand what the title means. It started out well enough...
Hand #2
It's just the second hand and I'm looking at cowboys. It's early, so I decide to take a chance and leave as many people as possible in the pot. I'm in an early position and I just call the big blind. Six players are in the hand.
The flop brings Ac-Kh-10d. The bad news, a possible straight draw. The good news, no flush draw. The best news, I flopped a set of Kings! The guy in front of me bets 65 (the pot), and I call, so does a player behind me. It worries me that two other players are still in, should I have raised?
The turn is a 9 of clubs. It couldn't possibly have helped either of them. The first guy checks and I bet 260. I get one caller and the other player folds. Now I'm worried. I'm into this pot for 335 chips. If I lose this hand at this point, I'm down to 665.
The river is a 7 of clubs. It's irrelevant. If he has Q-J or A-A, I'm sitting on a loser. I know it's not A-A. I'm first to act, and I check. I'm gun shy. My poker hasn't been going to well. He checks, too. What would I have done if he forced me all-in? Glad I didn't find out, but when he shows A-Q, I wish I had bet a little more. I'm up to 1445.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #5
I'm in the big blind of 10 when I get Ks-Jh. No one raises, so I'm the hand with 6 other players. Clearly a loose table. We've already lost one player.
The flop is Kd-7s-5s. Not bad. I've got top pair with a pretty good kicker. I'm second to act and it's checked to me. I bet 70 and get two callers before a guy raises it to 420. He gets a caller then another guy goes all-in for 960. That's followed by another guy going all-in for 2040. A third guy goes all-in with 990. By the way, I folded.
The showdown is As-Js, 5h-7h and 7d-4d. Huh? First guy is on a spade flush draw. Second guy is sitting with two-pair. Third guy has the second pair and a backdoor flush draw. Guess some people just donate.
The last two cards are 9c and 6h. Two pair hold up.
By hand #7, three of the 10 players are out. A fourth is out in hand nine and a fifth in hand 12.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #41
The loose players went fast and I didn't get much action for the next 36 hands. I'm sitting in fourth place with 1340 chips, just 300 behind second place, but 3200 behind first. I'm UTG when I get Kd-Qs. The blind is still just 30 so I call. All fold until the big blind (who's in second place) raises it to 105. I throw another 75 into the pot, but I'm not sure why. Getting bored, I guess.
The flop is 4h-Qc-6s. Now I'm glad I stayed. The other guy bets 225 and I call.
The turn is a 10 of spades. He bets 675 and I suddenly realize why I shouldn't have been in this hand. He's gotta have rockets or cowboys. He's got the overpair and I'm betting top pair, just throwing money away. I fold, and I'm down to 1085.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #50
Nine hands later, and I'm in 4th place now with 1025 chips. I'm in a late position when I get Kh-Jh. I call the big blind of 40 and three players are in the pot.
The flop is 9d-7s-Qd. Since everyone checks, so do I. I easily could have been bet out of this pot, but I'm still in.
The turn is a magical card, a 10 of hearts. There's a diamond draw on the board, but I've got the nut straight. The first player bets 120, the second folds and I raise all-in. I get called, and I'm pretty excited, until he also K-J. The river is the third diamond, but neither of us were playing for that. We chop the pot, and I'm at 1045.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #61
Now I'm down to 985 and I'm getting antsy. That's when a pair of beautiful ladies show up in my pocket. I'm UTG and I raise the big blind of 40 to 100. The big blind re-raises to 320 and I call.
The flop is 7c-9s-3c. The other player has about a 3-1 chips lead over me, and he bets what I've got left. Decision time: all-in or fold. I go all-in. I'm betting club draw. I'm right, he flips Kc-10c. At this point, he's got quite a few outs with two cards left to come. Any of the remaining 9 clubs, any of the three remaining K's and any running straight or trips. Only two cards improve my hand, the remaining Q's.
The turn is a harmless 7 of diamonds and the river is a harmless Ace of spades. I'm up to 1990.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #82
I'm now in second place with 1720, significantly trailing the leader. I'm in the big blind of 60 when I get Ah-10c. The big blind is raised to 120, and what the hell, I call, and so does another player.
The flop is 6d-9s-As. With five players, I gotta think I'm in pretty good shape. I've got top pair and the ten isn't a bad kicker. When the player in front of me bets 320, I'm worried my kicker isn't as good as I thought, and I fold. The big stack calls.
The turn is a 10 of diamonds (damn it!). The first player goes all-in and the big stack calls. The showdown is Ad-8c (big stack) vs. Ac-3c (small stack). The river is a 4 of clubs and the 8 kicker holds up. Another player is eliminated.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #84
I'm in third place with 1570, just 5 chips behind second, but 5000 chips behind first. I get As-Qs on the button. I raise the big blind of 60 to 120 and get one caller, the guy with whom I'm virtually tied.
The flop is 5d-9c-Qh. Great flop for me. He bets 330, but I don't believe him. I go all-in and he folds. I think going all-in was a mistake here. If he's got A-A or K-K or caught two pair, I'm done. I could have just raised about 500 chips or so and had the same effect. If I lose, I've still got some chips to play with. In the end, the 990 chips push me to 2050.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #102
The blinds have me down to 1600 now, in second place, but still well behind the leader. I get a pair of 5's in my pocket sitting in the big blind of 100.
The small stack raises to 200 and it's folded to me where I raise. I figure him for overcards, and he only had 260 chips coming into the hand.
He had two overcards alright, unfortunately they were the same card... two Q's.
The board shows 6d-Ks-4d-9d-9h, and he doubles up at my expense.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #111
I'm in third now, only 300 chips ahead of 4th, and well behind 1st and second. I get a pair of Q's in the small blind of 50. The UTG, who's in 4th, raises to 350 and I go all-in. He calls. Our second showdown in 9 hands.
This time he shows 6's, and I figure it's karma coming back my way. When the board shows 10s-5c-Jc-8d-5s, my Q's hold up and I'm up to 1580 and we're down to three players. I'm in the money.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #116
I'm up to 1830 chips and in the big blind of 100 when I get Ac-Jd. It's raised in front of me to 200 and we all call. All three are in the hand.
The flop is Ad-5d-6c. The first player checks, I bet 600 and get one caller. He's got about 1000 more chips than me coming into the hand. I like my position.
The turn is another 5 and a second club. He checks and so do I.
The river is an 8 of spades. He checks again and I go all-in. He folds and I'm up to 2500 chips.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #126
10 hands later and I'm in second with 1930 chips, still 5000 behind 1st. I'm in the small blind of 75 when I get a pair of 9's. The small stack (1145) goes all-in and I call him.
This time it is two overcards, Ah-10d. I hope my 9's hold up.
The flop is 2h-6h-Jh. He didn't pair, but that flush means I'm in big trouble.
The turn is another heart and I'm pissed. Plus I'm down to under 800 chips.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #131
I'm in the big blind of 150 with just 485 chips, well behind the other two players. Thankfully I get a pair of Q's and it's a hand with which I hope to double-up.
The second stack calls the big blind and I raise to 300, he calls.
The flop is 8c-10c-10d. He forces me all-in and I call.
Showdown and it's Ks-8s vs. my Q's. When the turn brings a 7 of clubs and the river a 2 of spades, I double up to 970.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hand #135
I'm back down to 745 in the small blind of 75 when I see Ah-4h. I call the big blind and get raised by the big stack who's sitting in the big blind. He's forcing me to go all-in or fold. There's an excellant chance he's got a better kicker than me, or maybe even a pair, but I am suited and that's gotta be worth something... right? I sure hope so, because I call.
He flips just Ks-7h, and I'm feeling pretty good. There's really just 6 cards that help him. Of course, he catches a 7 on the flop and a K on the turn. Nothing like catching two of the 6 cards in the entire deck. I get no help and my day is done.
----------------------------------------------------------------
I walk away with $20 and I think I played okay. I wish I had been more agressive early when the play was very loose, but I really didn't have hands that were even worth chasing. If I don't lose to that running flush in Hand #126, I'm obviously in second, with at least a chance of catching first. The hearts did me in.