I had a very enjoyable evening at a tourney that I plan to return to. The atmosphere was convivial and relaxed, the blinds were 30 minutes through midnight, and I just squeaked into 8th place (the tiniest cash prize) in a field of 27 because I failed to suck out yet again.
Of the 90 hands I was dealt, I was very happy with my play on all but two of them. One was an over-conservative play where I folded middle pair to a small raise on a scary board, but then the turn and river were a boat for the hand I folded. That doesn't bother me nearly as much as the bitch-slapping I got on the one had where I got ahead of myself.
I'm UTG with 2.4 times my initial stack, which is pretty healthy for the table. I look at pocket tens and raise 3BB, which is about 1/5 of my stack. NF goes over the top for another 2.25BB all-in bet, and I call since I know he can't re-raise. I assume we're looking at a coin flip versus big slick. I'm sadly mistaken when I see his pocket rockets. I fail to suck-out and I'm back to about break-even, which is not healthy for the blind price. I never recoup enough to do anything but wait for class 1 hands and fold limpers that would have won many a pot.
I suck at sucking-out. I must learn how to suck-out. Is there a suck-out school?
For posterity, I should record that NF, shortly before that hand, turned pocket 3s into four of a kind. These two hands weren't enough, since he was one of the last to go out before he made final table. Other than these two hands, he really didn't seem to be catching much or even getting playable starters.
Also should record that I had the chance to meet and play with the Count, who I had been hoping to meet for a while now. The Count took the tourney home. Ours was a tight table, and we barely lost a player while the other two tables seemed to be dropping like flies in comparison.
I've used the notebook for two tourneys in a row and I plan to continue to use it as a crutch in tourneys. It helps to prevent me from getting ahead of myself. I was mocked mercilessly for it by my tablemates, but most of those doing the mocking did not make the final table. I at least had that honor, so the notebook stays for any multi-table tourney going forward.
