Just say no to NITS!

Well every good run eventually comes to an end. Finally, playing in last night's SNG's, I failed to finish in the money in one of these things. I bubbled. I cashed in the first of the two SNG's but nothing stellar happened. The second game... well I allowed one thing to get to me. There were two competing aggressors at the table. They were driving everyone out preflop, and then either checking or min betting to one another post flop. Not something I should really worry about, except that the behaviour eventually caused them to get involved with the guy who was the short stack at the time (below me) and top him off quite nicely. That's okay too, except the two aggressors pushed preflop and the short stack called it. He was first to act, after the less than stellar flop and he bet out, one aggressor dropped, the other min raised and was called. The short stack continued to bet a minimal amount on each following street and was min raised, except on the river, when the "aggressor" dropped out. There was really nothing he could have been chasing. It put me out a little, that he breathed new life into the guy who had been about to go out. Now I was the short stack. Very next hand, I insta-popped it all in, and stole the pot, just to remind them both I was still there... watching and kinda questioning their actions. A few hands later I was in the small blind and it was folded back around to me. If I could get the BB to drop I would have climbed back out of the short stack position. I looked down at a K-rag, and decided to shove against a BB that wasn't high on the chip count position. Unfortunately, he looked down at A-10s and called... rightly so. Looking back, I made two mistakes. One, I let the play of the aggressors get under my skin a little more than usual. I shouldn't have since on the other table I was playing there was a guy doing the same thing and it became his undo-ing when he tried to bully his way through a hand, only to run into the guy who had smooth called him all the way, and was sitting there grinning with the stone-cold NUTS! See ya... bye... I laughed out loud on that one, and Teresa was convinced I was losing it. The second mistake of the game or the night really... I was playing like a total friggin' NIT! Sheesh could I have acted any more like a pussy?!? I tried to limp with too many marginal hands and small pocket pairs only to watch early on the table bullies pop it and force me to fold, from my poor position. Then, from position, I was shying away from getting involved, listening to the small voice in my ear saying, c'mon just fold to victory. Well, no thank you from here on out. My new motto, is "Just say no to NITS!" Get back to the gameplan and let the money start finding its way to you. On the positive side, the cost of the two SNG's $35.20 was totally lost, in that I cashed in one game and so found myself down only $11.20. I'm still up... I got a lesson that I think I needed, and besides. Out of 8 of these $16 + $1.60 Beginner SNG's I've cashed in 7 out of 8 thus far for an 87.5% so far. I didn't really expect to cash and/or win in "every" single one of these. Yeah it would've been nice, but was unrealistic. I need to stick with the game plan and play tight up front, to the point at which I can identify the guys who really seem scared to play or risk anything, and just apply small pressure to take down a few small pots and avoid those coin flips. Then, once we lose the bubble boy, become the table nightmare and take it down.

Tonight, I've got some running to do. Whitney has a homecoming parade to go to at 5:15. Cole has a skating party at 6:00-ish. Teresa is going somewhere with her mom, so I've got to drop off and pick up everyone. I have to make sure that they get their homework done somewhere in between all that. Then, I can guarantee I'll be heading to the Eagles for a drink. Sheesh! I've walked, run, and lifted my heart out this week and even eaten pretty well too, and particularly avoided late night scavenging. I haven't even been drinking pop! Okay I will be tonight, but only slightly, the rest had better be a stiff Jack Daniels. See you all tonight, for the drawing... I'm out.

Regards,

cheer_dad