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he Guardian Poker Column |
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Victoria
Coren |
Wed 6 Jan 2010 |
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Christmas is over: time to sober
up
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Today
is Day 1 of the $10,000 PCA tournament in Nassau. After a festive break from
serious events, I need to get my head back in the zone. This is the sort of
hand I've been playing lately:
I'm in the £10-£25 game,
short-stacked with £1,000. I've just enjoyed a boozy Christmas dinner
with most of my opponents.
Finding AK under the gun, I raise to
£75 and Jeff Duval has a long think. Perfect. He will reraise and I can
get it all in. |
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Then it turns out that Jeff had simply
forgotten he had cards. I blame the second bottle. He folds, apologetically.
I sense that he did not check, originally, with the intention of
raising but wanting to play the hand, and the bigger stack having folded
thinks he might as well go all in. Must be a draw. Then I'm distracted
by Dave the Bookie singing "tonight's gonna be a good night" loudly at the next
table. Taking a swig of wine, I lose my train of thought entirely.
Where was I? Ah yes. AK. What did I think he had? I've forgotten. But
what the hell. I was ready to go all in before the flop, why not now? I call!
Bad Beat shows A10. Why did I call? Why didn't I move in on the flop? I
knew a moment ago . . . Nope. Gone.
"More wine?" says Bad Beat,
scraping in the chips.
Everyone has to sober up in January, even poker
players. We'd all be skint otherwise. Bring on the PCA; think lucky thoughts.
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