Same as it ever was

A few hands into Sunday's Group tournament, I re-raised J.C. from the SB with A-K. He made it 2,500 total and folded face-up. J.C. tabled his own version of Big Slick Unsooooted.

No big deal. It was only 600 of my 10K starting stack. I said, "Nice bet, sir," and moved on.

But there was no where to go. I stumbled to the break with 6,100 after stealing the blinds two or three times -- the only pots I would win. Quality cards were lacking. Other than the aforementioned Big Slick, the best hands I saw were a few smallish pocket pairs that failed to connect on the flop. My one attempt to float with them post-flop failed miserably.

I donked off my last 4K at 400/800 blinds with A-8 suited. At least there was a cash game waiting.

Hell, I only won one pot in the hour or so I played cash. Fortunately, that hand turned a losing session into a winning one, covering the tournament buy-in. The game (.50/.50 blinds) broke up sooner than I would have liked. (It’s far easier to be patient playing cash, the game that never ends.)

I did decline an invitation to join the $1/2, probably wise on several levels. I white-knuckled my way home through something just shy of a blizzard, one of the few heavy snowfalls we’ve seen on the North Coast this winter.

This persistent cooler continues to frustrate. I don’t think I’ve played that badly. Yet I know good tournament players regularly cash and make final tables. Since I do not, I can only assume that I’m not playing as well as I’d like to think.

Where do we go from here? The Stars account sits barren. (ePassporte is taking its good old time getting my account established.) I’ve got crumbs in Full Tilt and am playing $2.25 SNGs. (I’ve actually doubled the bankroll after about a dozen of them.)

Wait a second, you say. You vowed to take a break.

I admit it. I'm weak. If I've got chips, I'm going to play.

I am Poker Jones.