Winning is Wonderful...(finis)

Up to around $900, I was determined not to make the mistake I have often made when I have a big stack in front of me - I get too loose, play too many marginal hands and donk off a bunch of chips. So I went into super-tight mode.

Fold fold fold.

While I was folding three other guys at the table were trying to out-crazy each other. Finally they decided to "roll" for a $100 each - each guy put up $100 in chips and agreed not to bet the hand after the flop - in essence they wanted to just let luck decide the winner, which is kinda dumb because the casino would take a rake. Why not just flip coins for it in the parking lot?

Fold, fold, fold.

Finally I was dealt pocket 10's in late position. A double-straddle was on and there were a few callers before me. I just called and six players saw the following flop Ac 6c 10c. The small blind checked and the guy in the big blind raised it to $55. This dude was one of the maniacs - he was the one who had instigated the $100 roll. He had been losing pretty heavily and had just re-bought for $300. What to make of his bet here? It could be a "steam raise" - an overly aggressive move from a guy who has been losing, It folded to me. I decided my opponent was semi-bluffing - that he had something like Kc Qd. I dismissed the idea that he might have the flush already. I was sure my set was ahead. He had just under $200 left so I raised it to $255. He snapped called.

"You have a set, huh?" he asked and I nodded. With no more betting to be done, he flipped his cards over - Kc 9c. The nut flush. How could I have walked right into that?

"Nice hand," I said, turning over my tens.

The dealer flipped over a Jack on the turn and then another Jack on the river, giving me a full house.

To his credit he only let out a soft mutter of "Unbelievable" instead of the usual loud profanity that follows a bad beat. As the dealer pushed the chips my way I offered an apology. My opponent was very gracious and I distinctly got the feeling he was hoping I would stick around so he could get his chips back.

Even though I won another big hand, I was unsettled. I had badly mis-read an opponent - a sign I was not on top of the game anymore.

About a half hour later I lost a pot when I chased a flush draw with bad pot odds. I was very lucky that I missed the draw because another big stack was drawing to a higher flush - if we both hit I could have been wiped out.

Even after that modest loss I had well over a thousand dollars in front of me. I realized I was no longer playing well and it was time for me to leave - but it is just so hard to leave! I stuck around for another dozen hands, folding them all, until at last the voice of reason won over and I left.