Poker Champ – NOT.

A friend of mine from college had a small poker tourney yesterday – 15 people showed up, and I had a great time (except for the drive in along Alleghany and Germantown Aves. – scary places in Philly). I played really well until the end when I started to panic. I ended up becoming short stack and decided to make my move.

I’ve got a pair of 4’s on the draw and I’m to the right of the dealer, so I’m nearly last to decide whether I’m in or out. There are six still playing, and two before me stay in on the deal by matching the blind ($2000). I’m deciding whether to go strong (all in with $5,200) or just call. I called – and that was my downfall.

The flop gave us an Ace, 8 clubs and a 3. Both other players checked and I went all in – $3,200. Player 1 folded, but player 2 called me – and when we flipped, showed an 8 and Q – giving him a pair of 8’s to my 4’s. The rest of the deal was trash, but he said later that had I gone strong from the deal, he would have folded. I KNOW the rule is to go hard to avoid the flop when fortunes can change dramatically, and I didn’t do it and it cost me. In the end, I probably was just holding off the inevitable, but at least I could have played a few more hands if I had played right – and who knows what can happen with the right cards.