Poker Blues

This past weekend was a difficult one for me at the online poker tables. Fate was crushing me. Simply crushing me. I had many hands dominated, but seemed to lose every contest I was in. I lost several hands on the river when all the money was in on the turn. And I lost 4 big pots with folks who had sets (AA losing to KKK, KQ losing to QQ with a KQ8 board, KK losing to 999, etc.). Holding AK was like having a big hole in my pocket. I dropped two buy-ins worth over the weekend. I am down just shy of $300 playing no limit at the .25/.50 tables. I’m wondering if it’s luck or is it me. At some point I have to think I’m missing something. I play good hands and pay attention. I get my money in good a lot of the time. Often I’m pot committed on the flop or turn and have to commit the rest of my chips when I’m raised, knowing I’m beat. That happened with KQ against another set I ran into. Just when I think the worst is over, more crazy horribleness happens. But the good news is I didn’t break any mice. In fact, I took the bad beats, bad luck and bad play like a true professional. In a way, poker, teaches you to be philosophical about the play of the cards. After the money’s all in, there’s simply nothing I can do about how the cards play out. Accepting that is a big plus in this game where luck is such a factor. Right now I’m gapped up in bad breaks. What that means is at some point the odds will even out and I’m going to be on a tear. I can’t wait for that to happen.