As a poker player we always need a little help. Most people call it luck but since I’m trying not to be superstitious, so I’ve decided to use another term for that random kick in the ass called luck. I’m not asking for luck anymore (since that’s a lost cause), all I’m asking for now is a little help. As in I need a little help on my flush draw, I need a little help to fill my straight or at the very least little help on the flop, river or turn is a welcome change for once.
Most of all I need a little help from the players I’m playing with.
For example, they could help my cause by folding their marginal hands especially when I’m bluffing….well maybe that’s asking for too much.
Case in point, I’m playing in a league tournament on Sunday. The usual suspects are staring at me across the felt. I know most of these players. So that helps.
They know me also. That doesn’t help.
Blinds are 300-600 I’m on the button and two players limp in. There’s 2,100 out there including the SB and BB. I decide to steal the blinds. I have about 10k (we started out with 7,500 in chips). I have 8/6 spades. Not the greatest hand in the world but since the limpers have shown relative weakness and unless the SB and BB wake up with a really good hand, I feel I can help my cause and take this pot down if I push. So I push. Even if I get called I’ll have two live cards to help me out.
SB folds. BB folds. 1st limper folds. 2nd limper was short stacked and calls his last 5k off. He’s got 55. Oops. I got caught red handed but I still have 2 live cards. The board doesn’t help my cause and I double him up.
A few hands later I get KK and double up against QQ. Now that was helpful.
I go on a hot streak and start to tear it up. I’m the chip leader and there’s 4 players left. I get A/K diamonds in the cutoff. I raise. The button calls. BB shoves. I call and the button calls. The flop is A/10/7. two spades. I raise, button goes all in. I have him covered but not by much. I call. He has K/10 spades. I’m begging the deck to help me out but turn is another 10.
Ugh. as in Ugly.
The guy who doubled up against me finishes me off a few hands later and I finish in 3rd place.
All in all, finishing 3rd isn’t the worst thing in the world, cashing is cashing even if it’s for 3rd place money.
I’m getting a little frustrated though. I’ve cashed 5 times this quarter and they’ve all been 3rd place finishes, which sucks. What do I have to do to win one of these things???
The answer is simple. All I need is a little help.
Posted by brooklyn bum 
