Shrunken and shrivelled

I have been unusually lax in updating recently. Running bad may have something to do with it. It's been a really trying few weeks...

Want to win with AQ v A7 at the crucial stage of a sit and go? No chance. Headsup in a PLO8 game in a pre-flop raising war that ends all-in, holding A23J doublesuited, versus a bag of spanners? You must be kidding if you expect to get a cent out of that pot. Flopped broadway versus one pair? A split! A2 versus 24 on a 226T board? Forget it mate...

Sometimes I think I need to have a 499-1 favourite to win a pot. Oh hang on...

However, I have certainly made mistakes. Failing to steal for myself a split pot through fear of betting. Getting into trouble out of position. Failing to raise certain hands pr-flop when I should have.

The bad run creates its own errors, as it pushes you into your shell no matter how much you try to resist that effect. The most upsetting example of that came at the weekend, when I check-folded on the turn in a large PLO8 pot to action from two opponents. In the worst-case scenario I would have had some chances in what became a really big pot. The best-case scenario was that I was still ahead and would have scooped it - and that turned out to be the case. Much gnashing of teeth. That one hurt.

Still, I think I am emerging from my cramped, painful shell, my eyes blinking in the blinding light. I decided to have a heavy poker weekend, focussed on playing lots of hours rather than on results. It went okay, despite missing out on that pot. The highlight was probably a session of PLO 6-max which began when I lost a pre-flop all-in with Aces versus someone else's Aces, which was doubly (though irrelevantly) painful because he had only three outs on the river. From there, I put the pedal to the metal and played with guts, desire, focus and skill to turn it into a reasonable win.

Suddenly I found myself playing like my old self again; I hadn't realised just how shrunken and shrivelled I had become at the table until I stood up tall again.

Anyway, I had a reasonable weekend and Monday evening. Nothing special, but back on track somewhat. I defintely fare better at 6-max than a full table, and I need to make the requisite adjustments on the Party/Eurobet ring tables to cope with that. The rakeback just makes it too good an opportunity to pass up. I've also finally managed to deposit a good portion of my mystery backer's funds into that account...

The next few weeks will see me chasing two goals; lots of hours, and taking a step or two up in size of games.

Besides all that, life tickles along just fine. Weather improving, snooker deteriorating, proposed European constitution in tatters after referenda results in France and Netherlands. Happy days, and I am on the up...